Clash of symmetries on the brane

If our 3+1-dimensional universe is a brane or domain wall embedded in a higher dimensional space, then a phenomenon we term the ``clash of symmetries'' provides a new method of breaking some continuous symmetries. A global $G_{\text{cts}} \otimes G_{\text{discrete}}$ symmetry is spontaneously broken to $H_{\text{cts}} \otimes H_{\text{discrete}}$, where the continuous subgroup $H_{\text{cts}}$ can be embedded in several different ways in the parent group $G_{\text{cts}}$, and $H_{\text{discrete}} < G_{\text{discrete}}$. A certain class of topological domain wall solutions connect two vacua that are invariant under {\it differently embedded} $H_{\text{cts}}$ subgroups. There is then enhanced symmetry breakdown to the intersection of these two subgroups on the domain wall. This is the ``clash''. In the brane limit, we obtain a configuration with $H_{\text{cts}}$ symmetries in the bulk but the smaller intersection symmetry on the brane itself. We illustrate this idea using a permutation symmetric three-Higgs-triplet toy model exploiting the distinct $I-$, $U-$ and $V-$spin U(2) subgroups of U(3). The three disconnected portions of the vacuum manifold can be treated symmetrically through the construction of a three-fold planar domain wall junction configuration, with our universe at the nexus. A possible connection with $E_6$ is discussed.Comment: 30 pages, 9 embedded figure

Serum Antioxidant Vitamins Levels in Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Sickle cell anaemia is associated with elevated oxidative stress via increase generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and decline in antioxidant defences. Increased oxidative stress is thought to play a role in the development of sickle cell anaemic complications. In the current study, vitamins A, C, and E levels were estimated in 35 sickle cell anaemics attending the Paediatric medical clinic of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria and the results compared with those of apparently healthy non-sickle cell anaemic volunteers of comparable age and social status. Serum levels of vitamin A, C, and E were 31.06 ± 2.97 μg/dl, 0.27 ± 0.05 mg/dl, 0.20 ± 0.01 mg/dl and 69.51 ± 4.54 μg/dl, 0.77 ± 0.10 mg/dl and 0.49 ± 0.02 mg/dl in sickle cell anaemics and non- sickle cell anaemic subjects respectively. There was significantly (P&lt;0.05) decreased levels of antioxidant vitamins in sickle cell anaemic subjects. Age and gender did not have significant (P&gt;0.05) difference. The results suggest that sickle cell anaemics in the study area have low serum levels of antioxidant vitamins, an indication that the sickle cell anaemics are predisposed to increased oxidative onslaught.Keywords: Sickle cell anaemia, serum vitamins A, C, and E

Enhanced antiproliferative and apoptotic response to combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol with erlotinib or gefitinib in mammary tumor cells

BACKGROUND: Aberrant ErbB receptor signaling is associated with various types of malignancies. γ-Tocotrienol is a member of the vitamin E family of compounds that displays potent anticancer activity that is associated with suppression in ErbB receptor phosphorylation and mitogenic signaling. Erlotinib and gefitinib are tyrosine kinase inhibitors that block ErbB1 receptor activation, whereas trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that has been designed to specifically inhibit ErbB2 receptor activation. However, the clinical effectiveness of these agents have been disappointing because of cooperation between different ErbB family members that can rescue cancer cells from agents directed against a single ErbB receptor subtype. It was hypothesized that targeting multiple ErbB receptor subtypes with combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol and ErbB receptor inhibitors would provide greater anticancer effects than monotherapy targeting only a single ErbB receptor subtype. METHODS: Highly malignant mouse +SA mammary epithelial cells were maintained in culture on serum-free defined media containing 10 ng/ml EGF as a mitogen. Cell viability wase determined by MTT assay, whereas Western blot and immunofluorescent staining was used to determine treatment effects on ErbB receptor subtype level and activation. Treatment-induced apoptosis was determined using annexin V staining and Western blot analysis of cleaved caspase-3 and PARP levels. RESULTS: Treatment with 3.5 μM γ-tocotrienol, 0.5 μM erlotinib or 1.0 μM gefitinib alone, significantly inhibited +SA tumor cell growth. Combined treatment with subeffective doses of erlotinib (0.25 μM) or gefitinib (0.5 μM) with subeffective doses of γ-tocotrienol (0.5-3.0 μM) significantly inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis in a dose-responsive manner. Trastuzumab treatment alone or in combination had no effect on +SA cell growth and viability. Combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol with erlotinib or gefitinib also cause a large decrease in ErbB3, ErbB4, and to a lesser extent ErbB2 receptor levels, and EGF-dependent ErbB2-4 tyrosine phosphorylation (activation), but had no effect on ErbB1 receptor levels or activation. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment of γ-tocotrienol with specific ErbB receptor inhibitors is more effective in reducing mammary tumor cell growth and viability than high dose monotherapy, suggesting that targeting multiple ErbB receptors with combination therapy may significantly improve the therapeutic response in breast cancer patients

