ALBERT

Description: Numerical investigations on flow and heat transfer characteristics in the heat exchanger tube with the V-wavy surface are presented. The finite volume method with the SIMPLE algorithm is selected to solve the present problem. The effects of flow attack angles (α = 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, and 60°) and flow directions (V-tip pointing downstream known as “V-Downstream” and V-tip pointing upstream known as “V-Upstream”) for the V-wavy surface on flow and heat transfer patterns are considered for both laminar and turbulent regions. The laminar regime is studied in the range Re = 100–1200, while the turbulent region is investigated in the range Re = 3000–10,000. The mechanisms on flow and heat transfer in the test section are reported. The numerical results reveal that the V-wavy surface changes the flow structure in the test section. The vortex flow is produced by the V-wavy surface. The vortex flow disturbs the thermal boundary layer on the heat transfer surface that is the reason for heat transfer and thermal performance enhancements. The optimum flow attack angles of the V-wavy surface for laminar and turbulent regimes are concluded.

Description: High-mobility group A (HMGA) proteins have been examined to understand their participation as structural epigenetic chromatin factors that confer stem-like properties to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and cancer stem cells (CSCs). The function of HMGA was evaluated in conjunction with that of other epigenetic factors such as histones and microRNAs (miRs), taking into consideration the posttranscriptional modifications (PTMs) of histones (acetylation and methylation) and DNA methylation. HMGA proteins were coordinated or associated with histone and DNA modification and the expression of the factors related to pluripotency. CSCs showed remarkable differences compared with ESCs and iPSCs.

Description: The downstream river of the tropical Batang Ai Dam is experiencing diurnal flow fluctuation due to power generation operation. Three samplings were conducted to collect the water quality and fish assemblage data and one sampling was conducted to study the hydrological characteristics of the downstream river. The results show that the downstream river is extremely shallow and moves slowly when the power generation is halted and no water is discharged from the powerhouse. Significant correlations between river flow and pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), and five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) indicated that those parameters were influenced by the water discharge regulation. Fish abundance was low in upstream segment but it gradually increased as distance from the dam increased and was significantly correlated with DO. Fish diversity in the downstream river was influenced by the river depth and chlorophyll a concentration. The most abundant fish species, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, exhibited a negative allometric growth pattern, while Hampala macrolepidota and Hemibagrus planiceps exhibited an isometric growth pattern. Fulton’s condition factor () values for 89.4% of H. planiceps were ≤1, indicating poor to extremely poor conditions.

Description: Odontoblasts, the main cell type in teeth pulp tissue, are not cultivable and they are responsible for the first line of response after dental restauration. Studies on dental materials cytotoxicity and odontoblast cells physiology require large quantity of homogenous cells retaining most of the phenotype characteristics. Odontoblast-like cells (OLC) were differentiated from human dental pulp stem cells using differentiation medium (containing TGF-β1), and OLC expanded after trypsinization (EXP-21) were evaluated and compared. Despite a slower cell growth curve, EXP-21 cells express similarly the odontoblast markers dentinal sialophosphoprotein and dentin matrix protein-1 concomitantly with RUNX2 transcripts and low alkaline phosphatase activity as expected. Both OLC and EXP-21 cells showed similar mineral deposition activity evidenced by alizarin red and von Kossa staining. These results pointed out minor changes in phenotype of subcultured EXP-21 regarding the primarily differentiated OLC, making the subcultivation of these cells a useful strategy to obtain odontoblasts for biocompatibility or cell physiology studies in dentistry.

Description: The study is aimed at investigating how livestock and human encroachments affect the population distribution and abundance of mountain nyala and Menelik’s bushbuck in Arsi Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Across four dominant habitat types (Afro-alpine, Erica, natural forest, and mixed plantation forest) 5 × 20 (100 m2) plot was used to assess populations of the ungulates, wood harvesting, and livestock grazing through counting the fresh scats of both livestock and wild mammals and stumps of trees. There was significant negative correlation between the scat count of mountain nyala and livestock dung scat count during both dry (, ) and wet (, ) seasons. However, there was significant negative correlation between the scat count of Menelik’s bushbuck and livestock dung scat count only during dry season (, ). Season (wet versus dry) had significant effect on scat count of mountain nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, and livestock. The study has clearly indicated that livestock outcompeted the endemic ungulates. Furthermore, the result of the study has indicated that tree removal reduced the wildlife habitat quality affecting the populations of wildlife. As a result, there is an urgent need for controlling the free-roaming domestic mammals, wood collection, and other human disturbances.

Description: In many African savanna landscapes, domestic and wild herbivores cooccur across different land-use systems, but the role of land-use in shaping their spatial relationship is poorly understood. We evaluated the spatial relationship between cattle and wild herbivores categorized by body sizes and feeding habits across different land-use types, namely, private ranches (PR), transitional lands (TRL), and pastoral grazing areas (PGA), in Laikipia County, Kenya. Cattle and wild herbivores spatial distribution data were obtained from Kenya’s Department of Resources Survey and Remote Sensing (DRSRS). Spatial relationships between cattle and different wild herbivore guilds were analyzed using Ripley’s bivariate function. In PR, wild herbivore guilds showed significant attraction to cattle at short distances. In TRL, wild grazers, mixed feeders, megaherbivores, and medium-sized ungulates exhibited significant attraction to cattle. Additionally, repulsion was observed between cattle and browsers at short distances under this land-use system. In PGA, wild grazers, mixed feeders, and megaherbivores repelled strongly with cattle at short distances while browsers and medium-sized ungulates were significantly attracted to cattle. Cattle and wild herbivores were more randomly and independently distributed in PR than in TRL and PGA. These spatial relationships imply better coexistence between cattle and wild herbivores in PR than in TRL and PGA.

Description: The Parque Estadual Mata Atlântica (PEMA), Goiás state, Brazil, is an Atlantic Forest reserve which has not been studied yet. The aims were to investigate plant biodiversity and characterize the flora to support the management plan. We adopt the point-centered quarter method to inventory the tree-shrub and lianas with the diameter at breast height more than or equal to 5 cm. The study was performed through 1.86 km of transect with 187 sampled points. We sampled 748 individuals and identified 109 species, 82 genera, and 51 families. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 3.97, and Pielou’s evenness was 0.846, both considered high. The Fabaceae family was the most diverse with 20 species. Aspidosperma polyneuron, an endangered tree species, had greater relative dominance and importance value. The floristic similarity analysis indicated that the PEMA vegetation belongs to the seasonal forest, currently very fragmented and degraded. Due to several anthropogenic threats, we suggest the following recommendations: prevent the exploitation of species, avoid hunting, control invasive grasses, prevent forest fires, and promote environmental education. This study demonstrates the importance of PEMA for species conservation. Therefore, this study is essential for the development of management plan and the conservation of PEMA biodiversity.

Description: Urinary tract infection causes considerable morbidity in diabetic patients and if complicated, can cause severe renal damage and life-threatening infections. The escalating antimicrobial resistance rate among bacteria over the past years is another concern in the treatment of urinary tract infections. This study investigated the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates and associated factors of urinary tract infection among adult diabetic patients attending Metu Karl Heinz Referral Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 233 adult diabetic patients selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Clean-catch midstream urine samples were investigated for the presence of pathogenic bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern using recommended culture methods. Data were entered, cleaned, and analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences version 21.0. Statistical significance was set at a -value

Description: The people of the Bayangi tribe (Manyu Division) of Cameroon have used the leaves of Pseudopanax arboreus (Araliaceae) traditionally for decades as an aphrodisiac. In order to scientifically investigate this folk claim, we evaluated the effects of the leaf-aqueous extract of P. arboreus on the sexual behavior of normal male rats. The present study was designed to assess the effects of the leaf-methanolic extract of P. arboreus on amitriptyline-induced sexual dysfunction in male rats. Sexually impaired male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 8 rats each. Group 1 received 10 ml/kg distilled water, while group 2 was given 6 mg/kg Viagra. Groups 3 and 4 received 46.5 and 93 mg/kg of the leaf-methanolic extract, respectively. Female rats were made receptive by ovariectomy and subsequent hormonal treatment. Sexual behavior parameters were monitored on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 by pairing each male to a receptive female. The extract-treated rats registered significant decrease in mount latency (ML) and intromission latency (IL); nonsignificant increase in mount frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), and penile licking (PL); significant decrease in postejaculatory interval (PEI); contrasting effects in ejaculation latency (EL); and mean intromission interval (MII). Both doses of the extract also provoked a significant increase in relative weight of testes, but had no significant effect on the plasma hormonal profile. These findings are similar to those obtained with normal male rats and show that the leaf-methanolic extract of P. arboreus could constitute a potential solution to male sexual impairment.

Description: Knowledge of efficiency of pollinators is valuable in the derivation of (i) the degree of mutualism specialization of a flower visitor in the natural plant communities, (ii) the optimum number of pollinators needed for the maximum pollination in a plant population, and (iii) the pollinator risk assessment in the sustainable agriculture. Earlier researchers used many direct and indirect methods for measuring the pollination efficiency (PE) of flower visitors. However, a great ambiguity exists in the usage of this terminology that necessitated its fresh scrutiny. I tested the available three standard methods afresh to find the efficiency of pollinators. These included comparing the (i) number of pollen grains removed and deposited by the visitors; (ii) seed set resulting from a single and the multiple visits of the visitors; and (iii) “pollen transfer efficiency (PTE)” derived from the foraging behavior and abundances of the visitors. Observations were recorded on the visitors of four plant species in an agroecosystem of Northwest India. These plants represented a wide variety of the floral types across the angiosperms. The first two methods, namely, the “number of pollen grains removed and deposited” and the “seed set resulting from a single and the multiple visits,” were appropriate in finding differences between the efficiency ranks of the pollinators of those flowers where the number of deposited pollen grains was less than the number of ovules in the ovary. However, these two methods completely failed in situations where exactly reverse condition of pollen grains and ovules existed. Thus, these two methods of measuring the PE of visitors had limited approach and lacked a universal application over the entire angiosperm taxa. On the other hand, use of “pollen transfer efficiency”, derived from the foraging behavior and abundance of the visitors, seemed to have an edge over the other two methods as this was helpful in finding differences between the efficiency ranks of the pollinators of plants in all the three situations tested in this study. However, validation of all the three methods through the plant reproductive potential seemed to be an integral confirmatory step for drawing inferences about the efficiency of pollinators.

