7,003 research outputs found
"Review of ‘Fire and Storm’ by Michael Roberts" (Groundviews)
No full textMichael Roberts’ book Fire and Storm is an important contribution towards a dialogue on the Sri Lankan polity. It records contrasting views on Eelam and the politics of Eelam. It also provides a basis for clearer understanding of the LTTE terrorism and armed conflict. This book would enrich one’s understanding of recent Sri Lankan history. The perceptive reader would also find ideas for national unity and nation building. Via http://groundviews.org/2013/04/17/review-of-fire-and-storm-by-micha..
"Review of ‘Fire and Storm’ by Michael Roberts" (Groundviews)
No full textMichael Roberts’ book Fire and Storm is an important contribution towards a dialogue on the Sri Lankan polity. It records contrasting views on Eelam and the politics of Eelam. It also provides a basis for clearer understanding of the LTTE terrorism and armed conflict. This book would enrich one’s understanding of recent Sri Lankan history. The perceptive reader would also find ideas for national unity and nation building. Via http://groundviews.org/2013/04/17/review-of-fire-and-storm-by-micha..
T Cell responses to whole SARS Coronavirus in humans
Full text linkEffective vaccines should confer long-term protection against future outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a novel zoonotic coronavirus (SARS-CoV) with unknown animal reservoirs. We conducted a cohort study examining multiple parameters of immune responses to SARS-CoV infection, aiming to identify the immune correlates of protection. We used a matrix of overlapping peptides spanning whole SARS-CoV proteome to determine T cell responses from 128 SARS convalescent samples by ex vivo IFN-γ ELISPOT assays. Approximately 50% of convalescent SARS patients were positive for T cell responses, and 90% possessed strongly neutralizing Abs. Fifty-five novel T cell epitopes were identified, with spike protein dominating total T cell responses. CD8+ T cell responses were more frequent and of a greater magnitude than CD4+ T cell responses (p < 0.001).
Polychromatic cytometry analysis indicated that the virus-specific T cells from the severe group tended to be a central memory phenotype (CD27+/CD45RO+) with a significantly higher frequency of polyfunctional CD4+ T cells producing IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2, and CD8+ T cells producing IFN-γ, TNF-α, and CD107a (degranulation), as compared with the mild-moderate group. Strong T cell responses correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with higher neutralizing Ab. The serum cytokine profile during acute infection indicated a significant elevation of innate immune responses. Increased Th2 cytokines were observed in patients with fatal infection. Our study provides a roadmap for the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV and types of immune responses that may be responsible for the virus clearance, and should serve as a benchmark for SARS-CoV vaccine design and evaluation
ProvStore: a public provenance repository
No full textProvStore is the first online public provenance repository supporting the new PROV standards by W3C. It allows users and applications to store and (optionally) publish the provenance of their data on the Web. Provenance documents can be transformed, visualized, and shared in various serializations, with all the functionality also available to automated applications via a RESTful API (OAuth supported)
The response of dairy cows given high levels of molasses to dietary levels of fermentable metabolisable energy
No full textUnprotected tallow is used as a feed ingredient to meet the energy requirement of high milking dairy cows, but its hydrolysed free fatty acids in the rumen can inhibit microbial activity and dietary fibre digestion. However, the negative effects of the tallow could be minimized when high levels of molasses are also fed since feeding molasses could shorten the retention time of the hydrolysed free fatty acids in the rumen. In addition, molasses contains a large proportion of non-structural carbohydrates (sugars) which have fast fermentation rates in the rumen. When a diet is formulated to have a low fermentable metabolisable energy (FME) concentration, supplementing with a high molasses level may partially make up the deficiency of the energy requirement of the microorganisms in the rumen of dairy cows. Previous experiments have showed that molasses could be fed to dairy cows up to 312 g/kg DM without adverse effect (Yan and Roberts, 1992) and a crude protein level at 160 g/kg DM in the diet containing 310 g/kg DM of molasses was satisfactory for feed intake and milk production of dairy cows (Yan and Roberts, 1993). The current experiment was subsequently undertaken to investigate the response of dairy cows given high levels of molasses to dietary levels of FME produced by altering unprotected tallow concentrations in diets.</jats:p
Rhinolophus rhodesiae ROBERTS 1946
