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Let G be a simple connected graph. A configuration of pebbles is a function from V (G) to a set of integers. Consider a configuration of pebbles on G. A pebbling move consists of removing two pebbles off a vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. The monophonic pebbling number of G is the smallest integer μ (G) from which we can put one pebble to a target using monophonic path through pebbling moves. The monophonic t -pebbling number of G is the smallest positive integer μ t (G) such that from any configuration of μ t (G) pebbles we can put t pebbles on a target using monophonic path. Here we discuss these concepts for families of cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total labeling ξ is defined to be an edge irregular total absolute difference k-labeling of the graph G if for every two different edges e and f of G there is wt(e) ≠ wt(f) where weight of an edge e = xy is defined as wt(e) = |ξ(e) − ξ(x) − ξ(y)|. The minimum k for which the graph G has an edge irregular total absolute difference labeling is called the total absolute difference edge irregularity strength of the graph G, tades(G). In this paper, we determine the total absolute difference edge irregularity strength of the precise values for Tp-tree related graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canna lily (Canna indica L.) is an edible herbaceous perennial plant in which flowers and rhizomes were commonly used as a food additive and its potentiality was not fully utilized in India. To stun these hindrances, morphological characterizations are needed to determine the genetic variability to improve flower quality and rhizome yield in canna lily. Methods: In the present research, a field experiment was conducted during 2022-2023 in Botanical Garden, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Twelve accessions were investigated by using a randomized block design with 3 replications. All the observations for 23 quantitative traits were carried out at 0.05 and 0.01 probability. Result: A wide range of genetic variability was observed, a high genetic coefficient of variation ranged from 8.49 to 75.62% and a phenotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 8.83 to 76.50% was observed in 20 traits except in days to fist bloom, rhizome diameter, number of nodes per rhizome. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of mean was observed for 21 traits except in days to fist bloom and number of nodes per rhizome. Character association analysis revealed that stem diameter and inflorescence length showed highly significant and positively correlated with flower yield and rhizome yield per plant. Path analysis specified that the number of leaves per clump had a very high and positive direct effect on fresh flower yield per plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theriophonum blumei sp. nov., a new species is described and illustrated from Tamil Nadu, India based on morphological and leaf epidermal features. Although morphologically T. blumei appears to be similar to T. sivaganganum (Ramam. & Sebastine) Bogner having long acuminate spathe, it is different from T. sivaganganum in various aspects such as ellipsoid seed with ridged surface, spinulose and bifid stigma, filiform neuters and berries with purplish strands. T. blumei has echinate pollen sculpture and T. sivaganganum has verrucate sculpture. Added to that, molecular based (rbcL, matK, trnL‐F) phylogenetic analysis also indicate that T. blumei is genetically distinct from T. sivaganganum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The t -pebbling number, f t (G) , of a connected graph G , is the smallest positive integer such that from every placement of f t (G) pebbles, t pebbles can be moved to any specified target vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves, each move taking two pebbles off a vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. A graph G satisfies the 2 t -pebbling property if 2 t pebbles can be moved to any specified vertex when the total starting number of pebbles is 2 f t (G) − q + 1 , where q is the number of vertices with at least one pebble. We show that the cycle C 2 n satisfies the 2 t -pebbling property. Herscovici conjectured that for any connected graphs G and H , f s t (G × H) ≤ f s (G) f t (H). We prove Herscovici's conjecture is true, when G is an even cycle and for variety of graphs H which satisfy the 2 t -pebbling property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widows in India are different from the rest of the world because of their religious beliefs and cultural values. Once the husband dies, the woman loses her identity and suffers social death. They are considered as "bad luck" and cursed (Chandrasekhar & Ghosh, 2018). They are not allowed to remarry. Many times young widows are sexually abused by the members of their own family. They face multiple forms of social discrimination. Recognizing the need of a therapeutic intervention for widows who are suffering from mild to moderate depression, the researcher developed