First Evidence of Axial Shape Asymmetry and Configuration Coexistence in

The excited states of N=44 ^{74}Zn were investigated via γ-ray spectroscopy following ^{74}Cu ß decay. By exploiting γ-γ angular correlation analysis, the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, 0_{2}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states in ^{74}Zn were firmly established. The γ-ray branching and E2/M1 mixing ratios for transitions deexciting the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative B(E2) values. In particular, the 2_{3}^{+}→0_{2}^{+} and 2_{3}^{+}→4_{1}^{+} transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the N=40 gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize ^{74}Zn in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited K=0 band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the N=40 "island of inversion" appears to manifest above Z=26, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.

Chronic diarrhea - The poetic masquerade.

Chronic diarrhea, by definition, is the passage of loose/liquid stools, with increased frequency (more than three times/day), or an output of over 200 g/day, lasting for a duration of four or more weeks. The clinical approach to identify the cause of chronic diarrhea generally depends on the local socioeconomic status. In high-income countries, systemic causes such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption syndromes (lactose intolerance/coeliac disease) are primarily considered. In mid- to low-income countries, infective causes like chronic bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal infections, HIV, bowel cancer are considered before systemic causes/malabsorption syndromes. Amyloidosis, more accurately, reactive amyloidosis is one of the rarer causes of chronic/persistent diarrhea. Inflammatory colitis secondary to POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes) as a cause for chronic diarrhea has been reported only in a handful of cases and is often missed. We present such a case of chronic diarrhea in a middle-aged man, who was eventually diagnosed to have POEMS syndrome.

Drynaria quercifolia suppresses paracetamol­induced hepatotoxicity in mice by inducing Nrf-2.

Paracetamol is a popular and safe drug preferred by victims of pain or pyrexia; however, its overdose or abuse is a growing concern worldwide. Here the hepatoprotective effect of an ethnomedicinal plant Drynaria quercifolia against paracetamol­induced toxicity in murine model is demonstrated. This fern, native to tropical countries including the Northeast India, is used by local tribes to treat inflammatory conditions. Paracetamol 500 mg/kg body weight was orally administered on alternate days for a period of 21days to mimic a chronic overdose. Drynaria quercifolia acetone extract (DQA) treatment interspaced with paracetamol significantly decreased serum biomarkers of hepatotoxicity (ALT, AST and ALP) renal toxicity (urea, creatinine), lipid peroxidation level, histological damage in liver and kidney. The protein and mRNA expressions of the transcription factor, Nrf2, and its target antioxidant genes (SOD1, CAT and GST) as well as activities of these antioxidant enzymes were downregulated by paracetamol administration but significantly recovered following the DQA treatment (Tab. 3, Fig. 5, Ref. 31). Keywords: acetaminophen/paracetamol, Drynaria quercifolia, renal toxicity, hepatotoxicity, Nrf-2.

First Direct Measurement of an Astrophysical p-Process Reaction Cross Section Using a Radioactive Ion Beam.

We have performed the first direct measurement of the ^{83}Rb(p,γ) radiative capture reaction cross section in inverse kinematics using a radioactive beam of ^{83}Rb at incident energies of 2.4 and 2.7A MeV. The measured cross section at an effective relative kinetic energy of E_{cm}=2.393 MeV, which lies within the relevant energy window for core collapse supernovae, is smaller than the prediction of statistical model calculations. This leads to the abundance of ^{84}Sr produced in the astrophysical p process being higher than previously calculated. Moreover, the discrepancy of the present data with theoretical predictions indicates that further experimental investigation of p-process reactions involving unstable projectiles is clearly warranted.

Absence of Low-Energy Shape Coexistence in

The ^{80}Ge structure was investigated in a high-statistics ß-decay experiment of ^{80}Ga using the GRIFFIN spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC through γ, ß-e, e-γ, and γ-γ spectroscopy. No evidence was found for the recently reported 0_{2}^{+} 639-keV level suggested as evidence for low-energy shape coexistence in ^{80}Ge. Large-scale shell model calculations performed in ^{78,80,82}Ge place the 0_{2}^{+} level in ^{80}Ge at 2 MeV. The new experimental evidence combined with shell model predictions indicate that low-energy shape coexistence is not present in ^{80}Ge.

