Background:In this present study,we have screened major phytoconstituents of Nilavembu Kudineer against critical COVID-19 target proteins that cause severe pneumonia globally.In addition,a human receptor protein that ...Background:In this present study,we have screened major phytoconstituents of Nilavembu Kudineer against critical COVID-19 target proteins that cause severe pneumonia globally.In addition,a human receptor protein that facilitates viral entry into the host cell was also targeted.Methods:Phytoconstituents derived from Nilavembu Kudineer formulation were docked against 12 major proteins,which help viral entry,viral proliferation,and a human receptor facilitate the viral entry into the host cells.The major metabolites of Nilavembu Kudineer were retrieved based on literature from the PubChem database.The docked complex was subjected to MD simulation studies to verify its binding mode and the stability of the interactions.The binding energy analysis was performed to estimate the binding affinity between the compounds and their respective receptors using MM/GBSA.Results:Docking studies have shown that three major plants in the polyherbal formulation,Andrographis paniculata,Mollugo cerviana,and Zingiber officinale,have 14 potential compounds that have better binding affinity against COVID-19 proteins and their host receptor protein.MD studies and binding energy calculations also confirmed that these compounds possess better stability and strong binding energy with these proteins.Conclusion:In silico analyses suggest that phytoconstituents from Nilavembu Kudineer possess promising multi-target antiviral activity against COVID-19.These findings provide a rationale for further experimental studies to validate their therapeutic potential for the treatment of COVID-19.展开更多
BACKGROUND Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors(SGLT2-I)are the most recently approved drugs for type 2 diabetes(T2D).Recent clinical trials of these compounds reported beneficial cardiovascular(CV)and renal outc...BACKGROUND Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors(SGLT2-I)are the most recently approved drugs for type 2 diabetes(T2D).Recent clinical trials of these compounds reported beneficial cardiovascular(CV)and renal outcomes.A major cause of vascular dysfunction and CV disease in diabetes is hyperglycemia associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that SGLT2-I reduce glucotoxicity and promote anti-inflammatory effects by lowering oxidative stress.AIM To investigate the effects of SGLT2-I on markers of oxidative stress,inflammation,liver steatosis,and fibrosis in patients of T2D with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).METHODS We referred fifty-two consecutive outpatients treated with metformin monotherapy and exhibiting poor glycemic control to our centre.We introduced the outpatients to an SGLT2-I(dapagliflozin,empagliflozin,or canagliflozin;n=26)or a different hypoglycemic drug[other glucose-lowering drugs(OTHER),n=26].We evaluated circulating interleukins and serum hydroxynonenal(HNE)-or malondialdehyde(MDA)-protein adducts,fatty liver index(FLI),NAFLD fibrosis score,aspartate aminotransferase(AST)/alanine aminotransferase(ALT)ratio,AST-to-platelet-ratio index(APRI),and fibrosis-4 on the day before(T0)and following treatment for six months(T1).We also performed transient elastography at T0 and T1.RESULTS Add-on therapy resulted in improved glycemic control and reduced fasting blood glucose in both groups.Of note,following treatment for six months,a reduction of FLI and APRI,as well as of the FibroScan result,was reported in patients treated with SGLT2-I,but not in the OTHER group;furthermore,in the SGLT2-I group,we reported lower circulating levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor,vascular endothelial growth factor,and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,and higher levels of IL-4 and IL-10.We did not observe any modification in circulating interleukins in the OTHER group.Finally,serum HNE-and MDA-protein adducts decreased significantly in SGLT2-I rather than OTHER patients and correlated with liver steatosis and fibrosis scores.CONCLUSION The present data indicate that treatment with SGLT2-I in patients with T2D and NAFLD is associated with improvement of liver steatosis and fibrosis markers and circulating pro-inflammatory and redox status,more than optimizing glycemic control.展开更多