Pengaruh Arus terhadap Sebaran Material Padatan Tersuspensi di PT. Pertamina Ru VI Perairan Balongan, Kabupaten Indramayu, Jawa Barat

Aktivitas pada pelabuhan khusus PT. Pertamina RU VI Balongan Indramayu menyebabkan kondisi perairan di sekitar lokasi pelabuhan menjadi dinamis. Proses hidro-oseanografi memberikan pengaruh terhadap tingginya suatu nilai padatan tersuspensi di suatu lokasi. Dalam hal ini perlu dilakukan penelitian mengenai pola arus laut terhadap sebaran material padatan tersuspensi di PT. Pertamina RU VI Perairan Balongan Indramayu, Jawa Barat. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh arus laut terhadap sebaran MPT di PT. Pertamina RU VI Perairan Balongan Indramayu. Penelitian dimulai dari tahap pengambilan data di lapangan pada tanggal 8-15 November 2014 di PT. Pertamina RU VI Perairan Balongan Indramayu dan tahap pengolahan data serta analisis data hasil pengukuran lapangan. Materi yang digunakan meliputi data primer berupa arus dan sampel air sedangkan data sekunder berupa data pasut dan peta batimetri Tanjungpriok hingga Cirebon. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif yang bersifat eksploratif, penentuan lokasi pengambilan sampel air menggunakan metode sampling purposive, pengambilan data arus menggunakan metode lagrange. Model matematik yang digunakan adalah model ADCIRC untuk pola arus dan ArcGIS untuk sebaran MPT. Berdasarkan hasil sebaran MPT di PT. Pertamina RU VI Perairan Balongan mempunyai nilai konsentrasi rerata MPT pada saat menuju pasang sebesar 122 mg/l dan saat menuju surut sebesar 89 mg/l. Dalam proses penyebaran nilai konsentrasi di perairan tidak hanya dipengaruhi oleh arus melainkan ada faktor lain, yaitu faktor kedalaman dan aktivitas kapal

The Role of Antibiotics in Childhood Diarrhea

AbstractAcute diarrhoea is common illness in children. Diarrhea kills about four million people in developing countries each year. The development of oral therapy for the rehydration and maintenance of children with dehydrating diarrhea has become the worldwide mainstay of national diarrheal control programs. Antibiotics in management of diarrhoea though randomly used, are seldom indicated in children. This article mentions our experience in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in children without antibiotics.Keywords: Acute diarrhoea, Antibiotic

