In silico Protein Structural Modeling and Active binding site Evaluation of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Structure function relation of glucose kinese in Streptococcus pneumoniae. However, a solved structure for _Streptococcus pneumoniae_ glucose kinese is not available at the protein data bank. Glucose kinase is a regulatory enzyme capable of adding phosphate group to glucose in the first step of streptomycin biosynthesis. The activity of glucose kinase was regulated by the Carbon Catabolite Repression system. So, we created a model of glucose kinese from _Streptococcus pnemoniae_ using the X-ray crystallography structure of glucose kinese enzymes from _Enterobacteria faecalis_ as template with Molsoft ICM v3.5 software. The model was validated using protein structure checking tools such as PROCHECK, WHAT IF: for reliability. The active site amino acid "Asp114" in the template is retained in _S. pneumoniae_ Glucose kinese model "Asp115". Solvent accessible surface area analysis of the glucose kinese model showed that known key residues playing important role in active site for ligand binding and metal ion binding are buried and hence not accessible to solvent. The information thus discussed provides insight to the molecular understanding of _Streptococcus pneumoniae_ in glucose kinase

Psychiatric comorbidity in multiple sclerosis

Aim: To study the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients of multiple sclerosisand their association to the degree of disability. Method: Psychiatric symptoms were assessed in 90 patients of multiple sclerosis using GHQ-12, MMSE, HADS, Beck Depression Inventory and AUDIT. Neurological disability wasassessed using Expanded Disability Status Scale. Correlations were determined between EDSS scores and psychiatric scale scores. Result: 61% of patients had significant psychological distress. Depression was most common (38.8%) which was followed by anxiety symptoms (27.8%). Cognitive functioning was relatively intact in patients with mild to moderate neurological disability. Alcohol abusewas mostly restricted to male gender. Conclusion: Psychiatric illness is highly prevalent in patients of multiple sclerosis leading to poor quality of life and significant distress. Psychiatric disability was higher in patients who had greater deterioration in neurological function. All cases of MS should be assessed for psychiatric morbidities as can be alleviated by appropriate intervention

Neutron scattering study of the layered Ising magnet CsDy(MoO₄)₂

The quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet CsDy(MoO₄)₂ is studied by neutron diffraction and quasielastic neutron scattering. The crystal structure of two low-temperature phases (below 120 K and below 40 K) is determined. An approximate structure of the magnetically ordered phase (TN = 1.36 K) is proposed. In the ordered state the order-parameter critical exponent β = 0.17(0.01), the in-plane correlation length exponent ν = 0.94(0.07), and the staggered susceptibility critical index γ= 1.01(0.04) were determined. Comparing these results to the exact solution for a 2D Ising magnet we conclude that, although 2D behavior is apparent in CsDy(MoO₄)₂, there are deviations from the simple 2D Ising model

Multiwavelength Study of M8.9/3B Solar Flare from AR NOAA 10960

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of a long duration white-light solar flare (M8.9/3B) event that occurred on 4 June 2007 from NOAA AR 10960. The flare was observed by several spaceborne instruments, namely SOHO/MDI, Hinode/SOT, TRACE and STEREO/SECCHI. The flare was initiated near a small, positive-polarity, satellite sunspot at the centre of the AR, surrounded by opposite-polarity field regions. MDI images of the AR show considerable amount of changes in a small positive-polarity sunspot of delta configuration during the flare event. SOT/G-band (4305 A) images of the sunspot also suggest the rapid evolution of the positive-polarity sunspot with highly twisted penumbral filaments before the flare event, which were oriented in the counterclockwise direction. It shows the change in orientation and also remarkable disappearance of twisted penumbral filaments (~35-40%) and enhancement in umbral area (~45-50%) during the decay phase of the flare. TRACE and SECCHI observations reveal the successive activations of two helical twisted structures associated with this sunspot, and the corresponding brightening in the chromosphere as observed by the time-sequence images of SOT/Ca II H line (3968 A). The secondary-helical twisted structure is found to be associated with the M8.9 flare event. The brightening starts 6-7 min prior to the flare maximum with the appearance of secondary helical-twisted structure. The flare intensity maximizes as this structure moves away from the AR. This twisted flux-tube associated with the flare triggering, is found to be failed in eruption. The location of the flare is found to coincide with the activation site of the helical twisted structures. We conclude that the activations of successive helical twists in the magnetic flux tubes/ropes plays a crucial role in the energy build-up process and triggering of M-class solar flare without a CME.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for Publication in Solar Physic

Electromagnetic probes

We introduce the seminal developments in the theory and experiments of electromagnetic probes for the study of the dynamics of relativistic heavy ion collisions and quark gluon plasma.Comment: 47 pages, 33 Figures; Lectures delivered by Dinesh K. Srivastava at QGP Winter School (QGPWS08) at Jaipur, India, February 1-3, 200

New developments in CLAMP: Calibration using global gridded meteorological data

Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) is a versatile technique for obtaining quantitative estimates for multiple terrestrial palaeoclimate variables from woody dicot leaf assemblages. To date it has been most widely applied to the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary of the mid- to high latitudes because of concerns over the relative dearth of calibration sites in modern low-latitude warm climates, and the loss of information associated with the lack of marginal teeth on leaves in paratropical to tropical vegetation. This limits CLAMP's ability to quantify reliably climates at low latitudes in greenhouse worlds of the past. One of the reasons for the lack of CLAMP calibration samples from warm environments is the paucity of climate stations close to potential calibration vegetation sites at low latitudes. Agriculture and urban development have destroyed most lowland sites and natural vegetation is now largely confined to mountainous areas where climate stations are few and climatic spatial variation is high due to topographic complexity. To attempt to overcome this we have utilised a 0.5° × 0.5° grid of global interpolated climate data based on the data set of New et al. (1999) supplemented by the ERA40 re-analysis data for atmospheric temperature at upper levels. For each location, the 3-D climatology of temperature from the ECMWF re-analysis project was used to calculate the mean lower tropospheric lapse rate for each month of the year. The gridded data were then corrected to the altitude of the plant site using the monthly lapse rates. Corrections for humidity were also made. From this the commonly returned CLAMP climate variables were calculated. A bi-linear interpolation scheme was then used to calculate the climate parameters at the exact lat/long of the site. When CLAMP analyses using the PHYSG3BR physiognomic data calibrated with the climate station based MET3BR were compared to analyses using the gridded data at the same locations (GRIDMET3BR), the results were indistinguishable in that they fell within the range of statistical uncertainty determined for each analysis. This opens the way to including natural vegetation anywhere in the world irrespective of the proximity of a meteorological station

Sealant Effectiveness for Children Receiving a Combination of Preventive Methods in a Fluoridated Community: Two-Year Results

A series of preventive methods in combination have been used to reduce dental caries in children including dental health education, prophylaxes, pit and fissure sealants, topical application of fluoride and restorative care. Prophylaxes, sealant, and fluoride procedures are repeated every six months. Two-year results show reductions of occlusal caries increments of 74.3% for first graders and 77.1% for sixth graders. Sealant loss, as defined in this study, varied from 33% to 90% with the highest loss occurring in the newly erupted permanent molars during the first six months of the project. These high sealant loss rates are thought to be related to the age of the population which was designed to include children at the ages of peak eruption of permanent molar teeth (ages six and twelve). These teeth were often only minimally erupted and maintaining the dry field required for sealant retention was extremely difficult. However, in spite of these high rates of sealant loss, caries reduction on occlusal surfaces was highly significant in comparison to that of children who did not receive sealants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68154/2/10.1177_00220345770560121801.pd