Objective:Resident microorganisms live in dynamic harmony with their hosts to influence various physical and psychological health aspects.The majority of the resident microbes are found in the digestive tract,aka the ...Objective:Resident microorganisms live in dynamic harmony with their hosts to influence various physical and psychological health aspects.The majority of the resident microbes are found in the digestive tract,aka the gut of mammals.If and when perturbed,the composition of gut microbiota could jeopardize the physiological balance or homeostasis.In this article,we aim to establish how different diseases could be accompanied by notable changes in gut microbial composition and lend insight into microbial regulation of health.Methods:Literature search was done in PubMed using relevant keywords and summarized in tabular form as well as in narration.Results:We try to focus on the concept of microbial and metabolite biomarkers for diseases.We also try to capture the renewed perspective of good and harmful microorganisms in the context of host health.We have presented a comparative network analysis of microbial roles in select diseases.Recent findings also suggested that the growth of some traditionally disease-causing pathogenic microorganisms promotes health in other human communities.We have listed major taxa of gut microbes in communities worldwide,which signifies that gut microbiota can be healthy or harmful depending on the urbanization and ethnicity of the hosts.The traditional and current schools of thoughts are both limited by the technology of metagenomic studies;we have elucidated some of their shortcomings.Conclusion:Research in the field of gut microbiota must take into account the different populations and the changing narrative of healthy and harmful microbes.展开更多
Nonextensive statistics in a blast-wave model is implemented to describe the identified hadron production in relativistic p+p and nucleus-nucleus collisions.Incorporating the core and corona components within the TBW ...Nonextensive statistics in a blast-wave model is implemented to describe the identified hadron production in relativistic p+p and nucleus-nucleus collisions.Incorporating the core and corona components within the TBW formalism allows us to describe simultaneously some of the major observations in hadronic observables at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider(RHIC):the amount of constituent quark scaling(NCQ),the large radial and elliptic flow,the effect of gluon saturation,and the suppression of hadron production at high transverse momentum(p_(T))due to jet quenching.In this formalism,the NCQ scaling at the RHIC appears as a consequence of a non-equilibrium process.Our study also provides concise reference distributions with a leastχ^(2) fit of the available experimental data for future experiments and models.展开更多
In 2018,the STAR collaboration collected data from^(96)_(44)Ru+^(96)_(44)Ru and^(96)_(40)Zr+^(96)_(40)Zr at√^(S)NN=200 Ge V to search for the presence of the chiral magnetic effect in collisions of nuclei.The isobar ...In 2018,the STAR collaboration collected data from^(96)_(44)Ru+^(96)_(44)Ru and^(96)_(40)Zr+^(96)_(40)Zr at√^(S)NN=200 Ge V to search for the presence of the chiral magnetic effect in collisions of nuclei.The isobar collision species alternated frequently between 9644 Ru+^(96)_(44)Ru and^(96)_(40)Zr+^(96)_(40)Zr.In order to conduct blind analyses of studies related to the chiral magnetic effect in these isobar data,STAR developed a three-step blind analysis procedure.Analysts are initially provided a"reference sample"of data,comprised of a mix of events from the two species,the order of which respects time-dependent changes in run conditions.After tuning analysis codes and performing time-dependent quality assurance on the reference sample,analysts are provided a species-blind sample suitable for calculating efficiencies and corrections for individual≈30-min data-taking runs.For this sample,species-specific information is disguised,but individual output files contain data from a single isobar species.Only run-by-run corrections and code alteration subsequent to these corrections are allowed at this stage.Following these modifications,the"frozen"code is passed over the fully un-blind data,completing the blind analysis.As a check of the feasibility of the blind analysis procedure,analysts completed a"mock data challenge,"analyzing data from Au+Au collisions at√^(S)NN=27 Ge V,collected in 2018.The Au+Au data were prepared in the same manner intended for the isobar blind data.The details of the blind analysis procedure and results from the mock data challenge are presented.展开更多
The effects of carbon nanoparticle(CNP)on rice variety Swarna(MTU7029)were investigated.CNP induced effects similar to shade avoidance response(SAR)of Arabidopsis,with increase in shoot length,root length,root number,...The effects of carbon nanoparticle(CNP)on rice variety Swarna(MTU7029)were investigated.CNP induced effects similar to shade avoidance response(SAR)of Arabidopsis,with increase in shoot length,root length,root number,cotyledon area,chlorophyll content and total sugar content in rice seedlings.In mature plants,CNP treatment resulted increase in plant height,number of productive tillers per plant,normalized difference vegetation index,quantum yield and root growth.A total of 320 mg of CNP per plant administered in four doses resulted in improved grain traits such as filled grain rate,100-grain weight,grain length/width ratio,hulling rate,milling rate and head rice recovery.Seeds from the CNP-treated plants showed increase in amylose,starch and soluble sugar contents compared to controls.Strikingly,CNP treatment showed an average