Description: Operational simulators have a fundamental role in space programs. During a satellite operation, these simulators are essential for validating critical manoeuvres, testing new on-board software versions, and supporting the diagnosis of anomalies. With the purpose of reusing the operational simulators, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research has proposed a new standard for the specification of the components that must be integrated in their in-house developed simulators. The new standard describes the behaviour of satellite subsystems using cause-effect tables that relate telecommands, electrical switches, equipment working states, energy consumption, telemetries, and operating modes of the subsystem. Using this new standard as input, this work proposes an approach that merges model-based testing and model checking to verify the correct implementation of new components in the satellite simulator. The verification approach consists of extracting state machines from the cause-effect tables and used it to automatically derive a test case suite. In order to validate the proposal, we applied it to three different satellite subsystems and assessed the results obtained from the test campaigns. In all the three cases, the proposed approach identified errors in the simulator components that were not initially detected by the traditional testing approach used at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research.

Description: This study aimed at molecular and biochemical characterization of low-density polyethene (LDPE) degrading fungi and bacteria from Dandora dumpsite, Nairobi. Twenty bacterial and 10 fungal isolates were identified using 16S rDNA and 18S rDNA sequences for bacteria and fungi, respectively. The highest fungal degradation was attributed to Aspergillus oryzae strain A5,1 while the highest bacterial degradation was attributed to Bacillus cereus strain A5,a and Brevibacillus borstelensis strain B2,2, respectively. Isolates were screened for their ability to produce extracellular laccase and esterase; Aspergillus fumigatus strain B2,2 exhibited the highest presence of laccase (15.67 mm) while Aspergillus oryzae strain A5,1 exhibited the highest presence of esterase (14.33 mm). Alkane hydroxylase-encoding genes were screened for using primer AlkB 1 which amplified the fragment of size 870 bp. Four bacterial samples were positive for the gene. Optimum growth temperature of the fungal isolates was 30°C. The possession of laccase, esterase, and alkane hydroxylase activities is suggested as key molecular basis for LDPE degrading capacity. Knowledge of optimum growth conditions will serve to better utilize microbes in the bioremediation of LDPE. The application of Aspergillus oryzae strain A5,1 and Bacillus cereus strain A5,a in polyethene degradation is a promising option in this kind of bioremediation as they exhibited significantly high levels of biodegradation. Further investigation of more alkane degrading genes in biodegrading microbes will inform the choice of the right microbial consortia for bioaugmentation strategies.

Description: Background. Enterococci that colonize the intestinal tract of immunocompromised patients are an important cause of nosocomial infections. Data on the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and its antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and associated factors are scarce in the present study area. Therefore, this study was conducted aimed at determining the prevalence of VRE colonization among HIV-infected patients attending ART clinic at West Amhara Government Hospitals. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February 2017 to 31 May 2017. A total of 349 HIV patients were included in the study. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data and possible associated factors for VRE colonization. Identification and confirmation of Enterococci from stool sample was performed based on the standard procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method on the Muller–Hinton agar plate as per the standard protocol, and resistance profile of the isolates was determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLIS). Data were analyzed using SPSS v23. Descriptive analysis was used to visualize differences within data. Moreover, the stepwise logistic regression model was done to assess factors associated with VRE colonization. P value was set at 0.05 to indicate statistical significance difference. Results. The overall colonization status of Enterococci was at 63% (220/349). The VRE colonization was at 17 (7.7% (95% CI: 4.9–12.0)). Among Enterococcal isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, 142 (64.5%) were found resistant to two or more antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment (for 〉2 weeks) and history of hospital admission in the last six month were found statistically associated for VRE colonization (AOR = 10.18, (95% CI: 1.9–53.20)) and (AOR = 20.17; (95% CI: 5.22–77.93)), respectively. Conclusions. The observed VRE with multidrug resistance colonization need a periodic surveillance of antimicrobial testing to detect emerging resistance and prevent the spread of further drug resistance.

Description: Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have recently been thrust into the spotlight in the automotive industry as carmakers and technology companies pursue effective active safety systems and fully autonomous vehicles. Various sensors such as lidar (light detection and ranging), radar (radio detection and ranging), ultrasonic, and optical cameras are employed to provide situational awareness to vehicles in a highly dynamic environment. Radar has emerged as a primary sensor technology for both active/passive safety and comfort-advanced driver-assistance systems. Physically building and testing radar systems to demonstrate reliability is an expensive and time-consuming process. Simulation emerges as the most practical solution to designing and testing radar systems. This paper provides a complete, full physics simulation workflow for automotive radar using finite element method and asymptotic ray tracing electromagnetic solvers. The design and optimization of both transmitter and receiver antennas is presented. Antenna interaction with vehicle bumper and fascia is also investigated. A full physics-based radar scene corner case is modelled to obtain high-fidelity range-Doppler maps. Finally, this paper investigates the effects of inclined roads on late pedestrian detection and the effects of construction metal plate radar returns on false target identification. Possible solutions are suggested and validated. Results from this study show how pedestrian radar returns can be increased by over 16 dB for early detection along with a 27 dB reduction in road construction plate radar returns to suppress false target identification. Both solutions to the above corner cases can potentially save pedestrian lives and prevent future accidents.

Description: Modeling approach for mesoscopic model of concrete depicting mass transportation and physicochemical reaction is important since there is growing demand for accuracy and computational efficiency of numerical simulation. Mesoscopic numerical simulation considering binder, aggregate, and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) generally produces huge number of DOFs, which is inapplicable for full structure. In this paper, a two-dimensional multiscale approach describing three-phase structure of concrete was discussed numerically. An effective approach generating random aggregate in polygon based on checking centroid distance and intersection of line segment was introduced. Moreover, ITZ elements were built by parallel expanding the edge of aggregates on inner side. By combining mesoscopic model including full-graded aggregate and macroscopic model, cases related to diffusivity and width of ITZ, volume fraction, and grade of aggregate were studied regarding the consideration of multiscale compensation. Result clearly showed that larger analysis model in multiscale model expanded the diffusion space of chloride ion and decreased chloride content in front of rebar. Finally, this paper addressed some noteworthy conclusions about the chloride distribution and rebar corrosion regarding the configuration of rebar diameter, concrete cover, and exposure period.

Description: A buck converter is a step-down switching regulator. Buck convertors are being widely used in industrial applications that rely on regulated output voltage under fluctuating input voltage. A buck convertor works in the following modes: (a) current-controlled or (b) voltage-controlled mode. But these convertors manifest several nonlinearites because of the switching operation. Hence, in order to generate a quality output of the convertor, the design of a controller becomes crucial. In this paper, the synthesis of a QFT-based robust controller and prefilter has been carried out for an uncertain buck converter with varying input voltage and varying load. The controller synthesis problem has been posed as an optimization problem, and metaheuristic algorithms have been used for obtaining the optimal gains for the QFT controller and prefilter. By doing this, the QFT synthesis can be carried out in a single step instead of following the sequential classical QFT process on Nichols charts and the need for the generation of templates and bounds has be eliminated. The designed 2-degree-of-freedom QFT control system offers a robust behavior and efficiently handles the parametric uncertainties. The robustness of the designed controller has been confirmed through simulation results for large input voltage and load fluctuations.

Description: Presents the front cover for this issue of the publication.

Description: Six senior computer science educators answer questions about the current state of computer science education, software engineering, and licensing software engineers.

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Description: The Internet of Things is a new department with the mission of presenting fresh ideas and applications from a practitioner point of view. The authors are interested in showcasing articles about real, implemented Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

Description: Commemorating the 20th anniversary of IT Professional, the advisory board chair and four past editors in chief reflect on the first two decades of the magazine.

Description: In a case study where a Dutch small-to-medium enterprise (SME) implemented test-driven development and continuous integration, researchers observed that the SME discovered a higher number of defects compared to a baseline case study, and that there was an increase in the focus on quality and test applications.

Description: By providing access to data from numerous systems in one database and supporting the systems that can produce an appropriate customer experience, a customer data platform overcomes the limitations imposed by fragmented point solutions and presents a holistic approach to customer interactions.

Description: An introduction to the new Life in the C-Suite column, which will help C-level executives understand the vast digital world in which they live, and how they should leverage digital technology into their business processes and business models.

Description: Student Forum is a new column that intends to connect IT students with industry, government, and academia.

Description: The new IT Economics department seeks to advance the understanding of various microeconomic and macroeconomic issues that IT managers need to examine in their decisions to adopt and implement information and communications technology-related systems, services, processes, and practices.

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Description: Prospective authors are requested to submit new, unpublished manuscripts for inclusion in the upcoming event described in this call for papers.

Description: Objective. The study aims to speciate clinical Candida isolates and detect their biofilm-forming ability and antifungal resistance. Methods. All the Candida spp. isolated from different clinical samples like pus, urine, blood, and body fluid were included in the study. Biofilm production was tested by the microtiter plate method. Antifungal susceptibility was studied by the disk diffusion method. Patient’s demographic details such as age, sex, and clinical information were collected. Presence of other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, history of antibiotic use, and any urinary tract instrumentations was also recorded. Results. Among 90 Candida species isolated, most predominant species was found to be C. albicans (45.5%) followed by C. tropicalis (28.88%), C. krusei (20%), C. glabrata (3.33%), and C. parapsilosis (2.22%). Candida spp. were isolated from urine (43%), BAL/sputum (18.88%), high vaginal swab (8.88%), suction tips (7.77%), blood and wound swabs (6.66%), pus (3.33%), bile aspirate (2.22%), and deep tissue (1.11%). A larger number of females were affected than males, and the age group of 51 to 60 years was more susceptible to candidiasis. A higher number of C. albicans isolates produced biofilm followed by C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei. However, C. glabrata showed no biofilm production in our study. All Candida isolates were 100% sensitive to amphotericin B. Voriconazole was the next effective drug with 81.11% susceptibility. 24.44% of strains were resistant to fluconazole. Conclusion. Speciation of Candida isolates, detection of ability to form the biofilm, and monitoring of antifungal susceptibility testing are necessary for appropriate treatment.