Erratum: Direct Observation of Proton Emission in

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.082501.

Direct Observation of Proton Emission in

The elusive ß^{-}p^{+} decay was observed in ^{11}Be by directly measuring the emitted protons and their energy distribution for the first time with the prototype Active Target Time Projection Chamber in an experiment performed at ISAC-TRIUMF. The measured ß^{-}p^{+} branching ratio is orders of magnitude larger than any previous theoretical model predicted. This can be explained by the presence of a narrow resonance in ^{11}B above the proton separation energy.

Proximate Kitaev quantum spin liquid behaviour in a honeycomb magnet.

Quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are topological states of matter exhibiting remarkable properties such as the capacity to protect quantum information from decoherence. Whereas their featureless ground states have precluded their straightforward experimental identification, excited states are more revealing and particularly interesting owing to the emergence of fundamentally new excitations such as Majorana fermions. Ideal probes of these excitations are inelastic neutron scattering experiments. These we report here for a ruthenium-based material, α-RuCl3, continuing a major search (so far concentrated on iridium materials) for realizations of the celebrated Kitaev honeycomb topological QSL. Our measurements confirm the requisite strong spin-orbit coupling and low-temperature magnetic order matching predictions proximate to the QSL. We find stacking faults, inherent to the highly two-dimensional nature of the material, resolve an outstanding puzzle. Crucially, dynamical response measurements above interlayer energy scales are naturally accounted for in terms of deconfinement physics expected for QSLs. Comparing these with recent dynamical calculations involving gauge flux excitations and Majorana fermions of the pure Kitaev model, we propose the excitation spectrum of α-RuCl3 as a prime candidate for fractionalized Kitaev physics.

Parasites, microbiota and metabolic disease.

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in diseases that are ascribed to alter metabolism eventually resulting in conditions including obesity, type-2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Of the many factors to which this rise has been attributed, including diet, physical activity and inflammation, several studies have correlated these disease states with alterations in gut microbiota. Simultaneously, studies have demonstrated the ability of parasites to alter microbial communities within their shared niche, leading to alterations in inflammatory processes. However, very few reports have addressed how these changes to the microbiome may be a mechanism by which parasites influence not only inflammation but also metabolic states. In this review, we attempt to draw parallels between the three capacious topics and examine the interrelationship between them.

Potentiation of antibiotic against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm: a study with plumbagin and gentamicin.

AIMS: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the fatal biofilm-forming pathogens which pose to be a problem in clinical infections, contamination of food and marine ecosystems. In this report, a naphthoquinone-plumbagin has been explored for its antimicrobial (antibacterial and antibiofilm) activity against P. aeruginosa biofilm. The ability of plumbagin to enhance the bioactivity of a known broad-spectrum antibiotic was further assayed by combining the sub-MIC doses of plumbagin with sub-MIC doses of gentamicin against P. aeruginosa biofilm. METHODS AND RESULTS: This combinatorial approach was used for a series of experiments for understanding the mechanism of action for antibiofilm activity against P. aeruginosa (MTCC 424, MTCC 2488). Antibiofilm activity was studied by safranin staining, estimating total protein, visualization of biofilms and extra polymeric substances quantification. Antivirulent activity of these doses was studied by azocasein degradation, expression of virulent factors and molecular docking. Expression of quorum sensing (QS) phenotypes was studied by motility assessment and mRNA expression pattern of virulence genes. It was observed that plumbagin alone and the combinatorial doses of plumbagin and gentamicin exhibit significant antibiofilm and antivirulent activity coupled with the reduction in the expression of QS phenotypes and virulence genes. Molecular docking study revealed that plumbagin had variable affinity for different QS proteins. CONCLUSION: Low doses of plumbagin and gentamicin exhibit synergistic activity against P. aeruginosa biofilm while maintaining their effectiveness. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: As the P. aeruginosa biofilms are reservoir of persister bacteria, thus, the increasing concern of antibiotic tolerance has to be dealt with combinatorial approaches. In this report, plumbagin has been explored in potentiating the antibiofilm effect of a broad-spectrum antibiotic gentamicin for better therapeutic efficacy.

