Electronic structure of Pr0.67_{0.67}Ca0.33_{0.33}MnO3_3 near the Fermi level studied by ultraviolet photoelectron and x-ray absorption spectroscopy

We have investigated the temperature-dependent changes in the near-$E$$_F$ occupied and unoccupied states of Pr$_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_3$ which shows the presence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. The temperature-dependent changes in the charge and orbital degrees of freedom and associated changes in the Mn 3$d$ - O 2$p$ hybridization result in varied O 2$p$ contributions to the valence band. A quantitative estimate of the charge transfer energy ($E$$_{CT}$) shows a larger value compared to the earlier reported estimates. The charge localization causing the large $E$$_{CT}$ is discussed in terms of different models including the electronic phase separation.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, To be published in Phy. Rev.

Microglia: an interface between the loss of neuroplasticity and depression

Depression has been widely accepted as a major psychiatric disease affecting nearly 350 million people worldwide. Research focus is now shifting from studying the extrinsic and social factors of depression to the underlying molecular causes. Microglial activity is shown to be associated with pathological conditions, such as psychological stress, pathological aging, and chronic infections. These are primary immune effector cells in the CNS and regulate the extensive dialogue between the nervous and the immune systems in response to different immunological, physiological, and psychological stressors. Studies have suggested that during stress and pathologies, microglia play a significant role in the disruption of neuroplasticity and have detrimental effects on neuroprotection causing neuroinflammation and exacerbation of depression. After a systematic search of literature databases, relevant articles on the microglial regulation of bidirectional neuroimmune pathways affecting neuroplasticity and leading to depression were reviewed. Although, several hypotheses have been proposed for the microglial role in the onset of depression, it is clear that all molecular pathways to depression are linked through microglia-associated neuroinflammation and hippocampal degeneration. Molecular factors such as an excess of glucocorticoids and changes in gene expression of neurotrophic factors, as well as neuro active substances secreted by gut microbiota have also been shown to affect microglial morphology and phenotype resulting in depression. This review aims to critically analyze the various molecular pathways associated with the microglial role in depression.Gaurav Singhal and Bernhard T. Baun

Study of medical disorders in pregnancy among in patients at a tertiary care hospital in Haryana, India

Background: Pregnancy is a physiological condition in which various changes occur in pregnant women just to accommodate growing fetus. Pregnancy is a stress test for woman and may unmask certain underlying chronic diseases like, DM, hypertension which were silent or asymptomatic prior to pregnancy. This study was done to know the incidence, type and demographic profile of medical disorders in pregnancy among in patient at a tertiary care hospital.Methods: It was a retrospective study conducted on 578 patients of medical disorders in pregnancy admitted in a tertiary care hospital from January 2017 to December 2017. Data collected from record room and analysis done.Results: Total antenatal admissions were 4721. Incidence of medical disorders was 12.24%. Majority of women were in age group 20-30 years (65.5%). Low-parity (P0, P1). Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was commonest reported disorder (42.3%), followed by hematological disorder (38.7%), liver disorder 5%, endocrine disorder 4.8%, epilepsy 3.8% and HIV 2.6% in present study.Conclusions: Hypertensive disorders were commonest medical disorder followed by hematological, liver, endocrine and epilepsy. All medical disorders in pregnancy to be managed by team approach

Proizvodnja gelan gume fermentacijom, njezino izdvajanje, pročišćavanje i primjena

The microbial exopolysaccharides are water-soluble polymers secreted by microorganisms during fermentation. The biopolymer gellan gum is a relatively recent addition to the family of microbial polysaccharides that is gaining much importance in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries due to its novel properties. It is commercially produced by C. P. Kelco in Japan and the USA. Further research and development in biopolymer technology is expected to expand its use. This article presents a critical review of the available information on the gellan gum synthesized by Sphingomonas paucimobilis with special emphasis on its fermentative production and downstream processing. Rheological behaviour of fermentation broth during fermentative production of gellan gum and problems associated with mass transfer have been addressed. Information on the biosynthetic pathway of gellan gum, enzymes and precursors involved in gellan gum production and application of metabolic engineering for enhancement of yield of gellan gum has been specified. Characteristics of gellan gum with respect to its structure, physicochemical properties, rheology of its solutions and gel formation behaviour are discussed. An attempt has also been made to review the current and potential applications of gellan gum in food, pharmaceutical and other industries.Tijekom fermentacije mikroorganizmi izlučuju egzopolisaharide, polimere topljive u vodi. Gelan guma je biopolimer odnedavno uvršten u skupinu mikrobnih polisaharida koji se zbog svojih novih svojstava sve više primjenjuje u industriji hrane te farmaceutskoj i kemijskoj industriji. Proizvodi ga tvrtka C.P. Kelco u Japanu i SAD-u. Dodatnim istraživanjem i razvojem tehnologije biopolimera proširit će se njegova primjena. U ovom je radu dan kritički osvrt na podatke o sintezi gelan gume s pomoću Sphingomonas paucimobilis, a osobito na proizvodnju fermentacijom te izdvajanje i pročišćavanje proizvoda. Opisana su i reološka svojstva medija tijekom proizvodnje te problemi vezani uz prijenos tvari. Navedeni su podaci o biosintetskom putu, enzimima i prekurzorima koji sudjeluju u njezinoj proizvodnji te primjena metaboličkog inženjeringa radi poboljšanja prinosa. Također se raspravljalo o značajkama gelan gume s obzirom na strukturu, fizičko-kemijska svojstva, reologiju otopina te ponašanje pri formiranju gela. Autori su prikazali sadašnju i buduću primjenu gelan gume u industriji hrane, farmaceutskoj industriji i ostalim industrijama

Skleroglukan: proizvodnja fermentacijom, izdvajanje, pročišćavanje i primjena

Exopolysaccharides produced by a variety of microorganisms find multifarious industrial applications in foods, pharmaceutical and other industries as emulsifiers, stabilizers, binders, gelling agents, lubricants, and thickening agents. One such exopolysaccharide is scleroglucan, produced by pure culture fermentation from filamentous fungi of genus Sclerotium. The review discusses the properties, fermentative production, downstream processing and applications of scleroglucan.Razni mikroorganizmi proizvode egzopolisaharide koji imaju višestruku primjenu u proizvodnji hrane, farmaceutskoj industriji i drugim industrijama, kao emulgatori, stabilizatori, učvršćivači, te sredstva za geliranje, podmazivanje i zgušnjavanje. Jedan takav polisaharid je skleroglukan proizveden fermentacijom s pomoću filamentoznih gljiva iz roda Sclerotium. U ovom se revijalnom prikazu raspravlja o svojstvima skleroglukana, njegovoj proizvodnji fermentacijom te izdvajanju i primjeni

Design of Safe Slopes After Failure During an Earthquake

Four slope slides took place, during a major earthquake, on the slopes of hill that has a paper mill complex on its top. The subsoil condition and engineering parameters for the site were evaluated at the time of construction of this complex and again after the earthquake for the purpose of designing safe slopes. However, both times the variation in the numerical values of shear parameters obtained by different tests was very wide and it was difficult to arrive at some conclusion. Therefore, on the basis of failure surface geometries, these was assessed by back analysis and design of safe slope carried out