Dual fluorescence from aqueous 1-naphthylamine solutions of high pH - Excited-state acidic dissociation of naphthylamine

Dual fluorescence at ca. 447 nm and 545 nm was observed from the aqueous 1-naphthylamine (NA) solutions at pH higher than 13.6. Similar dual fluorescence was also found with sodium 1-naphthylaminoacetate(NAA), but not with N, N-disubstituted 1-aminonaphthalenes such as sodium 1-naphthylaminodiacetate (NADA) and 1-dimethylaminonaphthalene (DMAN). No change in absorption spectra of NA and NAA was observed in this pH region. It was proposed that the dual fluorescence observed with NA and NAA was due to the excited state dissociation of the primary and secondary amines at high pH. From the dual fluorescence intensity ratio pH titration curve, the pK(a)(.)'s of NA and NAA were estimated to be between 14 and 15 which are much lower than the ground state pK(a). The novel approach is such a simple, convenient and frequent analysis technique that it can be widely used in detecting the substitutional derivatives of aminonaphthalene

Post-Lie Algebras, Factorization Theorems and Isospectral-Flows

In these notes we review and further explore the Lie enveloping algebra of a post-Lie algebra. From a Hopf algebra point of view, one of the central results, which will be recalled in detail, is the existence of a second Hopf algebra structure. By comparing group-like elements in suitable completions of these two Hopf algebras, we derive a particular map which we dub post-Lie Magnus expansion. These results are then considered in the case of Semenov-Tian-Shansky's double Lie algebra, where a post-Lie algebra is defined in terms of solutions of modified classical Yang-Baxter equation. In this context, we prove a factorization theorem for group-like elements. An explicit exponential solution of the corresponding Lie bracket flow is presented, which is based on the aforementioned post-Lie Magnus expansion.Comment: 49 pages, no-figures, review articl

Gene expression drives the evolution of dominance.

Dominance is a fundamental concept in molecular genetics and has implications for understanding patterns of genetic variation, evolution, and complex traits. However, despite its importance, the degree of dominance in natural populations is poorly quantified. Here, we leverage multiple mating systems in natural populations of Arabidopsis to co-estimate the distribution of fitness effects and dominance coefficients of new amino acid changing mutations. We find that more deleterious mutations are more likely to be recessive than less deleterious mutations. Further, this pattern holds across gene categories, but varies with the connectivity and expression patterns of genes. Our work argues that dominance arises as a consequence of the functional importance of genes and their optimal expression levels

Imaging Oxygen Defects and their Motion at a Manganite Surface

Manganites are technologically important materials, used widely as solid oxide fuel cell cathodes: they have also been shown to exhibit electroresistance. Oxygen bulk diffusion and surface exchange processes are critical for catalytic action, and numerous studies of manganites have linked electroresistance to electrochemical oxygen migration. Direct imaging of individual oxygen defects is needed to underpin understanding of these important processes. It is not currently possible to collect the required images in the bulk, but scanning tunnelling microscopy could provide such data for surfaces. Here we show the first atomic resolution images of oxygen defects at a manganite surface. Our experiments also reveal defect dynamics, including oxygen adatom migration, vacancy-adatom recombination and adatom bistability. Beyond providing an experimental basis for testing models describing the microscopics of oxygen migration at transition metal oxide interfaces, our work resolves the long-standing puzzle of why scanning tunnelling microscopy is more challenging for layered manganites than for cuprates.Comment: 7 figure

Effect of Fermentation Time and Leavening Agent on the Quality of Laboratory Produced and Market Samples of Masa (A Local Cereal Based Puff Batter)

