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The aim of the paper is to find suitable conditions so as to ultimately establish the existence and uniqueness of the extension of a pairwise θ-continuous map onto an arbitrary extension-space of a bitopological space.

The solution space of the rectangular linear system Ax=b, subject to x≥0, is called a polytope. An attempt is made to provide a deeper geometric insight, with numerical examples, into the condensed paper by Lord, et al. [1], that presents an algorithm to compute a center of a polytope. The algorithm is readily adopted for either sequential or parallel computer implementation. The computed center provides an initial feasible solution (interior point) of a linear programming problem.

Multidrug‐resistant (MDR) pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae have become a global health threat. Drug repositioning or repurposing has become a viable solution to combat the threat posed by MDR pathogens. A strategic approach to identifying potential new candidates as future molecular drug targets is presented in this study. Fifty proteins critical for virulence during systemic infection were selected from the entire genomes of MDR E. coli MB641 and Enterobacter cloacae MB649, which were isolated from infected orthopaedic implants. Interaction networks were built using the STRING database to visualise the positioning of the selected virulence proteins in the network space and support their suitability for therapeutic targeting. The two significant virulence proteins FliG and FlhA, which were discovered by network analysis, were suggested as prospective treatment targets. To test the stability of the protein–drug complexes, the preidentified proteins were docked with 10 marketed antibacterial drugs and six phytochemicals. Amikacin, rifampicin, streptomycin, and tetracycline had the best binding interaction and stability for both strains, according to our findings. Molecular dynamic simulation studies were performed for amikacin and catechin at 100 ns. Both hydrophobic and hydrophilic stable contacts were seen in the active sites of amikacin and catechin with new chemical structures. Structural and conformational analysis of the docked protein‐ligand complex was done by RMSD which showed stability of the amikacin and catechin complexes, whereas RMSF showed conformational changes. Based on the results, we propose the phytochemical catechin as the best theoretical lead, which may be further experimentally studied for selective inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine if cross‐linking (CXL) treatment modifies any pre‐existing association between corneal optical density (COD) and age in keratoconus free of corneal scarring. Methods: COD was monitored in two groups (i) before and after standard CXL treatment for keratoconus (de‐epithelization with a crescent blade, n = 69 eyes) and (ii) age/gender‐matched cases without any signs of keratoconus (n = 24 eyes). Seven different markers of COD were quantified using a 0–100 grey scale, supplied with Pentacam™ software. Results: Mean age (±sd, range) in Group I (19 females and 50 males) was 24.2 years (±7.2, 11–44) and in Group II (9 females and 15 males), it was 24.7 years (±7.6, 17–45). COD over the apex and along the depth of the cornea (y, arbitrary scale units) was associated with age (x, in years) in Group I at preop (y = 0.08x + 13.12, rs = 0.350 and p = 0.003), at 12 months postop (y = 0.08x + 15.15, rs = 0.295 and p = 0.014) and in Group II, at the start (y = 0.16x + 11.28, rs = 0.474 and p = 0.019) and 12 months later (y = 0.24x + 8.63, rs = 0.600 and p = 0.002). The change in COD following CXL was significantly associated with the preop value. Conclusion: CXL initially breaks down the pre‐existing relationship between COD and age. This is re‐established by 12 months postop. The CXL induced change in COD depends on the preop value but not on the patient's age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X‐ray crystallography, spectroscopy, computational methods, molecular docking studies, and in vitro DNA‐binding studies have been useful in the investigations of intermolecular and intramolecular interactions of osmium‐cymene oxalato complexes with aryl phosphine and aryl phosphonium groups in both primary and secondary coordination spheres, respectively. Molecular structures of the novel complexes PPh4[Os(η6‐p‐cymene)Br(κ2‐O,O′‐C2O4)] (1) and [Os(η6‐p‐cymene) (κ2‐O,O′‐C2O4)PPh3] (2) were resolved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Primary and secondary coordination sphere contacts were investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis which was supported by molecular docking (MD) studies. The MD data obtained predicted significant differences in binding energy across three receptors for the two osmium complexes. An in vitro DNA‐binding study was accomplished using UV‐Vis spectroscopy which showed that both 1 and 2 bond with DNA through an intercalation approach. The optimized molecular geometry, frontier molecular orbital (EHOMO and ELUMO) energies, global electrophilicity index (ω), chemical hardness (η), chemical potential (µ), and the energy band gap (EHOMO–ELUMO) were calculated utilizing density functional theory (DFT) methods. Computed structural parameters (bond lengths and angles) support the experimental single‐crystal XRD data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has greatly affected all aspect of life. Although several vaccines and pharmaceuticals have been developed against SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of mutated variants has raised several concerns. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor cell entry mechanism of this virus has not changed despite the vast mutation in emerging variants. Inhibiting the spike protein by which the virus identifies the host ACE2 receptor is a promising therapeutic countermeasure to keep pace with rapidly emerging variants. Here, we synthesized two ACE2-derived peptides, P1 and P25, to target and potentially inhibit SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. These peptides were evaluated in vitro using pseudoviruses that contained the SARS-CoV-2 original spike protein, the Delta-mutated spike protein, or the Omicron spike protein. An in silico investigation was also done for these peptides to evaluate the interaction of the synthesized peptides and the SARS-CoV-2 variants. The P25 peptide showed a promising inhibition potency against the tested pseudoviruses and an even higher inhibition against the Omicron variant. The IC50 of the Omicron variant was 60.8 μM, while the IC50s of the SARS-CoV-2 original strain and the Delta variant were 455.2 μM and 546.4 μM, respectively. The in silico experiments also showed that the amino acid composition design and structure of P25 boosted the interaction with the spike protein. These findings suggest that ACE2-derived peptides, such as P25, have the potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 cell entry in vitro. However, further in vivo studies are needed to confirm their therapeutic efficacy against emerging variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge bearings are critical components in bridge structures because they ensure the normal functioning of bridges by accommodating the long-term horizontal movements caused by changing environmental conditions. However, abnormal structural behaviors in long-term horizontal displacement are observed when the structural integrity of bridge structures is degraded. This study aims to construct an accurate prediction model for long-term horizontal displacement under varying external environmental conditions to support the reliable assessment of bridge structures which has not been fully explored in previous studies. The main challenge in developing an accurate prediction model lies in modeling the influencing factors that accurately simulate the effect of external environmental conditions on long-term horizontal displacement. To enhance the prediction accuracy in the proposed study, the surrounding environmental effects by considering the relationship between the current and past displacements in addition to air temperature, thermal inertia, and solar radiation are modeled as critical influencing factors. In addition, a data-driven method based on an artificial neural network (ANN) integrated with Bayesian optimization (BO) is employed to model and predict long-term horizontal displacement with the adopted critical influencing factors. An overpass bridge equipped with bearing displacement monitoring and temperature sensors is used to validate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method. The analysis of the results concludes that the proposed method can generate an accurate and robust long-term horizontal displacement prediction model that supports a reliable anomaly detection approach for early warning systems of bridge structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative splicing (AS) is crucial for cell‐type‐specific gene transcription and plays a critical role in neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity. De novo frameshift variants in NOVA2, encoding a neuron‐specific key splicing factor, have been recently associated with a new neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) with hypotonia, neurological features, and brain abnormalities. We investigated eight unrelated individuals by exome sequencing (ES) and identified seven novel pathogenic NOVA2 variants, including two with a novel localization at the KH1 and KH3 domains. In addition to a severe NDD phenotype, novel clinical features included psychomotor regression, attention deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, and urogenital and endocrinological manifestations. To test the effect of the variants on splicing regulation, we transfected HeLa cells with wildtype and mutant NOVA2 complementary DNA (cDNA). The novel variants NM_002516.4:c.754_756delCTGinsTT p.(Leu252Phefs*144) and c.1329dup p.(Lys444Glnfs*82) all negatively affected AS events. The distal p.(Lys444Glnfs*82) variant, causing a partial removal of the KH3 domain, had a milder functional effect leading to an intermediate phenotype. Our findings expand the molecular and phenotypic spectrum of NOVA2‐related NDD, supporting the pathogenic role of AS disruption by truncating variants and suggesting that this is a heterogeneous condition with variable clinical course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary effects of the medicinal herb Asparagus racemosus on immune‐biochemical response, immune‐related gene expression and resistance of Labeo rohita fingerlings to Aeromonas hydrophila infection. The acute toxicity study showed that the dietary incorporation of the A. racemosus ethanolic root extract (AREE) at the dose up to 2000 mg kg−1 had no toxic effect on L. rohita. Three experimental diets were prepared with the inclusion of different concentrations of AREE (T1‐50, T2‐100 and T3‐150 mg of AREE kg−1 feed). Fingerlings of L. rohita were fed with these diets and various immune‐biochemical responses and immune‐related gene expression were measured on the 0, 15th, and 30th day of feeding. Dietary inclusion of AREE significantly enhanced the biochemical responses (glucose, total protein, albumin and alkaline phosphatase activity), innate immune responses (superoxide anion, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activity), and mRNA expression of immune‐related genes (IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and