Development of columbium alloy WC3015

Effect of changes in basic composition and additions of alloying elements on mechanical properties of niobium alloy WC301

Effect of municipal wastewater with manure and fertilizer on yield and quality characteristics of forage in corn

In order to study the effects of wastewater with two kinds of fertilizers (manure and chemical fertilizer) on yield and quality characteristics of forage in corn, a field experiment was conducted in the Universityof Zabol in Iran during 2007 growing season. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications. The treatment were comprised of two levels of irrigation water (W1 = Well water andW2 = Wastewater) in the main plot and five levels of fertilizer (F1 = Control; F2 = Manure, 30 ton/ha; F3 = Manure, 15 ton/ha; F4 = NPK: 350, 200 and 100 kg/ha; and F5 = NPK: 175, 100 and 50 kg/ha) in the subplot. Results showed that irrigation with wastewater significantly increases the fresh and dry forage yield of corn than well water. Treatment of treated wastewater also had a significant influence on crude protein content, ash percentage and macro elements (N, P and K) contents in corn forage (P < 5%). But wastewater had no significant effect on Fe, Mn and Zn elements content. The highest fresh and dry forage yield and the most crude protein content, ash percentage and macro elements (N, P and K) contents were obtained from F4 (NPK: 350, 200 and 100 kg/ha) treatment. However, the highest Fe, Mn and Zn elements content were obtained from F2 (Manure: 30 ton/ha) treatment

Antibiotic susceptibility evaluation of group a streptococcus isolated from children with pharyngitis: A study from Iran

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of Group A streptococcus (GAS) to antibiotics usually used in Iran for treatment of GAS pharyngitis in children. Materials and Methods: From 2011 to 2013, children 3-15 years of age with acute tonsillopharyngitis who attended Mofid Children's Hospital clinics and emergency ward and did not meet the exclusion criteria were enrolled in a prospective study in a sequential manner. The isolates strains from throat culture were identified as GAS by colony morphology, gram staining, beta hemolysis on blood agar, sensitivity to bacitracin, a positive pyrrolidonyl aminopeptidase (PYR) test result, and the presence of Lancefield A antigen determined by agglutination test. Antimicrobial susceptibility was identified by both disk diffusion and broth dilution methods. Results: From 200 children enrolled in this study, 59 (30) cases were culture positive for GAS. All isolates were sensitive to penicillin G. The prevalence of erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin resistance by broth dilution method was 33.9, 57.6, and 33.9, respectively. Surprisingly, 8.4 of GAS strains were resistant to rifampin. In this study, 13.5 and 32.2 of the strains were resistant to clindamycin and ofloxacin, respectively. Conclusion: The high rate of resistance of GAS to some antibiotics in this study should warn physicians, especially in Iran, to use antibiotics restrictedly and logically to prevent the rising of resistance rates in future. It also seems that continuous local surveillance is necessary to achieve the best therapeutic option for GAS treatment. © 2015 by The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases | Korean Society for Chemotherapy

Structural and functional conservation of the human homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad2 gene, which is required for chromosome segregation and recovery from DNA damage

The rad2 mutant of Schizosaccharomyces pombe is sensitive to UV irradiation and deficient in the repair of UV damage. In addition, it has a very high degree of chromosome loss and/or nondisjunction. We have cloned the rad2 gene and have shown it to be a member of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD2/S. pombe rad13/human XPG family. Using degenerate PCR, we have cloned the human homolog of the rad2 gene. Human cDNA has 55% amino acid sequence identity to the rad2 gene and is able to complement the UV sensitivity of the rad2 null mutant. We have thus isolated a novel human gene which is likely to be involved both in controlling the fidelity of chromosome segregation and in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage. Its involvement in two fundamental processes for maintaining chromosomal integrity suggests that it is likely to be an important component of cancer avoidance mechanisms

The Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ): development and validation of a new sensory questionnaire for adults with and without autism

Background Questionnaire-based studies suggest atypical sensory perception in over 90% of individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Sensory questionnaire-based studies in ASC mainly record parental reports of their child’s sensory experience; less is known about sensory reactivity in adults with ASC. Given the DSM-5 criteria for ASC now include sensory reactivity, there is a need for an adult questionnaire investigating basic sensory functioning. We aimed to develop and validate the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ), which assesses basic sensory hyper- and hyposensitivity across all five modalities. Methods A total of 359 adults with (n = 196) and without (n = 163) ASC were asked to fill in the SPQ, the Sensory Over-Responsivity Inventory (SensOR) and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) online. Results Adults with ASC reported more sensory hypersensitivity on the SPQ compared to controls (P < .001). SPQ scores were correlated with AQ scores both across groups (r = .-38) and within the ASC (r = -.18) and control groups (r = -.15). Principal component analyses conducted separately in both groups indicated that one factor comprising 35 items consistently assesses sensory hypersensitivity. The SPQ showed high internal consistency for both the total SPQ (Cronbach’s alpha = .92) and the reduced 35-item version (alpha = .93). The SPQ was significantly correlated with the SensOR across groups (r = -.46) and within the ASC (r = -.49) and control group (r = -.21). Conclusions The SPQ shows good internal consistency and concurrent validity and differentiates between adults with and without ASC. Adults with ASC report more sensitivity to sensory stimuli on the SPQ. Finally, greater sensory sensitivity is associated with more autistic traits. The SPQ provides a new tool to measure individual differences on this dimension

Undulation Instability of Epithelial Tissues

Treating the epithelium as an incompressible fluid adjacent to a viscoelastic stroma, we find a novel hydrodynamic instability that leads to the formation of protrusions of the epithelium into the stroma. This instability is a candidate for epithelial fingering observed in vivo. It occurs for sufficiently large viscosity, cell-division rate and thickness of the dividing region in the epithelium. Our work provides physical insight into a potential mechanism by which interfaces between epithelia and stromas undulate, and potentially by which tissue dysplasia leads to cancerous invasion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure