New insights into the interstellar medium of the dwarf galaxy IC 10 : connection between magnetic fields, the radio--infrared correlation and star formation

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. Available at doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1567.We present the highest sensitivity and angular resolution study at 0.32 GHz of the dwarf irregular galaxy IC\,10, observed using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, probing $\sim45$ pc spatial scales. We find the galaxy-averaged radio continuum spectrum to be relatively flat, with a spectral index $\alpha = -0.34\pm0.01$ ($S_\nu \propto \nu^\alpha$), mainly due to a high contribution from free--free emission. At 0.32 GHz, some of the H{\sc ii} regions show evidence of free--free absorption as they become optically thick below $\sim0.41$ GHz with corresponding free electron densities of $\sim11-22~\rm cm^{-3}$. After removing the free--free emission, we studied the radio--infrared relations on 55, 110 and 165 pc spatial scales. We find that on all scales the non-thermal emission at 0.32 and 6.2 GHz correlates better with far-infrared (FIR) emission at $70\,\mu$m than mid-infrared emission at $24\,\mu$m. The dispersion of the radio--FIR relation arises due to variations in both magnetic field and dust temperature, and decreases systematically with increasing spatial scale. The effect of cosmic ray transport is negligible as cosmic ray electrons were only injected $\lesssim5$ Myr ago. The average magnetic field strength ($B$) of $12~\mu$G in the disc is comparable to that of large star-forming galaxies. The local magnetic field is strongly correlated with local star formation rate ($\mathrm{SFR}$) as $B \propto \mathrm{SFR}^{0.35\pm0.03}$, indicating a star-burst driven fluctuation dynamo to be efficient ($\sim10$ per cent) in amplifying the field in IC\,10. The high spatial resolution observations presented here suggest that the high efficiency of magnetic field amplification and strong coupling with SFR likely sets up the radio--FIR correlation in cosmologically young galaxies.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

ASSESSMENT OF CYP2D6*10 POLYMORPHISM WITH POST HERPETIC NEURALGIA PATIENTS UNDERGOING TRAMADOL TREATMENT

objective: To evaluate association of CYP2D6*10 polymorphism with respect to demographic characteristics (age at onset, genders and weight), numerical rating scale (NRS) for measuring pain intensity in relation with resting and movement associated pain and adverse drug effects of PHN patients receiving tramadol therapy. Methods: Total 246 patients of PHN (148 males and 98 females) were selected who fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Clinicians were recorded numerical rating scores (at rest and with movement), and note down adverse drug side effects during the time of study. All samples were analyzed for CYP2D6*10 polymorphism using PCR-RFLP method. results: We observed genotype distribution of CYP2D6* 10 did not vary significantly with age at onset [non-responders (p=0.317) and responders (p=0.260)], genders[ non-responders (p=0.317) and responders (p=0.949)], and weight [non-responders (p=0.298) and responders (p=0.279)] and also did not find significant role with respect to resting (p=0.428) and movement associated type of pain (p=0.178). In addition, CYP2D6*10 was not associated with adverse effects such as somnolence (p=0.135), dizziness (p=0.178), local site reactions (p=0.535), headache (p=0.502), hypotension (p=0.567) and nausea and vomiting (p=0.268) of analgesic therapy. Therefore we conclude that, CYP2D6*10 may not be a predictor of treatment outcomes of patients with PHN receiving tramadol

Nutritional Factors and Susceptibility to Arsenic-Caused Skin Lesions in West Bengal, India