C3) in the majority cases. The survivability of rohu against A. hydrophila infection was significantly higher in fish fed with the T2 diet. In conclusion, the dietary A. racemosus ethanolic root extract showed promising immunostimulatory activity, and conferred resistance against A. hydrophila challenge in L. rohita. The dietary supplementation of the extract at the rate of 100 mg kg−1 feed for 15 days is suggested for obtaining optimal immunostimulatory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive intracellular glucose in insulin-independent tissues including nerve, nephron, lens, and retina invites mishandling of metabolism of glucose resulting in a background of increased oxidative stress, advanced glycation end products (AGE) formation, lipid peroxidation, and failure of antioxidant defense systems in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). All these detrimental biochemical anomalies ultimately attack biological membranes and especially capillary beds of the retina, resulting in the breakdown of the inner blood-retinal barrier and the initiation of diabetic retinopathy (DR). If these disarrays are corrected to a large extent, the development of DR can be avoided or delayed. In this prospective clinical trial, 185 patients with T2DM who received B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E along with antidiabetic medication for five years demonstrated a slower rate of the development of DR and reduced abnormal biochemical mediators like reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), AGE, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compared to 175 T2DM individuals who were treated with only antihyperglycemic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machining activities in recent times have shifted their focus towards tool life and tool wear. Cutting tools have been utilized on a daily basis and play a vital role in manufacturing industries. Prolonged and incessant operation of the cutting tool can lead to wear and tear of the component, thereby compromising the dimensional accuracy. The condition of a tool is estimated based upon the surface quality of the machined component, condition of the machine, and the rate of production. Maintaining the tool health plays a vital role in enhancing the productivity of manufacturing industries. Numerous efforts were experimented by the researchers to maintain the tool health condition. The drawbacks of conventional diagnostic techniques include requirement of high level of human intelligence and professional expertise on the field, which led the researchers to develop intelligent and automatic diagnostic tools. There are many techniques suggested by researchers to detect the condition of single point cutting tool. This article proposes the use of transfer learning technology to detect the condition of single point cutting tool. First, the vibration signals were collected from the cutting tool and plots were made which will work as input to the deep learning algorithms. The deep learning algorithms have the capability to learn from the plots of vibration signals and classify the state of the single point cutting tool. In this work, the pretrained networks such as VGG-16, AlexNet, ResNet-50, and GoogLeNet were employed to identify the state of the cutting tool. In the pretrained networks, the effect of hyperparameters such as batch size, solver, learning rate, and train-test split ratio was studied, and the best performing network was suggested for tool condition monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exhaustion of worldwide oil reserves has created an incipient need to find hopeful alternative fuels for the future. Substantial research has been done in this direction, and all studies by researchers have provided results that proved the growing potential of biofuel as a popular alternative in the CI engine. The current investigation explores the biofuel potential derived from the wasteland tree Prosopis juliflora (Karuvalam tree seeds). Experimentation was done using a monocylinder 4-stroke water-cooled six holes CRDi CI engine with electrical loading. The experiment was conducted at three proportions (10%, 20%, and 30% volume basis) of Prosopis juliflora Oil Methyl Ester (PJOME) with diesel using 3 parametric CRs (16, 17.5, and 19) along with three different fuel injection pressure (FIP) (400, 500, and 600 bar). The impact of CR and FIP on fuel utilization BTE, cylinder pressure, net heat release, and exhaust particulates was scrutinized and characterized. The test results demonstrated that increasing the compression ratio from 16 to 19 enhanced the in-cylinder pressure, net heat release (NHR), and BTE for all the (PJOME/Diesel) combinations. With an augmentation in the compression ratio from 16 to 19, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon discharge diminished, but the nitrogen oxide discharges augmented. FIP also had an impact of increasing the pressures on the in-cylinder, NHR, brake thermal efficiency, and nitrogen oxide and reducing the emissions of smoke, CO, and UBHC. The current research shows that the use of B20 and CR16 and FIP 600 bar as a combination improved BTE by 33.21%, BSFC by 0.25 kg/kw-hr, cylinder pressure at the maximum to reach 69.28 bar, net heat release of 79.14 J/deg, and exhaust emissions such as UHC at 55 ppm, CO at 0.25%, smoke at 34.33%, and NOx at 2401 ppm. Finally, the BTE and NOx were slightly higher, and the UHC, CO, and smoke values were diminutive compared to other blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asparagus racemosus is an important herb, the medicinal properties of which have been reported in traditional systems of medicine. The potential application of this plant as an immunostimulant for fish was