of 17.5%increase in yield per plant.Upon investigation to the molecular mechanism behind CNP induction of SAR,a significant downregulation of phytochrome B transcript was found.Decrease in perception of red wavelengths led to responses similar to SAR.Increase in plant’s internal temperature by 0.5ºC±0.1ºC was recorded after CNP treatment.We suggest that the internalized CNP aggregates may serve to absorb extra photons thereby increasing the internal temperature of plants.Phytochrome B accounts the hike in internal temperature and initiates a feed-back reduction of its own transcription.We suggest that moderate SAR is beneficial for rice plants to improve agronomic traits and yield.It presents a potential non-transgenic method for improving rice yield by CNP treatment.展开更多
The existence, uniqueness and regularity of solutions to the Cauchy problem posed for a nonhomogeneous viscous Burger's equation were shown in Chung, Kim and Slemrod [1] by assuming suitable conditions on initial ...The existence, uniqueness and regularity of solutions to the Cauchy problem posed for a nonhomogeneous viscous Burger's equation were shown in Chung, Kim and Slemrod [1] by assuming suitable conditions on initial data. Moreover, they derived the asymptotic behaviour of solutions of the Cauchy problem by imposing additional conditions on initial data. In this article, we obtain the same asymptotic behaviour of solutions to the Cauchy problem without imposing additional condition on initial data.展开更多
Results on timing and spectral properties of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar 3A 0726-260(4U 0728-25)are presented.The binary was observed on 2016 May 6-7 with the Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter(LAXPC)and Soft X-ray ...Results on timing and spectral properties of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar 3A 0726-260(4U 0728-25)are presented.The binary was observed on 2016 May 6-7 with the Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter(LAXPC)and Soft X-ray Telescope(SXT)instruments onboard the AstroSat satellite.During this observation,the source was in non-flaring persistent state at a flux level of^8.6±0.3×10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1in 0.4-20 keV.Strong X-ray pulsations with a period of 103.144±0.001 s are detected in 0.3-7 keV with the SXT and in 3-40 keV with the LAXPC.The pulse profile is energy dependent,and there is an indication that the pulse shape changes from a broad single pulse to a double pulse at higher energy.At energies above20 keV,we report the first time detection of pulsation period 103.145±0.001 s and the double peaked pulse profile from the source.The energy spectrum of the source is derived from the combined analysis of the SXT and LAXPC spectral data in 0.4-20 keV.The best spectral fit is obtained by a power law model with a photon index(1.7±0.03)with high energy spectral cut-off at 12.9±0.7 keV.A broad iron line at^6.3 keV is detected in the energy spectrum.We briefly discuss the implications of these results.展开更多
Acid rain (AR) has been reported to induce stress in plants affecting its productivity, growth, flowering and physiology. The molecular changes induced in plants due to the effect of acid rain or acid induced orientat...Acid rain (AR) has been reported to induce stress in plants affecting its productivity, growth, flowering and physiology. The molecular changes induced in plants due to the effect of acid rain or acid induced orientation or chloroplast streaming remains largely unknown. Therefore, in the current study we report for the first time the static and permanent changes in the cell of the medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri L. due to sulphur-simulated acid rain (S-SiAR). AR induced effects witnessed by the reduction of the size of starch granules and chloroplast, amount of the granules per unit area, dissolving cell walls, breaking the normal fiber, salt-induced strain in the various components of the cell. Effect of starch granule and chloroplast due to S-SiAR was analyzed using light, confocal and scanning electron microscopic techniques. The elements viz. potassium and magnesium present in the chloroplasts reveal acidic pH due to effect of S-SiAR observed by the ionization of Mg and K (to Mg2+ and K+), in which K+ induced by the effects of S-SiAR revealed a net negative Nernst potential of about -87.55 mV. Calcium is mainly present on the cell walls and responsible for binding of starch granules become ionized to Ca2+ on interacting with AR indicated by the altered Nernst potential of +137.04 mV. A net potential difference may cause the above streaming of chloroplast towards the large starch granules. From this study, we report AR-induced physiological changes in medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri L. for the first time.展开更多