There has been widespread speculation about whether nutritional deficiencies increase the susceptibility to arsenic health effects. This is the first study to investigate whether dietary micronutrient and macronutrient intake modulates the well-established human risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions, including alterations in skin pigmentation and keratoses. The study was conducted in West Bengal, India, which along with Bangladesh constitutes the largest population in the world exposed to arsenic from drinking water. In this case–control study design, cases were patients with arsenic-induced skin lesions and had < 500 μg/L arsenic in their drinking water. For each case, an age- and sex-matched control was selected from participants of a 1995–1996 cross-sectional survey, whose drinking water at that time also contained < 500 μg/L arsenic. Nutritional assessment was based on a 24-hr recall for major dietary constituents and a 1-week recall for less common constituents. Modest increases in risk were related to being in the lowest quintiles of intake of animal protein [odds ratio (OR) = 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–3.59], calcium (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.04–3.43), fiber (OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.15–4.21), and folate (OR = 1.67; 95% CI, 0.87–3.2). Conditional logistic regression suggested that the strongest associations were with low calcium, low animal protein, low folate, and low fiber intake. Nutrient intake was not related to arsenic exposure. We conclude that low intake of calcium, animal protein, folate, and fiber may increase susceptibility to arsenic-caused skin lesions. However, in light of the small magnitude of increased risks related to these dietary deficiencies, prevention should focus on reducing exposure to arsenic

Financing models for an online seller with performance risk in an E-commerce marketplace

Third-party sellers on e-commerce marketplaces (e.g., Amazon and Alibaba) have been primarily dependent on conventional financing modes such as bank credit financing (BCF) to meet their working capital requirements. Many of these platforms have recently started novel financing programs (platform credit financing, PCF) for the sellers under the umbrella of Supply Chain Finance. For example, Amazon provides unsecured loans to third-party sellers on its platform under the Amazon lending program. These loans are risky for the platform. If the seller is unable to fulfill customer’s orders because of some internal inefficiencies (performance risk), the platform loses the loan amount and incurs a goodwill cost among its customer base. In this paper, we develop a series of game-theoretic models to analyze and compare BCF and PCF for a cash-constrained third-party seller on an e-commerce marketplace. We derive optimal interest rates that the platform may charge the seller depending on its performance risk. We derive conditions under which either BCF or PCF could be more profitable for the seller. We introduce innovative contracts (Guaranteed Demand Increment Contract and Lending Rate Matching Contract initiated by the platform and Lumpsum Transfer Contract initiated by the seller) that incentivize the seller or platform to act in a mutually beneficial way. Our analysis shows that these contracts achieve win–win outcomes and increase the total supply chain profit

Platform vs. 3PL Financing: Strategic Choice of Lending Model for an E-tailer Under Operational Risk

In addition to providing logistics services, third-party logistics (3PL) firms (e.g., S.F. Express) have recently started extending financial services to capital-constrained e-tailers (referred to as 3PL financing (LF)). Another novel financing mode available for e-tailers is platform financing (PF), in which online platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba provide loans to e-tailers on their platforms. Both LF and PF facilitate trade in a capital-constrained supply chain. However, in the presence of an e-tailer’s operational risk, the lenders are exposed to credit risk, which can negatively impact the whole supply chain. Moreover, when both financing modes are available, the e-tailer must develop an optimal borrowing strategy. Multiple factors, such as bankruptcy cost, referral fee, and shipping fee, can significantly influence players’ financing decisions. Therefore, this paper examines supply chain members’ optimal operational and financing decisions under LF and PF. We study a three-tier supply chain in which an e-tailer, exposed to operational risk, procures a product from a supplier via the 3PL firm and resells it to end customers through the online platform. The e-tailer obtains the working capital either through LF or PF. We find that at low (high) levels of operational risk, the e-tailer chooses LF (PF). Surprisingly, the platform and the 3PL firm do not always benefit from the PF and LF. We recommend a decision support framework for the e-tailer’s optimal financing strategy for different product categories based on its operational risk. We show that for products with a low (moderate and high) referral fee, LF (PF) achieves a win-win-win outcome under low (high) operational risk. Further analysis shows that the e-tailer’s initial working capital, logistics and product costs can alter the players’ financing decisions

Platform financing vs. bank financing: Strategic choice of financing mode under seller competition

