Two Dimensional Clustering of Gamma-Ray Bursts using durations and hardness

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) have been conventionally bifurcated into two distinct categories: ``short'' and ``long'' with durations less than and greater than two seconds respectively. However, there is a lot of literature (although with conflicting results) regarding the existence of a third intermediate class. To investigate this issue, we extend a recent study (arXiv:1612.08235) on classification of GRBs to two dimensions by incorporating the GRB hardness in addition to the observed durations. We carry out this unified analysis on GRB datasets from four detectors, viz. BATSE, RHESSI, Swift (observed and intrinsic frame), and Fermi-GBM. We consider the duration and hardness features in log-scale for each of these datasets and determine the best-fit parameters using Gaussian Mixture Model. This is followed by information theoretic criterion (AIC and BIC) to determine if a three-component fit is favored compared to a two-component one or vice-versa. For BATSE, we find that both AIC and BIC show preference for three components with decisive significance. For Fermi and RHESSI, both AIC and BIC show preference for two components, although the significance is marginal from AIC, but decisive using BIC. For Swift dataset in both the observed and rest frame, we find that three components are favored according to AIC with decisive significance, and two are preferred with BIC with marginal to strong significance.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. This is an extension of arXiv:1612.08235 to two-dimension

A correlation of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme levels in pregnancy induced hypertensive disorders with severity of disease, maternal and perinatal outcome

Background: A spectrum of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy contribute to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. For prediction and early diagnosis of preeclampsia various biochemical markers, vascular function test and renal markers have been developed. The objective of the study is to measure the lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) levels in pregnant women with pregnancy induced hypertensive disorders and correlate the levels with the severity of condition, maternal and the perinatal outcome.Methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 150 pregnant women were studied. Out of these 150 women, 30 women had normal blood pressure, 30 women had gestational hypertension, 30 women had mild preeclampsia, 30 women had severe preeclampsia and 30 women had eclampsia. The serum LDH levels were measured in third trimester and patients followed up until early postpartum period and babies were followed up till early neonatal period to assess the maternal and neonatal outcomes.Results: Higher lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) levels were observed in pregnant women with severe form of hypertensive disorder and those who had a poor maternal and perinatal outcome. This is statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusions: Lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) level is a useful biochemical marker to assess and predict the severity of disease, maternal and perinatal outcome as higher levels of the enzyme are associated with worsening severity of disease, a poor maternal and perinatal outcome

An unusual case of labial fusion

Labial fusion is sealing of labia minora in midline. It is also known as Labial adhesion or Labial agglutination or synechia vulvae. This condition is common in pre-pubertal females when estrogen levels are low and commonly resolves spontaneously post-puberty. Usually asymptomatic and typically treated conservatively. Medical treatment includes use of estrogen cream or betamethasone cream. Surgical treatment rarely required, if not responding to medical treatment or dense adhesions. This case report is unusual as it presented in a post-pubertal female and which needed surgical management

An unusual presentation of degenerating fibroid

Degeneration in a fibroid is seen when the blood supply falls inadequate to support the center of fibroid. Usually degeneration in a fibroid requires a symptomatic medical management. This is a case report of a degenerating fibroid that uncommonly presented in postpartum period as a retroperitoneal abscess requiring exploratory laparotomy

First record of long-tailed pelagic sea slug Stylocheilus longicauda (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from southwest coast of India

The long-tailed sea slug Stylocheilus longicauda was recorded for the first time from southwest coast of India. A single specimen measuring a total length of 70.51mm was collected from a floating bottle, along with bunch of goose-neck barnacles from Arabian sea off Narakkal, Vypeen Island, Kochi. Earlier identifications were made based on the morphology of the animal without resorting to description of radula. This makes it difficult to differentiate the species from Stylocheilus striatus which has similar characters. The present description details the external and radular morphology of Stylocheilus longicauda

Role of PINCH and Its Partner Tumor Suppressor Rsu-1 in Regulating Liver Size and Tumorigenesis

Particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine-rich protein (PINCH) protein is part of the ternary complex known as the IPP (integrin linked kinase (ILK)-PINCH-Parvin-α) complex. PINCH itself binds to ILK and to another protein known as Rsu-1 (Ras suppressor 1). We generated PINCH 1 and PINCH 2 Double knockout mice (referred as PINCH DKO mice). PINCH2 elimination was systemic whereas PINCH1 elimination was targeted to hepatocytes. The genetically modified mice were born normal. The mice were sacrificed at different ages after birth. Soon after birth, they developed abnormal hepatic histology characterized by disorderly hepatic plates, increased proliferation of hepatocytes and biliary cells and increased deposition of extracellular matrix. After a sustained and prolonged proliferation of all epithelial components, proliferation subsided and final liver weight by the end of 30 weeks in livers with PINCH DKO deficient hepatocytes was 40% larger than the control mice. The livers of the PINCH DKO mice were also very stiff due to increased ECM deposition throughout the liver, with no observed nodularity. Mice developed liver cancer by one year. These mice regenerated normally when subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy and did not show any termination defect. Ras suppressor 1 (Rsu-1) protein, the binding partner of PINCH is frequently deleted in human liver cancers. Rsu-1 expression is dramatically decreased in PINCH DKO mouse livers. Increased expression of Rsu-1 suppressed cell proliferation and migration in HCC cell lines. These changes were brought about not by affecting activation of Ras (as its name suggests) but by suppression of Ras downstream signaling via RhoGTPase proteins. In conclusion, our studies suggest that removal of PINCH results in enlargement of liver and tumorigenesis. Decreased levels of Rsu-1, a partner for PINCH and a protein often deleted in human liver cancer, may play an important role in the development of the observed phenotype. © 2013 Donthamsetty et al

