103 research outputs found
Knapsack Cover Subject to a Matroid Constraint
We consider the Knapsack Covering problem subject to a matroid constraint. In this problem, we are given an universe U of n items where item i has attributes: a cost c(i) and a size s(i). We also have a demand D. We are also given a matroid M = (U, I) on the set U. A feasible solution S to the problem is one such that (i) the cumulative size of the items chosen is at least D, and (ii) the set S is independent in the matroid M (i.e. S is in I). The objective is to minimize the total cost of the items selected, sum_{i in S}c(i).
Our main result proves a 2-factor approximation for this problem.
The problem described above falls in the realm of mixed packing covering problems. We also consider packing extensions of certain other covering problems and prove that in such cases it is not possible to derive any constant factor pproximations
GC-MS analysis and In-vitro anti-diabetic activity of ethanolic extract of theAtrocarpus Heterophylus (Unriped Jack Fruit)
Objective: In the present study the ethanolic extracts of Atrocarpus Heterophylus (ETAH) were studied for Aldose reductase, alpha (α)- amylase and alpha (α)-glucosidase inhibition using an in-vitro anti diabetic and evaluate the GC-MS analysis of active compounds of ETAH.
Methods: The serial extraction was carried out with a series of solvents: Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and ethanol with increasing polarity using Soxhlet apparatus. The concentrated and dried extracts were subjected to the antidiabetic activity was assessed by employing standard in-vitro techniques.
Results and discussion: The result showed ethanolic extract exhibited significant aldose reductase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities with an all plant extracts respectively and well compared with standard acarbose drug. GC-MS analysis results revealed that ETAH contain the compounds are Cyclohexanol and Nonadecene. This knowledge will be useful in finding more potent antidiabetic principle from the natural resources for the clinical development of antidiabetic therapeutics.
Conclusion: The investigation confirms that ethanolic extract exhibited highest antidiabetic activity among all extracts, Additional studies on needed for purification, characterization and structural elucidation of bioactive compounds from ethanolic extrac
Density Functions subject to a Co-Matroid Constraint
In this paper we consider the problem of finding the {\em densest} subset
subject to {\em co-matroid constraints}. We are given a {\em monotone
supermodular} set function defined over a universe , and the density of
a subset is defined to be f(S)/\crd{S}. This generalizes the concept of
graph density. Co-matroid constraints are the following: given matroid \calM
a set is feasible, iff the complement of is {\em independent} in the
matroid. Under such constraints, the problem becomes \np-hard. The specific
case of graph density has been considered in literature under specific
co-matroid constraints, for example, the cardinality matroid and the partition
matroid. We show a 2-approximation for finding the densest subset subject to
co-matroid constraints. Thus, for instance, we improve the approximation
guarantees for the result for partition matroids in the literature
EF hand-mediated Ca2+- and cGMP-signaling in photoreceptor synaptic terminals
Photoreceptors, the light-sensitive receptor neurons of the retina, receive and transmit a plethora of visual informations from the surrounding world. Photoreceptors capture light and convert this energy into electrical signals that are conveyed to the inner retina. For synaptic communication with the inner retina, photoreceptors make large active zones that are marked by synaptic ribbons. These unique synapses support continuous vesicle exocytosis that is modulated by light-induced, graded changes of membrane potential. Synaptic transmission can be adjusted in an activity-dependent manner, and at the synaptic ribbons, Ca2+- and cGMP-dependent processes appear to play a central role. EF-hand-containing proteins mediate many of these Ca2+- and cGMP-dependent functions. Since continuous signaling of photoreceptors appears to be prone to malfunction, disturbances of Ca2+- and cGMP-mediated signaling in photoreceptors can lead to visual defects, retinal degeneration (rd), and even blindness. This review summarizes aspects of signal transmission at the photoreceptor presynaptic terminals that involve EF-hand-containing Ca2+-binding proteins