No full textRHINOLOPHUS RHODESIAE ROBERTS, 1946 ROBERTS' S HORSESHOE BAT Synonyms: None. Holotype: TMSA 1325, adult female, collected by A. Roberts on 16 August 1913. Type locality: 'Southern Rhodesia' (= Zimbabwe), Bezwe River, tributary of 'Wanetsi' (= Nuanetsi) River, −21.500° S, 31.167° E. Referred specimens having molecular identifications: FMNH 228942 (SMG 19017), female, 228943 (SMG 19018), male, 228944 (SMG 19019), female, 228945 (SMG 19020), male, 228946 (SMG 19021), female, 228948 (SMG 19023), male, 228949 (SMG 19024), female, 228950 (SMG 19025), female, 228951 (SMG 19026), female, 228952 (SMG 19027), male, 228953 (SMG 19028), male, 228955 (SMG 19030), male, 228957 (SMG 19032), female, 228958 (SMG 19033), female, 228959 (SMG 19034), female, 228960 (SMG 19035), female, 228961 (SMG 19036), male, 228962 (SMG 19037), male, 228964 (SMG 19039), female, all collected on 2 May 2015 by S. M. Goodman, M. C. Schoeman and G. le Minter from Mozambique, Inhambane Province, Malashane Cave, 39.1 km Efrom Inhassoro, −21,668° S, 34,847° E, and situated <2 km from Chihalatan Cave referred to above. Referred specimens having only morphological identifications: DM 7080, adult male, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Hlabeni Forest Reserve, −29.933° S, 29.766° E collected by D. Forbes on 29 July 2000; DM 12007 (adult male); DM 14034 (adult male), collected by M. C. Schoeman from KwaZulu-Natal Province, Pietermaritzburg, Ferncliff Nature Reserve, Ferncliff Cave, −29.550° S, 30.320° E; DM 11270 (female), 11271 (male), 11272 (female), 11273 (female), 11275 (male), all collected by S. Stoffberg from Chihalatan Cave, 38.2 km Eof Inhassoro, Inhambane Province, Mozambique −21.671° S, 34.864° E;. DM 11275 collected on 8 August 2006 while the other specimens were collected on 3 September 2007; FMNH 228956 (SMG 19031), collected 2 May 2015 by S. M. Goodman, M. C. Schoeman and G. le Minter from Mozambique, Inhambane Province, Malashane Cave, 39.1 km E from Inhassoro, −21,668° S, 34,847° E; DM 13450 (female), DM13451 (female), collected on 8 May 2012 by J. Bayliss at Mozambique, Niassa Province, Mount Mecula, −12.068° S, 37.662° E. Etymology: The name refers to the location in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where the type specimen was collected. Re-diagnosis and description: Roberts (1946) described this subspecies as being slightly smaller than the nominate R. s. swinnyi based on slightly smaller body size, slightly longer tail, smaller ears and its bright ochraceous colour. Since the last-mentioned character is known to be an environmentally induced effect in many cave-dwelling bat species, it does not serve as a diagnostic character. In our analysis, molecular evidence closely matched our series from Chihalatan and Malashane Caves with Genbank sequences from the extreme northern South Africa (Pafuri), Zimbabwe (Dambanzara) and Zambia (Kalenda and Shimalala Caves). Since these localities encompass the type locality of rhodesiae (Bezwe River in Zimbabwe), and Pafuri is only 100 km south of Bezwe, we are confident to use this available name for this widespread taxon. The species can be further diagnosed by having echolocation peak frequencies around 100 kHz (99–102 kHz, N = 8 from Malashane Cave; Table 2), which are quite distinct from typical swinnyi (105–107kHz, N = 6; Table 2) as well as the new Gorongosa National Park taxon R. gorongosae sp. nov. (104–108 kHz, N = 16; Table 2). Noseleaf structure is distinctive, being characterised by a hastate lancet, not as concave as true swinnyi, less erect, low, rounded connecting process and more pronounced posterior lobe. Bacular structure of rhodesiae is clearly distinct from other swinnyi -like animals (see Figs 7, 8), being characterized by a distinctly longer tapered baculum with a distinctly broader base and shallow notchalong the lower portion of the shaft that isvisible in the lateral profile. Traditional morphometrics (Table 2; Fig. 4) do not differentiate rhodesiae from swinnyi proper; however, rhodesiae is clearly distinguished with minimal overlap from the distinctly smaller gorongosae sp. nov. Although quite small, the R. rhodesiae holotype falls within the range of variation of specimens assigned to R. rhodesiae from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, northern South Africa (Pafuri, Limpopo Province), and Zanzibar (Table 2; Fig. 4). It falls clearly outside (larger than) the range of variation of the smaller gorongosae sp. nov. taxon (Fig. 4). Geometric morphometric results result in a better separation between rhodesiae and swinnyi s.s. with only minimal overlap (Fig. 5). Once again, the rhodesiae holotype from Bezwe River clusters within the range of variation of the rhodesiae taxon and outside the gorongosae sp. nov. or swinnyi taxa, thus validating the use of this name for this taxon. Distribution and biology: Combined molecular and morphometric data suggest the widespread distribution of this taxon from central and northern South Africa through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique extending to Zanzibar (Fig. 11). Based on specimen assignments on morphological grounds, the species co-occurs with R. swinnyi in central KwaZulu-Natal at Ferncliff Cave, as well as occurring in close proximity in northern KwaZulu-Natal, recorded at Hlabisi Forest close to Ngome Forest where swinnyi was recorded (Fig. 11). The widespread extent of this taxon and its occurrence in northern South Africa is confirmed by the widespread occurrence of a hitherto unidentified 100 kHz acoustic type recorded in the Soutpansberg (Taylor et al., 2013), and Pafuri Region of northern Kruger National Park (Taylor & Parker, unpublished data).Published as part of Taylor, Peter J., Macdonald, Angus, Goodman, Steven M., Kearney, Teresa, Cotterill, Fenton P. D., Stoffberg, Sam, Monadjem, Ara, Schoeman, M. Corrie, Guyton, Jennifer, Naskrecki, Pitor & Richards, Leigh R., 2018, Integrative taxonomy resolves three new cryptic species of small southern African horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus), pp. 1249-1276 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 184 on pages 1265-1269, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly024, http://zenodo.org/record/425304
The clinical features of dermatomyositis in a South Australian population
No full textThe definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comAim: To review the clinical features of dermatomyositis (DM) in a South Australian population. Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of patients with biopsy-proven DM in South Australia from 1990 to 2005. Results: There were 21 cases of biopsy-proven DM in SA (62% F, mean age 49.7 ± 18.4 years) and clinical details were available in 20 of these. Malignancy was identified in 9/20 patients; in five this followed the diagnosis of DM, with three malignancies seen within 3 months of disease onset. Three patients had a clearly defined immune insult prior to the diagnosis of DM; one patient had Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection 23 days prior to DM, two had pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations 5 and 14 days prior to the onset of DM, respectively. Two of three patients with anti-Jo-1 antibody experienced thromboembolism within 2 months of DM onset and three patients had interstitial lung disease (2 with anti-Jo-1 antibody). Creatine kinase (CK) was elevated in 15/20 cases and showed strong correlation with transaminases, and notably not with traditional inflammatory markers. Conclusions: This retrospective review of patients with biopsy-proven DM suggests a role for infection/vaccination in triggering disease onset. A particularly strong association with malignancy was observed and it is suggested that DM may predispose to thrombosis. Transaminases, in addition to CK may be used to monitor disease activity, and traditional inflammatory markers have little role in this.Vidya Limaye, Peter Blumbergs, Grace Scott, Peter Roberts-Thomso
Entanglement and quantity in quantum space - About quantum measurement (II)
No full textAs a continuation and extension of "quantity in phase space" "quantity in quantum space" is introduced. With that, the disappearing of quantum interference discussed in a previous paper [S. Durr, et al., Nature 395 (1998) 33] is explained in the same spirit as our recent papers [Ren De-Ming, Commun. Theor. Phys. (Beijing, China) 41 (2004) 685, 833].Physics, MultidisciplinarySCI(E)中国科学引文数据库(CSCD)1ARTICLE133-364
Sneutrino DM in the NMSSM with inverse seesaw mechanism
No full textIn supersymmetric theories like the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM), the lightest neutralino with bino or singlino as its dominant component is customarily taken as dark matter (DM) candidate. Since light Higgsinos favored by naturalness can strength the couplings of the DM and thus enhance the DM-nucleon scattering rate, the tension between naturalness and DM direct detection results becomes more and more acute with the improved experimental sensitivity. In this work, we extend the NMSSM by inverse seesaw mechanism to generate neutrino mass, and show that in certain parameter space the lightest sneutrino may act as a viable DM candidate, i.e. it can annihilate by multi-channels to get correct relic density and meanwhile satisfy all experimental constraints. The most striking feature of the extension is that the DM-nucleon scattering rate can be naturally below its current experimental bounds regardless of the higgsino mass, and hence it alleviates the tension between naturalness and DM experiments. Other interesting features include that the Higgs phenomenology becomes much richer than that of the original NMSSM due to the relaxed constraints from DM physics and also due to the presence of extra neutrinos, and that the signatures of sparticles at colliders are quite different from those with neutralino as DM candidate.National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) [11575053]SCI(E)ARTICLE1
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