Random Regression for Modeling Semen Fertility in HF Purebred and Crossbred Bulls Using a Bayesian Framework

Data on insemination records of Holstein Friesian (HF) purebred (n=45,497) and crossbred (n=58,497) collected from the BAIF Research Foundation were utilized. The conception rate was modeled as a binary trait, using linear repeatability models. Random regression models (RRM) were used to obtain the trajectory of variance components across age of the bulls. Legendre Polynomials up to order of fit of 4 were used for the random effects of additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. 200,000 Gibbs samples were generated with a burn-in of 20,000 and thinning interval of 50 using the THRGIBBS1F90 program. Heritability estimates were very low (0.1) in both breeds but peaked at the extreme ages. Heritability and repeatability estimates ranged between 0.038 (8 years) to 0.627 (10 years) and 0.060 to 0.809 respectively in purebreds. Narrower ranges of 0.010 (4 years) to 0.087 (11 years) and 0.532 to 0.832 for heritability and repeatability respectively, were obtained in crossbreds. Effect of permanent environment was low in purebreds compared to the crossbreds. The study using RRM was able to provide genetic parameter estimates of fertility for all ages throughout the productive lifespan of bulls

Oct4 Is Crucial for Transdifferentiation of Hepatocytes to Biliary Epithelial Cells in an in Vitro Organoid Culture Model

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte to biliary transdifferentiation has been documented in various models of bile duct injury. In this process, mature hepatocytes transform into mature biliary epithelial cells by acquiring biliary phenotypic markers. Several signaling pathways including PI3 kinase, Notch, Hes1, Sox9, and Hippo are shown to be involved in the process. However, if Oct4 is involved in hepatocyte to biliary transdifferentiation is unknown. METHODS: We investigated the role of Oct4 in hepatocyte to biliary transdifferentiation utilizing an in vitro organoid culture system as a model of transdifferentiation. Oct4 was inhibited using adenovirus containing Oct4 shRNA. Hepatocyte specific HNF-4α and biliary specific HNF-1β & CK19 expression were assessed to gauge the extent of transdifferentiation. RESULTS: Oct4 was induced during hepatocyte to biliary transdifferentiation. Oct4 inhibition significantly downregulated the appearance of biliary cells from hepatocytes. This was accompanied by a significant downregulation of signaling pathways including Notch, Sox9, and Hippo. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that Oct4 is crucial for hepatocyte to biliary transdifferentiation and maturation and that it acts upstream of Notch, Sox9, and Hippo signaling in this model. This finding identifies new signaling through Oct4 in plasticity between hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells, which can be potentially utilized to identify new strategies in chronic biliary diseases

Simulating emission and chemical evolution of coarse sea-salt particles in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model

Chemical processing of sea-salt particles in coastal environments significantly impacts concentrations of particle components and gas-phase species and has implications for human exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen deposition to sensitive ecosystems. Emission of sea-salt particles from the coastal surf zone is known to be elevated compared to that from the open ocean. Despite the importance of sea-salt emissions and chemical processing, the US EPA's Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model has traditionally treated coarse sea-salt particles as chemically inert and has not accounted for enhanced surf-zone emissions. In this article, updates to CMAQ are described that enhance sea-salt emissions from the coastal surf zone and allow dynamic transfer of HNO3, H2SO4, HCl, and NH3 between coarse particles and the gas phase. Predictions of updated CMAQ models and the previous release version, CMAQv4.6, are evaluated using observations from three coastal sites during the Bay Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (BRACE) in Tampa, FL in May 2002. Model updates improve predictions of NO3 , SO42 , NH4+, Na+, and Cl concentrations at these sites with only a 8% increase in run time. In particular, the chemically interactive coarse particle mode dramatically improves predictions of nitrate concentration and size distributions as well as the fraction of total nitrate in the particle phase. Also, the surf-zone emission parameterization improves predictions of total sodium and chloride concentration. Results of a separate study indicate that the model updates reduce the mean absolute error of nitrate predictions at coastal CASTNET and SEARCH sites in the eastern US. Although the new model features improve performance relative to CMAQv4.6, some persistent differences exist between observations and predictions. Modeled sodium concentration is biased low and causes under-prediction of coarse particle nitrate. Also, CMAQ over-predicts geometric mean diameter and standard deviation of particle modes at the BRACE sites. These over-predictions may cause too rapid particle dry deposition and partially explain the low bias in sodium predictions. Despite these shortcomings, the updates to CMAQ enable more realistic simulations of chemical processes in environments where marine air mixes with urban pollution. The model updates described in this article are included in the public release of CMAQv4.7 (http://www.cmaq-model.org)