the Integrated Well-being Intervention program (IWI) integrating the Mindtulness -Based Cognitive Theory and Well-Being Theory to enhance psychological well-being of widows and reduce depression. A feasibility test was conducted with ten widows who were in moderate depression. Data were collected through Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being (SPWB), semi-structure interview as well as focus group discussion were conducted, the data were statistically analyzed by using descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test. Pre-test and post-test scores of the study showed significant differences (p = .001)at0.05 level. The intervention was subjected to expert's validation and was positively received by the participants. The results of the pilot study showed a significant decrease in depression and increase in the psychological well-being of the widows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effectiveness of "Integrated Well-being Intervention "for alleviating depression and enhancing the psychological well-being of widows. It used a "two-group randomized controlled trial" with 40 widows in mild to moderate depression. Beck's Depression Inventory and Ryffs Scales of Psychological Wellbeing were used to measure the level of depression and determine their psychological well-being. The intervention was implemented for five weeks and the results showed significant effects on the participants. The results were analyzed using Paired Sample t-test, MANOVA and Cohen's d test indicated the extent of its effect. The study proved that the "Integrated Well-being Intervention (IWI) is an effective intervention tool for increasing psychological well-being and reducing depression among widows in Tamil Nadu, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a distribution of pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G, a pebbling move on G consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. The pebbling number of G, f (G), is the least n such that any distri- [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph with p vertices and q edges and A = {0,2,4,···, q+1} if q is odd or A = {0,2,4,···,q} if q is even. A graph G is said to be an even vertex equitable even labeling if there exists a vertex labeling f: V (G) → A that induces an edge labeling f∗ defined by f*(uv)=f(u)+f(v) for all edges uv such that for all a and b in A, |vf(a)-vf(b)|≤1 and the induced edge labels are 2,4,···,2q, where vf(a) be the number of vertices v with f(v)=a for a ∈ A. A graph that admits even vertex equitable even labeling is called an even vertex equitable even graph. In this paper, we prove that S(D(Qn)), S(D(Tn)), DA(Qm) ʘ nK1, DA(Tm) ʘ nK1, S(DA(Qn)) and S(DA(Tn)) are an even vertex equitable even graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wandering spleen, as its name suggests, is a rare condition where the spleen wanders in the abdomen and is most commonly found in the inferior quadrant as a palpable mass. It can have varying presentations and commonly presents as splenic torsion and very rarely as acute pancreatitis. It is imperative not to miss this diagnosis as it can lead to life-threatening complications in the form of splenic torsion/infarction. Here we describe a rare manifestation of wandering spleen where a young female presented with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sum divisor cordial labeling of a graph G with vertex set V is a bijection f from V to {1, 2,· · ·, |V (G)|} such that an edge uv is assigned the label 1 if 2 divides f(u) +f(v) and 0 otherwise; and the number of edges labeled with 0 and the number of edges labeled with 1 differ by at most 1. A graph with a sum divisor cordial labeling is called a sum divisor cordial graph. In this paper, we prove that P² n, Pn ⊙mK1, S(Pn ⊙mK1), D2(Pn), T(Pn), the graph obtained by duplication of each vertex of path by an edge, T(Cn), D2(Cn), the graph obtained by duplication of each vertex of cycle by an edge, C(t) 4, book, quadrilateral snake and alternate triangular snake are sum divisor cordial graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph and some pebbles are distributed on its vertices. A pebbling move (step) consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex, throwing one pebble away, and moving the other pebble to an adjacent vertex. The t-pebbling number of a graph G is the least integer m such that from any distribution of m pebbles on the vertices of G, we can move t pebbles to any specified vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. In this paper, we determine the t-pebbling number of Lamp graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A super vertex mean labeling f of a (p, q) - graph G = (V, E) is defined as an injection from E to the set {1, 2, 3, ... , p + q} that induces for each vertex v the label defined by the rule fv(v) = Round (Σe∈Evf(e)/d(v) ), where Ev denotes the set of edges in G that are incident at the vertex v, such that the set of all edge labels and the induced vertex labels is {1, 2, 3, ... , p + q}. In this paper, we investigate the super vertex