Description: Traffic flow monitoring involves the capturing and dissemination of real-time traffic flow information for a road network. When a vehicle, a ferromagnetic object, travels along a road, it disturbs the ambient Earth’s magnetic field, causing its distortion. The resulting distortion carries vehicle signature containing traffic flow related information such as speed, count, direction, and classification. To extract such information in chaotic cities, a novel algorithm based on the resulting magnetic field distortion was developed using nonintrusive sensor localization. The algorithm extracts traffic flow information from resulting magnetic field distortions sensed by magnetic wireless sensor nodes located on the sides of the road. The model magnetic wireless sensor networks algorithm for local Earth’s magnetic field performance was evaluated through simulation using Dar es Salaam City traffic flow conditions. Simulation results for vehicular detection and count showed 93% and 87% success rates during normal and congested traffic states, respectively. Travel Time Index (TTI) was used as a congestion indicator, where different levels of congestion were evaluated depending on the traffic state with a performance of 87% and 88% success rates during normal and congested traffic flow, respectively.

Description: Bacilli are commonly used as plant growth-promoting agents but can be limited in effectiveness to certain crop and soil environments. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify Bacillus strains that can be consistent in promoting the growth of corn, wheat, and soybean and (2) determine whether physiological traits expressed in vitro can be predictive of growth promotion efficacy/consistency and be used for selecting effective strains. Twelve Bacillus strains isolated from wheat rhizospheres were evaluated in greenhouse pot tests with nonsterile soil for their effects on the growth of corn, soybean, and wheat. The strains also were assessed in vitro for multiple physiological traits. All 12 strains increased corn growth significantly compared to the controls. The four most efficacious strains on corn—Bacillus megaterium R181, B. safensis R173, B. simplex R180, and Paenibacillus graminis R200—also increased the growth of soybean and wheat. No set of traits was a predictor of growth promotion efficacy. The number of traits expressed by a strain also was not an indicator of efficacy as strain R200 that was positive for only one trait showed high growth promotion efficacy. Effective strains can be identified through pot tests on multiple crop plants, but in vitro physiological assays are unreliable for strain selection.

Description: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the bacterioplankton activity in the meso-eutrophic Conceição Lagoon would increase significantly under allochthonous inputs of inorganic nutrients and organic carbon. Abundance and biomass of bacterioplankton were evaluated under three treatments: light (14 h light/10 h dark), complete darkness (dark-control), and nutrient (C + N + P—dark, 100 : 10 : 1) enrichments during 72 h. Nutrient enrichments promoted a significant increase in abundance (maximum of 19.0 ×109 cells·L−1 in the first 32 hours) and biomass of the heterotrophic bacterioplankton, which induced the formation of large clusters. Bacterial biomass remained constant in the non-enriched incubations (dark-control and light). Bacterial growth rates were significantly higher after nutrient additions (1.35 d−1), followed by control (0.79 d−1), and light (0.63 d−1) treatments, which were statistically equal (). Bacterial production rates were also significantly higher under nutrient additions (1.28 d−1), compared to the control and light (0.50 d−1 and 0.44 d−1, respectively), demonstrating that bacterial growth and production in this meso-eutrophic lagoon are under an immediate “bottom-up” regulation, followed by a potential top-down effect. These facts reinforce the urgency on improving the local wastewater management plan in order to prevent further expansion of anoxic waters.

Description: Today, the general public has become increasingly aware of salmonellosis problems. Organic acids are known by their antimicrobial potential and commonly used for improving the quality of poultry feed. In this context, the present work evaluated the inhibitory effect of four organic acids, namely, acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, and tartaric acid, at different levels of contamination by Salmonella typhimurium. The neutralization of these organic acids in vitro and in the presence of one-day-old chick’s organs was also investigated during the search for Salmonella serovars in birds as described in the Moroccan standard “NM 08.0.550.” The effect of four organic acids on Salmonella typhimurium was tested in vitro and in the presence of chick’s organs at different concentrations set of strain and organic acids tested. The MIC results demonstrated that tartaric acid, citric acid, and acetic acid inhibited Salmonella typhimurium at concentrations of 0.312%, 0.625%, and 0.512% for the three levels of strain: 10, 100, and 103 CFU/ml, respectively, while lactic acid and depending on the amount of the strain introduced acts differently: 0.078% for 10 CFU/ml and 0.156% for 100 and 103 CFU/ml. The concentration of 0.04M of Na2HPO4 solution has proved, in vitro, in caecums and organs of chicks (in presence of organic acids) that strain introduced, even at low concentrations, can be recovered. The use of additives has beneficial effects in Salmonella control program. However, the present results recommend the amendment of Salmonella research standard, taking into account the probable presence of organic acids in digestive content of one-day-old chicks.

Description: Background. Chronic periodontitis is a multifactorial infectious disease, where multiple bacteria, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Fusobacterium nucleatum are implicated. The main purpose of researching natural products is to find substances or compounds with antimicrobial activity. Aim. The objective of this work was to determine antimicrobial activity from extracts and obtained fractions from Piper marginatum Jacq and Ilex guayusa Loes on P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, F. nucleatum ATCC 25586, and P. intermedia ATCC 25611. Methods. Total ethanol extracts were obtained from both plants. Fractions were obtained from total ethanol extracts with amberlite as a stationary phase employing hexane, acetone, and ethanol-water as solvents. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical characterization was performed on total ethanol extracts from both plants. Antimicrobial activity from total ethanol extracts and fractions from both plants were evaluated on P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, F. nucleatum ATCC 25586, and P. intermedia ATCC by the well diffusion method with Wilkins–Chalgren agar. Results. Piper marginatum Jacq total ethanol extract presented antimicrobial activity against all three bacteria, whereas Ilex guayusa Loes was only efficient against P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 and P. intermedia ATCC 25611, with inhibition halos from 9.3 to 30 mm. Ilex guayusa Loes obtained fractions presented antimicrobial activity against all three microorganisms evaluated, with inhibition halos ranging from 9.7 to 18.7 mm. In regards to Piper marginatum Jacq fractions, inhibition halos were between 8.3 and 19 mm, against all three microorganisms evaluated; only hexane fraction did not present antimicrobial activity against F. nucleatum ATCC 25586. Conclusion. Piper marginatum Jacq and Ilex guayusa Loes total ethanol extracts and fractions presented outstanding antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, P. intermedia ATCC 25611, and F. nucleatum ATCC 25586.

Description: Background. Banknotes are one of the most exchangeable items in communities and always subject to contamination by pathogenic bacteria and hence could serve as vehicle for transmission of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of contamination by pathogenic bacteria in Sudanese banknotes, determine the susceptibility of the isolated organisms towards commonly used antibiotics, and detect some antibiotic resistance genes. Methods. This study was carried out using 135 samples of Sudanese banknotes of five different denominations (2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 Sudanese pounds), which were collected randomly from hospitals, food sellers, and transporters in all three districts of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman. Bacterial prevalence was determined using culture-based techniques, and their sensitivity patterns were determined using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Genotypic identification was carried out using PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing. Antibiotic resistance genes of some isolates were detected using PCR technique. Results. All Sudanese banknotes were found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae was found to be the most frequent isolate (23%), whereas Bacillus mycoides (15%) was the most abundant Gram-positive isolate. There was a significant relationship between the number of isolates and the banknote denomination with value

Description: Introduction. The proportion of women with severe maternal morbidity from obstructed labor is between 2 and 12% in resource-limited settings. Maternal vaginal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS), Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. is associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity. It is unknown if vaginal colonization with these organisms in obstructed labor women is associated with poor outcomes. Objectives. To determine whether vaginal colonization with GBS, E. coli, or Enterococcus is associated with increased morbidity among women with obstructed labor and to determine the risk factors for colonization and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods. We screened all women presenting in labor to Uganda’s Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital maternity ward from April to October 2015 for obstructed labor. Those meeting criteria had vaginal swabs collected prior to Cesarean delivery and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. Swabs were inoculated onto sterile media for routine bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results. Overall, 2,168 women were screened and 276 (13%) women met criteria for obstructed labor. Vaginal swabs were collected from 272 women (99%), and 170 (64%) were colonized with a potential pathogen: 49% with E. coli, 5% with GBS, and 8% with Enterococcus. There was no difference in maternal and fetal clinical outcomes between those colonized and not colonized. The number of hours in labor was a significant independent risk factor for vaginal colonization (aOR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.03, ). Overall, 38% of GBS was resistant to penicillin; 61% of E. coli was resistant to ampicillin, 4% to gentamicin, and 5% to ceftriaxone and cefepime. All enterococci were ampicillin and vancomycin susceptible. Conclusion. There was no difference in maternal or neonatal morbidity between women with vaginal colonization with E. coli, GBS, and Enterococcus and those who were not colonized. Duration of labor was associated with increased risk of vaginal colonization in women with obstructed labor.

Description: The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-producing E. coli) has recently increased worldwide. This study aims at determining the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of a collection of clinical E. coli urine isolates and evaluating the ESBL carriage of these isolates at phenotypic and genotypic levels. A total of 100 E. coli urine isolates were collected at a tertiary healthcare centre in Riyadh from January 2018 to March 2018. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out for all isolates. ESBL production was characterized at phenotypic and genotypic levels using double-disc synergy test and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Detection of different ESBL variants was performed using DNA sequencing. Of 100 E. coli isolates, 67 were associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. All isolates showed variable resistance levels to all antibiotics used here expect to imipenem, where they were all imipenem-sensitive. 33 out of 100 E. coli isolates were positive for ESBLs by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Among all ESBL-positive E. coli isolates, the CTX-M was the most prevalent ESBL type (31/33 isolates; 93.94%). CTX-M-15 variant was detected in all isolates associated with CTX-M carriage. Multiple ESBL gene carriage was detected in 15/33 isolates (45.45%), where 11 (33.33%) isolates produced two different ESBL types while 4 isolates (12.12%) associated with carrying three different ESBL types. Our study documented the high antimicrobial resistance of ESBL-producing E. coli to many front-line antibiotics currently used to treat UTI patients, and this implies the need to continuously revise the local guidelines used for optimal empirical therapy for UTI patients. It also showed the high prevalence of ESBL carriage in E. coli urine isolates, with CTX-M-15 being the most predominant CTX-M variant.

