8 research outputs found
Nanocrystalline Europium doped barium sulphate as an energy independent thermoluminescent dosimeter
No full text
Ru(II)/PEG-400: A green synthesis of indolyl-oxindoles and indolyl-cyclohexanedione hybrids as potential antimicrobial agents
No full text107-114A green and sustainable methodology has been successfully employed for the synthesis of 3-Indolyl-3-hydroxy
oxindoles and 3-indolyl-3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives using Ru(II)/PEG-400 as a homogeneous
recyclable catalytic system from substituted isatin with indole and dimedone. Short reaction time, simple extraction
procedure, substrate scope with high yield of the product, biodegradable solvent and recyclability of the catalyst without loss
of its activity enhances the efficiency of the proposed protocol. The synthesized compounds are studied for their
antimicrobial activity
Comparative analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pe and ppe genes reveals high sequence variation and an apparent absence of selective constraints.
Get PDFContains fulltext :
110619.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) genomes contain 2 large gene families termed pe and ppe. The function of pe/ppe proteins remains enigmatic but studies suggest that they are secreted or cell surface associated and are involved in bacterial virulence. Previous studies have also shown that some pe/ppe genes are polymorphic, a finding that suggests involvement in antigenic variation. Using comparative sequence analysis of 18 publicly available MTBC whole genome sequences, we have performed alignments of 33 pe (excluding pe_pgrs) and 66 ppe genes in order to detect the frequency and nature of genetic variation. This work has been supplemented by whole gene sequencing of 14 pe/ppe (including 5 pe_pgrs) genes in a cohort of 40 diverse and well defined clinical isolates covering all the main lineages of the M. tuberculosis phylogenetic tree. We show that nsSNP's in pe (excluding pgrs) and ppe genes are 3.0 and 3.3 times higher than in non-pe/ppe genes respectively and that numerous other mutation types are also present at a high frequency. It has previously been shown that non-pe/ppe M. tuberculosis genes display a remarkably low level of purifying selection. Here, we also show that compared to these genes those of the pe/ppe families show a further reduction of selection pressure that suggests neutral evolution. This is inconsistent with the positive selection pressure of "classical" antigenic variation. Finally, by analyzing such a large number of genes we were able to detect large differences in mutation type and frequency between both individual genes and gene sub-families. The high variation rates and absence of selective constraints provides valuable insights into potential pe/ppe function. Since pe/ppe proteins are highly antigenic and have been studied as potential vaccine components these results should also prove informative for aspects of M. tuberculosis vaccine design
Ru(II)/PEG-400: A green synthesis of indolyl-oxindoles and indolyl-cyclohexane-dione hybrids as potential antimicrobial agents
Get PDFA green and sustainable methodology has been successfully employed for the synthesis of 3-Indolyl-3-hydroxy oxindoles and 3-indolyl-3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives using Ru(II)/PEG-400 as a homogeneous recyclable catalytic system from substituted isatin with indole and dimedone. Short reaction time, simple extraction procedure, substrate scope with high yield of the product, biodegradable solvent and recyclability of the catalyst without loss of its activity enhances the efficiency of the proposed protocol. The synthesized compounds are studied for their antimicrobial activity
Institutionalization and de-institutionalization processes in the UK healthcare system : the role of emerging technologies
Get PDFThis thesis is a result of a research project that examines the Information Systems
strategy of the National Health Service (NHS). The researcher followed the process
of implementing a Primary Service Provision (PSP). PSP is an initiative by the NHS
Information Authority (NHSIA) to develop and establish a National Programme for
Information Technology (NPfIT)—a means of providing a useable electronic health
record nationally to the UK.
Five case studies are presented in the thesis, containing:
1. Two primary care facilities;
2. Three secondary care facilities;
These cases were developed as a result of studying the internal processes, decision
and support paths applied individually in the NHS.
The research approach adopts qualitative and interpretative analysis that includes
longitudinal case studies. This multiple case study approach has an embedded design
incorporating the components of work business processes as subunits to enhance
insight. Data was collected predominantly from interviews supported by archive
material, documents, and direct observation. Overlapping cross case, and within case
analysis was undertaken, using Activity Records, Strategic Choice Analysis, and
concepts supported by various researchers in the past (Avgerou & Cornford, 1993;
Davenport, 1993; Eisenhardt, 1989; Galliers, 1991). While it might be possible for
similar processes to result in different solution when adopted in another research
context, in these seven cases quite different approaches were taken. The Thesis concludes that while the core processes were the same across the cases, the following
issues combined together to lead to quite different approaches in each case:
1. The detail of the IS strategic processes;
2. The variation in the contexts;
3. The logic of the decision process as they evolved; and
4. The view of the actors involved.
The researcher is of a strong belief that as time progresses and experience is gained
and the situation with NPfIT evolves, the various actors would change their views
towards IS strategy. This could result in changes in the overall NHS IS business
model and healthcare delivery process support. This assumption, however, could be
affected by the appearance of very little transfer of knowledge—across different parts
of the NHS—regarding past experience with IS implementation.