Diamagnetic CEST(diaCEST)MRI contrast agents(CAs)have recently gained immense popularity by virtue of the fact that contrast can be switched on or off by merely changing a few experimental parameters,even after the ag...Diamagnetic CEST(diaCEST)MRI contrast agents(CAs)have recently gained immense popularity by virtue of the fact that contrast can be switched on or off by merely changing a few experimental parameters,even after the agent is administered.However,the low efficiency and small solute−solvent offset of the contrast-generating exchangeable protons have so far prevented them from becoming a practical option for in vivo applications.Low efficiency demands high dosage,while small offset invites unwanted interference from the endogenous metabolites present in the human body.So far,the strategy for finding efficient diaCEST CAs involved searching for suitable molecules in which the exchangeable protons resonate as far as possible from water and have an optimum exchange rate.Very little effort has been devoted toward designing or converting to an efficient one from a less efficient existing CA.It was recently shown that hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots(CDs)have the ability to enhance contrast efficiency and to tune the pH response of certain diaCEST CAs.Here we show that a suitable combination of the synthesis technique and synthesis parameters can simultaneously enhance solute−solvent offset and contrast efficiency.In particular,we demonstrate 300%enhancement in offset and 100%enhancement in efficiency following the formation of carbon-dots from a urea−citric acid mixture.展开更多
We propose a broadband fiber optic parametric amplifier（FOPA） based on a near-zero ultra-flat dispersion profile with a single zero-dispersion wavelength（ZDW） by using a selective liquid infiltration technique.The...We propose a broadband fiber optic parametric amplifier（FOPA） based on a near-zero ultra-flat dispersion profile with a single zero-dispersion wavelength（ZDW） by using a selective liquid infiltration technique.The amplifier gain and bandwidth is investigated for a variety of fiber lengths, pump power, and operating wavelengths. It is observed that sufficient peak gains and broader bandwidths can be achieved with a small negative anomalous dispersion（β2≤ 0） and a positive value of the 4th-order dispersion parameter（t β4）around the pump. We can optimize an FOPA with a bandwidth of more than 220 nm around the communications wavelength.展开更多
High transverse momentum(pT)particle production is suppressed owing to the parton(jet)energy loss in the hot dense medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.Redistribution of energy at low-to-modest pT has b...High transverse momentum(pT)particle production is suppressed owing to the parton(jet)energy loss in the hot dense medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.Redistribution of energy at low-to-modest pT has been difficult to measure,owing to large anisotropic backgrounds.We report a data-driven method for background evaluation and subtraction,exploiting the away-side pseudorapidity gaps,to measure the jetlike correlation shape in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV in the STAR experiment.The correlation shapes,for trigger particles pT>3GeV/c and various associated particle pT ranges within 0.5<pT<10GeV/c,are consistent with Gaussians,and their widths increase with centrality.The results indicate jet broadening in the medium created in central heavy-ion collisions.展开更多
This paper considers an infinite buffer renewal input queue with multiple working vacation policy wherein customers are served by a single server according to general bulk service （a,b）-rule （1 ≤ a ≤ b）. If the ...This paper considers an infinite buffer renewal input queue with multiple working vacation policy wherein customers are served by a single server according to general bulk service （a,b）-rule （1 ≤ a ≤ b）. If the number of waiting customers in the system at a service completion epoch （during a normal busy period） is lower than ＇a＇, then the server starts a vacation. During a vacation if the number of waiting customers reaches the minimum threshold size ＇a＇, then the server starts serving this batch with a lower rate than that of the normal busy period. After completion of a batch service during working vacation, if the server finds less than takes another vacation, otherwise the server rate. The maximum allowed size of a batch a＇ customers accumulated in the system, then the server continues to serve the available batch with that lower in service is ＇b＇. The authors derive both queue-length and system-length distributions at pre-arrival epoch using both embedded Markov chain approach and the roots method. The arbitrary epoch probabilities are obtained using the classical argument based on renewal theory. Several performance measures like average queue and system-length, mean waiting-time, cost and profit optimization are studied and numerically computed.展开更多