Aqueous synthesis of highly stable CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell quantum dots for bioimaging.

In this work, we report the synthesis, characterization and biological application of highly stable CdTe/ZnS (cadmium tellurite/zinc sulphide) Core/Shell (CS) quantum dots (QDs) capped with mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA). The CS QDs were synthesized using a simple one-pot aqueous method. The synthesized CdTe/ZnS CS QDs were found to exhibit excellent stability even 100 days after preparation and also showed better photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of about 50% compared with that of only CdTe QDs which was nearly 12%. The formation of the CdTe/ZnS CS was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Further, on extending our study towards bioimaging of E. coli cells using the QDs samples, we found that CdTe/ZnS CS QDs showed better results compared with CdTe QDs.

Multilevel programming in Cu/NiO y /NiO x /Pt unipolar resistive switching devices.

The application of a NiO y /NiO x bilayer in resistive switching (RS) devices with x > y was studied for its ability to achieve reliable multilevel cell (MLC) characteristics. A sharp change in resistance brought about by sweeping the voltage, along with an improved on/off ratio (>10(3)) and endurance (10(4)) were achieved in the bilayer structure as compared to the single NiO x layer devices. Moreover, it was found that nonvolatile and stable resistance levels, especially the multiple low-resistance states of Cu/NiO y /NiO x /Pt memory devices, could be controlled by varying the compliance current. All the multilevel resistance states of the Cu/NiO y /NiO x /Pt bilayer devices were stable for up to 500 consecutive dc switching cycles, as compared to the Cu/NiO x /Pt single layer devices. The temperature-dependent variation of the high and low resistance states of both the bilayer and single layer devices was further investigated to elucidate the charge conduction mechanism. Finally, based on a detailed analysis of the experimental results, comparisons of the possible models for RS in bilayer and single layer memory devices have also been discussed.

3-Amino-4-aminoximidofurazan derivatives: small molecules possessing antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

AIM: The therapeutic treatment of microbial infections involving biofilm becomes quite challenging because of its increasing antibiotic resistance capacities. Towards this direction, in the present study we have evaluated the antibiofilm property of synthesized 3-amino-4-aminoximidofurazan compounds having polyamine skeleton. These derivatives were synthesized by incorporating furazan and biguanide moieties. METHODS AND RESULTS: Different 3-amino-4-aminoximidofurazan derivatives (PI1-4) were synthesized via protic acid catalysis and subsequently characterized by (1) H NMR and (13) C NMR spectra, recorded at 400 and 100 MHz respectively. We have tested the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of these synthetic derivatives (PI1-4) against both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The compounds so tested were also compared with standard antibiotics namely Tobramycin (Ps. aeruginosa) and Azithromycin (Staph. aureus) which were used as a positive control in all experimental sets. All these compounds (PI1-4) exhibited moderate to significant antimicrobial activities against both micro-organisms wherein compound PI3 showed maximum activity. Biofilm inhibition of both micro-organisms was then evaluated by crystal violet and safranin staining, estimation of biofilm total protein and microscopy methods using sub-MIC dose of these compounds. Results showed that all compounds executed anti biofilm activity against both Staph. aureus and Ps. aeruginosa wherein compound PI3 exhibited maximum activity. In relation with microbial biofilm inhibition, we have observed reduction in bacterial motility, proteolytic activity and secreted exo-polysaccharide (EPS) from both Staph. aureus and Ps. aeruginosa when they were grown in presence of these compounds. While addressing the issue of toxicity on host, we have observed that these molecules exhibited minimum level of R.B.C degradation. CONCLUSION: These findings establish the antibacterial and anti biofilm properties of 3-amino-4-aminoximidofurazan derivatives (PI1-4). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Therefore, our current findings demonstrate that 3-amino-4-aminoximidofurazan derivatives (PI1-4) may hold promise to be effective biofilm and microbial inhibitors that may be clinically significant.

