Surf Zone Sediment Size Variation, Morphodynamics, and Hydrodynamics during Sea/Land Breeze and El-Norte Storm in Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico

This study compares the effects of a mesoscale pressure system (i.e., cold front: referred to as El-Norte) and local pressure systems (land and sea breezes) on the hydrodynamics, beach profile, and particle size distribution of sediments within the surf zone. The effect of onshore and offshore wind has been investigated using measurements of hydrodynamics (water elevation, current velocities and direction), geomorphology (surface sediment samples and beach profiles), and meteorological observations (wind, temperature and atmospheric pressure). The experiment was conducted on Sisal beach located in the Gulf of Mexico along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from March 27th 2014 to April 11th 2014. For a 50 m cross section of the beach (i.e., the surf zone) hydrodynamics were analyzed by estimating turbulent kinetic energy, kinetic energy dissipation rate and bed shear stress using the measurements obtained from Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADV). Significant wave height and wave period in the surf zone were computed using pressure sensors from ADVs. A pressure transducer located in the swash zone provided additional water free-surface elevation data to help assess wave energy dissipation. During sea breeze cycles with wind velocities reaching up to 15 ms-1, rapid changes in wave height over a short period of time were observed. One El-Norte storm event affected the study site during the field campaign with maximum wind speeds of 15 ms-1, and significant wave heights of 1.5 m and 0.3 m in water depths of 10 m and 0.4 m, respectively. This study will test five hypotheses: (1) El-Norte is more effective in skewing sediment size distributions toward coarser grain sizes compared to regular sea-breeze events, (2) sea-breeze events result in deposition of sediment within the surf zone and erosion in the swash zone, in addition to onshore sandbar migration, (3) an individual El-Norte event can cause significant alterations to the beach profile resulting in a steeper beach profile and significant erosion in the swash zone and surf zone, (4) the undertow currents are stronger during El-Norte than during sea/land-breezes and play an important role in the offshore sandbars migration

Principal long-term adverse effects of imatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase

Imatinib mesylate (IM), an original Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor, entered the clinics in 1998 for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The drug is universally considered the treatment of choice for most, if not all, patients with CML. Importantly, lessons learned from patients with CML have been applied successfully for the treatment of patients with other disorders where IM has since been found to be active by virtue of its ability to target other kinases, such as c-kit in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors. IM is associated with mild to moderate toxicity, mostly reversible by dose reduction or discontinuation of the drug. Most adverse effects occur within the first 2 years of starting therapy; however, late effects, many being unique, are now being recognized. In this report, we assess the toxicity associated with IM, with an emphasis on the long-term adverse effects

Using environmental DNA for detection of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in natural water

Rapid, early, and reliable detection of invasive pathogenic microorganisms is essential in order to either predict or delineate an outbreak, and monitor appropriate mitigation measures. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans is expanding in Europe, and infection with this fungus may cause massive mortality in urodelans (salamanders and newts). In this study, we designed and validated species‐specific primers and a probe for detection of B. salamandrivorans in water. In a garden pond in close proximity to the B. salamandrivorans index site in the Netherlands, B. salamandrivorans‐infected newts had been detected in 2015 and have been monitored since. In 2016 and 2017, no B. salamandrivorans was detected at this site, but in 2018 B. salamandrivorans flared up in this isolated pond which allowed validation of the technique in situ. We here present the development of an environmental DNA technique that successfully detects B. salamandrivorans DNA in natural waterbodies even at low concentrations. This technique may be further validated to play a role in B. salamandrivorans range delineation and surveillance in both natural waterbodies and in captive collections

Carrier-mediated blends of Chitosan with polyvinyl chloride for different applications

AbstractThe current work aims at blending of PVC with Chitosan through simultaneous casting of their separate solutions in different proportions of PVC and Chitosan in suitable solvents. After dissolution, both solutions were added to each other while stirring at room temperature. The obtained mixture was left at room temperature to form the blend after evaporation of the solvent. Similar blends have been prepared similarly in presence of the organic ligand, dithizone, as a carrier-mediating material for different metal ions. PVC/Chitosan blends were characterized by thermal (TGA) and FT-IR Spectroscopic analyses as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained blends were found to have reasonable extent of compatibility between their components. Such compatibility depends mainly on the way with which the components have been blended with each other. The polymer-supported dithizone was investigated toward its ability to be used for removal of some metal ions from their aqueous solutions. Concentration of metal ions was determined by ICP-AES analysis

Estimation of Para Red Dye in Chilli Powder and Tomato Sauces by a Simple Spectrophotmetric Method followed by Thin layer Chromatography

A number of grinded chilli powder samples and tomato sauce samples were collected from various localities of Karachi city. All the samples were estimated for the presence of para red which is an azo dye and more specifically belongs from the group of sudan dyes. According to the regulation of various governmental agencies its use in food is strictly prohibited because of its ability to form carcinogenic compounds. Although there were a number of sophisticated chromatographic methods for the estimation of this dye but we developed here a simple, convenient, expeditious spectrophotometric method followed by thin layer chromatography technique and compared the results by single point and multiple point external standard methods. On the basis of these results we also specify the localities of Karachi city where the contamination is more prominent. © JASE

A study of linear systems with randomly-varying parameters

Call number: LD2668 .R4 1966 T18

Lipoprotein lipase regulates hematopoietic stem progenitor cell maintenance through DHA supply.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mediates hydrolysis of triglycerides (TGs) to supply free fatty acids (FFAs) to tissues. Here, we show that LPL activity is also required for hematopoietic stem progenitor cell (HSPC) maintenance. Knockout of Lpl or its obligatory cofactor Apoc2 results in significantly reduced HSPC expansion during definitive hematopoiesis in zebrafish. A human APOC2 mimetic peptide or the human very low-density lipoprotein, which carries APOC2, rescues the phenotype in apoc2 but not in lpl mutant zebrafish. Creating parabiotic apoc2 and lpl mutant zebrafish rescues the hematopoietic defect in both. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is identified as an important factor in HSPC expansion. FFA-DHA, but not TG-DHA, rescues the HSPC defects in apoc2 and lpl mutant zebrafish. Reduced blood cell counts are also observed in Apoc2 mutant mice at the time of weaning. These results indicate that LPL-mediated release of the essential fatty acid DHA regulates HSPC expansion and definitive hematopoiesis