The author argues that NPfIT mainly serves to diffuse information and
communication technologies in the NHS. As a result the NPfIT is changing the way
by which the NHS competes and meets the needs of it patients, the business model
and the value-creating processes. New opportunities are also taking place introducing
new healthcare delivery processes and modifying the existing processes
African dance in England: spirituality and continuity
Get PDFBetween the 17th and 20th centuries, the British misunderstood African cultural practices and reported on those in derogatory terms. With other European nations they projected Africans as ‘savages’ without any cultural traditions and consistently devalued traditional African religions and dances. Those views have seeped into the psychology of the British mentality and specifically, may have negatively influenced African dance development in the UK.
This thesis seeks to address those issues through a re-examination of the literature and a re-appraisal of Africa’s religions and dance forms. It will illustrate that in spite of he continuous attempts to decimate African cultural expression, Africa’s cultural practices survived and re-emerged in the Caribbean through slavery and through vibrate practice. The adaptation of the forms in their new environment, especially through adopting some aspects of Christian worship, nurtured alternative ways that later enabled the forms to find expression, as theatrical dance, in the UK.
The thesis is informed by international field trips, through the use of video and Internet sources, from attendances at African and Caribbean cultural events, through a wide range of secondary sources and from interviews spanning over twelve years. It is presented in two main sections. section one includes the Introduction and chapters One and Two. The Introduction provides a backdrop of current issues in African dance development and chapters One and Two provide a framework of African cultural practice on the continent and in the Caribbean, indicating how European perceptions of the people and their practices skewed the truth. Chapters Three and Four provide a detailed account of African dance development over the past fifth years through the activities of performance companies and support agencies. Chapter Five investigates dance development in the UK, specifically focusing on the works of two London-based choreographers and exploring how their spiritually determines their practice
Prognostic Factors of Late-onset Hearing Loss in Infants With Congenital Cytomegalovirus and Normal Audiologic Assessment at Birth
No full textChildren with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) can develop late-onset sensorineural hearing loss (LO-SNHL). In this study, we aim to assess the characteristics and predictors of LO-SNHL in infants with cCMV having normal hearing at the first neonatal assessment.
A retrospective study within the European Registry of Children with cCMV ( www.ccmvnet.org ) was performed. Included children had cCMV and a normal first audiological assessment by Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). Late-onset hearing loss (LO-SNHL) is defined as the presence of sensorineural hearing loss after an initial normal hearing test. Hearing evaluation was performed at birth, at 6 months of age, and at least annually up to 6 years of age.
Seven hundred twenty-one children with normal audiological tests at birth were included, and 47/721 (6.5%) developed LO-SNHL. LO-SNHL was diagnosed at a range of 4-65 months of age [median (IQR) age: 34.3 (15.1-48.7) months]. Children with LO-SNHL had a higher proportion of abnormalities on physical examination at birth (45.7% vs. 20.8%; P < 0.001): petechiae (17.4% vs. 6.0%; P = 0.008), splenomegaly (8.7% vs. 2.3%; P = 0.031), hepatomegaly (13% vs. 2.9%; P = 0.001), microcephaly (15.2% vs. 4.5%; P = 0.005) and small for gestational age (21.7% vs. 8.3% P = 0.005). Children with LO-SNHL showed lower platelet count at birth [177500.0 (88750.0-261250.0)/μL vs. 243500.0 (173000.0-304000.0)/μL; P = 0.012], and higher blood viral load at birth [3.7 log (3.3-4.4) vs. 3.4 log (2.7-3.9) IU/mL; P = 0.013] and had more frequent white matter involvement (27.7% vs. 14.7%; P = 0.03) and ventriculomegaly (20.7% vs. 4.6%; P = 0.001) on birth magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, symptomatic children at birth showed a higher risk of developing LO-SNHL than asymptomatic children (32/317, 10.1%, vs. 15/404, 3.7%; P < 0.0001). Among asymptomatic children, only 0.3% developed severe or profound LO-SNHL in the best ear.In multivariate logistic regression analysis, ventriculomegaly [odds ratio (OR): 7.503 (1.78-27.9)], white matter abnormalities [OR: 3.19 (1.010-9.01)], and splenomegaly [OR: 3.679 (1.56-8.506)] at birth were associated with the development of LO-SNHL ( Fig. 1 ).
Among this large cohort of children with cCMV and a first normal audiological assessment, the risk of LO-SNHL was 6.5%. Asymptomatic children developed LO-SNHL in 3.7% of the cases versus 10.1% in symptomatic cases. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, ventriculomegaly, white matter abnormality, and splenomegaly at birth were associated with LO-SNHL.
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc
