19672 research outputs found
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Enrichment of gut-derived Fusobacterium is associated with suboptimal immune recovery in HIV-infected individuals
No full textWe explored the gut microbiota profile among HIV-infected individuals with diverse immune recovery profiles following long-term suppressive ART and investigated the relationship between the altered bacteria with markers of immune dysfunction. The microbiota profile of rectal swabs from 26 HIV-infected individuals and 20 HIV-uninfected controls were examined. Patients were classified as suboptimal responders, sIR (n = 10, CD4 T-cell 500 cells/ul) after a minimum of 2 years on suppressive ART. Canonical correlation analysis(CCA) and multiple regression modelling were used to explore the association between fecal bacterial taxa abundance and immunological profiles in optimal and suboptimal responders. We found Fusobacterium was significantly enriched among the HIV-infected and the sIR group. CCA results showed that Fusobacterium abundance was negatively correlated with CD4 T-cell counts, but positively correlated with CD4 T-cell activation and CD4 Tregs. Multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age, baseline CD4 T-cell count, antibiotic exposure and MSM status indicated that higher Fusobacterium relative abundance was independently associated with poorer CD4 T-cell recovery following ART. Enrichment of Fusobacterium was associated with reduced immune recovery and persistent immune dysfunction following ART. Modulating the abundance of this bacterial taxa in the gut may be a viable intervention to improve immune reconstitution in our setting
Multi-pesticide Residues Determination in Samples of Fruits and Vegetables Using Chemometrics Approach to QuEChERS-dSPE Coupled with Ionic Liquid-Based DLLME and LC–MS/MS
No full textPesticides play vital roles in agricultural practices, but the nature and mishandling of the chemicals have led to their accumulation in moist soil, vegetables and fruits. Thus, development of efficient methods for pesticides determination is one of the most important ways to address such challenges. Multivariate response surface methodology optimisation using Placket–Burman and Box–Behnken designs were respectively used for screening and optimisation of significant factors of quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) with dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE). Consequently, the optimised QuEChERS-dSPE technique coupled with modified ionic liquid-based (IL-based) dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was used for sample preparation before LC–MS/MS. The developed method was validated (SANTE 11831-2017) for multi-pesticide residues determination in samples of bananas, cabbages, tomatoes, oranges and onions. The precision results were satisfactory in terms of relative standard deviation (≤ 20%) as recommended. The results of accuracy for relative recoveries (82–137%) were satisfactory because 92.5% of results were within the recommended range (70–120%). The matrix effects in all the samples were very weak (less effective) (≤ − 80%). The linearity of the evaluated results was 5–400 µg kg−1 and regression coefficients (R2) were > 0.99. The resulting limits of detection and quantitation were 0.02–0.32 and 0.07–1.06 µg kg−1, respectively, and therefore satisfactory. Certifiably, the estimated measurement uncertainties range (1–16%) was acceptable (≤ 50%). Thus, the developed method could be reliable and suitable for routine determination of multiple pesticide residues in various vegetable and fruit samples
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Combined with a Lateral Flow Strip for the Detection of Plasmodium knowlesi
No full textThe aim of this study was to develop a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with a lateral flow (LF) strip method for specific diagnosis of Plasmodium knowlesi. With incubation at 37C, the 18S rRNA gene of P. knowlesi was successfully amplified within 12 minutes. By adding a specifically designed probe to the reaction solution, the amplified RPA product can be visualized on a LF strip. The RPA assay exhibited high sensitivity with limits of detection down to 10 parasites/μL of P. knowlesi. Nonetheless, it was demonstrated that all P. knowlesi (N = 41) and other Plasmodium sp. (N = 25) were positive while negative samples (N = 8) were negative. Therefore, a combination of RPA and LF strip detection is a highly promising approach with the potential to be suitable for use in resource-limited settings
Matheuristic approach for production-inventorydistribution routing problem
No full textIn this paper, the integrated Production, Inventory and Distribution Routing Problem (PIDRP) is modelled as a one-to-many distribution system, in which a single warehouse or production facility is responsible for restocking geographically dispersed customers whose demands are deterministic and time-varying. The demand can be satisfied either from inventory held at the customer sites or from daily production. A fleet of homogeneous capacitated vehicles for making the deliveries is also considered. Capacity constraints for the inventory are given for each customer and the demand must be fulfilled on time. We propose a two-phase approach within a MatHeuristic framework. Phase I solves a mixed integer programming model which includes all the constraints in the original model except the routing constraints. In phase 2, we propose a variable neighborhood search procedure as the metaheuristics for solving the problem. We carried out a statistical analysis and the findings showed that our results are significantly superior to those from the Greedy Randomized Adaptative Search Procedure (GRASP) in all instances. We also managed to improve 23 out of 30 instances when compared to the Memetic Algorithm with Population Management (MA|PM). The superiority of our algorithm is reemphasized when tested on larger instances with the results showing significantly improved solutions by 100% and 90% respectively when compared to GRASP and MA|PM
Flexibility assessment of the unfused thoracic segments above the “potential upper instrumented vertebrae” using the supine side bending radiographs in Lenke 5 and 6 curves for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients
No full textBackground Context Selection of upper instrumented vertebra for Lenke 5 and 6 curves remains debatable, and several authors have described different selection strategies. Objective This study analyzed the flexibility of the unfused thoracic segments above the “potential upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV)” (T1–T12) and its compensatory ability in Lenke 5 and 6 curves using supine side bending (SSB) radiographs. Study Design A retrospective study was used. Patient Sample This study comprised 100 patients. Outcome Measures The ability of the unfused thoracic segments above the potential UIV, that is, T1–T12, to compensate in Lenke 5 and 6 curves was determined. We also analyzed postoperative radiological outcome of this cohort of patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Methods Right and left SSB were obtained. Right side bending (RSB) and left side bending (LSB) angles were measured from T1 to T12. Compensatory ability of thoracic segments was defined as the ability to return to neutral (center sacral vertical line [CSVL]) with the assumption of maximal correction of lumbar curve with a horizontal UIV. The Lenke 5 curves were classified as follows: (1) Lenke 5−ve (mobile): main thoracic Cobb angle 70% of thoracic segments were able to compensate when UIV were at T1–T8 and T12 and >50% at T9–T11. For Lenke 5+ve, >70% at T1–T6 and T12, 61.3% at T7, 38.7% at T8, 3.2% at T9, 6.5% at T10, and 22.6% at T11 were able to compensate. For Lenke 6 curve, >70% at T1–T6, 69.2% at T7, 19.2% at T8, 7.7% at T9, 0% at T10, 3.8% at T11, and 34.6% at T12 were able to compensate. There was a significant difference between Lenke 5–ve versus Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 5–ve versus Lenke 6 from T8 to T11. There were no significance differences between Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 6 curves from T1 to T11. Conclusions The compensatory ability of the unfused thoracic segment of Lenke 5+ve curves was different from the Lenke 5–ve curves, and it demonstrated characteristics similar to the Lenke 6 curves
Financial statement literacy of individual investors in China
No full textFinancial statement literacy is vital in helping individuals make good long-term stock investment decisions and is especially relevant in China where individual investors account for 85 per cent of stock market activity. To delve more into this issue, we examine relevant literature on individual investor behaviour, financial literacy and investment analysis respectively. We note an overall lack of financial literacy studies in China. Furthermore, financial statement literacy has received limited attention in all three streams of literature. This is possibly due to the lack of a systematic model for measuring financial statement literacy. Indeed, current studies tend to rely on secondary data and financial statement literacy is measured in a limited manner. We therefore propose a model in which financial statement literacy is evaluated through three dimensions, namely knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The model can be extended to examine the influence of financial statement literacy on stock investment decision-making
Effect of Increasing Number of Nodes on Performance of SMAC, CSMA/CA and TDMA in MANETs
No full textThe importance of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) increases due to deployment for geographical, environmental and surveillance purpose in war fields. WSN facing several challenges due to its complex nature including key problems, such as routing and medium access control protocols. Several approaches were proposed for the performance evaluation of WSN on the basis of these issues due to the fact that MAC layer access protocols have a great impact on the performance of WSN. In this paper, we investigated the performance evaluation of three well known MAC Access protocols, i.e. sensor medium access control protocol (SMAC), carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA), and time division multiple access (TDMA) over adhoc on demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocol. The number of simulation scenarios were carried out by using NS- 2, the simulation metrics used are throughput, end-to-end delay and energy consumed. Simulation results showed that SMAC out perform CSMA/CA and TDMA by consuming less energy, less end to end delay and high throughput due to contention based approach to access the medium for transmission
Saccharin: an efficient organocatalyst for the one-pot synthesis of 4-amidocinnolines under metal and halogen-free conditions
No full textA mild and efficient protocol for the one-pot synthesis of 4-amidocinnolines was developed using saccharin as a cheap and eco-friendly organocatalyst and t-butyl nitrite as a metal-free diazotization reagent. The current method has advantages such as cost effectiveness, use of the biodegradable reagents, simple experimental procedure; afford the quantitative yield of the desired products, metal- and halogen-free as well as environmentally benign conditions
On partially topological groups: Extension closed properties
No full textThe partially (para)topological groups were defined in [9]. In this paper, we give more results in partially topological groups in the sense of H. Delfs and M. Knebusch and we prove extension closed property for connectedness, compactness, and separability of partially topological groups
The Readiness of E-Publishing Among Malaysian Book Publishers
No full textAdvancements in digital technology are making waves in the publishing industry and e-publishing is starting to make its mark in the market. Although publishers view e-publishing as an opportunity to exploit products and new distribution channels, some of them are seeing this development as a risk rather than an opportunity, and thus are not willing to participate in these changes. This study was conducted to determine the readiness of e-publishing among Malaysian book publishers based on the E-Publishing Readiness Assessment Model. The results found that publishers in Malaysia are prepared in terms of infrastructure and human resources. However, only a small percentage of them are willing to practice e-publishing by publishing at least one e-book, while the majority is taking a wait and see approach before they start issuing e-books. Interviews with two companies displaying high levels of e-readiness and low e-readiness, showed a willingness depend on the decision of the company’s top management. In addition, external factors such as market demand, technological pressure, competition, consumer habits and police and government policies also affect the results of the top management to run e-publishing in their respective companies. Through these findings, the government and agencies involved in the publishing industry may be able to help find a solution when designing a strategy for improving e-publishing practices in Malaysia