Edukasi Kesadaran Menjaga Lingkungan Bersih di Sekolah Dasar Inpres Ende 14

The purpose of this activity is to shape the mindset of the students of the Inpres Ende 14 Elementary School as the younger generation and as family members to care and maintain the surrounding environment and students can also be used as ambassadors for cleanliness in their families and homes. This activity is expected to create a clean, comfortable and healthy environment. Therefore, environmental hygiene must be applied from an early age so that they have a far-sighted mindset and will become agents of change in their environment. The method used in this activity is the lecture method. The lecture method is used to provide students with an understanding of the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment and the problems it causes and its impact on the environment as well as how to sort waste and process waste. After this activity, the waste management process will be continued. The activity begins with delivering material about a clean environment. The material presented is about the importance of keeping the environment clean, the origin of waste, the problems caused by waste and its impact on the environment. In these activities, the students seemed very enthusiastic and enthusiastic and the students also seemed very happy. After delivering the material, it was followed by cleaning the school environment and its surroundings as an application of lecture activities

A Role for the SmpB-SsrA System in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Pathogenesis

Yersinia utilizes a sophisticated type III secretion system to enhance its chances of survival and to overcome the host immune system. SmpB (small protein B) and SsrA (small stable RNA A) are components of a unique bacterial translational control system that help maintain the bacterial translational machinery in a fully operational state. We have found that loss of the SmpB-SsrA function causes acute defects in the ability of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis to survive in hostile environments. Most significantly, we show that mutations in smpB-ssrA genes render the bacterium avirulent and unable to cause mortality in mice. Consistent with these observations, we show that the mutant strain is unable to proliferate in macrophages and exhibits delayed Yop-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. Correspondingly, we demonstrate that the smpB-ssrA mutant suffers severe deficiencies in expression and secretion of Yersinia virulence effector proteins, and that this defect is at the level of transcription. Of further interest is the finding that the SmpB-SsrA system might play a similar role in the related type III secretion system that governs flagella assembly and bacterial motility. These findings highlight the significance of the SmpB-SsrA system in bacterial pathogenesis, survival under adverse environmental conditions, and motility

Gender Difference in Students’ Academic Performance in Colleges of Education in Borno State, Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

This study examines the differences between students’ gender and academic achievement in Colleges of Education in Borno State. The study set one research objective, one research question and tested one research hypothesis. the population of this study include all the NCE students from three NCE awarding institutions in the state that were purposively selected for the study, the Krejcie and Morgan method of selecting sample was employed to choose (322) participants and proportionate techniques was also used to draw186 students out of 351 NCE III students’ in Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Maiduguri and 136 students out of 210 NCE III students in Umar Ibn Ibrahim College of Education, Science and Technology, Bama. Students’ Academic Performance Aptitude Test (SAPAT) r=0.62 was used by the researchers. T-test was used to test the hypothesis raised in this study. The results indicated that there was no significant differences exist between gender and Academic performance in Colleges of Education in Borno State, in favour of female students therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted. The recommendation advanced was that: the male students lack pocket money thus, and state government should increase their annual scholarship so as to support their academic activities

Intergrating human rights approaches into public health practices and policies to address health needs amongst Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: a systematic review and meta-ethnographic analysis

Background: The Rohingya people of Myanmar are one of the most persecuted communities in the world and are forced to flee their home to escape conflict and persecution. Bangladesh receives the majority of the Rohingya refugees. On arrival they experience a number of human rights issues and the extent to which human rights approaches are used to inform public health programs is not well documented. The aim of this systematic review was to document human rights- human rights-related health issues and to develop a conceptual human rights framework to inform current policy practice and programming in relation to the needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Eight computerized databases were searched: Academic Search complete, Embase, CINAHL, JStor, Pubmed, Scopus, SocIndex, and Proquest Central along with grey literature and Google Scholar. Of a total of 752 articles retrieved from the eight databases and 17 studies from grey literature, 31 studies met our inclusion criteria. Results: Using meta-ethnographic synthesis, we developed a model that helps understand the linkages of various human rights and human rights-related health issues of Rohingya refugees. The model highlights how insufficient structural factors, poor living conditions, restricted mobility, and lack of working rights for extended periods of time collectively contribute to poor health outcomes of Rohingya refugees