Larvicidal, Histopathological, Antibacterial Activity of Indigenous Fungus Penicillium sp. Against Aedes aegypti L and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Its Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition and Toxicity Assessment of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Fungal metabolites are considered to be most efficient tools to overcome the issues related to insecticide resistance and environmental pollution. The present study focus on the evaluation of the mosquito larvicidal efficacy of metabolites of seven indigenous fungal isolates (Penicillium sp. Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. parasiticus, Rhizopus sp. Mucor sp. and Aspergillus sp.) on the larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus under the laboratory condition. The preliminary screening of the isolate, Penicillium sp. showed better larvicidal effect when compared to other fungi. The fungus was grown on Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) in the laboratory (at 25°C) and maintained in the relative humidity (at 76 ± 4% for 15 days). Larvicidal potency of mycelial ethyl acetate extract (MEAE) of Penicillium sp. was performed against 1st to 4th instars larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus using four different concentrations (100, 200, 300, and 500 μg/ml) that showed better larval mortality values (μg/ml) of LC50 = 6.554, 5.487, 6.874, 6.892, and the LC90 = 11.486, 10.366, 12.879, 13.865 for Ae. aegypti and LC50 = 7.000, 13.943, 18.129, 25.212 and the LC90 = 12.541, 23.761, 30.923, 41.696 for Cx. quinquefasciatus. Exposure of metabolite to larvae resulted in behavior changes i.e., excitation, up and down with aggressive movement, anal papillae biting behavior. Further, the larvae treated with Penicillium sp. metabolite exhibited significant reduction in the levels of acetylcholinesterase. The 4th instar mosquito larvae treated with the 500 μg/ml mycelia extract showed severe histological damages. During the antibacterial analysis of Penicillium sp.- mycelium the maximum growth inhibition zone was recorded in Shigella dysenteriae (31.2 mm) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (31.1 mm) followed by others. In addition, to check the toxicity of Penicillium sp. MEAE against embryos of Zebrafish, a model system, using different concentrations of metabolites (1.0, 0.5, 0.125 mg/ml, 30, 3.0, and 0.5 μg/ml) and life-stage parameters were observed at 124 hpf. Furthermore, the Fourier Transformed Infrared and GCMS spectrum analysis of mycelium reflected several chemical compounds. The outcome of the study clearly shows that Penicillium sp. metabolites could serve as an ideal eco-friendly, single-step and inexpensive source for the control of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae
Common and distinct genetic architecture of age at diagnosis of diabetes in South Indian:and European populations
Clinico-pathological association of delineated miRNAs in uveal melanoma with monosomy 3/Disomy 3 chromosomal aberrations
PURPOSE: To correlate the differentially expressed miRNAs with clinico-pathological features in uveal melanoma (UM) tumors harbouring chromosomal 3 aberrations among South Asian Indian cohort. METHODS: Based on chromosomal 3 aberration, UM (n = 86) were grouped into monosomy 3 (M3; n = 51) and disomy 3 (D3; n = 35) by chromogenic in-situ hybridisation (CISH). The clinico-pathological features were recorded. miRNA profiling was performed in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) UM samples (n = 6) using Agilent, Human miRNA microarray, 8x15KV3 arrays. The association between miRNAs and clinico-pathological features were studied using univariate and multivariate analysis. miRNA-gene targets were predicted using Target-scan and MiRanda database. Significantly dys-regulated miRNAs were validated in FFPE UM (n = 86) and mRNAs were validated in frozen UM (n = 10) by qRT-PCR. Metastasis free-survival and miRNA expressions were analysed by Kaplen-Meier analysis in UM tissues (n = 52). RESULTS: Unsupervised analysis revealed 585 differentially expressed miRNAs while supervised analysis demonstrated 82 miRNAs (FDR; Q = 0.0). Differential expression of 8 miRNAs: miR-214, miR-149*, miR-143, miR-146b, miR-199a, let7b, miR-1238 and miR-134 were studied. Gene target prediction revealed SMAD4, WISP1, HIPK1, HDAC8 and C-KIT as the post-transcriptional regulators of miR-146b, miR-199a, miR-1238 and miR-134. Five miRNAs (miR-214, miR146b, miR-143, miR-199a and miR-134) were found to be differentially expressed in M3/ D3 UM tumors. In UM patients with liver metastasis, miR-149* and miR-134 expressions were strongly correlated. CONCLUSION: UM can be stratified using miRNAs from FFPE sections. miRNAs predicting liver metastasis and survival have been identified. Mechanistic linkage of de-regulated miRNA/mRNA expressions provide new insights on their role in UM progression and aggressiveness
Pedagogic inclusion in professional education : challenges and possibilities?
