139,541 research outputs found
Was the Mandal Commission Right? Living Standard Differences between Backward Classes and Other Social Groups in India
No full textAffirmative action has been at the heart of public policies towards the socially disadvantaged in India. Compensatory discrimination policies which have been adopted for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) since independence were recommended for Other Backward Classes (OBC) by the Mandal Commission established by the Indian government in 1979. We examine why OBC have lower living standards, as measured by per capita household consumption expenditures, relative to the mainstream population, and whether these reasons are similar to those observed for SC and ST. We find that while the causes of the living standard gap for the OBC are broadly similar to those for the SC and ST, the role of educational attainment in explaining the gap is higher in imporatnce for the OBC.
Was the Mandal Commission Right? Living Standard Differences between Backward Classes and Other Social Groups in India
No full textAffirmative action has been at the heart of public policies towards the socially disadvantaged in India. Compensatory discrimination policies which have been adopted for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) since independence were recommended for Other Backward Classes (OBC) by the Mandal Commission established by the Indian government in 1979. We examine why OBC have lower living standards, as measured by per capita household consumption expenditures, relative to the mainstream population, and whether these reasons are similar to those observed for SC and ST. We find that while the causes of the living standard gap for the OBC are broadly similar to those for the SC and ST, the role of educational attainment in explaining the gap is higher in importance for the OBC.living standards, caste, reservation policy, decomposition
Software for Implementing the Sequential Elimination of Level Combinations Algorithm
No full textGenetic algorithms (GAs) are a popular technology to search for an optimum in a large search space. Using new concepts of forbidden array and weighted mutation, Mandal, Wu, and Johnson (2006) used elements of GAs to introduce a new global optimization technique called sequential elimination of level combinations (SELC), that efficiently finds optimums. A SAS macro, and MATLAB and R functions are developed to implement the SELC algorithm.
D-Glucose transport in decapod crustacean hepatopancreas
No full textPhysiological mechanisms of gastrointestinal absorption of organic solutes among crustaceans remain severely underinvestigated, in spite of the considerable relevance of characterizing the routes of nutrient absorption for both nutritional purposes and formulation of balanced diets in aquaculture. Several lines of evidence attribute a primary absorptive role to the digestive gland (hepatopancreas) and a secondary role to the midgut (intestine). Among absorbed organic solutes, the importance of D-glucose in crustacean metabolism is paramount. Its plasma levels are finely tuned by hormones (crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, insulin-like peptides and insulin-like growth factors) and the function of certain organs (i.e. brain and muscle) largely depends on a balanced D-glucose supply. In the last few decades, D-glucose absorptive processes of the gastrointestinal tract of crustaceans have been described and transport mechanisms investigated, but not fully disclosed. We briefly review our present knowledge of D-glucose transport processes in the crustacean hepatopancreas. A discussion of previous results from experiments with hepatopancreatic epithelial brush-border membrane vesicles is presented. In addition, recent advances in our understandings of hepatopancreatic D-glucose transport are shown, as obtained (1) after isolation of purified R-, F-, B- and E-cell suspensions from the whole organ by centrifugal elutriation, and (2) by protein expression in hepatopancreatic mRNA-injected Xenopus laevis oocytes. In a perspective, the applicability of these novel methods to the study of hepatopancreatic absorptive function will certainly improve our knowledge of this structurally complex organ
Synthesis of 2-substituted 9-oxa-guanines {5-aminooxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-ones} and 9-oxa-2-thio-xanthines {5-mercaptooxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-ones}
No full textOxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidines can be considered as 9-oxa-purine analogs of naturally occurring nucleic acid bases. Interest in this ring system has increased due to recent reports of biologically active derivatives. In particular, 5-aminooxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine-7(6H)-ones (9-oxa-guanines) have been shown to inhibit ricin. The preparation of a series of 2-substituted 5-aminooxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-ones and related 5-thio-oxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidines is described, including analogs suitable for further elaboration employing “click” chemistry utilizing copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. Two of the compounds prepared were found to inhibit ricin with IC50 ca. 1–3 mM
Correlations between meteorological parameters and prostate cancer
No full textAbstract Background There exists a north-south pattern to the distribution of prostate cancer in the U.S., with the north having higher rates than the south. The current hypothesis for the spatial pattern of this disease is low vitamin D levels in individuals living at northerly latitudes; however, this explanation only partially explains the spatial distribution in the incidence of this cancer. Using a U.S. county-level ecological study design, we provide evidence that other meteorological parameters further explain the variation in prostate cancer across the U.S. Results In general, the colder the temperature and the drier the climate in a county, the higher the incidence of prostate cancer, even after controlling for shortwave radiation, age, race, snowfall, premature mortality from heart disease, unemployment rate, and pesticide use. Further, in counties with high average annual snowfall (>75 cm/yr) the amount of land used to grow crops (a proxy for pesticide use) was positively correlated with the incidence of prostate cancer. Conclusion The trends found in this USA study suggest prostate cancer may be partially correlated with meteorological factors. The patterns observed were consistent with what we would expect given the effects of climate on the deposition, absorption, and degradation of persistent organic pollutants including pesticides. Some of these pollutants are known endocrine disruptors and have been associated with prostate cancer.</p