This paper studies the trauma narrative of Toni Morrison's novel, A Mercy(2008), using a cognitive narratological framework. The authors, in this paper, describe the response the novel elicits from the reader. And...This paper studies the trauma narrative of Toni Morrison's novel, A Mercy(2008), using a cognitive narratological framework. The authors, in this paper, describe the response the novel elicits from the reader. And the paper argues that multiple focalization, polychronic narration, and representation of inconsistent information enable Morrison to depict effectively the devastating effects of trauma—whether sexual, socioeconomic, or racial—on individual personality. Various characters of multi-ethnic origins narrate the novel and certain events are told repeatedly from different vantage points. Thus, the narrative calls forth continuous efforts on the part of the reader to process the complex and bewildering information emerging from the novel's storyworld. A cognitive approach to the study of the novel provides an understanding of the behavior of the traumatized and the impact of slavery on black people's consciousness and identity. Moreover, the approach gives insight into the manner in which the narrative engages the readers cognitively in such a way that it enables their comprehension of the relationship between individual trauma and social forces of injustice and oppression.展开更多
文摘Background:In this present study,we have screened major phytoconstituents of Nilavembu Kudineer against critical COVID-19 target proteins that cause severe pneumonia globally.In addition,a human receptor protein that facilitates viral entry into the host cell was also targeted.Methods:Phytoconstituents derived from Nilavembu Kudineer formulation were docked against 12 major proteins,which help viral entry,viral proliferation,and a human receptor facilitate the viral entry into the host cells.The major metabolites of Nilavembu Kudineer were retrieved based on literature from the PubChem database.The docked complex was subjected to MD simulation studies to verify its binding mode and the stability of the interactions.The binding energy analysis was performed to estimate the binding affinity between the compounds and their respective receptors using MM/GBSA.Results:Docking studies have shown that three major plants in the polyherbal formulation,Andrographis paniculata,Mollugo cerviana,and Zingiber officinale,have 14 potential compounds that have better binding affinity against COVID-19 proteins and their host receptor protein.MD studies and binding energy calculations also confirmed that these compounds possess better stability and strong binding energy with these proteins.Conclusion:In silico analyses suggest that phytoconstituents from Nilavembu Kudineer possess promising multi-target antiviral activity against COVID-19.These findings provide a rationale for further experimental studies to validate their therapeutic potential for the treatment of COVID-19.
文摘BACKGROUND Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors(SGLT2-I)are the most recently approved drugs for type 2 diabetes(T2D).Recent clinical trials of these compounds reported beneficial cardiovascular(CV)and renal outcomes.A major cause of vascular dysfunction and CV disease in diabetes is hyperglycemia associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that SGLT2-I reduce glucotoxicity and promote anti-inflammatory effects by lowering oxidative stress.AIM To investigate the effects of SGLT2-I on markers of oxidative stress,inflammation,liver steatosis,and fibrosis in patients of T2D with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).METHODS We referred fifty-two consecutive outpatients treated with metformin monotherapy and exhibiting poor glycemic control to our centre.We introduced the outpatients to an SGLT2-I(dapagliflozin,empagliflozin,or canagliflozin;n=26)or a different hypoglycemic drug[other glucose-lowering drugs(OTHER),n=26].We evaluated circulating interleukins and serum hydroxynonenal(HNE)-or malondialdehyde(MDA)-protein adducts,fatty liver index(FLI),NAFLD fibrosis score,aspartate aminotransferase(AST)/alanine aminotransferase(ALT)ratio,AST-to-platelet-ratio index(APRI),and fibrosis-4 on the day before(T0)and following treatment for six months(T1).We also performed transient elastography at T0 and T1.RESULTS Add-on therapy resulted in improved glycemic control and reduced fasting blood glucose in both groups.Of note,following treatment for six months,a reduction of FLI and APRI,as well as of the FibroScan result,was reported in patients treated with SGLT2-I,but not in the OTHER group;furthermore,in the SGLT2-I group,we reported lower circulating levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor,vascular endothelial growth factor,and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,and higher levels of IL-4 and IL-10.We did not observe any modification in circulating interleukins in the OTHER group.Finally,serum HNE-and MDA-protein adducts decreased significantly in SGLT2-I rather than OTHER patients and correlated with liver steatosis and fibrosis scores.CONCLUSION The present data indicate that treatment with SGLT2-I in patients with T2D and NAFLD is associated with improvement of liver steatosis and fibrosis markers and circulating pro-inflammatory and redox status,more than optimizing glycemic control.