Description: Background. Enterococci are becoming the most important public health concern and emerging as multidrug-resistant organisms around the world including Africa particularly in Ethiopia where there is a lack of availability of effective antimicrobial drugs. However, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence and associated risk factors of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Ethiopia. Objective. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and its associated risk factors among HIV-positive and -negative clients. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May, 2017, on 300 participants at Dessie Referral Hospital. Data were gathered using a pretested structured questionnaire, stool samples were collected and inoculated on to bile esculin agar, and presumptive colonies were inoculated in brain-heart infusion broth containing 6.5% NaCl for selective identification of enterococci. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were done using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 software package. Results. A total of 300 study participants were enrolled in this study, of which 57.7% were females with a mean age of 34.4, a range of 19–73 years. The overall prevalence of enterococci was 37.3%. The prevalence of VRE was 6.3%. From all isolates, the prevalence of VRE among HIV-positive and -negative clients was 5.9% and 7.4%, respectively. Resistance gentamicin, ampicillin, penicillin, and erythromycin was 37.5%, 34.8%, 34.8%, and 22.3%, respectively. Prevalence of multidrug resistance was (29.5%). Being low in hemoglobin content was significantly associated with VRE. Conclusion. The high prevalence of VRE and multidrug-resistant enterococci in this study signals the emergence of VRE. Detection of VRE in this study indicates decreased antibiotic treatment options of multidrug-resistant enterococci. Therefore, there should be a need to perform continuous surveillance, rational use of antibiotics, and more detailed study using phenotypic and genotypic methods.

Description: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP peptides isolated from Coffea canephora seeds and their possible synergistic activity with the azole drug fluconazole and characterize their mechanisms of action on cells of pathogenic fungi. Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP alone or in combination with 20 µg/mL of fluconazole were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity on the fungus Fusarium solani, and the effects of these peptides on the permeability of membranes and the induction of oxidative stress were determined. Our results show that these peptides at a concentration of 400 µg/mL combined with 20 µg/mL of fluconazole were able to inhibit the growth of the tested fungi, promote changes in their growth pattern, permeabilize the membrane, and induce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some of these results were also observed with the peptides alone or with fluconazole alone, suggesting that the peptides act synergistically, promoting the potentiation of antimicrobial action. In this study, it was shown that Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP in combination with fluconazole were able to inhibit the growth of the fungus F. solani, to promote permeabilization of its membrane, and to induce the production of ROS, suggesting a combinatorial activity between the peptides and fluconazole.

Description: Crohn’s disease (CD) is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, with a rising incidence worldwide, particularly in children. CD is thought to arise due to an immune response to environmental factors. The role of bacteria in CD has recently been highlighted, and here, we examine the prevalence of two bacterial species, enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Fusobacterium nucleatum, implicated in gastrointestinal pathologies, in a pediatric CD cohort. Stool samples from 30 children with treatment-naïve CD and 30 age- and sex-matched controls were collected, and DNA was extracted. Quantitative PCR was used to determine the levels of ETBF and F. nucleatum in stool samples. Bacterial positivity and relative abundance were assessed between cases and controls and in relation to disease severity. No associations were found between colonization with ETBF and CD, or between colonization with either ETBF or F. nucleatum and disease severity or presence of C. concisus. However, a strong association was observed between positivity for F. nucleatum in the stool samples and the occurrence of CD in patients (25/30) as compared to controls (8/30) (). F. nucleatum is more prevalent in the stool samples of pediatric CD patients, compared to healthy controls, and may have potential use as a biomarker of pediatric CD.

Description: Developed power variation of turbogenerator (TG) steam turbine, which operates at the conventional LNG carrier, allows insight into the change in turbine exergy efficiency and exergy destruction during the increase in turbine power. Measurements of required operating parameters were performed in eight different TG steam turbine operating points during exploitation. Turbine exergy efficiency increases from turbine power of 500 kW up to 2700 kW, and maximum exergy efficiency was obtained at 70.13% of maximum turbine developed power (at 2700 kW) in each operating point. From turbine developed power of 2700 kW until the maximum power of 3850 kW, exergy efficiency decreases. Obtained change in TG turbine exergy efficiency is caused by an uneven intensity of increase in turbine developed power and steam mass flow through the turbine. TG steam turbine exergy destruction change is directly proportional to turbine load and to steam mass flow through the turbine—higher steam mass flow results in a higher turbine load which leads to the higher exergy destruction and vice versa. The higher share of turbine developed power and the lower share of turbine exergy destruction in the TG turbine exergy power inlet lead to higher turbine exergy efficiencies. At each observed operating point, turbine exergy efficiency in exploitation is lower when compared to the maximum obtained one for 8.39% to 12.03%.

Description: A mission reliability evaluation methodology for a signal traffic controller is presented in this paper. To develop the new evaluation methodology, this paper combines the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) formalism which has been popular in manufacturing area for three reasons: (1) its features compatible with the object-oriented modeling; (2) its rigorous formal definition; and (3) its support for the specifications of discrete event models in a hierarchical and modular manner. By using the DEVS formalism, we construct a simulation model which takes into account not only the characteristics of a traffic signal controller but also the operating environment. Once a model is constructed, it is possible to perform simulation experiments. The proposed methodology computes the mission reliability of a traffic signal controller by using a simulation record, and this information plays a vital role in preparing optimized maintenance policies that maximize availability or minimize life cycle costs.

Description: Background. Nosocomial infections occur among patients during their stay in hospitals. The severity of infection depends on the characteristics of microorganisms with a high risk of being acquired when the environment is contaminated. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are emerging rapidly around the globe creating a serious threat. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2016–February 2017 at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Samples were collected from the equipment and hospital surfaces. The isolated bacteria were checked for susceptibility by the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method following the standards of CLSI 2014. Health professionals and sanitary team members were included in the study which assessed the disinfection practice of objects from which samples were taken. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results. A total of 201 swab samples were taken, and most bacteria were recovered from thermometer and floor consisting of 21.6% S. aureus, 19.3% CoNS, 15.9% E. coli, 14.8% Klebsiella species, 11.4% P. aeruginosa, 10.2% Proteus species, and 6.8% Serratia species. The most multidrug resistant organisms were S. aureus (79%), Klebsiella species (53.8%), CoNS (47%), and Proteus species (44.4%). Only 6.45% of health professionals disinfect their stethoscope consistently. Conclusion. S. aureus, CoNS, and E. coli were the predominant isolates. Most isolates showed highest susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and least to ampicillin and penicillin. There is no regular sanitation and disinfection of hospital equipment and surfaces.

Description: Model inversion Iterative Learning Control (ILC) for a class of nonsquare linear time variant/invariant multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems is considered in this paper. A new ILC algorithm is developed based on -right inversion of nonsquare learning gain matrices to resolve the matrix inversion problems appeared in the direct model inversion of nonsquare MIMO systems. Furthermore, a sufficient and necessary monotonic convergence condition is established. With rigorous analysis, the proposed ILC scheme guarantees the convergence of the tracking error. To prove the effectiveness and to illustrate the performance of the proposed approach for linear time-invariant (LTI) and time-varying nonsquare systems, two illustrative examples are simulated.

Description: The mainstay in prevention and treatment of aspergillosis is the use triazole drugs. In Kenya, the use of agricultural azole is one of the predisposing factors in development of resistance. One hundred fifty-six (156) experienced soils were collected from agricultural farms and cultured on Sabouraud DextroseAagar. The study isolated 48 yielded Aspergillus fumigatus and 2 A. flavus. All the isolates were subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing against three triazoles: posaconazole, voriconazole, and itraconazole. Out of the isolates, 3 had MIC of 32 and 1 had MIC of 16 against itraconazole, and 1 isolate had MIC of 32 against posaconazole. CYP51A gene was sequenced, and TR34/L98H mutation was identified. Triazole resistance existing in Kenya calls for rational use of azole-based fungicides in agriculture over concerns of emerging antifungal resistance in clinical practice.

Description: Soft contact lenses provide perfect conditions for the breeding of pathogens. The study is a prospective, experimental study, conducted to know the antimicrobial ability of multipurpose contact lens solution against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the stand-alone test. The test method is based on the procedures in the ISO 14729 standard primary stand-alone test. Three multipurpose contact lens care solutions commercially available in Mangalore markets, namely, Biotrue (Bausch & Lomb), Opti-Free Replenish (Alcon), and Aquasoft (Stericon Pharma), were tested for its antimicrobial effect in the microbiology lab at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. According to this study, the solutions named “Biotrue” and “Aquasoft” met the primary stand-alone and reached the 3log reduction and 5log reduction criteria in the manufacturer recommended time, respectively. No conclusion could be drawn for Opti-Free Replenish since the minimum recommended disinfection time was overnight, whereas it was noted for 6 hr only, and it should have been experimented further. The effectiveness of multipurpose solutions varies against different bacterial species. We have observed that the antimicrobial activity of different solutions varies with respect to time of incubation, and also there was a marked difference in the activity of some solutions against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. So, it is necessary for the contact lens users to store their lenses in solutions for longer duration of hours. It is also recommended to use solutions that clear the ISO 14729 standards for better health conditions of the eye.

Description: Information on the biodegradation potential of lake and river microbial communities is essential for watershed management. The water draining into the lake ecosystems often carries a significant amount of suspended sediments, which are transported by rivers and streams from the local drainage basin. The organic carbon processing in the sediments is executed by heterotrophic microbial communities, whose activities may vary spatially and temporally. Thus, to capture and apprehend some of these variabilities in the sediments, we sampled six sites: three from the Saint Clair River (SC1, SC2, and SC3) and three from Lake Saint Clair in the spring, summer, fall, and winter of 2016. Here, we investigated the shifts in metabolic profiles of sediment microbial communities, along Saint Clair River and Lake Saint Clair using Biolog EcoPlates, which test for the oxidation of 31 carbon sources. The number of utilized substrates was generally higher in the river sediments (upstream) than in the lake sediments (downstream), suggesting a shift in metabolic activities among microbial assemblages. Seasonal and site-specific differences were also found in the numbers of utilized substrates, which were similar in the summer and fall, and spring and winter. The sediment microbial communities in the summer and fall showed more versatile substrate utilization patterns than spring and winter communities. The functional fingerprint analyses clearly distinguish the sediment microbial communities from the lake sites (downstream more polluted sites), which showed a potential capacity to use more complex carbon substrates such as polymers. This study establishes a close linkage between physical and chemical properties (temperature and organic matter content) of lake and river sediments and associated microbial functional activities.