Evaluation of production techniques, quality of market samples and effects of fermentation times (6 and 8hrs), leavening agents (yeasts and baking powder) and shelf life (fresh and 24h) on the quality of masa were carried out through interviews, processing operations, laboratory analyses and sensory studies. Statistical analyses were carried out using the SPSS Statistical Package. Variations in processing techniques among masa producers were method of preparing the rice, soaking time for the rice (4 – 6h), the time paste was allowed to stay before baker’s yeast was added (3 – 4h), frying time (4 -5 minutes) and ratios of cooked rice to soaked rice (1: 2 and 1: 4). Uniform practices among masa producers were washing, wet-milling, fermentation time (overnight), addition of yeast, salts and sugars and dilution of fairly thick batter with trona (baking powder) before frying. Functional properties of rice were foam capacity (23.7%), foam stability (88.5%), water absorption capacity (0.02%), gelation capacity (20%), gelatinization temperature (82oC) and gelation time (20 minutes) Significant differences were observed between the masa samples for ash, moisture, protein, lipid and total bacterial counts (p ≤ 0.05). Their ranges for both laboratory-processed and market samples, respectively were; moisture (10.2 – 11.7% and 12.0 – 13.7%); protein (7.1 – 7.6% and 7.6 – 8.2%); lipid (1.9 – 2.4% and 2.4 – 2.6%); ash (0.4 – 0.7% and 0.6 – 0.8%) and total bacterial counts (1.2 x 101 – 1.6 x101 cfu/g). For the first day of their production, significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were observed for all the sensory factors for both laboratory-processed and market samples of masa. Based on sensory scores, all the laboratory-produced masa samples were organoleptically acceptable without much significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) except for masa fermented for 8h without leavening agent. The mean sensory scores of all fresh market samples of masa were less than 4.0 on a 7-point Hedonic scale. Significant differences were observed between the market and laboratory processed samples of masa after the first day of production for all the sensory factors (P ≤ 0.05) and 50% of market and laboratory produced masa samples were not sensorially acceptable. Unlike freshly produced (for both market and laboratory) masa samples, it was found out that after the first day (24h) of production, the trend was not the same. This is because unlike market samples of masa, laboratory prepared masa samples without leavening agents, were as unacceptable as masa samples with leavening agents.Key words: Masa, quality, Fermentation, Leavening, processin

Formation of Supermassive Black Holes

Evidence shows that massive black holes reside in most local galaxies. Studies have also established a number of relations between the MBH mass and properties of the host galaxy such as bulge mass and velocity dispersion. These results suggest that central MBHs, while much less massive than the host (~ 0.1%), are linked to the evolution of galactic structure. In hierarchical cosmologies, a single big galaxy today can be traced back to the stage when it was split up in hundreds of smaller components. Did MBH seeds form with the same efficiency in small proto-galaxies, or did their formation had to await the buildup of substantial galaxies with deeper potential wells? I briefly review here some of the physical processes that are conducive to the evolution of the massive black hole population. I will discuss black hole formation processes for `seed' black holes that are likely to place at early cosmic epochs, and possible observational tests of these scenarios.Comment: To appear in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Association between footwear use and neglected tropical diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has primarily focused on preventive chemotherapy and case management. Less attention has been placed on the role of ensuring access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene and personal preventive measures in reducing exposure to infection. Our aim was to assess whether footwear use was associated with a lower risk of selected NTDs. METHODOLOGY We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between footwear use and infection or disease for those NTDs for which the route of transmission or occurrence may be through the feet. We included Buruli ulcer, cutaneous larva migrans (CLM), leptospirosis, mycetoma, myiasis, podoconiosis, snakebite, tungiasis, and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, particularly hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, and Popline databases, contacted experts, and hand-searched reference lists for eligible studies. The search was conducted in English without language, publication status, or date restrictions up to January 2014. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported a measure of the association between footwear use and the risk of each NTD. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Descriptive study characteristics and methodological quality of the included studies were summarized. For each study outcome, both outcome and exposure data were abstracted and crude and adjusted effect estimates presented. Individual and summary odds ratio (OR) estimates and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as a measure of intervention effect, using random effects meta-analyses. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Among the 427 studies screened, 53 met our inclusion criteria. Footwear use was significantly associated with a lower odds of infection of Buruli ulcer (OR=0.15; 95% CI: 0.08-0.29), CLM (OR=0.24; 95% CI: 0.06-0.96), tungiasis (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.26-0.70), hookworm infection (OR=0.48; 95% CI: 0.37-0.61), any STH infection (OR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.39-0.84), strongyloidiasis (OR=0.56; 95% CI: 0.38-0.83), and leptospirosis (OR=0.59; 95% CI: 0.37-0.94). No significant association between footwear use and podoconiosis (OR=0.63; 95% CI: 0.38-1.05) was found and no data were available for mycetoma, myiasis, and snakebite. The main limitations were evidence of heterogeneity and poor study quality inherent to the observational studies included. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results show that footwear use was associated with a lower odds of several different NTDs. Access to footwear should be prioritized alongside existing NTD interventions to ensure a lasting reduction of multiple NTDs and to accelerate their control and elimination. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews CRD42012003338

Bisphenol A exposure in Mexico City and risk of prematurity: a pilot nested case control study