文摘Objective:Resident microorganisms live in dynamic harmony with their hosts to influence various physical and psychological health aspects.The majority of the resident microbes are found in the digestive tract,aka the gut of mammals.If and when perturbed,the composition of gut microbiota could jeopardize the physiological balance or homeostasis.In this article,we aim to establish how different diseases could be accompanied by notable changes in gut microbial composition and lend insight into microbial regulation of health.Methods:Literature search was done in PubMed using relevant keywords and summarized in tabular form as well as in narration.Results:We try to focus on the concept of microbial and metabolite biomarkers for diseases.We also try to capture the renewed perspective of good and harmful microorganisms in the context of host health.We have presented a comparative network analysis of microbial roles in select diseases.Recent findings also suggested that the growth of some traditionally disease-causing pathogenic microorganisms promotes health in other human communities.We have listed major taxa of gut microbes in communities worldwide,which signifies that gut microbiota can be healthy or harmful depending on the urbanization and ethnicity of the hosts.The traditional and current schools of thoughts are both limited by the technology of metagenomic studies;we have elucidated some of their shortcomings.Conclusion:Research in the field of gut microbiota must take into account the different populations and the changing narrative of healthy and harmful microbes.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11005103,11005104,10835005the Offices of NP and HEP within the U.S.DOE Office of Science under the contracts of DE-FG02-88ER40412,DE-AC02-98CH10886the DAE-BRNS Project Sanction under Grant No 2010/21/15-BRNS/2026.
文摘Nonextensive statistics in a blast-wave model is implemented to describe the identified hadron production in relativistic p+p and nucleus-nucleus collisions.Incorporating the core and corona components within the TBW formalism allows us to describe simultaneously some of the major observations in hadronic observables at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider(RHIC):the amount of constituent quark scaling(NCQ),the large radial and elliptic flow,the effect of gluon saturation,and the suppression of hadron production at high transverse momentum(p_(T))due to jet quenching.In this formalism,the NCQ scaling at the RHIC appears as a consequence of a non-equilibrium process.Our study also provides concise reference distributions with a leastχ^(2) fit of the available experimental data for future experiments and models.
文摘In 2018,the STAR collaboration collected data from^(96)_(44)Ru+^(96)_(44)Ru and^(96)_(40)Zr+^(96)_(40)Zr at√^(S)NN=200 Ge V to search for the presence of the chiral magnetic effect in collisions of nuclei.The isobar collision species alternated frequently between 9644 Ru+^(96)_(44)Ru and^(96)_(40)Zr+^(96)_(40)Zr.In order to conduct blind analyses of studies related to the chiral magnetic effect in these isobar data,STAR developed a three-step blind analysis procedure.Analysts are initially provided a"reference sample"of data,comprised of a mix of events from the two species,the order of which respects time-dependent changes in run conditions.After tuning analysis codes and performing time-dependent quality assurance on the reference sample,analysts are provided a species-blind sample suitable for calculating efficiencies and corrections for individual≈30-min data-taking runs.For this sample,species-specific information is disguised,but individual output files contain data from a single isobar species.Only run-by-run corrections and code alteration subsequent to these corrections are allowed at this stage.Following these modifications,the"frozen"code is passed over the fully un-blind data,completing the blind analysis.As a check of the feasibility of the blind analysis procedure,analysts completed a"mock data challenge,"analyzing data from Au+Au collisions at√^(S)NN=27 Ge V,collected in 2018.The Au+Au data were prepared in the same manner intended for the isobar blind data.The details of the blind analysis procedure and results from the mock data challenge are presented.
基金supported by the Department of Science and Technology,Women Scientist Scheme-A in India(Grant No.SR/WOS-A/LS-369/2018)Science Engineering Research Board,Young Scientist Start-Up Grant in India(Grant No.YSS-2015-000659)+1 种基金Department of Science and Technology,Science Engineering Research Board,India(Grant No.EMR/2014/000533)Department of Atomic Energy,National Institute of Science Education and Research in India.
