2,469 research outputs found
A Primer on Strategic Games
No full textThis is a short introduction to the subject of strategic games. We focus onthe concepts of best response, Nash equilibrium, strict and weak dominance, andmixed strategies, and study the relation between these concepts in the context ofthe iterated elimination of strategies. Also, we discuss some variants of the originaldefinition of a strategic game. Finally, we introduce the basics of mechanism designand use pre-Bayesian games to explain it
K.R. Parthasarathy’s contributions to quantum Gaussian distributions and applications
No full textIn the “short pedagogical essay” [1], published in 2010, K.R. Parthasarathy illustrated the notion of a quantum Gaussian state as a natural extension of the idea of Gaussian or normal distribution in classical probability. This presentation led to some interesting open problems on symmetry transformation and other properties of quantum Gaussian states, calling for further investigation which he continued in the following years
Effects of aging on mitochondrial DNA copy number and cytochrome c oxidase gene expression in rat skeletal muscle, liver and heart.
No full textMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions and mutations have been reported to occur with aging in various tissues. To determine the functional impact of these changes, we measured mtDNA copy number, mitochondria-encoded cytochrome c oxidase (COX) subunit I and III transcript levels, and COX enzyme activity in skeletal muscles (medial and lateral gastrocnemius and soleus), liver, and heart in 6- and 27-month-old rats. Substantial age-related reductions of mtDNA copy number occurred in skeletal muscle groups (-23-40%, p < 0.03) and liver (-50%, p < 0.01) but not in the heart. The decline in mtDNA was not associated with reduced COX transcript levels in tissues with high oxidative capacities such as red soleus muscle or liver, while transcript levels were reduced with aging in the less oxidative mixed fiber gastrocnemius muscle (-17-22%, p < 0.05). Consistent with transcript levels, COX activity also remained unchanged in aging liver and heart but declined with age in the lateral gastrocnemius (-32%, p < 0.05). Thus, the effects of aging on mitochondrial gene expression are tissue-specific. A substantial age-related decline in mtDNA copy number proportional to tissue oxidative capacities is demonstrated in skeletal muscle and liver. mtDNA levels are in contrast preserved in the aging heart muscle, presumably due to its incessant aerobic activity. Reduced mtDNA copy number has no major effects on mitochondrial encoded transcript levels and enzyme activities in various tissues under these base-line study conditions. In contrast, maintenance of mitochondrial transcript levels that may be linked to oxidative metabolism and energy demand appears to be the main determinant of mitochondrial oxidative capacity in aging tissues
Entrainment studies in cloud-like flows using novel scanning tomography technique
No full textClouds are one of the major sources of uncertainty in climate prediction.The present work is to study the dynamics of orographic clouds. We considered a planar turbulent wall jet with off source volumetric heating as an appropriate low order fluid-dynamical model for studying the turbulence and entrainment in orographic-clouds. Entrainment was found to reduce drastically with the off-source volumetric heat addition. We found that the reduction of entrainment started at a bulk-Richardson number which was an order of magnitude smaller than that seen in earlier experiments [1] on free standing cumulus clouds. This is consistent with observations in real orographic clouds which develop as a thin sheet rising along the mountain slope. We have developed a novel scanning tomography technique for getting concentration field in turbulent shear flows. This technique is being applied on cloud-like flow to understand the entrainment characteristics. Detailed results will be presented at the conference
The electrophoretic mobility of DNA three-way junctions is affected by the sequence of overhanging single-stranded ends
No full textThe folding of three- and four-way DNA junctions is often assessed by comparing the electrophoretic mobility of restriction enzyme fragments, using the long-short arm assay. We have compared the mobility of synthetic three-way junctions that contain identical branch point sequences, but different restriction sites in the arms. We show that the mobility of fragments is affected by the sequence of the overhanging ends. In general, GC-rich overhangs produce fragments with anomalous mobilities. These anomalies can be prevented by treating the cleaved junctions with mung bean endonuclease, elevating the electrophoresis temperature or using blunt cleaving restriction endonuclease
Collaboration and interconnectivity: Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services and higher education institutions in Nottingham
No full textThis paper will describe the developing relationship between Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services and the two Higher Education Institutions in Nottingham. It will chronicle how a very traditional relationship has been transformed, initially by a simple consultancy project, into a much closer working relationship characterised by a much richer variety of collaborative projects. It demonstrates the potential mutual benefits that greater trust and reciprocity between the institutions can bring to both academia and to practice and the impact it has already had on curriculum development, teaching and learning in Nottingham
Current treatment modalities for certain urogenital infections in pregnancy
No full text
K.R. Bondarenko, Yu.E. Dobrokhotova
Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
This article critically reviews paradigm shift in obstetrics over the last three decades regarding the diagnosis and treatment of some infections of female reproductive system during pregnancy. Screening algorithms and treatment approaches to vulvovaginal candidiasis and asymptomatic bacteriuria in the course of gestation approved by clinical protocols worldwide are compared. The article provides the basis for topical application of 2% clotrimazole cream in pregnant women with manifest vulvovaginal candidiasis or asymptomatic vaginal colonization with Candida spp. Novel findings demonstrate that this treatment potentially reduces the rate of preterm birth. Despite conflicting views on the screening for infections in pregnancy, the author argues the tests for asymptomatic bacteriuria after week 14 of pregnancy to prevent severe infections of the upper and lower urinary system and to reduce the risk of preterm birth. 3 g of per os fosfomycin trometalol (Fosfomycin Esparma) is re commended as the first-line choice for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy. This medication meets the requirements for drug safety and efficacy.