Description: Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds that have sparked interest in recent years because of their environmental advantages over conventional surfactants. The aim of this study was to investigate the production of biosurfactants by soil fungi isolated from the Amazon forest. Fungi colonies were isolated from soil samples and screened for biosurfactant production in submerged fermentation. In addition, the influences of bioprocess factors (carbon source, nitrogen source, pH, and fermentation time) were investigated. Finally, the biosurfactant produced was semipurified and submitted to stability tests. One hundred fungal cultures were obtained from the soil samples, identified by micromorphology, and submitted to screening for biosurfactant production. Sixty-one strains produced biosurfactants. The strain Penicillium 8CC2 showed the highest emulsification index (54.2%). The optimized bioprocess conditions for biosurfactant production by Penicillium 8CC2 were as follows: soybean oil, 20 g/L; yeast extract, 30 g/L; pH 9; duration of 9 days. The semipurified biosurfactant showed stability after heating at 100°C for 60 min and after the addition of 30% NaCl (w/v). Tween 80 (0.2% w/v), a conventional surfactant, was used as the control.

Description: This paper presents a new position sensorless scheme in which a smoothing filter algorithm is proposed to improve the results obtained through Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm in tracking the rotor position for sensorless control of brushless DC motors. The rotor position and speed are estimated from the input voltage and current using the Extended Kalman Filter. States obtained through filtering in each sampling instant are refined, using the new smoothing algorithm, giving much better results. In the proposed method, the estimated state in previous instant is enhanced using the present measurement sample by the smoothing algorithm which is then used to improve the present estimated state variables. The complete system is modelled and simulated in MATLAB to verify the merit of the proposed smoothing algorithm. A comparison with conventional EKF is done for various load torque and speed conditions to establish the performance of the new sensorless algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed smoothing technique offers better estimation accuracy. The peak error in the estimated speed and rotor position is considerably reduced when compared with EKF. The improved state estimate can be used as feedback for speed control of brushless DC motors in variable speed drives.

Description: Xenorhabdus stockiae PB09 bacterium has been shown to exhibit antifungal activity against several plant pathogens. To improve its efficacy, the optimization of the nutritional components in culture media was performed. The medium components that have significant effects on antifungal activity of X. stockiae PB09 were initially identified using a fractional factorial design. Response surface methodology and central composite design were then used to create a model for optimizing the levels of carbon, nitrogen, and mineral sources that maximize antifungal activity of X. stockiae PB09. After that, the suitable carbon, nitrogen, and mineral sources were selected and adjusted by the second-order polynomial regression model, which predicted that 98.62% of antifungal activity could be obtained when the medium contained sucrose, yeast extract, NaCl, and K2HPO4 at 3.24, 23.71, 5.46, and 2.73 g/L, respectively. Laboratory verification of this recipe resulted in the antifungal activity at 97.95% in the shake flask experiment after 48-hour cultivation, which was significantly 27.22% higher than that obtained by using the TSB medium. In addition, X. stockiae PB09 cultured in the verified recipe by using 5 L fermenter could effectively inhibit the mycelial growth of Phytophthora sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium sp., and Fusarium oxysporum. This study demonstrated that the RSM and CCD were shown to be valuable tools for optimizing the culture medium that maximize the antifungal activity of X. stockiae PB09.

Description: The various applications of squeezing flow between two parallel surfaces such as those that are evident in manufacturing industries, polymer processing, compression, power transmission, lubricating system, food processing, and cooling amongst others call for further study on the effects of various parameters on the flow phenomena. In the present study, effects of nanoparticle geometry, slip, and temperature jump conditions on thermo-magneto-solutal squeezing flow of nanofluid between two parallel disks embedded in a porous medium are investigated, analyzed, and discussed. Similarity variables are used to transform the developed governing systems of nonlinear partial differential equations to systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Homotopy perturbation method is used to solve the systems of the nonlinear ordinary differential equations. In order to verify the accuracy of the developed analytical solutions, the results of the homotopy perturbation method are compared with the results of the numerical method using the shooting method coupled with the fourth-order Runge–Kutta, and good agreements are established. Through the approximate analytical solutions, parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effects of nanoparticle size and shape, Brownian motion parameter, nanoparticle parameter, thermophoresis parameter, Hartmann number, Lewis number and pressure gradient parameters, slip, and temperature jump boundary conditions on thermo-solutal and hydromagnetic behavior of the nanofluid. This study will enhance and advance the understanding of nanofluidics such as energy conservation, friction reduction, and micromixing of biological samples.

Description: H. pylori infection causes peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric carcinoma. It has several virulence factors such as cytotoxin-associated gene A(cagA) and the induced by contact with epithelium antigen (iceA). We aimed to explore the relationship between cagA and iceA of H. pylori and gastrointestinal diseases. One hundred and eighteen patients who attended Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit at Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt, were included in this study. Two gastric biopsies were collected and evaluated by rapid urease test (RUT) and PCR. cagA and iceA genes were amplified by PCR. We found that 54 patients (45.76%) were positive by both RUT and PCR. cagA and iceA genes were present in 57.4% and 46.29% of the studied patients, respectively. cagA was the most prevalent gene in gastritis (33.3%) and peptic ulcer (68.7%). iceA1/iceA2 positive genes were the most prevalent in gastric cancer (75%). iceA1 gene was present in 38.7% of cagA positive cases, but iceA2 gene was present in 45.2% of cagA positive cases. iceA1/iceA2 positive genes were present in 29% of cagA positive cases. In conclusion, cagA and iceA genes could be used as markers for severe gastrointestinal diseases. iceA gene was strongly related to cagA gene.

Description: Inventory reliability of the life-cycle assessment (LCA) model highly depends on the data quality and normally exhibits significant uncertainty. A rigorous statistical methodology was established to capture and quantify the inherent uncertainties linked to the results of the LCA model. Two sources of uncertainty, data quality and model, were identified. The former was captured by converting the deterministic value to probability density function using beta distribution according to the evaluation matrix of data quality; the latter was assessed by prescribing variation interval through defining uncertainty factor. The functional equivalent pavement structures were designed, and the corresponding energy consumption and CO2 emission were calculated by the LCA model. A 10% variation was observed for the LCA results and within 30-year analysis span, at the 95% confidence level, and environmental burdens of cement pavement are higher than those of asphalt pavements while the comparison between the two asphalt pavements is not significant statistically. Therefore, the established statistical methodology is capable of capturing the uncertainty of the LCA model and quantifying the reliability the LCA results.

Description: Morphological and functional leaf traits like leaf toughness and nutrient content are essentially influenced by the environment, especially through light and climatic conditions. Varying light conditions have been identified as a significant predictor for the variation of many leaf traits. However, the leaf acclimation to light is suggested to be of secondary importance. The aim of the experimental study was to analyse environmental effects (microclimate and soil moisture), which are present in upper canopies of forest stands, on leaf traits of juvenile Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech; Fagaceae), Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore maple; Sapindaceae), and Carpinus betulus L. (hornbeam; Betulaceae). The experimental design managed to imitate two distinct microclimates causing different temperature and air humidity conditions. Furthermore, the irrigation treatment with different levels of applied water caused distinct soil moisture conditions in the trial pots. As a result of the treatments, leaves of C. betulus showed a tendency of decreased specific leaf area (SLA) caused by the treatment with warmer and drier microclimate. The environmental effect on SLA was even stronger with lower soil moisture conditions. Chlorophyll content showed lower values in treatments with higher soil moisture conditions in both greenhouses for F. sylvatica and A. pseudoplatanus. The trends are in accordance with combined effects of temperature, air humidity, and soil moisture on SLA, and increased leaf chlorophyll content caused by slight drought stress. Plants in the greenhouses were exposed to full sunlight indicating a microclimatic environment comparable to upper canopies in forest stands. The comparable SLA and chlorophyll content between leaves of mature F. sylvatica trees in upper canopies and juvenile trees of the greenhouses suggest similar environmental conditions instead of ontogenetic effects that are responsible for the formation of leaf trait characteristics.

Description: The circumglobal deep-sea gelatinous giant octopod, Haliphron atlanticus, reaches 4 m in length and uses both benthic and pelagic habitats in the upper 3000 m of the ocean during different life history stages, but it is rarely observed due to the deep-depths where it typically lives. It has been collected in trawls and observed a few times near continental margins or islands and has been identified in the stomach contents of deep-diving predators such as sperm whales and blue sharks or detected as body fragments after predation events. An individual H. atlanticus (~1 m in total length) was video-recorded at 12:21 for about 3 minutes in front of the Shinkai 6500 submersible at 586–599 m (6.5°C, salinity 34.4) along the West Mariana Ridge. It made no escape attempt as the submersible approached and it moved slowly up or down in front of the submersible. It was over the outer seamount-slope (bottom depth ~3208 m) ~50 km west of seamounts (≥1529 m summits), but how it fits into the mesopelagic food web along the ridge is unclear. More information is needed to understand the role of H. atlanticus in oceanic food webs and if it typically lives along seamount ridges.

Description: Background. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered as the most common bacterial infection seen among the pediatric patients. Objective. This study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence of urinary tract infection in pediatric patients, identify bacterial uropathogens responsible for the infection, and study the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of bacterial isolates. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study designed and conducted from January to April 2014. Clean-voided midstream urine specimens were obtained from 384 pediatric patients less than or equal to 15 years in sterile universal bottles. Urine collected from each patient was inoculated onto CLED and blood agar plates using a calibrated inoculating loop with a capacity of 0.001 ml. Inoculated plates were incubated for 24–48 hours at 37°C at inverted position aerobically. Bacterial isolates were indentified and characterized by Gram stain and by using an array of standard routine biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Frequency distribution tables were used to describe the findings. Logistical regression was also used to estimate crude odds ratio (COR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of positive responses to the different variables, and values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. Result. In this study, a total of 384 patients (199 males and 185 females) aged less than or equal to 15 years from whom urine samples were collected were enrolled. Of these patients, 61 (15.9%) had significant bacteriuria. Of the 185 females, 36 (19.5%) came up with positive cultures, while 25 (12.6%) of the 199 males had significant bacteriuria, and the largest number of study subjects were below the age of 3 years, and the largest positive culture was obtained from this age group, accounting for 35 (57.4%.) out of 61 positive cultures. Bacterial species belonging to six genera were isolated and identified from 61 positive cultures, and the genera were Escherichia, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Acinetobacter, and Enterococcus. E. coli was isolated in 28 cases (49.5 %), followed by Klebsiella spp. in 17 cases (27.9%), Staphylococcus spp. in 5 patients (8.2%.) (S. aureus in one and coagulase-negative staphylococci in 4 cases), Enterococcus in 7 cases (11.5%), Proteus spp. in 3 cases (4.9%), and Acinetobacter in one case (1.6%). Of the bacterial isolates, E. coli was found out to be the most common pathogen followed by Klebsiella spp. Furthermore, E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were the most common pathogens in female patients accounting for 71.4% and 64.7%, respectively. Regarding susceptibility tests, E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were not 100% susceptible to any of the 11 antibiotics tested. Acinetobacter spp. had 100% resistance to three antibiotics: gentamicin (GN), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXM), and augmentin (AMP). But they were 100% susceptible to ciprofloxacin (CIP), cefuroxime (CXM), norfloxacin (NOR), and ceftazidime (CAZ). On the contrary, Proteus spp. was 100% sensitive to all drugs except to nitrofurantoin. Species of Enterococcus had resistance of 71.4% to chloramphenicol (C) and 85.7% to both SXM and erythromycin. S. aureus was 100% susceptible to almost all drugs, while coagulase-negative staphylococci were not as susceptible as S. aureus. Multidrug resistance to two or more drugs was observed in 73.7% of the bacterial isolates. Conclusion. This study determined the prevalence of urinary tract infection in pediatric patients and highlighted the major bacterial uropathogens involved in UTI for the first time in the country. Furthermore, bacterial pathogen species and their frequency was consistent with the usually reported pattern, with E. coli being the most common organism isolated in cases of urinary tract infections followed by Klebsiella spp. Most of the bacterial isolates were multidrug resistant, and it is therefore suggested that appropriate antimicrobials should be administered to reduce the risk of multidrug resistant organisms developing and avert ineffectiveness of antibiotics. This condition indicates that antibiotic selection should be based on knowledge of the local prevalence of bacterial organisms and antibiotic sensitivities rather than empirical treatment. The present study indicated that ciprofloxacin (CIP), ceftazidime (CAZ), cefotaxime (CTX), cefuroxime (CXM), clindamycin (DA), and ceftriaxone (CRO) were the best antibiotics for the treatment of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial uropathogens, respectively, in the study area relatively.