文摘The effects of carbon nanoparticle(CNP)on rice variety Swarna(MTU7029)were investigated.CNP induced effects similar to shade avoidance response(SAR)of Arabidopsis,with increase in shoot length,root length,root number,cotyledon area,chlorophyll content and total sugar content in rice seedlings.In mature plants,CNP treatment resulted increase in plant height,number of productive tillers per plant,normalized difference vegetation index,quantum yield and root growth.A total of 320 mg of CNP per plant administered in four doses resulted in improved grain traits such as filled grain rate,100-grain weight,grain length/width ratio,hulling rate,milling rate and head rice recovery.Seeds from the CNP-treated plants showed increase in amylose,starch and soluble sugar contents compared to controls.Strikingly,CNP treatment showed an average of 17.5%increase in yield per plant.Upon investigation to the molecular mechanism behind CNP induction of SAR,a significant downregulation of phytochrome B transcript was found.Decrease in perception of red wavelengths led to responses similar to SAR.Increase in plant’s internal temperature by 0.5ºC±0.1ºC was recorded after CNP treatment.We suggest that the internalized CNP aggregates may serve to absorb extra photons thereby increasing the internal temperature of plants.Phytochrome B accounts the hike in internal temperature and initiates a feed-back reduction of its own transcription.We suggest that moderate SAR is beneficial for rice plants to improve agronomic traits and yield.It presents a potential non-transgenic method for improving rice yield by CNP treatment.
基金S.Engu was supported by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research,India (File no. 25 (0302)/19/EMR-Ⅱ)。
文摘The existence, uniqueness and regularity of solutions to the Cauchy problem posed for a nonhomogeneous viscous Burger's equation were shown in Chung, Kim and Slemrod [1] by assuming suitable conditions on initial data. Moreover, they derived the asymptotic behaviour of solutions of the Cauchy problem by imposing additional conditions on initial data. In this article, we obtain the same asymptotic behaviour of solutions to the Cauchy problem without imposing additional condition on initial data.
基金ISRO for providing funding supportmade use of softwares obtained through the HEASARC Online Service,provided by NASA/GSFC,in support of NASA High Energy Astrophysics Programs。
文摘Results on timing and spectral properties of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar 3A 0726-260(4U 0728-25)are presented.The binary was observed on 2016 May 6-7 with the Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter(LAXPC)and Soft X-ray Telescope(SXT)instruments onboard the AstroSat satellite.During this observation,the source was in non-flaring persistent state at a flux level of^8.6±0.3×10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1in 0.4-20 keV.Strong X-ray pulsations with a period of 103.144±0.001 s are detected in 0.3-7 keV with the SXT and in 3-40 keV with the LAXPC.The pulse profile is energy dependent,and there is an indication that the pulse shape changes from a broad single pulse to a double pulse at higher energy.At energies above20 keV,we report the first time detection of pulsation period 103.145±0.001 s and the double peaked pulse profile from the source.The energy spectrum of the source is derived from the combined analysis of the SXT and LAXPC spectral data in 0.4-20 keV.The best spectral fit is obtained by a power law model with a photon index(1.7±0.03)with high energy spectral cut-off at 12.9±0.7 keV.A broad iron line at^6.3 keV is detected in the energy spectrum.We briefly discuss the implications of these results.
文摘Acid rain (AR) has been reported to induce stress in plants affecting its productivity, growth, flowering and physiology. The molecular changes induced in plants due to the effect of acid rain or acid induced orientation or chloroplast streaming remains largely unknown. Therefore, in the current study we report for the first time the static and permanent changes in the cell of the medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri L. due to sulphur-simulated acid rain (S-SiAR). AR induced effects witnessed by the reduction of the size of starch granules and chloroplast, amount of the granules per unit area, dissolving cell walls, breaking the normal fiber, salt-induced strain in the various components of the cell. Effect of starch granule and chloroplast due to S-SiAR was analyzed using light, confocal and scanning electron microscopic techniques. The elements viz. potassium and magnesium present in the chloroplasts reveal acidic pH due to effect of S-SiAR observed by the ionization of Mg and K (to Mg2+ and K+), in which K+ induced by the effects of S-SiAR revealed a net negative Nernst potential of about -87.55 mV. Calcium is mainly present on the cell walls and responsible for binding of starch granules become ionized to Ca2+ on interacting with AR indicated by the altered Nernst potential of +137.04 mV. A net potential difference may cause the above streaming of chloroplast towards the large starch granules. From this study, we report AR-induced physiological changes in medicinal plant Bacopa monnieri L. for the first time.