explored in this study, using in vitro assay methods. Based on the extraction yield, phytochemical properties and antioxidant potentials, the ethanolic root extract of the plant (AREE) was selected and subsequently used to observe in vitro cellular immune responses, immune‐related gene expression of Labeo rohita head kidney (HK) leucocytes, and anti‐Aeromonas hydrophila activity. Different cellular immunological parameters (nitric oxide production, superoxide anion production and myeloperoxidase activity) of the HK leucocytes showed significantly enhanced responses when incubated with different concentration of AREE (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 µg ml−1). Additionally, the leucocyte proliferation assay confirmed polyclonal activation of leucocytes by AREE, indicating the absence of any negative impact of the extract on leucocyte viability. Immune‐related genes viz. IL‐1β, IFN‐γ and C3 showed significantly higher upregulation following incubation of AREE with the leucocytes, indicating enhancement of immune responses at the molecular level. The results collectively suggest the potential of AREE as an effective immunostimulant for use in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbiome exerts considerable control over immune homeostasis and influences susceptibility to autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease (AD/AID) such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes (T1D), psoriasis, and uveitis. In part, this is due to direct effects of the microbiome on gastrointestinal (GI) physiology and nutrient transport, but also to indirect effects on immunoregulatory controls, including induction and stabilization of T regulatory cells (Treg). Secreted bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are under intense investigation as mediators of these effects. In contrast, folate (vitamin B9), an essential micronutrient, has attracted less attention, possibly because it exerts global physiological effects which are difficult to differentiate from specific effects on the immune system. Here, we review the role of folate in AD/AID with some emphasis on sight-threatening autoimmune uveitis. Since folate is required for the generation and maintenance of Treg, we propose that one mechanism for microbiome-based control of AD/AID is via folate-dependent induction of GI tract Treg, particularly colonic Treg, via anergic T cells (Tan). Hence, folate supplementation has potential prophylactic and/or therapeutic benefit in AID/AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Bambusa vulgaris (Tabashir) has been shown to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects due to the presence of ascorbic acid, vitamin B2, flavonoid, and phenolic compounds which can be beneficial in the process of wound healing. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of topical Tabashir extract on cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major in BALB/c mice. Methods. Twenty-eight female BALB/c mice (4 weeks old, 18 ± 4 grams) were injected subcutaneously in tail-base with L. major amastigotes. Treatment started when the CL lesions were appeared and continued for 21 days. Mice were then divided into four groups: E1, treated daily with 5% of Tabashir extract gel; E2, treated daily with 10% Tabashir gel; C1, irrigated daily only with normal saline; and C2, received vehicle gel daily. The wounds' sizes were measured every 3 days, using vernier caliper. The volume densities of vessels, collagens, and hair follicles, vessels' length density, and mean diameter were soteriologically determined. Results. Tabashir enhanced wound closure rate through increasing the number of fibroblasts, collagen bundles, and vessels, according to histomorphometric evaluation while it did not affect the parasitic load. Findings of the in vitro study revealed that the extract has substantial mortality for the Leishmania promastigotes. Conclusion. Topical Tabashir showed promising effects on the healing process of skin wounds caused by CL in this experimental study. Further studies are suggested to find out the molecules which are involved in the healing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a Bacillus megaterium-coated diet on growth performance, digestive enzymes, and intestinal microbial diversity in Songpu mirror carp (Cyprinus specularis Songpu). The fish were manually fed two diets (a control diet and a B. megaterium-coated diet) three times daily until apparent satiation for 56 days. Compared with the control group, supplementation with the B. megaterium-coated diet enhanced the fish growth and significantly reduced the feed conversion ratio (P < 0:05). The activities of foregut amylase and lipase in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0:05). The activities of foregut, midgut, and hindgut proteases in the treatment group were all higher than those in the control group (P > 0:05). The results of sequencing the 16S rDNA genes of the microbiota through high-throughput sequencing showed that the diversity and abundance of the intestinal microflora increased along with Songpu mirror carp growth. The Songpu mirror carp fed a diet coated with B. megaterium displayed increased proportions of intestinal Bacillus and Lactococcus at the genus level, and both were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0:05). These results therefore suggest that dietary B. megaterium application can improve the growth and digestive enzyme activity of Songpu mirror carp and enrich the beneficial genus composition of its main intestinal microflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coumarin-based compound DPAC with two dipicolylamine (DPA) arms as the chelator sites was designed and synthesized. The compound DPAC exhibits a highly