Third-party sellers on online platforms primarily rely on banks to meet their financing requirements and are often constrained by the lack of sufficient working capital. Online platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba have ushered new dynamics in the e-commerce financing landscape by offering working capital loans to these sellers, thereby directly competing with banks and influencing market competition. This paper analytically studies how the competition between third-party sellers on platforms affects the strategic financing choices of sellers, namely, platform financing (P) vs. bank financing (B). We examine how the financing choice influences sellers’ pricing decisions in the competitive product market. Based on the sellers’ financing choices, four lending modes are possible: BB, PP, BP, and PB. Our analyses provide critical insights on the optimal financing choices and uncover the interplay of pricing, product substitution, referral fees, and production costs. We show that any seller deviating from PP to a hybrid mode (BP/PB) leads to a higher platform interest rate and a lower seller profit. We find that the competing sellers choose a hybrid lending mode when the unit production cost is low. However, the platform always prefers PP, leading to an all-win outcome in the supply chain when the production cost is high. Furthermore, for products with low referral fees and high substitution effect, BP/PB emerges as equilibrium, while for products with low referral fees and low substitution effect, PP is the equilibrium outcome. Interestingly, we find that both sellers may choose bank financing when their working capital levels are high

THE IMPACT OF PHARMACOGENETICS ON ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS TO PREDICT THE EFFICACY OF TRAMADOL MONOTHERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF POST HERPETIC NEURALGIA PATIENTS

Objective: To evaluate the potential role of tramadol treatment with respect to CYP2D6 polymorphism in reducing the incidence of adverse drug reactions.Methods: The study comprised 246 patients of PHN receiving tramadol treatment. Adverse drug events during the time of the study were recorded by the physician. All samples were analyzed for CYP2D6 (*2, *4 and *10) polymorphism using PCR-RFLP method.Results: The CYP2D6 polymorphism did not find significantly among onset at age, genders and weight in non-responders and responders. The CYP2D6*4 polymorphism was significantly associated with somnolence (p=0.009), dizziness (p=0.007), local site reactions (p=0.015), headache (p=0. 039), and nausea and vomiting (p=0. 017). The dizziness (p=0. 029) and headache (p=0. 004) were found associated with CYP2D6*2 both the groups. No associations were observed between adverse events compared with CYP2D6*2 and CYP2D6*10 polymorphisms (p&gt;0.05).Conclusion: CYP2D6*4 polymorphism may be as important drug toxicity marker predictors of experiencing adverse drug reactions as PHN patients undergoing tramadol treatment. Â

Nutritional factors and susceptibility to arsenic-caused skin lesions in West Bengal, India.

There has been widespread speculation about whether nutritional deficiencies increase the susceptibility to arsenic health effects. This is the first study to investigate whether dietary micronutrient and macronutrient intake modulates the well-established human risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions, including alterations in skin pigmentation and keratoses. The study was conducted in West Bengal, India, which along with Bangladesh constitutes the largest population in the world exposed to arsenic from drinking water. In this case-control study design, cases were patients with arsenic-induced skin lesions and had &lt; 500 microg/L arsenic in their drinking water. For each case, an age- and sex-matched control was selected from participants of a 1995-1996 cross-sectional survey, whose drinking water at that time also contained &lt; 500 microg/L arsenic. Nutritional assessment was based on a 24-hr recall for major dietary constituents and a 1-week recall for less common constituents. Modest increases in risk were related to being in the lowest quintiles of intake of animal protein [odds ratio (OR) = 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-3.59], calcium (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.04-3.43), fiber (OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.15-4.21), and folate (OR = 1.67; 95% CI, 0.87-3.2). Conditional logistic regression suggested that the strongest associations were with low calcium, low animal protein, low folate, and low fiber intake. Nutrient intake was not related to arsenic exposure. We conclude that low intake of calcium, animal protein, folate, and fiber may increase susceptibility to arsenic-caused skin lesions. However, in light of the small magnitude of increased risks related to these dietary deficiencies, prevention should focus on reducing exposure to arsenic