Keywords: pregnancy, preterm birth, vulvovaginal candidiasis, urinary infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria, clotrimazole, fosfomycin trometalol.
For citation: Bondarenko K.R., Dobrokhotova Yu.E. Current treatment modalities for certain urogenital infections in pregnancy. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2019;2(3):168–172.
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T(3) increases mitochondrial ATP production in oxidative muscle despite increased expression of UCP2 and -3.
No full textTriiodothyronine (T(3)) increases O(2) and nutrient flux through mitochondria (Mito) of many tissues, but it is unclear whether ATP synthesis is increased, particularly in different types of skeletal muscle, because variable changes in uncoupling proteins (UCP) and enzymes have been reported. Thus Mito ATP production was measured in oxidative and glycolytic muscles, as well as in liver and heart, in rats administered T(3) for 14 days. Relative to saline-treated controls, T(3) rats had 80, 168, and 62% higher ATP production in soleus muscle, liver, and heart, respectively, as well as higher activities of citrate synthase (CS; 63, 90, 25%) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX; 119, 225, 52%) in the same tissues (all P < 0.01). In plantaris muscle of T(3) rats, CS was only slightly higher (17%, P < 0.05) than in controls, and ATP production and COX were unaffected. mRNA levels of COX I and III were 33 and 47% higher in soleus of T(3) rats (P < 0.01), but there were no differences in plantaris. In contrast, UCP2 and -3 mRNAs were 2.5- to 14-fold higher, and protein levels were 3- to 10-fold higher in both plantaris and soleus of the T(3) group. We conclude that T(3) increases oxidative enzymes and Mito ATP production and Mito-encoded transcripts in oxidative but not glycolytic rodent tissues. Despite large increases in UCP expression, ATP production was enhanced in oxidative tissues and maintained in glycolytic muscle of hyperthyroid rats
Academic authorship: who, why and in what order?
No full textWe are frequently asked by our colleagues and students for advice on authorship for scientific articles. This short paper outlines some of the issues that we have experienced and the advice we usually provide. This editorial follows on from our work on submitting a paper1 and also on writing an academic paper for publication.2 We should like to start by noting that, in our view, there exist two separate, but related issues: (a) authorship and (b) order of authors. The issue of authorship centres on the notion of who can be an author, who should be an author and who definitely should not be an author, and this is partly discipline specific. The second issue, the order of authors, is usually dictated by the academic tradition from which the work comes. One can immediately envisage disagreements within a multi-disciplinary team of researchers where members of the team may have different approaches to authorship order
DNA binding of a short lexitropsin
No full textFootprinting, capillary electrophoresis, molecular modelling and NMR studies have been used to examine the binding of a short polyamide to DNA. This molecule, which contains an isopropyl-substituted thiazole in place of one of the N-methylpyrroles, is selective for the sequence 5?-ACTAGT-3? to which it binds with high affinity. Two molecules bind side-by-side in the minor groove, but their binding is staggered so that the molecule reads six base pairs, unlike the related natural products, which tend to bind to four-base-pair sequences. The result suggests that high affinity and selectivity may be gained without resort to very large molecules, which may be difficult to deliver to the site of action.Graphical AbstractFootprinting, capillary electrophoresis, molecular modelling and NMR studies have been used to examine the binding of 5 to DNA. This molecule, which contains an isopropyl-substituted thiazole in place of one of the N-methylpyrroles, is selective for the sequence 5?-ACTAGT-3? to which it binds with high affinity. Two molecules bind side-by-side in the minor groove, but their binding is staggered so that the molecule reads six base pairs, unlike the related natural products, which tend to bind to four-base-pair sequences. The result suggests that high affinity and selectivity may be gained without resort to very large molecules, which may be difficult to deliver to the site of action
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