selective response to Cu2+ ions with a distinctly emission-quenching phenomenon. Moreover, the in situ formed complex DPAC-Cu2+ was used for the detection of pyrophosphate (PPi). The binding manner of probe DPAC-Cu2+ with PPi in 1 : 1 stoichiometry was supported by the Benesi-Hildebrand fitting, ESI-MS and HPLC analysis. The linear range of PPi concentration was 1-4 μM, and the detection limit was 0.53 μM. The competing experiments illustrated that the probe DPAC-Cu2+ had good sensitivity and selectivity for PPi than other anions, including ATP, ADP, AMP, and Pi in CH3CN : HEPES (3 : 2, v/v, pH=7.20) buffer. Further, cell fluorescence imaging experiments indicated that the probe DPAC-Cu2+ had a potential to be used to detect PPi in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To evaluate the corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in normal Egyptian eyes. Methods. In total, 568 healthy eyes of 568 Egyptian volunteers aged 20 to 85 years were examined using noncontact specular microscopy for the central corneal thickness (CCT), mean endothelial cell density (MCD), coefficient of variation (CV) in cell area, mean cell area (MCA), and hexagonal cell (Hex) percentage. Variables were compared between sexes and between different age groups. Results. The mean CCT, MCD, and MCA were 514.45 ± 43.04 μm, 2647.50 ± 382.62 cells/mm2, and 390.59 ± 149.94 μm2, respectively. MCD and MCA showed no significant differences between men and women (P=0.171 and 0.099, respectively), whereas CV (%) and Hex (%) showed significant differences (P=0.024 and 0.015, respectively). CCT (P=0.007, r = −0.113) and MCD (P<0.001, r = −0.357) exhibited a significant negative correlation with age, whereas CV (%) (P<0.001, r = 0.341) and MCA (P=0.008, r = 0.111) exhibited a significant positive correlation. The mean rate of endothelial cell loss from 20 to 85 years of age was 0.3% per year. Conclusions. Our results provide normative data for the corneal endothelium in healthy Egyptian eyes, thus increasing the knowledge base for corneal endothelial cell parameters in healthy Egyptian eyes. Furthermore, our findings can be used as baseline values for comparisons between Egyptian and other populations and for studies of the endothelial cell reserve and capacity for intraocular surgery and corneal transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, a series of BaTi1−xMnxO3–polyimide films were prepared by simple solution casting method. For the preparation of composite films firstly, manganese doped barium titanate, BaTi1−xMnxO3 (where x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) was synthesized by sol‐gel process. The effect of Mn doping on its structural and dielectric properties was nicely explained. The highest dielectric constant value of 7,104 was obtained for BaTi0.99Mn0.01O3 (BTMn) nanoparticles with low dielectric loss value 2.44. It was observed that Mn‐doping concentration on barium titanate influences its crystal structure. Improved dielectric properties were reported for nanocomposite thin films containing BaTi0.99Mn0.01O3 and polyimide (PI). A series of five homogeneous nanocomposite films were successfully prepared and were characterized thoroughly. The dielectric properties were studied as a function of frequency and loading percentage of BTMn in PI. The dielectric constant of the BTMn/PI nanocomposite films increased from 3.23 to 8.63 with the increase in loading percentage of ceramic from 0 to 5 wt%, respectively. The nanocomposite films were flexible with good mechanical properties and the flexibility decreased with increase in loading percentage of BTMn. The films showed high thermal stability in nitrogen atmosphere up to 571°C with 10% weight loss and also exhibited high glass transition temperature up to 337°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of advances in object recognition technology, handwritten Bangla character recognition (HBCR) remains largely unsolved due to the presence of many ambiguous handwritten characters and excessively cursive Bangla handwritings. Even many advanced existing methods do not lead to satisfactory performance in practice that related to HBCR. In this paper, a set of the state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) is discussed and their performance on the application of HBCR is systematically evaluated. The main advantage of DCNN approaches is that they can extract discriminative features from raw data and represent them with a high degree of invariance to object distortions. The experimental results show the superior performance of DCNN models compared with the other popular object recognition approaches, which implies DCNN can be a good candidate for building an automatic HBCR system for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humeral shaft fractures are common in the United States and may be associated with radial nerve injuries due to their close anatomic relationship in the spiral groove. Most radial nerve palsies are found at presentation due to the initial trauma; however, they can present secondary to orthopaedic intervention following reduction. In this case report, we present a case of delayed radial nerve palsy in a pediatric patient that was identified four days after closed reduction and splinting which required open reduction, nerve exploration, and internal fixation. Fortunately, full motor and sensory recovery was observed at 6 weeks post-op. A unique aspect of this case is that immediate postreduction exam in the emergency department showed no signs of injury or entrapment of the radial nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to suggest and establish a numerical algorithm based on matrix multiplications for computing approximate inverses. It is shown theoretically that the scheme