mean labeling behavior of cycles by giving various ways by which they can be labeled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A super vertex mean labeling f of a (p, q) - graph G(V,E) is defined as an injection from E to the set {1, 2, 3, ..., p+q} that induces for each vertex v the label defined by the rule fv(v) = Round ..., where Ev denotes the set of edges in G that are incident at the vertex v, such that the set of all edge label and the induced vertex labels is {1, 2, 3, · · ·, p + q}. All the cycles, Cn, n = 3 and n = 4 are super vertex mean graphs. Our attempt in this paper is to show that all the linear cyclic snakes, including kC4, are also super vertex mean graphs, even though C4 is not an SVM graph. We also define the term Super Vertex Mean number of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic treatment for esophageal perforation with stenting is an alternative to surgery. There is no data on the impact of timing of esophageal stent placement and outcomes in patients with esophageal perforation. Objective: To determine the significance of timing of esophageal stent placement on short-term (30-day complications) and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with esophageal perforation. Methods: Patients with esophageal perforations who underwent endoscopic treatment with stenting from 2007 to 2012 at the Cleveland Clinic were included for the study. Main outcomes measurements were impact of time to esophageal stent placement on 30-day complications and long-term outcomes. Results: A total of 20 patients (males 40 % and females 60 %) were included. Mean age was 72.5 ± 10 years. The most common etiology for perforation was iatrogenic after endoscopy procedure in 10 (50 %) patients. The stent was in place for a median of 24.6 days in our cohort. Eight patients (40 %) had stent placement within 24 h, while the remaining 12 patients (60 %) had stent placement after 24 h. The mortality rate due to perforation related causes was 10 % (2/20) in our study. The 30-day complication rate was 10 %; 1 with stent migration and the other with chest pain. The 30-day readmission rates excluding patients who died during the initial hospitalization were 10 %. On long-term follow-up, 30 % complication rates were encountered; 3 (15 %) stent migrations, 2 (10 %) patients presented with hematemesis, and 1 (5 %) with chest pain. The timing of stent placement (within 24 h or later) did not impact the risk of complications (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.13, 95 % confidence interval 0.1-8.9, P = 0.91). Conclusions: Endoscopic stent placement is safe and effective for treating esophageal perforations. However, the timing of stent placement on outcomes remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic resection is an alternative to surgery for removal of large duodenal polyps. There are limited data on the safety, efficacy, and long-term recurrence data after endoscopic resection of sporadic, non-ampullary, and large duodenal polyps. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the safety and short-term outcomes of the endoscopic removal of the large sporadic duodenal polyps and to determine long-term risk of recurrence and factors predicting recurrence on follow-up. Methods: Patients with large (>10 mm) sporadic non-ampullary duodenal polyps underwent endoscopic resection from 2001 to 2012 at the Cleveland Clinic. Patients underwent endoscopic polypectomy and argon plasma coagulation. The main outcome measurements were complete polypectomy, complications, short- and long-term recurrence. Results: A total of 54 patients were included. The mean patient age was 66.4 years. The mean polyp size was 15.1 ± 5.4 mm. Most polyps ( N = 48, 88.9 %) were sessile polyps. The median follow-up time was 10.8 (range 0.5-120) months. Most lesions were located in the second part of the duodenum ( N = 41, 75.9 %). Adenomas were found in 46 (85.2 %) of lesions overall. Tubular adenoma was the most common histology type found in 33 cases (71.7 %). Tubulovillous and villous were found in 12 (26.1 %) and 1 (2.2 %) cases, respectively. On follow-up, 50 (92.6 %) achieved complete resection with tumor free margins post resection. The 30-day risk of major complications was 5.6 % ( N = 3), 1 with perforation and 2 with delayed bleeding. Recurrence was documented in 29 % ( N = 16) of patients. All recurrences were managed endoscopically except for one patient who required surgery. The recurrence rate was higher for patients who had villous component in their adenomas compared to those with tubular alone ( p = 0.03). Conclusions: Endoscopic resection is effective for treating large duodenal adenomas. Adenomas with villous features are more likely to recur. Almost all recurrences can be managed endoscopically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a bijection f : V (G) → {1, 2, . . . , ∣V (G)∣}, we associate 2 integers S = f (u) + f (v) and D = ∣f (u) − f (v)∣ with every edge uv in E(G). The labeling f induces an edge labeling f ' : E(G) → {0, 1} such that for any edge uv in E(G), f '(uv) = 1 if gcd(S, D) = 1, and f '(uv) = 0 otherwise. Let eff' (i) be the number of edges labeled with i ∈ {0, 1}. We say f is SD-prime cordial labeling if ∣eff' (0) −eff' (1)∣ ≤ 1. Moreover G is SD-prime cordial if it admits SD-prime cordial labeling. In this paper, we investigate the SD-prime cordial labeling of some derived graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph with p vertices and q edges and... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vertex-mean labeling of a (p, q) graph G = (V, E) is defined as an injective function f : E → {0, 1, 2, ..., q*}, q* = max(p, q) such that the function f V : V → N defined by the rule fV (v) = Round ... satisfies the property that fV (V) = {fV (u) : u ∈ V} = {1, 2, ..., p}, where Ev denotes the set of edges in G that are incident at v, N denotes the set of all natural numbers and Round is the nearest integer function. A graph that has a vertex-mean labeling is called vertex-mean graph or V-mean graph. In this paper, we study V-mean behaviour of certain new classes of graphs and present a method to construct disconnected V-mean graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this communication, for the first time, we are reporting α -diazo hydrazone synthesis from hydrazones derived from β -keto esters and 2,4-dinitro phenyl hydrazine via diazo transfer reaction. We also report an unexpected cyclization of the α -diazo hydrazones upon N-H functionalization to give highly functionalized N-amino-1,2,3-triazole derivatives under metal-free condition. This one-step synthetic protocol can serve as a general tool to access nitrogen rich 5- and 6-membered heterocycles in excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with strictures. Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) may prevent or delay the need for surgical resection. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy and safety of EBD in the management of Crohn's strictures.Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from January 1980 to May 2015 was performed. The primary outcome measurements were surgical intervention rates and major adverse events.Results: A total of 24 studies involving 1163 patients were included in the analysis. The median duration from the initial diagnosis of CD to the first EBD was 10.2-17.0 years. The majority of strictures (69 %) treated were anastomotic, while the remaining strictures were naive (primary). Surgical intervention rate over a median follow-up period of 15-70 months in the reported studies was 27 %. The surgical intervention rate after dilation of anastomotic strictures was 18 % versus 29 % for primary strictures. The risk ratio for the surgical requirement of anastomotic versus primary strictures was [0.88 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.59-1.32); p = 0.54]. Stricture length <4 cm was associated with a significantly decreased risk of surgical intervention [risk ratio = 0.48 (95 % CI 0.26-0.90); p = 0.02]. EBD resulted in major adverse events in 4 % of the patients.Conclusions: EBD appears to be a safe alternative for surgery in the management of Crohn's strictures. Stricture length <4 cm treated with EBD is associated with a significantly decreased risk of surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sum divisor cordial labeling of a graph G with vertex set V is a bijection f from V to {1, 2, · · ·, |V (G)|} such that an edge uv is assigned the label 1 if 2 divides f (u) + f (v) and 0 otherwise; and the number of edges labeled with 0 and the number of edges labeled with 1 differ by at most 1. A graph with a sum divisor cordial labeling is called a sum divisor cordial graph. In this paper, we prove that ... are sum divisor cordial graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph and some pebbles are distributed on its vertices. A pebbling move (step) consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex, throwing one pebble away, and moving the other pebble to an adjacent vertex. The t-pebbling number of a graph G is the least integer m such that from any distribution of m pebbles on the vertices of G, we can move t pebbles to any specified vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. In this paper, we determine the t-pebbling number of some wheel related graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The t-pebbling number, ft(G), of a connected graph G, is the smallest positive integer such that from every placement of ft(G) pebbles, t pebbles can be moved to any specified target vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves, each move taking two pebbles off a vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. When t = 1, we call it as the pebbling number of G, and we denote it by f(G). In this paper, we are going to give an alternate proof for the pebbling number of the graph J2,m (m ≥ 3) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two independent routes to the formal synthesis of (-)-epiquinamide, have been described: the first route utilizes an L-prolinecatalyzed one-pot sequential α-amination/propargylation of aldehyde, while the second one employs asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key reaction to install the stereochemistry. While the first synthesis was accomplished in nine steps with 24.4% overall yield and dr 9:1, the second strategy resulted in the synthesis in eight steps with 36.4% overall yield and with perfect enantiocontrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mesolimbic dopamine system, composed primarily of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area that project to striatal structures, is considered to be the key mediator of reinforcement-related mechanisms in the brain. Prompted by a genome-wide association meta-analysis implicating the Ras-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2 (RASGRF2) gene in the regulation of alcohol intake in men, we have recently shown that male Rasgrf-/- mice exhibit reduced ethanol intake and preference accompanied by a perturbed mesolimbic dopamine system. We therefore propose that these mice represent a valid model to further elucidate the precise genes and mechanisms regulating mesolimbic dopamine functioning. Methods: Transcriptomic data from the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of male Rasgrf2-/- mice and wild-type controls were analyzed by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). We performed follow-up genetic association tests in humans using a sample of male adolescents from the IMAGEN study characterized for binge drinking (n = 905) and ventral striatal activation during an fMRI reward task (n = 608). Results: The WGCNA analyses using accumbal transcriptomic data revealed 37 distinct "modules," or functionally related groups of genes. Two of these modules were significantly associated with Rasgrf2 knockout status: M5 (p < 0.001) and M6 (p < 0.001). In follow-up translational analyses we found that human orthologues for the M5 module were significantly (p < 0.01) enriched with genetic association signals for binge drinking in male adolescents. Furthermore, the most significant locus, originating from the EH-domain containing 4 (EHD4) gene (p < 0.001), was also significantly associated with altered ventral striatal activity in male adolescents performing an fMRI reward task (pempirical < 0.001). Limitations: It was not possible to determine the extent to which the M5 module was dysregulated in Rasgrf-/-mice by perturbed mesolimbic dopamine signalling or by the loss of Rasgrf2 function in the NAcc. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings indicate that the accumbal M5 module, initially identified as being dysregulated in male Rasgrf2-/--mice, is also relevant for human alcohol-related phenotypes potentially through the modulation of reinforcement mechanisms in the NAcc. We therefore propose that the genes comprising this module represent important candidates for further elucidation within the context of alcohol-related phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesized two new terpyridine based Ru sensitizers ( SY-01 and SY-02 ) with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of these two dyes are well-matched with that of the black dye ( N749 ). Both sensitizers capable of exhibiting metal-to-ligand charge transfer band show a higher molar extinction coefficients (ε ∼ 5.0–6.8 × 10 3 M −1 cm −1 ) than that (4.2 × 10 3 M −1 cm −1 ) of N749 because of the enhanced absorption arising from thiophene moiety. Density functional theory calculations reveal that LUMOs of SY-01 and SY-02 are distributed over the terpyridine and thienyl moieties. The excited-state oxidation potentials, E ° ox *, obtained by the electrochemical studies, range from −0.98 to −0.96 V, are sufficiently more negative than the conduction band edge of the TiO 2 electrode ( ca. −0.5 V). The increased conjugation conferred to SY-01 and SY-02 dyes through π-expansion by thiophene moiety increases light-harvesting and energy conversion efficiency in comparison with N749 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sum divisor cordial labeling of a graph G with vertex set V is a bijection f from V (G) to {1, 2, · · ·, |V (G)|} such that an edge uv is assigned the label 1 if 2 divides f (u) + f (v) and 0 otherwise, then the number of edges labeled with 0 and the number of edges labeled with 1 differ by at most 1. A graph with a sum divisor cordial labeling is called a sum divisor cordial graph. In this paper, we prove that path, comb, star, complete bipartite, K2 + mK1, bistar, jewel, crown, flower, gear, subdivision of the star, K1,3 * K1,n and square graph of Bn,n are sum divisor cordial graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let C be a configuration of pebbles on a graph G. A pebbling move (step) consists of removing two pebbles from one vertex, throwing one pebble away, and moving the other pebble to an adjacent vertex. The t-pebbling number, ft(G), of a connected graph G, is the smallest positive integer such that from every configuration of ft(G) pebbles, t pebbles can be moved to any specified target vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. In this paper, we determine the t-pebbling number for squares of cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses the study on the microRNA network analysis which enabled the identification of miR-29 cluster as key regulator of LAMA2 gene in ependymoma.

