Mechanisms and dynamics of the metastable decay in Ar-2(+)

A detailed experimental as well as theoretical investigation of the properties of the metastable dissociation Ar-2(+)--\u3eAr++Ar is presented. The mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) scan technique has been performed using a three sector field mass spectrometer. The possible mechanisms of the metastability of Ar-2(+) have been examined and the observed decay process is assigned to the II(1/2)(u)--\u3eI(1/2)(g) bound to continuum radiative transition, in agreement with earlier work. The calculation of the theoretical shape of the kinetic energy release distribution of fragment ions allowed us to construct the theoretical MIKE peak and compare it with the raw experimental data. The accuracy of various sets of potential energy curves for Ar-2(+) is discussed, as well as the way of production of the metastable Ar-2(+)[II(1/2)(u)] electronic state by electron impact. Excellent agreement between the experimental data and theoretical model has been observed. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics

Comparative evaluation of microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis in suspected malaria patients of Nepal

to compare the efficiency of microscopy and PCR for malaria diagnosis in Nepalese context. During July-August 2007, blood samples were collected in glass slides and on filter papers from suspected malaria cases of Kanchanpur, Jhapa and Morang Districts. Sample transportation and storage was done using standard protocol. Microscopy was done at the heath posts in the district in Nepal while Nested PCR using previously standardized primers was carried out at Mahidol University. Among 824 malaria suspected cases, 19.2

Evaluation of Different Thyroid Lesions with Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Thyroid Function Tests

Introduction: Swelling of the thyroid gland is a commonly encountered clinical problem in all age groups whether benign or malignant. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid lesions along with hormonal function test helps in the proper preoperative assessment. Ultimately it changes clinical management and improves the patient outcome. Objectives: To describe the cytomorphological features of palpable thyroid nodules using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) along with the assessment of thyroid hormonal status of the patient. Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Pathology of Gandaki Medical College and Teaching hospital from January 2017 to December 2017 and included 50 patients with thyroid lesions. Cytological assessment was done using FNAC along with serological assessment of thyroid hormones. Results: In the study 50 cases of thyroid swelling were included and evaluated by cytological and hormonal analysis which comprises of 10% males and 90% females with a with a female to male ratio of 9 : 1. Maximum number of cases was seen in the age range 41 - 60 years (46%), mean age being 44.6 years. The cytological diagnosis comprised colloid goiter (58%), lymphocytic thyroiditis (16%), Hashimoto thyroiditis (10%). Thyroid hormone analysis showed 66% euthyroid, 22% hypothyroid and 12% hyperthyroid. Conclusions: The study showed that FNAC and TFT profile both are essential for the proper management of thyroid lesions. FNAC along with hormonal analysis helps in proper patient assessment and management.  J-GMC-N | Volume 11 | Issue 01 | January-June 2018, Page: 17-2

Histopathological Analysis of Endometrial Biopsy in Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Objective: To study the spectrum of histopathological diagnosis of endometrial lesions and their distribution according to age. Methods: All the endometrium samples obtained by the procedure of dilatation and curettage and hysterectomy sent for histopathological examination at Pathology Department of Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. The study duration was total 12 months ranging from July 2016 to June 2017. All the endometrial samples were processed, sectioned at 4 - 6 μm and stained with routine H & E stain. Patient’s data including age, sex, procedure of the biopsy taken and histopathological diagnosis were noted. A pathologist, using Olympus microscope, reported the slides. Cases were reviewed by a second pathologist whenever necessary. Results: A total of 128 cases were studied. The most common histopathological diagnosis was proliferative endometrium (28.9%) followed by disorder proliferative endometrium (15.65%). Most of the patients were in age group 36 - 45 years comprising 32.03%. Hydatidiform mole comprised of 7.03% and among Hydatidiform mole, partial mole was more common. Dilatation and curettage (82.8%) was the common procedure in compare to hysterectomy for the evaluation of endometrial lesions. Conclusions: In this study, we observed a variety of endometrial lesions. Most of them are benign; among benign, proliferative endometrium was the common histopathological diagnosis followed by disorder proliferative endometrium. Most common presenting age group was found to be at 36 - 45 years. In evaluation of hydatidiform mole, partial mole was more frequent in compare to complete mole. Conventional dilatation and curettage is the preferred method in developing countries with limited resource to screen endometrial lesion and therefore biopsy should be sent for histopathological examination. Thus histopathological examination of routinely stained hematoxylin and eosin is readily available and widely accepted standard technique for evaluation of the endometrial lesions

Toward the Adoption of New Farming Systems among Farmers: A Case study of Short Rotation Woody Crops in North Carolina

This study explores the human dimensions of the broad-based adoption of Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRWCs) among farmers in North Carolina. We used an actor diagramming and tracing approach to explore factors influencing farmers’ adoption of SRWCs. Results suggest four factors strongly influence the adoption process: 1) market availability, 2) education awareness, 3) funding, and 4) social networking. Based on these results, we recommend that Extension professionals use the following education modules to prompt the adoption of SRWCs practices and potentially adopt other new farming practices: 1) ecological sustainability, 2) financial considerations, 3) harvesting, and 4) community building

Bioactive Molecules Against Malarial Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase: An in silico Approach

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains a major cause of mortality among children in African countries. Due to the parasite's resistance against existing malarial drugs, there is a contemporary need for the exploration of potent compounds possessing anti-malarial properties. Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (pfDHODH) is one of the promising targets (PDB ID: 6GJG) for treating malaria. This study aims to incorporate computational approaches to explore potent phytochemicals with reported biological activity as inhibitors of pfDHODH and to investigate the molecular-level details. The results showed that acetylmontrifoline, retusin, montrifoline, ealamine D, rhamnazin, and canaliculin stand out as potential inhibitors of the enzyme with binding affinities of -11.308 kcal/mol, -11.251 kcal/mol, -11.221 kcal/mol, -10.938 kcal/mol, -10.920 kcal/mol, and -10.827 kcal/mol, respectively, better than that of the native ligand with -9.873 kcal/mol. The adducts exhibited significant geometrical stability, with good RMSD of ligands below 5 Å from 200 ns molecular dynamics simulation, and sustained thermodynamic stability from the MMPBSA method. All other geometrical evaluators also supported the stability of the complexes. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics predicted moderate drug-likeness, and the hit candidates could be proposed for further in vivo and in vitro experiments to validate the computational results

Multi-photon ionization and fragmentation of uracil: neutral excited-state ring opening and hydration effects

Multi-photon ionization (MPI) of the RNA base uracil has been studied in the wavelength range 220–270 nm, coinciding with excitation to the S2(ππ*) state. A fragment ion at m/z = 84 was produced by 2-photon absorption at wavelengths ≤232 nm and assigned to C3H4N2O+ following CO abstraction. This ion has not been observed in alternative dissociative ionization processes (notably electron impact) and its threshold is close to recent calculations of the minimum activation energy for a ring opening conical intersection to a σ(n-π)π* closed shell state. Moreover, the predicted ring opening transition leaves a CO group at one end of the isomer, apparently vulnerable to abstraction. An MPI mass spectrum of uracil-water clusters is presented for the first time and compared with an equivalent dry measurement. Hydration enhances certain fragment ion pathways (particularly C3H3NO+) but represses C3H4N2O+ production. This indicates that hydrogen bonding to water stabilizes uracil with respect to neutral excited-state ring opening

An Open Data and Citizen Science Approach to Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in a Data-Scarce Remote Mountainous Part of Nepal

The citizen science approach has gained momentum in recent years. It can enable both experts and citizen scientists to co-create new knowledge. Better understanding of local environmental, social, and geographical contexts can help in designing appropriate plans for sustainable development. However, a lack of geospatial data, especially in the context of developing countries, often precludes context-specific development planning. This study therefore tests an innovative approach of volunteer citizen science and an open mapping platform to build resilience to natural hazards in the remote mountainous parts of western Nepal. In this study, citizen scientists and mapping experts jointly mapped two districts of Nepal (Bajhang and Bajura) using the OpenStreetMap (OSM) platform. Remote mapping based on satellite imagery, capacity building, and mobilization of citizen scientists was performed to collect the data. These data were then uploaded to OSM and later retrieved in ArcGIS to produce a usable map that could be exploited as a reference resource for evidence-based decision-making. The collected data are freely accessible to community members as well as government and humanitarian actors, and can be used for development planning and risk reduction. By piloting in two communities of western Nepal, we found that using open data platforms for collecting and analyzing location-based data has a mutual benefit for researchers and communities. Such data could be vital in understanding the local landscape, environmental risk, and distribution of resources. Furthermore, they enable both researchers and local people to transfer technical knowledge, collect location-specific data, and use them for better decision-making

Estimating Actual Evapotranspiration from Stony-Soils in Montane Ecosystems

Quantification of evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for understanding the water balance and for efficient water resources planning. Agricultural settings have received most attention regarding ET measurements while less knowledge is available for actual ET (ETA) in natural ecosystems, many of which have soils containing significant amounts of stones. This study is focused on modelling ETA from stony soil, particularly in montane ecosystems where we estimate the contribution of stone content on water retention properties in soil. We employed a numerical model (HYDRUS-1D) to simulate ETA in natural settings in northern Utah and southern Idaho during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons based on meteorological and soil moisture measurements at a range of depths. We simulated ETA under three different scenarios, considering soil with (i) no stones, (ii) highly porous stones, and (iii) negligibly porous stones. The simulation results showed significant overestimation of ETA when neglecting stones in comparison to ETA measured by eddy covariance. ETA estimates with negligibly porous stones were lower for all cases due to the decrease in soil water storage compared with estimates made considering highly porous stones. Assumptions of highly porous or negligibly porous stones led to reductions in simulated ETA of between 10% and 30%, respectively, compared with no stones. These results reveal the important role played by soil stones, which can impact the water balance by altering available soil moisture and thus ETA in montane ecosystems