possesses seventh-order convergence, and thus it rapidly converges. Some discussions on the choice of the initial value to preserve the convergence rate are given, and it is also shown in numerical examples that the proposed scheme can easily be taken into account to provide robust preconditioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile industry uses the electrochemical techniques both in textile processes (such as manufacturing fibers, dyeing processes, and decolorizing fabrics) and in wastewaters treatments (color removal). Electrochemical reduction reactions are mostly used in sulfur and vat dyeing, but in some cases, they are applied to effluents discoloration. However, the main applications of electrochemical treatments in the textile sector are based on oxidation reactions. Most of electrochemical oxidation processes involve indirect reactions which imply the generation of hypochlorite or hydroxyl radical in situ. These electrogenerated species are able to bleach indigo-dyed denim fabrics and to degrade dyes in wastewater in order to achieve the effluent color removal. The aim of this paper is to review the electrochemical techniques applied to textile industry. In particular, they are an efficient method to remove color of textile effluents. The reuse of the discolored effluent is possible, which implies an important saving of salt and water (i.e., by means of the "UVEC Cell"). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic complexities of a prey-predator system in the presence of alternative prey with impulsive state feedback control are studied analytically and numerically. By using the analogue of the Poincare criterion, sufficient conditions for the existence and stability of semitrivial periodic solutions can be obtained. Furthermore, the corresponding bifurcation diagrams and phase diagrams are investigated by means of numerical simulations which illustrate the feasibility of the main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the theories and methods of ecology and ordinary differential equation, a seasonally perturbed prey-predator system with the Beddington-DeAngelis functional response is studied analytically and numerically. Mathematical theoretical works have been pursuing the investigation of uniformly persistent, which depicts the threshold expression of some critical parameters. Numerical analysis indicates that the seasonality has a strong effect on the dynamical complexity and species biomass using bifurcation diagrams and Poincare sections. The results show that the seasonality in three different parameters can give rise to rich and complex dynamical behaviors. In addition, the largest Lyapunov exponents are computed. This computation further confirms the existence of chaotic behavior and the accuracy of numerical simulation. All these results are expected to be of use in the study of the dynamic complexity of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic behavior of a predator-prey model with Holling type IV functional response is investigated with respect to impulsive control strategies. The model is analyzed to obtain the conditions under which the system is locally asymptotically stable and permanent. Existence of a positive periodic solution of the system and the boundedness of the system is also confirmed. Furthermore, numerical analysis is used to discover the influence of impulsive perturbations. The system is found to exhibit rich dynamics such as symmetry-breaking pitchfork bifurcation, chaos, and nonunique dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole genome sequences of various primates have been released due to advanced DNA-sequencing technology. A combination of computational data mining and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to validate the data is an excellent method for conducting comparative genomics. Thus, designing primers for PCR is an essential procedure for a comparative analysis of primate genomes. Here, we developed and introduced UniPrimer for use in those studies. UniPrimer is a web-based tool that designs PCRand DNA-sequencing primers. It compares the sequences from six different primates (human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, and rhesus macaque) and designs primers on the conserved region across species. UniPrimer is linked to RepeatMasker, Primer3Plus, and OligoCalc softwares to produce primers with high accuracy and UCSC In-Silico PCR to confirm whether the designed primers work. To test the performance of UniPrimer, we designed primers on sample sequences using UniPrimer and manually designed primers for the same sequences. The comparison of the two processes showed thatUniPrimer was more effective than manual work in terms of saving time and reducing errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile elements are responsible for half of the human genome. Among the elements, L1 and Alu are most ubiquitous. They use L1 enzymatic machinery to move in their host genomes. A significant amount of research has been conducted about these two elements. The results showed that these two elements have played important roles in generating genomic variations between human and chimpanzee lineages and even within a species, through various mechanisms. SVA elements are a third type of mobile element which uses the L1 enzymatic machinery to propagate in the human genome but has not been studied much relative to the other elements. Here, we attempt the first identification of the human genomic deletions caused by SVA elements, through the comparison of human and chimpanzee genome sequences.We identified 13 SVA recombination-associated deletions (SRADs) and 13 SVA insertion-mediated deletions (SIMDs) in the human genome and characterized them, focusing on deletion size