Description: We propose a general formal modeling and verification of the air traffic control system (ATC). This study is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) standards and recommendations. It provides a sophisticated assistance system that helps in visualizing aircrafts and presents automatic bugs detection. In such a critical safety system, the use of robust formal methods that assure bugs absence is highly required. Therefore, this work suggests a formalism of discrete transition systems based on abstraction and refinement along proofs. These ensure the consistency of the system by means of invariants preservation and deadlock freedom. Hence, all invariants hold permanently providing a handy solution for bugs absence verification. It follows that the said deadlock freedom ensures a continuous running of a given system. This specification and modeling technique enable the system to be corrected by construction.

Description: In recent years, metaheuristic algorithms have revolutionized the world with their better problem solving capacity. Any metaheuristic algorithm has two phases: exploration and exploitation. The ability of the algorithm to solve a difficult optimization problem depends upon the efficacy of these two phases. These two phases are tied with a bridging mechanism, which plays an important role. This paper presents an application of chaotic maps to improve the bridging mechanism of Grasshopper Optimisation Algorithm (GOA) by embedding 10 different maps. This experiment evolves 10 different chaotic variants of GOA, and they are named as Enhanced Chaotic Grasshopper Optimization Algorithms (ECGOAs). The performance of these variants is tested over ten shifted and biased unimodal and multimodal benchmark functions. Further, the applications of these variants have been evaluated on three-bar truss design problem and frequency-modulated sound synthesis parameter estimation problem. Results reveal that the chaotic mechanism enhances the performance of GOA. Further, the results of the Wilcoxon rank sum test also establish the efficacy of the proposed variants.

Description: Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo colonizes cattle kidneys and may occasionally infect humans and other mammals. Strains belonging to two clonal subtypes (types A and B) with marked differences in their pathogenicity in the hamster experimental model have been described for this serovar. Such differences have been attributed to point mutations in individual genes, although those genes have not yet been characterized. In order to better understand genetic variability among L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo isolates, we sequenced and compared the genomes of two laboratory-adapted strains and three abattoir-derived field isolates of L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo. Relatively low genetic variability was observed within isolates of the same subtype, with most of the mutations of moderate or high impact found in the laboratory-adapted isolates. In contrast, several differences regarding gene content and genetic variants were observed between the two subtypes. Putative type-specific genes appear to encode proteins associated with functions that are critical for infection. Some of these genes seem to be involved in transcriptional regulation, possibly leading to a distinct regulatory pattern in each type. These results show that changes in regulatory mechanisms, previously suggested to be critical during Leptospira speciation, may occur in L. borgpetersenii. In addition, the bioinformatics methodology used in this study for variant calling can be useful to other groups working with nonmodel prokaryotic organisms such as Leptospira species.

Description: We present a data-driven modeling (DDM) approach for static modeling of commercial photovoltaic (PV) microinverters. The proposed modeling approach handles all possible microinverter operating modes, including burst mode. No prior knowledge of internal components, structure, and control algorithm is assumed in developing the model. The approach is based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). To generate the data used to train the model, a Power Hardware in the Loop (PHIL) approach is applied. Instantaneous inputs-outputs data are collected from the terminals of a commercial PV microinverter at time domain. Then, the collected data are converted to the frequency domain using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The ANNs that are the core of the DDM are developed in frequency domain. The outputs of the ANNs are then converted back to time domain for validation and use in system level simulation. The comparison between measured and simulated data validates the performance of the presented approach.

Description: This article presents a real photovoltaic module with modeling and simulations starting from the model of a photovoltaic (PV) cell. ,, and characteristics are simulated for different solar irradiation, temperatures, series resistances, and parallel resistances. For a real photovoltaic module (ALTIUS Module AFP-235W) there are estimated series and parallel resistances for which the energetical performances of the module have optimal values for a solar radiation of 1000 W/m2 and a temperature of the environment of 25°C. Temperature influence over the PV module performances is analyzed by using a thermal model of the ALTIUS Module AFP-235W using the finite element method. A temperature variation on the surface of the PV module is starting from a low value 40.15°C to a high value of 52.07°C. Current and power estimation are within the errors from 1.55% to about 4.3%. Experimental data are measured for the photovoltaic ALTIUS Module AFP-235W for an entire daylight.

Description: Modeling studies using 3D-QSAR and molecular docking methods were performed on a set of 34 hybrids of 4-aminoquinoline derivatives previously studied as effective antimalarial agents of wild type and quadruple mutant Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). So, the famous mathematical method multiple linear regression (MLR) was explored to build the QSAR model. The DFT-B3LYP method with the basis set 6-31G was used to calculate the quantum chemical descriptors, chosen to represent the electronic descriptors of molecular structures. On the contrary, the MM2 method was used to calculate lipophilic, geometrical, physicochemical, and steric descriptors. The QSAR model tested with artificial neural network (ANN) method shows high performance towards its predictability. The predicted model was confirmed by three validation methods: leave-one-out (LOO) cross validation, Y-randomization, and validation external. The molecular docking study of three compounds 9, 11, and 26 on both wild and quadruple mutant types of pf-DHFR-TS as the protein target helps to understand more and then predict the binding modes with the binding sites.

Description: The growing amount of data in healthcare industry has made inevitable the adoption of big data techniques in order to improve the quality of healthcare delivery. Despite the integration of big data processing approaches and platforms in existing data management architectures for healthcare systems, these architectures face difficulties in preventing emergency cases. The main contribution of this paper is proposing an extensible big data architecture based on both stream computing and batch computing in order to enhance further the reliability of healthcare systems by generating real-time alerts and making accurate predictions on patient health condition. Based on the proposed architecture, a prototype implementation has been built for healthcare systems in order to generate real-time alerts. The suggested prototype is based on spark and MongoDB tools.

Description: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is emerging as a metabolic epidemic worldwide. Pathologically, dysregulation of many biological pathways precedes hyperglycemia and the clinical diagnosis of T2DM. Changing trajectories along the process of T2DM development necessitates frequent measurement of biomarkers for early identification of at-risk individuals and successful prevention. Increase in circulating inflammatory adipokines has been suggested as predictive of T2DM. Human saliva is an easily accessible biospecimen amenable for painless frequent collection and possesses nearly 50% of serum proteome. In this study, we measured the adipokines resistin, visfatin, TNF-α, and ghrelin as markers for T2DM in unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) using specific assay kits. Resistin and visfatin concentrations were significantly higher in T2DM saliva. Although the concentration of acylated or unacylated ghrelin was lower in diabetic saliva, the decrease was not significant. Since resistin and visfatin are biomarkers integral to T2DM pathology, their salivary assessments may receive clinical acceptance.

Description: The increasing prevalence of diabetes continues to be a major health issue worldwide. Alteration of mitochondrial electron transport chain is a recognized hallmark of the diabetic-associated decline in liver bioenergetics; however, the molecular events involved are only poorly understood. Moringa oleifera is used for the treatment of diabetes. However, its role on mitochondrial functionality is not yet established. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of M. oleifera extract on supercomplex formation, ATPase activity, ROS production, GSH levels, lipid peroxidation, and protein carbonylation. The levels of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation were increased in diabetic group. However, the levels were decreased in Moringa-treated diabetic rats. Analysis of in-gel activity showed an increase in all complex activities in the diabetic group, but spectrophotometric determinations of complex II and IV activities were unaffected in this treatment. However, we found an oxygen consumption abolition through complex I-III-IV pathway in the diabetic group treated with Moringa. While respiration with succinate feeding into complex II-III-IV was increased in the diabetic group. These findings suggest that hyperglycemia modifies oxygen consumption, supercomplexes formation, and increases ROS levels in mitochondria from the liver of STZ-diabetic rats, whereas M. oleifera may have a protective role against some alterations.

Description: The emergence of tuberculosis is at the peak; therefore to station it at its lower level we hereby try bioinformatics approach against Mycobacterium tuberculosis [M. tuberculosis] pathogenesis. Rv3906c is a conserved hypothetical gene of M. tuberculosis and contains many GTP binding protein motif DXXG which demonstrate that this gene might be processed in a GTP binding or in GTP hydrolyzing manner. This gene shows interaction with its adjacent genes as well as pcnA which is a polymerase and localized in the extracellular region and found to be a soluble protein. Rv3906c has binding pockets for calcium atom at various positions which prove that calcium might have some role during the process of this gene. GTP binding protein motif DXXG is present in various positions and calcium binds at this site with a C-score of 0.25. Mutational analysis on this motif shows the large decrease of stability after mutation of aspartate residue with glycine. Stress conditions like pH and temperature also change stability of the protein. A decrease in stability at this position might play a role in inhibition of survival of the pathogen. These computational studies of this gene might be a successful step towards drug development against tuberculosis.