Site preference of NH3-adsorption on Co, Pt and CoPt surfaces: the role of charge transfer, magnetism and strain.

Oxidation of Co at the surface poses a major problem in the cyclable use of CoPt, a cost-effective catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. This can be alleviated by attaching a ligand selectively to Co-sites to stop its oxidation without compromising the catalytic activity. Here, we present a comparative analysis of adsorption of NH3 on the (0001) surface of Co in the HCP structure and (111) surfaces of Pt and CoPt alloy in the FCC structure, using first-principles density functional theoretical calculations. While NH3 binds more strongly with the Pt surface than with the Co surface, we find that its binding with the Co atom is stronger than that with the Pt atom on the surface of the CoPt alloy. Our analysis of the charge density and electronic structure shows how this originates from (a) the electron transfer from the minority spin d-band of Co to Pt, and (b) shift in the energy of d-bands and the magnetic moments of Co atoms on the surface of the CoPt alloy relative to those on the (0001) surface of Co. Hybridization of the d-states of Co in CoPt with pz states of N in NH3 used to stop Co oxidation also results in improving the charge transfer from Co to Pt that is relevant to the catalytic activity of CoPt. We finally present the analysis of how the interaction of NH3 with the CoPt surface can be tuned with strain.

Diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in the Bengali population of northern West Bengal, India.

The Indian Subcontinent exhibits extensive diversity in its culture, religion, ethnicity and linguistic heritage, which symbolizes extensive genetic variations within the populations. The highly polymorphic Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) family plays an important role in tracing genetic differentiation in human population. In this study, we aimed to analyse the KIR gene polymorphism in the Bengali population of northern West Bengal, India. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the KIR gene polymorphism in the Bengalis of West Bengal, India. Herein, we have studied the distribution of 14 KIR genes (KIR3DL1-3DL3, KIR2DL1-2DL5, KIR2DS1-2DS5 AND KIR3DS1) and two pseudogenes (KIR3DP1 and 2DP1) in the Bengalis. Apart from the framework genes (KIR2DL4, 3DL2, 3DL3 and 3DP1), which are present in all the individuals, the gene frequencies of other KIR genes varied between 0.34 and 0.88. Moreover, upon comparing the KIR polymorphism of the Bengalis with the available published data of other world populations, it has been found that the Indo-European-speaking Bengalis from the region share both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan gene pool with considerable influences of mongoloid and European descents. Furthermore, evidences from previously published data on human leucocyte antigen and Y-chromosome haplogroup diversity support the view. Our results will help to understand the genetic background of the Bengali population, in illustrating the population migration events in the eastern and north-eastern part of India, in explaining the extensive genetic admixture amongst the different linguistic groups of the region and also in KIR-related disease researches.

Common genetic variants in the 9p21 region and their associations with multiple tumours.

BACKGROUND: The chromosome 9p21.3 region has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple cancers. METHODS: We systematically examined up to 203 tagging SNPs of 22 genes on 9p21.3 (19.9-32.8 Mb) in eight case-control studies: thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer (EC), renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer (CRC), colorectal adenoma (CA), oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma (OS). We used logistic regression to perform single SNP analyses for each study separately, adjusting for study-specific covariates. We combined SNP results across studies by fixed-effect meta-analyses and a newly developed subset-based statistical approach (ASSET). Gene-based P-values were obtained by the minP method using the Adaptive Rank Truncated Product program. We adjusted for multiple comparisons by Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Rs3731239 in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors 2A (CDKN2A) was significantly associated with ESCC (P=7 × 10(-6)). The CDKN2A-ESCC association was further supported by gene-based analyses (Pgene=0.0001). In the meta-analyses by ASSET, four SNPs (rs3731239 in CDKN2A, rs615552 and rs573687 in CDKN2B and rs564398 in CDKN2BAS) showed significant associations with ESCC and EC (P<2.46 × 10(-4)). One SNP in MTAP (methylthioadenosine phosphorylase) (rs7023329) that was previously associated with melanoma and nevi in multiple genome-wide association studies was associated with CRC, CA and OS by ASSET (P=0.007). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that genetic variants in CDKN2A, and possibly nearby genes, may be associated with ESCC and several other tumours, further highlighting the importance of 9p21.3 genetic variants in carcinogenesis.