and the mechanisms causing the events. The results showed that the SRADs and SIMDs have deleted 15,752 and 30,785 bp, respectively, in the human genome since the divergence of human and chimpanzee and that SRADs were caused by two different mechanisms, nonhomologous end joining and nonallelic homologous recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 80 long interspersed element (LINE-1 or L1) copies are able to retrotranspose actively in the human genome, and these are termed retrotransposition-competent L1s. The 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the human-specific L1 contains an internal promoter and several transcription factor binding sites. To better understand the effect of the L1 5' UTR on the evolution of human-specific L1s, we examined this population of elements, focusing on the sequence diversity and accumulated substitutions within their 5' UTRs. Using network analysis, we estimated the age of each L1 component (the 5' UTR, ORF1, ORF2, and 3' UTR). Through the comparison of the L1 components based on their estimated ages, we found that the 5' UTR of human-specific L1s accumulates mutations at a faster rate than the other components. To further investigate the L1 5' UTR, we examined the substitution frequency per nucleotide position among them. The results showed that the L1 5' UTRs shared relatively conserved transcription factor binding sites, despite their high sequence diversity. Thus, we suggest that the high level of sequence diversity in the 5' UTRs could be one of the factors controlling the number of retrotransposition-competent L1s in the human genome during the evolutionary battle between L1s and their host genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic behaviors of a predator-prey (pest) model with disease in prey and involving an impulsive control strategy to release infected prey at fixed times are investigated for the purpose of integrated pest management. Mathematical theoretical works have been pursuing the investigation of the local asymptotical stability and global attractivity for the semitrivial periodic solution and population persistent, which depicts the threshold expression of some critical parameters for carrying out integrated pest management. Numerical analysis indicates that the impulsive control strategy has a strong effect on the dynamical complexity and population persistent using bifurcation diagrams and power spectra diagrams. These results show that if the release amount of infective prey can satisfy some critical conditions, then all biological populations will coexist. All these results are expected to be of use in the study of the dynamic complexity of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic complexities of an Ivlev-type prey-predator system with impulsive state feedback control are studied analytically and numerically. Using the analogue of the Poincar'e criterion, sufficient conditions for the existence and the stability of semitrivial periodic solutions can be obtained. Furthermore, the bifurcation diagrams and phase diagrams are investigated by means of numerical simulations, which illustrate the feasibility of the main results presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic mathematical model of fish algae consumption with an impulsive control strategy is proposed and analyzed in detail. It is shown that the system has a globally asymptotically stable algae-eradication periodic solution which can be obtained using the Floquet theory of impulsive differential equations and small-amplitude perturbation techniques. The conditions for the permanence of the system can also be determined. Numerical results for impulsive perturbations show the rich dynamic behavior of the system. All these results may be useful in controlling eutrophication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new nonlinear difference inequalities are considered, where the inequalities consist of multiple iterated sums, and composite function of nonlinear function and unknown function may be involved in each layer. Under several practical assumptions, the inequalities are solved through rigorous analysis, and explicit bounds for the unknown functions are given clearly. Further, the derived results are applied to the stability problem of a class of linear control systems with nonlinear perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new treatment for homotopy perturbation method is introduced. The new treatment is called He-Laplace method which is the coupling of the Laplace transform and the homotopy perturbation method using He's polynomials. The nonlinear terms can be easily handled by the use of He's polynomials. The method is implemented on linear and nonlinear partial differential equations. It is found that the proposed scheme provides the solution without any discretization or restrictive assumptions and avoids the round-off errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixture of wheat bran with maize bran as a carbon source and addition of (NH4)SO4 as nitrogen source was found to significantly increase production of feruloyl esterase (FAE) enzyme compared with wheat bran as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. The optimal conditions in conical flasks were carbon source (30 g) to water 1 : 1, maize bran to wheat bran 1 : 2, (NH4)SO4 1.2 g and MgSO4 70 mg. Under these conditions, FAE activity was 7.68mU/g. The FAE activity on the mixed carbon sources showed, high activity against the plant cell walls contained in the cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel diamond transparent electrode is constructed by integrating conductive diamond film and transparent conducting metal oxide to combine the superior electrochemical properties of diamond and the electrical