This thesis describes a qualitative, interview-based case study of the experiences of
adult female learners accessing/reaccessing Higher Education following a Widening
Participation (WP) route on a part-time Physiotherapy undergraduate course and
an accelerated Masters course in Occupational Therapy at a single HEI. The
research questioned student and staff perceptions of and attitudes to study, and to
what extent the HEI had adapted its pedagogic approaches to accommodate
student learning preferences. Data are drawn from discussions with sixteen
participants, comprising four students and four tutors on each course.
The research outcomes revealed a tension between the tutors' theoretically and
ideologically driven views on teaching and learning, which included responding to
diverse student needs, and the more pragmatic orientations of the students and
their tutors. These were underpinned in the students' case by the financial need to
gain a qualification in spite of the constraints of time and family life, and on the
tutors' and institution's part by the need to attract student numbers and to meet
completion targets in spite of shortages of time, staffing and space. Analysis of the
responses of students and tutors draws on Bernstein's theory of
recontextualisation, in which ideas such as WP undergo significant transformations
first in the official policy process then when they are put into practice. The study
also draws on Bernstein's account of pedagogic identities, which describe how
teachers and institutions negotiate teaching and learning processes within the
competing demands of market forces, mandated policy and their own local
ideologies and circumstances. In its exploration of the meaning of WP and its
underpinning rationales, the research suggests that the pragmatic approach of the
institution has the effect of widening access in terms of course eligibility but failing
to offer correspondingly inclusive pedagogies, more flexible curricula, or adequate
student support services
Biomarkers of Ionizing Radiation Exposure: A Multiparametric Approach.
Humans are exposed to ionizing radiation not only through background radiation but also through the ubiquitous presence of devices and sources that generate radiation. With the expanded use of radiation in day-to-day life, the chances of accidents or misuse only increase. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the dynamic effects of radiation exposure on biological entities is necessary. The biological effects of radiation exposure on human cells depend on much variability such as level of exposure, dose rate, and the physiological state of the cells. During potential scenarios of a large-scale radiological event which results in mass casualties, dose estimates are essential to assign medical attention according to individual needs. Many attempts have been made to identify biomarkers which can be used for high throughput biodosimetry screening. In this study, we compare the results of different biodosimetry methods on the same irradiated cells to assess the suitability of current biomarkers and push forward the idea of employing a multiparametric approach to achieve an accurate dose and risk estimation
Constraints on the Redshift Evolution of the L_X-SFR Relation from the Cosmic X-Ray Backgrounds
Observations of local star forming galaxies have revealed a correlation
between the rate at which galaxies form stars and their X-Ray luminosity. We
combine this correlation with the most recent observational constraints on the
integrated star formation rate density, and find that star forming galaxies
account for 5-20% of the total soft and hard X-ray backgrounds, where the
precise number depends on the energy band and the assumed average X-ray
spectral energy distribution of the galaxies below ~20 keV. If we combine the
L_X-SFR relation with recently derived star formation rate function, then we
find that star forming galaxies whose X-ray flux falls well (more than a factor
of 10) below the detection thresholds of the Chandra Deep Fields, can fully
account for the unresolved soft X-ray background, which corresponds to ~6% of
its total. Motivated by this result, we put limits on the allowed redshift
evolution of the parameter c_X \equiv L_X/SFR, and/or its evolution towards
lower and higher star formation rates. If we parametrize the redshift evolution
of c_X ~ (1+z)^b, then we find that b \leq 1.3 (95% CL). On the other hand, the
observed X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) of star forming galaxies indicate
that c_X may be increasing towards higher redshifts and/or higher star
formation rates at levels that are consistent with the X-ray background, but
possibly at odds with the locally observed L_X-SFR relation.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS after minor revisions. 12 pages, 8 figure
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