Description: Concept-centered semantic maps were created based on a text-mining analysis of PubMed using the BiblioEngine_v2018 software. The objects (“concepts”) of a semantic map can be MeSH-terms or other terms (names of proteins, diseases, chemical compounds, etc.) structured in the form of controlled vocabularies. The edges between the two objects were automatically calculated based on the index of semantic similarity, which is proportional to the number of publications related to both objects simultaneously. On the one hand, an individual semantic map created based on the already published papers allows us to trace scientific inquiry. On the other hand, a prospective analysis based on the study of PubMed search history enables us to determine the possible directions for future research.

Description: Ticks cause approximately $17–19 billion economic losses to the livestock industry globally. Development of recombinant antitick vaccine is greatly hindered by insufficient knowledge and understanding of proteins expressed by ticks. Ticks secrete immunosuppressant proteins that modulate the host’s immune system during blood feeding; these molecules could be a target for antivector vaccine development. Recombinant p36, a 36 kDa immunosuppressor from the saliva of female Dermacentor andersoni, suppresses T-lymphocytes proliferation in vitro. To identify potential unique structural and dynamic properties responsible for the immunosuppressive function of p36 proteins, this study utilized bioinformatic tool to characterize and model structure of D. andersoni p36 protein. Evaluation of p36 protein family as suitable vaccine antigens predicted a p36 homolog in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, the tick vector of East Coast fever, with an antigenicity score of 0.7701 that compares well with that of Bm86 (0.7681), the protein antigen that constitute commercial tick vaccine Tickgard™. Ab initio modeling of the D. andersoni p36 protein yielded a 3D structure that predicted conserved antigenic region, which has potential of binding immunomodulating ligands including glycerol and lactose, found located within exposed loop, suggesting a likely role in immunosuppressive function of tick p36 proteins. Laboratory confirmation of these preliminary results is necessary in future studies.

Description: This work investigated the content of total polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids as well as their toxicity and larvicidal and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. The antioxidant activities of two medicinal Senna species extracts (Senna cana and Senna pendula) were also investigated. The ethanol extract of the leaves of S. cana and the ethanol extract of the branches of S. pendula presented the best performance in the DPPH/FRAP and ABTS/ORAC assays, respectively. For the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, the hexane extract of the flowers of S. pendula presented the lowest IC50 value among the ethanol extracts of the leaves of S. cana and showed the best performance in some assays. The hexane extract of the leaves of S. pendula and the hexane extract of the branches of S. cana were moderate to Artemia salina Leach. In the quantification of phenols and flavonoids, the ethanol extract of the leaves of S. cana presented the best results. The ethanol extracts of the leaves of S. cana were found to be rich in antioxidants, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. These results indicate the antioxidant potential of the extracts of Senna species and can be responsible for some of the therapeutic uses of these plants.

Description: Med6 protein (Med6p) is a hallmark component of evolutionarily conserved Mediator complexes, and the genuine role of Med6p in Mediator functions remains elusive. For the functional analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Med6p (scMed6p), we generated a series of scMed6p mutants harboring a small internal deletion. Genetic analysis of these mutants revealed that three regions (amino acids 33–42 (Δ2), 125–134 (Δ5), and 157–166 (Δ6)) of scMed6p are required for cell viability and are located at highly conserved regions of Med6 homologs. Notably, the Med6p-Δ2 mutant was barely detectable in whole-cell extracts and purified Mediator, suggesting a loss of Mediator association and concurrent rapid degradation. Consistent with this, the recombinant forms of Med6p having these mutations partially (Δ2) restore or fail (Δ5 and Δ6) to restore in vitro transcriptional defects caused by temperature-sensitive med6 mutation. In an artificial recruitment assay, Mediator containing a LexA-fused wild-type Med6p or Med6p-Δ5 was recruited to the lexA operator region with TBP and activated reporter gene expression. However, the recruitment of Mediator containing LexA-Med6p-Δ6 to lexA operator region resulted in neither TBP recruitment nor reporter gene expression. This result demonstrates a pivotal role of Med6p in the postrecruitment function of Mediator, which is essential for transcriptional activation by Mediator.

Description: Heart diseases, especially acute coronary syndrome (ACS), are among the most severe illnesses that often lead to death. Despite significant advances in the prevention and treatment of ACS, the incidence of the disease and its complications are very serious. The imbalance between pro- and antioxidant systems, the formation of active carbonyl compounds, and the end products of glycation in the blood and tissues are the key moments in the development of heart and neurological disorders leading to a change of behavioral responses. So, the search for antioxidants with cardio- and neuroprotective effects is an urgent task. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of Corvitin and 2-oxoglutarate on physiological parameters, heart histology, and markers of carbonyl/oxidative stress of rats with pituitrin-isoproterenol-induced myocardial damage (PIMD). Increased sweating, tachycardia, significantly decreased locomotor and exploratory activity, changes of ECG, heart histology, and biochemical changes were observed in the PIMD-group. The administration of Corvitin or 2-OG led to the recovery of locomotor and cognitive activities of the rats, improvement in heart histology, a decrease in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, advanced glycated end products, and various changes in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, 6 days after PIMD. So, Corvitin and exogenous 2-OG show cardio- and neuroprotective effects through the decrease of carbonyl/oxidative stress and regulation of the activity of the antioxidant system.

Description: Hydrophobic-Polar model is a simplified representation of Protein Structure Prediction (PSP) problem. However, even with the HP model, the PSP problem remains NP-complete. This work proposes a systematic and problem specific design for operators of the evolutionary program which hybrids with local search hill climbing, to efficiently explore the search space of PSP and thereby obtain an optimum conformation. The proposed algorithm achieves this by incorporating the following novel features: (i) new initialization method which generates only valid individuals with (rather than random) better fitness values; (ii) use of probability-based selection operators that limit the local convergence; (iii) use of secondary structure based mutation operator that makes the structure more closely to the laboratory determined structure; and (iv) incorporating all the above-mentioned features developed a complete two-tier framework. The developed framework builds the protein conformation on the square and triangular lattice. The test has been performed using benchmark sequences, and a comparative evaluation is done with various state-of-the-art algorithms. Moreover, in addition to hypothetical test sequences, we have tested protein sequences deposited in protein database repository. It has been observed that the proposed framework has shown superior performance regarding accuracy (fitness value) and speed (number of generations needed to attain the final conformation). The concepts used to enhance the performance are generic and can be used with any other population-based search algorithm such as genetic algorithm, ant colony optimization, and immune algorithm.

Description: We performed locus similarity calculation by measuring fuzzy intersection between individual locus and reference locus and then performed CODIS STR-DNA similarity calculation. The fuzzy intersection calculation enables a more robust CODIS STR-DNA similarity calculation due to imprecision caused by noise produced by PCR machine. We also proposed shifted convoluted Gaussian fuzzy number (SCGFN) and Gaussian fuzzy number (GFN) to represent each locus value as improvement of triangular fuzzy number (TFN) as used in previous research. Compared to triangular fuzzy number (TFN), GFN is more realistic to represent uncertainty of locus information because the distribution is assumed to be Gaussian. Then, the original Gaussian fuzzy number (GFN) is convoluted with distribution of certain ethnic locus information to produce the new SCGFN which more represents ethnic information compared to original GFN. Experiments were done for the following cases: people with family relationships, people of the same tribe, and certain tribal populations. The statistical test with analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows the difference in similarity between SCGFN, GFN, and TFN with a significant level of 95%. The Tukey method in ANOVA shows that SCGFN yields a higher similarity which means being better than the GFN and TFN methods. The proposed method enables CODIS STR-DNA similarity calculation which is more robust to noise and performed better CODIS similarity calculation involving familial and tribal relationships.

Description: Oldenlandia diffusa has been used to treat various cancers. Cytochrome P450, a drug metabolic enzyme, might be influenced by herbal medicine. Currently, the problem that remains is the effective treatment in drug-drug interaction situation. Potential influences of Oldenlandia diffusa were elucidated on the CYP450 activities in rats using a cocktail method. Blood samples were precipitated by acetonitrile. Quantitative determination of target test object was done by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry detection. Influences of oldenlandia diffusa on the activities of five CYP450 subtypes in rats were evaluated by five specific probe drugs (phenacetin for CYP1A2, omeprazole for CYP2C19, tolbutamide for CYP2C9, metoprolol for CYP2D6, and midazolam for CYP3A4) according to the pharmacokinetic parameters changes. No statistically significant difference () in pharmacokinetic behaviors can be observed in the five probe drugs. There is a potential guidance on clinical drug combination with Oldenlandia diffusa. Oldenlandia diffusa in compound preparation showed well security.

Description: Nowadays, microarray technology has become one of the popular ways to study gene expression and diagnosis of disease. National Center for Biology Information (NCBI) hosts public databases containing large volumes of biological data required to be preprocessed, since they carry high levels of noise and bias. Robust Multiarray Average (RMA) is one of the standard and popular methods that is utilized to preprocess the data and remove the noises. Most of the preprocessing algorithms are time-consuming and not able to handle a large number of datasets with thousands of experiments. Parallel processing can be used to address the above-mentioned issues. Hadoop is a well-known and ideal distributed file system framework that provides a parallel environment to run the experiment. In this research, for the first time, the capability of Hadoop and statistical power of R have been leveraged to parallelize the available preprocessing algorithm called RMA to efficiently process microarray data. The experiment has been run on cluster containing 5 nodes, while each node has 16 cores and 16 GB memory. It compares efficiency and the performance of parallelized RMA using Hadoop with parallelized RMA using affyPara package as well as sequential RMA. The result shows the speed-up rate of the proposed approach outperforms the sequential approach and affyPara approach.