文摘Diamagnetic CEST(diaCEST)MRI contrast agents(CAs)have recently gained immense popularity by virtue of the fact that contrast can be switched on or off by merely changing a few experimental parameters,even after the agent is administered.However,the low efficiency and small solute−solvent offset of the contrast-generating exchangeable protons have so far prevented them from becoming a practical option for in vivo applications.Low efficiency demands high dosage,while small offset invites unwanted interference from the endogenous metabolites present in the human body.So far,the strategy for finding efficient diaCEST CAs involved searching for suitable molecules in which the exchangeable protons resonate as far as possible from water and have an optimum exchange rate.Very little effort has been devoted toward designing or converting to an efficient one from a less efficient existing CA.It was recently shown that hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots(CDs)have the ability to enhance contrast efficiency and to tune the pH response of certain diaCEST CAs.Here we show that a suitable combination of the synthesis technique and synthesis parameters can simultaneously enhance solute−solvent offset and contrast efficiency.In particular,we demonstrate 300%enhancement in offset and 100%enhancement in efficiency following the formation of carbon-dots from a urea−citric acid mixture.
基金the Science&Engineering ResearchBoard(SERB),New Delhi,India,for the NPDF fellowship(File No.PDF/2016/001827)support received from NationalInstitute of Science Education and Research(NISER),Department of Atomic Energy(DAE),Government of India
文摘We propose a broadband fiber optic parametric amplifier（FOPA） based on a near-zero ultra-flat dispersion profile with a single zero-dispersion wavelength（ZDW） by using a selective liquid infiltration technique.The amplifier gain and bandwidth is investigated for a variety of fiber lengths, pump power, and operating wavelengths. It is observed that sufficient peak gains and broader bandwidths can be achieved with a small negative anomalous dispersion（β2≤ 0） and a positive value of the 4th-order dispersion parameter（t β4）around the pump. We can optimize an FOPA with a bandwidth of more than 220 nm around the communications wavelength.
文摘High transverse momentum(pT)particle production is suppressed owing to the parton(jet)energy loss in the hot dense medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.Redistribution of energy at low-to-modest pT has been difficult to measure,owing to large anisotropic backgrounds.We report a data-driven method for background evaluation and subtraction,exploiting the away-side pseudorapidity gaps,to measure the jetlike correlation shape in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV in the STAR experiment.The correlation shapes,for trigger particles pT>3GeV/c and various associated particle pT ranges within 0.5<pT<10GeV/c,are consistent with Gaussians,and their widths increase with centrality.The results indicate jet broadening in the medium created in central heavy-ion collisions.
文摘This paper considers an infinite buffer renewal input queue with multiple working vacation policy wherein customers are served by a single server according to general bulk service （a,b）-rule （1 ≤ a ≤ b）. If the number of waiting customers in the system at a service completion epoch （during a normal busy period） is lower than ＇a＇, then the server starts a vacation. During a vacation if the number of waiting customers reaches the minimum threshold size ＇a＇, then the server starts serving this batch with a lower rate than that of the normal busy period. After completion of a batch service during working vacation, if the server finds less than takes another vacation, otherwise the server rate. The maximum allowed size of a batch a＇ customers accumulated in the system, then the server continues to serve the available batch with that lower in service is ＇b＇. The authors derive both queue-length and system-length distributions at pre-arrival epoch using both embedded Markov chain approach and the roots method. The arbitrary epoch probabilities are obtained using the classical argument based on renewal theory. Several performance measures like average queue and system-length, mean waiting-time, cost and profit optimization are studied and numerically computed.
文摘This paper studies the trauma narrative of Toni Morrison's novel, A Mercy(2008), using a cognitive narratological framework. The authors, in this paper, describe the response the novel elicits from the reader. And the paper argues that multiple focalization, polychronic narration, and representation of inconsistent information enable Morrison to depict effectively the devastating effects of trauma—whether sexual, socioeconomic, or racial—on individual personality. Various characters of multi-ethnic origins narrate the novel and certain events are told repeatedly from different vantage points. Thus, the narrative calls forth continuous efforts on the part of the reader to process the complex and bewildering information emerging from the novel's storyworld. A cognitive approach to the study of the novel provides an understanding of the behavior of the traumatized and the impact of slavery on black people's consciousness and identity. Moreover, the approach gives insight into the manner in which the narrative engages the readers cognitively in such a way that it enables their comprehension of the relationship between individual trauma and social forces of injustice and oppression.