Abstract Background Presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) has been documented worldwide in a variety of human biological samples. There is growing evidence that low level BPA exposure may impact placental tissue development and thyroid function in humans. The aim of this present pilot study was to determine urinary concentrations of BPA during the last trimester of pregnancy among a small subset of women in Mexico City, Mexico and relate these concentrations to risk of delivering prematurely. Methods A nested case-control subset of 60 participants in the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) study in Mexico City, Mexico were selected based on delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and greater than 37 weeks of gestation. Third trimester archived spot urine samples were analyzed by online solid phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results BPA was detected in 80.0% (N = 48) of the urine samples; total concentrations ranged from < 0.4 μg/L to 6.7 μg/L; uncorrected geometric mean was 1.52 μg/L. The adjusted odds ratio of delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks in relation to specific gravity adjusted third trimester BPA concentration was 1.91 (95%CI 0.93, 3.91, p-value = 0.08). When cases were further restricted to births occurring prior to the 37th week (n = 12), the odds ratio for specific-gravity adjusted BPA was larger and statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions This is the first study to document measurable levels of BPA in the urine of a population of Mexican women. This study also provides preliminary evidence, based on a single spot urine sample collected during the third trimester, that pregnant women who delivered less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and prematurely (< 37 weeks) had higher urinary concentrations of BPA compared to women delivering after 37 weeks.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/1/1476-069X-9-62.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/2/1476-069X-9-62.pdfPeer Reviewe

Use of the SAW sensor electronic nose for detecting the adulteration of virgin coconut oil with RBD palm kernel olein.

An electronic nose (zNose™) was applied to the detection of adulteration of virgin coconut oil. The system, which is based on a surface acoustic wave sensor was used to generate a pattern of volatile compounds present in the samples. Virgin coconut oil was mixed with refined, bleached and deodorized palm kernel olein at a level of adulteration from 1 to 20% (wt/wt). Adulterant peaks were identified from the chromatogram profile and fitted to a curve using linear regression. The best relationship (R 2 = 0.91) was obtained between the peak tentatively identified as methyl dodecanoate and the percentage of palm kernel olein added. Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r) of 0.92 and 0.89 were obtained between adulterant peak methyl dodecanoate and of the iodine and peroxide values, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to differentiate between pure and adulterated samples. The PCA provided good differentiation of samples with 74% of the variation accounted for by PC 1 and 17% accounted for by PC 2. Pure samples formed a separate cluster from all of the adulterated samples

Copy number variation analysis based on AluScan sequences

BACKGROUND: AluScan combines inter-Alu PCR using multiple Alu-based primers with opposite orientations and next-generation sequencing to capture a huge number of Alu-proximal genomic sequences for investigation. Its requirement of only sub-microgram quantities of DNA facilitates the examination of large numbers of samples. However, the special features of AluScan data rendered difficult the calling of copy number variation (CNV) directly using the calling algorithms designed for whole genome sequencing (WGS) or exome sequencing. RESULTS: In this study, an AluScanCNV package has been assembled for efficient CNV calling from AluScan sequencing data employing a Geary-Hinkley transformation (GHT) of read-depth ratios between either paired test-control samples, or between test samples and a reference template constructed from reference samples, to call the localized CNVs, followed by use of a GISTIC-like algorithm to identify recurrent CNVs and circular binary segmentation (CBS) to reveal large extended CNVs. To evaluate the utility of CNVs called from AluScan data, the AluScans from 23 non-cancer and 38 cancer genomes were analyzed in this study. The glioma samples analyzed yielded the familiar extended copy-number losses on chromosomes 1p and 9. Also, the recurrent somatic CNVs identified from liver cancer samples were similar to those reported for liver cancer WGS with respect to a striking enrichment of copy-number gains in chromosomes 1q and 8q. When localized or recurrent CNV-features capable of distinguishing between liver and non-liver cancer samples were selected by correlation-based machine learning, a highly accurate separation of the liver and non-liver cancer classes was attained. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained from non-cancer and cancerous tissues indicated that the AluScanCNV package can be employed to call localized, recurrent and extended CNVs from AluScan sequences. Moreover, both the localized and recurrent CNVs identified by this method could be subjected to machine-learning selection to yield distinguishing CNV-features that were capable of separating between liver cancers and other types of cancers. Since the method is applicable to any human DNA sample with or without the availability of a paired control, it can also be employed to analyze the constitutional CNVs of individuals.published_or_final_versio