Synthesis, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and characterization of two new mononuclear Ni(II) complexes
No full textTwo new mononuclear Nickel(II) Schiff base complexes [NiL2] (1) and [NiL2(DMSO)2] (2) where HL is 2,4-dibromo-6-[(E)-{[2-(thiophen-2-yl)ethyl]imino}methyl]phenol, a bidentate Schiff base prepared from the condensation reaction of 2-thiopheneethylamine and 3,5dibromosalicylaldehyde, have been made. Complexes 1-2 are characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis. absorption spectra, TGA analysis (for 2), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Complexes 1-2 crystallize in a similar space group P21/c as a monoclinic system. X-ray crystallography data indicate that complex 1 has a distorted square planar geometry whereas 2 has distorted octahedral geometry. Using the crystallographic data, the Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis was also carried out to examine the nature and quantitative contribution of all potential non-covalent intermolecular interactions inside the crystal lattice. Supramolecular chains in 1 through Br∙∙∙Br and π∙∙∙π interactions and in 2 via C‒Br∙∙∙π intermolecular interactions have been observed. The interaction energies between molecules within the crystals were computed to get idea about molecular packing stabilization
Synthesis and crystal structure of some first row transition metals containing a common Schiff base
No full textFour new Schiff base complexes of first row transition metals viz. mononuclear [CoL3] (1), [NiL2] (2), [CuL2] (3) and binuclear [Cu2L2(NCS)2] (4) where HL = 2-[((2-(thiophene-2-yl)ethyl)imino)methyl]phenol, a bidentate Schiff base derived from 2-thiopheneethylamine and salicylaldehyde have been prepared. Characterization has been made with different physicochemical studies including single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural studies indicate that the mononuclear complex 1 has a distorted octahedral geometry while 2 and 3 are square planar. On the other hand, 4 is a phenoxo-bridged binuclear species in which each copper(II) ion adopts a distorted square pyramidal geometry. In the solid states, intermolecular C–H⋯π or π⋯π interactions are operative in 2 and 4
Supporting Data for “Why So Slow? Mechanistic Insights from Studies of a Poor Catalyst for Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone”
No full textThese files contain data along with associated output from instrumentation supporting all results reported in Stasiw, D. E.; Mandal, M.; Neisen, B. D.; Mitchell, L. A.; Cramer, C. J.; Tolman, W. B. Why so slow? Mechanistic insights from studies of a poor catalyst for polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Inorg. Chem., 2016, 56, 725–728. Polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) using an aluminum alkoxide catalyst (1) designed to prevent unproductive trans binding was monitored at 110 °C in toluene-d8 by 1H NMR and the concentration versus time data fit to a first-order rate expression. A comparison of t1/2 for 1 to values for many other aluminum alkyl and alkoxide complexes shows much lower activity of 1 toward polymerization of CL. Density functional theory calculations were used to understand the basis for the slow kinetics. The optimized geometry of the ligand framework of 1 was found indeed to make CL trans binding difficult: no trans-bound intermediate could be identified as a local minimum. Nor were local minima for cis-bound precomplexes found, suggesting a concerted coordination–insertion for polymer initiation and propagation. The sluggish performance of 1 is attributed to a high-framework distortion energy required to deform the “resting” ligand geometry to that providing optimal catalysis in the corresponding transition-state structure geometry, thus suggesting a need to incorporate ligand flexibility in the design of efficient polymerization catalysts..
Corresponding author for experimental data is William B. Tolman ([email protected]).
Corresponding author for computational data is Christopher J. Cramer ([email protected]).Funding for this project was provided by the Center for Sustainable Polymers at the University of Minnesota, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Center for Chemical Innovation (Grant CHE-1413862). The X-ray diffraction experiments were performed using a crystal diffractometer acquired through NSF-MRI Award CHE-1229400. The authors acknowledge the MSI at the University of Minnesota for providing resources that contributed to the research results.Tolman, William, B; Cramer, Christopher, J; Stasiw, Daniel E; Mandal, Mukunda; Neisen, Benjamin D; Mitchell, Lauren A. (2017). Supporting Data for “Why So Slow? Mechanistic Insights from Studies of a Poor Catalyst for Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone”. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://doi.org/10.13020/D6F60H
Expression of Na+/D-glucose cotransport in Xenopus laevis oocytes by injection of poly(A)+ RNA isolated from lobster (Homarus americanus) hepatopancreas
No full textXenopus laevis oocytes were used for expression and characterization of lobster (Homarus americanus) hepatopancreas Na(+)-dependent D-glucose transport activity. Poly(A)(+) RNA from the whole hepatopancreatic tissue was injected and transport activity was assayed by alpha-D-[2-(3)H] glucose. Injection of lobster hepatopancreatic poly(A)(+) RNA resulted in a dose (1-20 ng) and time (1-5 days) dependent increase of Na(+)-dependent D-glucose uptake. Kinetics of Na(+)-dependent glucose transport was a hyperbolic function (K(m)=0.47+/-0.04 mM) of external D-glucose concentration and a sigmoidal function (K(Na)=68.32+/-1.57 mM; Hill coefficient=2.22+/-0.09) of external Na(+) concentration. In addition, Na(+)-dependent D-glucose uptake was significantly inhibited by both (0.1-0.5 mM) phloridzin and (0.1-0.5 mM) methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside. After size fractionation through a sucrose density gradient, poly(A)(+) RNA fractions with an average length of 2-4 kb induced a twofold increase in Na(+)-dependent phloridzin-inhibited D-glucose uptake as compared to total poly(A)(+) RNA-induced uptake. The results of this study provide the functional basis to screen lobster hepatopancreatic cDNA libraries for clones encoding putative and still not known crustacean SGLT-type Na(+)/glucose co-transporter(s)
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