The t-pebbling number, ft(G), of a connected graph G, is the smallest positive integer such that from every placement of ft(G) pebbles, t pebbles can be moved to any specified target vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves, each move removes two pebbles of a vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. In this paper, we determine the t-pebbling number for Jahangir graph J3,m and finally we give a conjecture for the t-pebbling number of the graph Jn,m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The t-pebbling number, ft(G), of a connected graph G, is the smallest positive integer such that from every placement of ft(G) pebbles, t pebbles can be moved to any specified target vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves, each move taking two pebbles of a vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. A graph G satisfies the 2t-pebbling property if 2t pebbles can be moved to a specified vertex when the total starting number of pebbles is 2ft(G) - q + 1 where q is the number of vertices with at least one pebble. In this paper, we are going to show that the graph J2, m (m ≥ 3) satisfies the 2t-pebbling property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of M2-PK (pyruvate kinase) in bile has not been studied in comparison with brushings and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 in the diagnosis of malignant biliary strictures. Aim: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of biliary M2-PK with cytology and serum CA 19-9 Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, bile was aspirated in 74 patients (discovery and validation cohort) undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Levels of M2-PK were measured in bile and compared to brushings for cytology and CA 19-9. Results: In the discovery cohort, the median bile M2-PK levels were significantly elevated in patients with malignant biliary strictures [187.9 U/l (interquartile range (IQR) 3.5, 3626.8)] compared to those with benign biliary conditions and primary sclerosing cholangitis [0 U/l (IQR 0, 15)] ( P = 0.007). A M2-PK cutoff value of 109.1 U/l distinguished malignant from benign conditions with a sensitivity and specificity of 52.9 and 94.1 %, respectively, and area under curve (AUC) of 0.77. The sensitivity of CA 19-9 and brushings in diagnosing cancer was 52.9 % and 11.1 % and specificity 94.1 and 100 %, respectively. The presence of elevated M2-PK >109.1 U/l or CA 19-9 >33 U/ml or positive brushing was 88.2 % sensitive and 88.2 % specific, AUC of 0.89 in the diagnosis of malignancy. The diagnostic accuracy was confirmed in the validation cohort. Conclusions: As a stand-alone factor, none of the markers were able to distinguish benign from malignant biliary strictures with a high sensitivity. However, a combination was highly sensitive in diagnosing malignant biliary strictures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the recognition that cortical thickness is heritable and correlates with intellectual ability in children and adolescents, the genes contributing to individual differences in these traits remain unknown. We conducted a large-scale association study in 1583 adolescents to identify genes affecting cortical thickness. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; n = 54 837) within genes whose expression changed between stages of growth and differentiation of a human neural stem cell line were selected for association analyses with average cortical thickness. We identified a variant, rs7171755, associating with thinner cortex in the left hemisphere (P= 1.12x10-7), particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes. Localized effects of this SNP on cortical thickness differently affected verbal and nonverbal intellectual abilities. The rs7171755 polymorphism acted in c/s to affect expression in the human brain of the synaptic cell adhesion glycoprotein-encoding gene NPTN. We also found that cortical thickness and NPTN expression were on average higher in the right hemisphere, suggesting that asymmetric NPTN expression may render the left hemisphere more sensitive to the effects of NPTN mutations, accounting for the lateralized effect of rs7171755 found in our study. Altogether, our findings support a potential role for regional synaptic dysfunctions in forms of intellectual deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder, which normally begins during adolescence or early adulthood and has a heritability of up to 80%. The largest genome-wide association analysis of bipolar disorder recently identified a new genome-wide associated variant in OZD4 (rs12576775). The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the role of this risk variant in the disease process using an imaging genetics approach. As increased amygdala and striatal responses during the processing of reward and emotion are characteristic for bipolar disorder patients, it was tested whether the risk variant has an influence on this endophenotype in healthy adolescents. Methods We examined the impact of the risk variant rs12576775 on functional magnetic resonance imaging data in an adolescent sample (N = 485). Differential activation between carriers of the risk allele (G-allele) and homozygous A-allele carriers in the amygdala and the striatum during a modification of the monetary incentive delay task (examining reward) and a face task (examining emotion) was analyzed. Results Carriers of the risk allele showed an increased blood oxygen level-dependent response in the amygdala during reward sensitivity (p = 0.05) and reward expectation (p < 0.05) but not during the face task. No significant group differences were found in the striatum during both reward and emotion processing. Conclusion Our results indicate that the ODZ4 risk variant influences reward processing in the amygdala. Alterations in the processing of emotion may have different underlying mechanisms and need to be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoaminergic imbalances play a role in the pathogenesis of depression and most common antidepressant drugs act on monoamine neurotransmitters. However, the lag time between restoring neurochemical balance and symptom improvement suggests that the response to drugs involves complex biological events downstream of primary targets that have not yet been fully characterized. Here, we report a mouse mRNA expression study to evaluate the effect of escitalopram (a serotonergic antidepressant) and nortriptyline (a noradrenergic antidepressant) on genes that are involved in the pathogenesis of depression and to assess the similarities and differences between two drugs on gene expression levels.Genome-wide RNA expression data from the hippocampal tissues of four inbred mouse strains (129S1/SvlmJ, C57LB/6J, DBA/2J and FVB/NJ) were treated with varying doses of either nortriptyline (NRI) or escitalopram (SSRI) and subjected to two different depressogenic protocols. Following robust multichip average normalization, we applied the nonparametric RankProd approach to identify differentially expressed genes in response to drugs across the four strains. Pathway analysis was subsequently carried out on top-ranking genes to gain further biological insights.A total of 371 genes were significantly differentially expressed in response to nortriptyline, whereas 383 were altered by escitalopram. Genes involved in the pathways of integrin signalling (Fnlb, Mapk1, Mapk8), synaptic transmission (Cacnb1, Dnajc5, Kcnma1, Slc1a2) or Huntington disease (Crebbp, Dlg4, Ncor1) were altered by both nortriptyline and escitalopram. Several biological processes and pathways were identified, which could explain the divergence between the molecular mechanisms of nortriptyline and escitalopram.From a large-scale animal study, we obtain gene sets comprised of commonly and differentially expressed genes in response to different antidepressant drug treatments. The results may help to characterize the response to antidepressant treatment, shed further light on the neurobiology of depressive disorders and inform future animal and human studies. Finally, the top-ranking pathways from Ingenuity provide further evidence for the hippocampal neurogenesis hypothesis of major depressive disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite high heritability, the genetic variants influencing bipolar disorder (BD) susceptibility remain largely unknown. Low statistical power to detect the small effect-size alleles believed to underlie much of the genetic risk and possible heterogeneity between cohorts are an increasing concern. Integrative biology approaches might offer advantages over genetic analysis alone by combining different genomic datasets at the higher level of biological processes rather than the level of specific genetic variants or genes. We employed this strategy to identify biological processes involved in BD etiopathology. Method: Three genome-wide association studies and a brain gene-expression study were combined with the Human Protein Reference Database protein–protein interaction network data. We used bioinformatic analysis to search for biological networks with evidence of association on the basis of enrichment among both genetic and differential-expression associations with BD. Results: We identified association with gene networks involved in transmission of nerve impulse, Wnt, and Notch signaling. Three features stand out among these genes: 1) they localized to the human postsynaptic density, which is crucial for neuronal function; 2) their mouse knockouts present altered behavioral phenotypes; and 3) some are known targets of the pharmacological treatments for BD. Conclusions: Genetic and gene-expression associations of BD cluster in discrete regions of the protein–protein interaction network. We found replicated evidence for association for networks involving several interlinked signaling pathways. These genes are promising candidates to generate animal models and pharmacological interventions. Our results demonstrate the potential advantage of integrative biology analyses of BD datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a graph G and a configuration C of pebbles on the vertices of G, a pebbling step (move) removes two pebbles from one vertex and places one pebble on an adjacent vertex. The cover pebbling number γ(G) is the minimum number so that every configuration of γ(G) pebbles has the property that after some sequence of pebbling steps(moves), every vertex has a pebble on it. In this paper we determine the cover pebbling number for square of a path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a configuration of pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G, a pebbling move (or pebbling step) is defined as the removal of two pebbles from a vertex and placing one pebble on an adjacent vertex. The t-pebbling number, ft(G) of a graph G is the least number m such that, however m pebbles are placed on the vertices of G, we can move t pebbles to any vertex by a sequence of pebbling moves. In this paper, we determine ft(G) for Jahangir graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let k = 0 be an integer. A Smarandachely vertex-mean k-labeling of a (p, q) graph G = (V,E) is such an injection f : E → {0, 1, 2, …, q*+ k}, q* = max(p, q) such that the function fV : V → ℕ defined by the rule Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. satisfies the property that f v(V) = f v(u) : u ∈ V = {1, 2, …, p}, where Ev denotes the set of edges in G that are incident at v, N denotes the set of all natural numbers and Round is the nearest integer function. A graph that has a Smarandachely vertex-mean k-labeling is called Smarandachely k vertex-mean graph or Smarandachely k V -mean graph. Particularly, if k = 0, such a Smarandachely vertex-mean 0-labeling and Smarandachely 0 vertex-mean graph or Smarandachely 0 V -mean graph is called a vertex-mean labeling and a vertex-mean graph or V -mean graph, respectively. In this paper, we obtain necessary conditions for a graph to be V -mean and study V -mean behaviour of certain classes of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onset of alcohol use at an early age increases the risk for later alcohol dependence. We investigated the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene ( NR3C1) in onset of alcohol use and abuse in 14-year-old adolescents ( n = 4534). Several NR3C1 polymorphisms were associated with onset of alcohol drinking or drunkenness at this age. Strongest associations were observed in females, with one marker (rs244465) remaining significant after correction for multiple testing ( P = 0.0067; odds ratio = 1.7, for drunkenness). Our data provide the first evidence that GR modulates initiation of alcohol abuse and reveal a polymorphism that might contribute to susceptibility to addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absolutely harmonious labeling f is an injection from the vertex set of a graph G with q edges to the set {0, 1, 2, …, q - 1}, if each edge uv is assigned f(u) + f(v) then the resulting edge labels can be arranged as a0, a1, a2, …, aq-1 where ai = q - i or q + i, 0 ≤ i ≤ q - 1 . However, when G is a tree one of the vertex labels may be assigned to exactly two vertices. A graph which admits absolutely harmonious labeling is called absolutely harmonious graph. In this paper, we obtain necessary conditions for a graph to be absolutely harmonious and study absolutely harmonious behavior of certain classes of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) derived from rice husk is used for the immobilization of acidic lipase (ALIP) produced from Pseudomonas gessardii. The purified acidic lipase had the specific activity and molecular weight of 1473U/mg and 94kDa respectively. To determine the optimum conditions for the immobilization of lipase onto MAC, the experiments were carried out by varying the time (10–180min), pH (2–8), temperature (10–50°C) and the initial lipase activity (49×103, 98×103, 147×103 and 196×103 U/l in acetate buffer). The optimum conditions for immobilization of acidic lipase were found to be: time—120min; pH 3.5; temperature—30°C, which resulted in achieving a maximum immobilization of 1834U/g. The thermal stability of the immobilized lipase was comparatively higher than that in its free form. The free and immobilized enzyme kinetic parameters (K m and V max ) were found using Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetics. The K m values for free enzyme and immobilized one were 0.655 and 0.243mM respectively. The immobilization of acidic lipase onto MAC was confirmed using Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A short enantioselective synthesis of (+)-febrifugine, a potent antimalarial alkaloid, has been described based on the regioselective asymmetric dihydroxylation of a 1,4-dienic ester as the key step. The strategy also involves chemoselective [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of 1,5-hexadiene-3-ol and intramolecular lactamization of azidolactone for the construction of piperidine core. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]