conductivity of transparent metal oxide (TCO). Direct growth of diamond on indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) was explored, but X-ray photoelectron spectroscopymeasurement reveals that both substrates cannot survive from the aggressive environment of diamond growth even if the latter is regarded as one of the most stable TCO. As a second route, a diamond membrane in silicon frame was prepared by selective chemical etching, and a diamond optically transparent electrode (OTE) was constructed by assembling the diamond membrane on the top of an ITO-coated substrate. The resulting device exhibits a high optical transparency and quasireversible electrochemical kinetics, which are competitive to other diamond OTEs reported previously. Its application in UV-Vis spectroelectrochemical studies on the oxidisation of 4-aminophenol was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) occurred in Israel in 1990, 1999, and 2004. The main patterns of BEF spread were similar in the 1990 and in 1999 epidemics, and the BEF virus was probably carried in vectors transported by air streams across the Rift Valley and the Red Sea. In the 2004 outbreak, the primary focus of the disease was the southern Mediterranean coastal plain and the disease agent was apparently brought by infected mosquitoes carried from their breeding site in the Nile Delta by the south-western winds. The disease broke out under optimal ecological conditions, among a vulnerable cattle population and spread rapidly; it showed essentially a spring-summer herd incidence and terminated soon after the night average ambient temperature fell below 16?C in late autumn. The herd incidence of the disease reached 78.4%, 97.7%, and 100% in 1990, 1999, and 2004, respectively. The highest herd incidence, morbidity, and case fatality rates were noted in dairy cattle herds in the Jordan Valley, with morbidity of 20%, 38.6%, and 22.2%, and case fatality rate among affected animals of 2%, 8.6%, and 5.4% in 1990, 1999, and 2004, respectively. The average sero-positivity to BEF in 1999 was 39.5%, which matched the morbidity rate. Comparison among the various age groups showed that the lowest morbidity rates were observed in the youngest age group, that is, heifers up to 1 year, with 3.2%, 3.6%, and 4.2% in 1990, 1999, and 2004, respectively. In heifers from 1 year to calving, the morbidity rates were 13.8%, 14.9%, and 28%, respectively, in first calvers 30.8%, 31.6%, and 28.3%, respectively, and in cows 34.3%, 35.7%, and 27.2%, respectively. All affected cattle were over the age of 3 months. It is hypothesized that mosquitoes and not Culicoides spp. are the vectors of the BEF virus in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterologous expression allows the production of plant proteins in an organism which is simpler than the natural source. This technology is widely used for large-scale purification of plant proteins from microorganisms for biochemical and biophysical analyses. Additionally expression in well-defined model organisms provides insights into the functions of proteins in complex pathways. The present review gives an overview of recombinant plant protein production methods using bacteria, yeast, insect cells, and Xenopus laevis oocytes and discusses the advantages of each system for functional studies and protein characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reactions of (η5-C5H5)2MCl2 (M = Ti, Zr, or Hf) with mercaptoazoles (LH2), namely, bis(mercaptotriazoles), bis(mercaptooxadiazoles), and bis(mercaptothiadiazoles) in 2 : 1 molar ratio, respectively, have been studied in dry tetrahydrofuran in the presence of n-butylamine and the binuclear complexes of the type [{(η-C5H5)2M}2(L)] (M = Ti/Zr/Hf) are obtained. Tentative structural conclusions are drawn for the reaction products based upon elemental analysis, electrical conductance, magnetic moment, and spectral data (UV-Vis, IR, ¹H NMR, and 13C NMR). FAB-mass spectra of few complexes of each series were also carried out to confirm the binuclear structures. Studies were conducted to assess the growth-inhibiting potential of the complexes synthesized, and the ligands against various fungal and bacterial strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The table of contents for the January 25, 2006 issue of "Aquaculture Research" is presented.

Introduction: Clinical observation of larger prostate glands in men with diabetes mellitus type 2 led some investigators to hypothesize that an association between these two conditions exists. In fact, both diseases are very common in men as they age and seem to be sharing similar epidemiologic features. Several studies examining the above hypothesis were yielded.Aim: The purpose of this paper is to summarize the existing literature focusing on the coexistence of BPH and diabetes mellitus type 2 and to elucidate whether or not an association among these conditions exists.Methods: We identified studies published from 1990 onwards by searching the MEDLINE database of the National Library of Medicine. Initial search terms were benign prostatic hyperplasia, epidemiology, and risk factor, combined with diet hyperinsulinemia, and diabetes mellitus type 2.Results: Diabetes mellitus type 2 and hyperinsulinemia are quite common conditions and often coexist with BPH. There are several studies (observational, epidemiological, and experimental) examining the association between them in literature.Conclusion: Evidence suggests that an association between BPH and diabetes through a common pathogenic mechanism is possible. The specific pathway interfering in the development of both conditions is still poorly investigated; thus, the exact relationship of BPH to diabetes remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]