Exploring the color of transition metal ions in irregular coordination geometries: new colored inorganic oxides based on the spiroffite structure, Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 (M = Co, Ni, Cu).

We describe the synthesis, crystal structures, and optical absorption spectra of transition metal-substituted spiroffite derivatives, Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 (M(II) = Co, Ni, Cu; 0 < x ≤ 1.0). The oxides are readily synthesized by solid state reaction of stoichiometric mixtures of the constituent binaries at 620 °C. Reitveld refinement of the crystal structures from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data shows that the Zn/MO6 octahedra are strongly distorted, as in the parent Zn2Te3O8 structure, consisting of five relatively short Zn/M(II)-O bonds (1.898-2.236 Å) and one longer Zn/M(II)-O bond (2.356-2.519 Å). We have interpreted the unique colors and the optical absorption/diffuse reflectance spectra of Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 in the visible, in terms of the observed/irregular coordination geometry of the Zn/M(II)-O chromophores. We could not however prepare the fully substituted M2Te3O8 (M(II) = Co, Ni, Cu) by the direct solid state reaction method. Density Functional Theory (DFT) modeling of the electronic structure of both the parent and the transition metal substituted derivatives provides new insights into the bonding and the role of transition metals toward the origin of color in these materials. We believe that transition metal substituted spiroffites Zn(2-x)M(x)Te3O8 reported here suggest new directions for the development of colored inorganic materials/pigments featuring irregular/distorted oxygen coordination polyhedra around transition metal ions.

Pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium massiliense.

We report a case of a patient suffering from multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-PTB) who later developed an invasive infection of the respiratory tract with a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), recently identified as Mycobacterium massiliense, closely related to M. abscessus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of M. massiliense infection being reported from India.

Pattern of Glomerular Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh.

Glomerular disease is one of the most important causes of chronic kidney disease in developing countries like Bangladesh as well as the whole world. The pattern of glomerular disease varies in different countries and can have different clinical presentations. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical profile and to determine the histological pattern of glomerular diseases in a large tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. All kidney biopsies performed in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh from October 2018 to March 2020 were prospectively analyzed in the study. A total of 101 patients with kidney biopsy were examined by clinical and laboratory findings and by light and immuno-fluorescence microscopy. The mean age was 30.0±14.6 years and 50(49.5%) were male and 51(50.5%) were female with a male to female ratio of 1:1. The clinical syndromes namely nephrotic syndrome, nephritic syndrome, nephrito-nephrotic presentation, RPGN like presentation, macroscopic haematuria and asymptomatic urine abnormality were present in 31.7%, 34.5%, 22.8%, 11.9%, 19.8% and 10.9% patients respectively. The most common histological varieties found in the study were mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MesPGN) (18.8%) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (18.8%). Other histopathological pattern among the studied subjects revealed minimal change disease (MCD) in 5.9%, membranous nephropathy (MN) in 7.9%, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) in 16.8%, IgA nephropathy in 5%, IgM nephropathy in 2%, IgG nephropathy in 2%, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (DPGN) in 1%, focal proliferative glomerulo-nephritis (FPGN) in 3%, crescentic GN in 3%, lupus nephritis (LN) in 13.9%, amyloidosis in 1% and fibrillary glomerulopathy in 1% patient. The pattern of glomerular disease found in this study was similar to other studies performed in Bangladesh with a little variation. It may guide the future researchers to establish a national kidney biopsy registry in Bangladesh.