Description: Forests in Nepal are extremely important for supporting the livelihood of millions of people who collect forest products for their subsistence use and partly for income generation. Such inherent dependence is expected to cause disturbance in the forest ecosystem. We investigated changes in the structural assemblages caused by the interaction between anthropogenic disturbances and forest management activities in the mixed forests of Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) of Terai, Central Nepal. We evaluated three buffer zone community forests (BZCFs), namely, Radha Krishna, Musharni Mai, and Janajagaran of Parsa Wildlife Reserve (PWR); the forest inside PWR was taken as a control. A transect of 2 km length was laid in each forest, and six plots, each of 1 ha size, were established at a successive interval of 300 m along the edge to the interior of the forests to count and record the diameter at breast height (DBH) of the studied plants. We observed that the species diversity increased linearly (p

Description: Background. Syphilis among female sex workers (FSW) remains a public health concern due to its potential impact on their health and the possibility of transmission to their clients, partners, and children. Recent data on the prevalence of syphilis in the population in West Africa are scarce. The objective of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of syphilis serological markers among female sex workers in Burkina Faso. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among FSW between February 2013 and May 2014. Participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) methods in five cities of Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Ouahigouya, and Tenkodogo). FSW were enrolled and screened for syphilis using a syphilis serological rapid diagnostic test. Data from all cities were analyzed with Stata version 14.0. Results. A total of 1045 FSW were screened for syphilis. Participants’ mean age was 27.2 ± 0.2 years. The syphilis serological markers were detected in 5.6% (95% CI: 4.4–7.2) of the participants whereas active syphilis was seen in 1.4% (95% CI: 0.9–2.4). RDS weighted prevalence of syphilis serological markers and active syphilis by city were, respectively, estimated to be 0.0% to 11.0% (95% CI: 8.1–14.7) and 0.0% to 2.2% (95% CI: 1.1–4.4). No syphilis markers were found among Ouahigouya FSW. Low education level and high number of clients were factors associated with syphilis markers among the FSW. Conclusion. The prevalence of syphilis markers was high during this study among FSW. This highlights the need to reinforce the comprehensive preventive measures and treatment of syphilis in this population.

Description: Lactobacillus fermentum colonizing gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts of humans and animals is widely used in manufacturing of fermented products and as probiotics. These bacteria may function as vehicles of antibiotic resistance genes, which can be transferred to pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, monitoring and control of transmissible antibiotic resistance determinants in these microorganisms is necessary to approve their safety status. The aim of this study was to characterize erythromycin and tetracycline resistance of L. fermentum isolates and to estimate the potential transfer of resistance genes from lactobacilli to the other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Among six L. fermentum strains isolated from human feces and commercial dairy products, five strains demonstrated phenotypic resistance to tetracycline. PCR screening for antibiotic resistance determinants revealed plasmid-located tetracycline resistance genes tet(K) and tet(M) in all strains and erythromycin resistance genes erm(B) in the chromosome of L. fermentum 5-1 and erm(C) in the plasmid of L. fermentum 3-4. All tested lactobacilli lacked conjugative transposon Tn916 and were not able to transfer tetracycline resistance genes to Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes, Acinetobacter baumannii, Citrobacter freundii, and Escherichia coli by filter mating. Staphylococcus haemolyticus did not accept erythromycin resistance genes from corresponding Lactobacillus strains. Thus, in the present study, L. fermentum was not implicated in the spread of erythromycin and tetracycline resistance, but still these strains pose the threat to the environment and human health because they harbored erythromycin and tetracycline resistance genes in their plasmids and therefore should not be used in foods and probiotics.

Description: lane-change path imposes symmetric conditions on the path geometric properties. This paper presents the comparative study of time-optimal velocities to minimize the time needed for traversal of three planar symmetric parametric polynomial lane-change paths followed by an autonomous vehicle, assuming that the neighboring lane is free. A simulated model based on unicycle that accounts for the acceleration and velocity bounds and is particularly simple for generating the time-optimal path parameterization of each lane-change path is adopted. We base the time-optimal trajectory simulations on numerical integration on a path basis under two different end conditions representing sufficient and restricted steering spaces with remarkable difference in allowable maximum curvature. The rest-to-rest lane-change maneuvering simulations highlight the effect of the most relevant path geometric properties on minimal travel time: a faster lane-change curve such as a quintic Bezier curve followed by a unicycle tends to be shorter in route length and lower in maximum curvature to have achievable highest speed at the maximum curvature points. The results have implications to path selection for parallel parking and allow the design of continuous acceleration profile via time scaling for smooth, faster motion along a given path. This could provide a reference for on-road lane-change trajectory planning along a given path other than parametric polynomials for significantly more complex, complete higher-dimensional highly nonlinear dynamic model of autonomous ground vehicle considering aerodynamic forces, tire and friction forces of tire-ground interaction, and terrain topology in real-world.

Description: Certain rhizobacteria can be applied to remove arsenic in the environment through bioremediation or phytoremediation. This study determines the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of arsenic on identified rhizobacteria that were isolated from the roots of Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) Raven. The arsenic biosorption capability of the was also analyzed. Among the 10 isolated rhizobacteria, five were Gram-positive (Arthrobacter globiformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, and Staphylococcus lentus), and five were Gram-negative (Enterobacter asburiae, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pantoea spp., Rhizobium rhizogenes, and Rhizobium radiobacter). R. radiobacter showed the highest MIC of 〉1,500 mg/L of arsenic. All the rhizobacteria were capable of absorbing arsenic, and S. paucimobilis showed the highest arsenic biosorption capability (146.4 ± 23.4 mg/g dry cell weight). Kinetic rate analysis showed that B. cereus followed the pore diffusion model (R2 = 0.86), E. asburiae followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.99), and R. rhizogenes followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.93). The identified rhizobacteria differ in their mechanism of arsenic biosorption, arsenic biosorption capability, and kinetic models in arsenic biosorption.

Description: The immunomodulatory and self-renewable features of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) mark their importance in regenerative medicine. Interleukin 23 (IL- 23) as a proinflammatory cytokine suppresses T regulatory cells (Treg) and promotes the response of T helper 17 (Th17) and T helper 1 (Th1) cells. This pathway starts inflammation and immunosuppression in several autoimmune diseases. The current study for producing recombinant IL- 23 decoy receptor (RIL- 23R) using hAD-MSCs as a good candidate for ex vivo cell-based gene therapy purposes reducing inflammation in autoimmune diseases. hAD-MSCs was isolated from lipoaspirate and then characterized by differentiation. RIL- 23R was designed and cloned into a pCDH-813A- 1 lentiviral vector. The transduction of hAD-MSCs was performed at MOI (multiplicity of infection) = 50 with pCDH- EFI α- RIL- 23R- PGK copGFP. Expressions of RIL- 23R and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT- 4) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real time-PCR). Self-renewing properties were assayed with OCT- 4. Bioactivity of the designed RIL- 23R was evaluated by IL- 17 and IL- 10 expression of mouse splenocytes. Cell differentiation confirmed the true isolation of hAD-MSCs from lipoaspirate. Restriction of the enzyme digestion and sequencing verified the successful cloning of RIL- 23R in the CD813A-1 lentiviral vector. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) positive transduction rate was up to 90%, and real-time PCR showed the expression level of RIL-23R. Oct-4 had a similar expression pattern with nontransduced hAD-MSCs and transduced hAD-MSCs/ RIL-23R indicating that lentiviral vector did not affect hAD-MSCs characteristics. Downregulation of IL-17 and upregulation of IL-10 showed the correct activity of the engineered hAD-MSCs. The results showed that the transduced hAD-MSCs/ RIL- 23R, expressing IL-23 decoy receptor, can give a useful approach for a basic research on cell-based gene therapy for autoimmune disorders.

Description: The discovery of novel and more efficient antimicrobial agents from natural sources like plants is one of the most important ways through which the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens can be overcome. Herein, we report the potential antimicrobial activity of Cichorium endivia L. subsp. pumilum. Different concentrations of various solvent extracts prepared from several parts of chicory were tested for their antimicrobial effect against a panel of microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity was analyzed using the well diffusion method, where zones of inhibition were used as indicators of antimicrobial activity. The results indicated the superiority of seed extracts over both leaf and root extracts. Methanol extracts showed higher activity compared with chloroform and water extracts. Increased solvent extract concentration was accompanied by a parallel increase in the diameter of the inhibition zone. Gram-positive bacteria were found to be more sensitive than Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. On a whole, the highest observed inhibition zones (21.3 ± 0.6 and 20.1 ± 0.4 mm) were recorded with the methanolic extract of chicory seeds against S. aureus and B. cereus, respectively. These results offer insights into the antimicrobial potency of this Egyptian local plant and provide a basis for further phytochemical and pharmacological research.

Description: An investigation was carried out on variations in the morphological traits of Tamarindus indica LINN. fruits (length, breadth, mass, and pulp mass) and seeds (number and mass) from the different agroecological zones and land use types of Uganda. Fruits were collected from the two land use types in the three agroecological zones and measured for various morphological traits. The study sites were located between 593 and 1,096 meters above sea level. ANOVA was used to test the differences in morphological traits of fruits and seeds between agroecological zones and land use types. The morphological traits relationship was determined using Pearson Correlation Coefficient (R). There were significant (P≤0.05) variations among the T. indica fruits and seed morphological traits within the agroecological zones and land use types. Lake Victoria Crescent agroecological zone recorded higher fruits morphological traits values. Wild and on-farm land use types were superior in fruits and seed traits, respectively. Many seeds per fruit (17) were recorded in Uganda (Eastern agroecological zone) than those recorded elsewhere. Significant uphill positive linear correlations between all morphological traits (P≤0.05) were observed, with the strongest relationships being between seed mass and seed number (R=0.79), fruit mass and fruit length (R=0.75), pulp mass and fruit mass (R=0.73), and seed mass and fruit mass (R=0.73). However, fruit breadth presented slightly weaker positive linear correlations with all other morphological traits. This is the first quantitative evaluation of T. indica morphological traits variation in Uganda. Dispersion/variation and correlation relationships suggest that all the studied morphological traits can be used for selection of plus trees for tree breeding improvement such as yield per tree. The observed variations are probably attributed to influence of agroecological zones’ factors, environmental factors, climate, land use types, and farming systems, a reflection of T. indica adaptation to different conditions showing high genetic and phenotypic differences to be exploited.

Description: In this paper, a novel swarm intelligence-based ensemble metaheuristic optimization algorithm, called Structured Clanning-based Ensemble Optimization, is proposed for solving complex numerical optimization problems. The proposed algorithm is inspired by the complex and diversified behaviour present within the fission-fusion-based social structure of the elephant society. The population of elephants can consist of various groups with relationship between individuals ranging from mother-child bond, bond groups, independent males, and strangers. The algorithm tries to model this individualistic behaviour to formulate an ensemble-based optimization algorithm. To test the efficiency and utility of the proposed algorithm, various benchmark functions of different geometric properties are used. The algorithm performance on these test benchmarks is compared to various state-of-the-art optimization algorithms. Experiments clearly showcase the success of the proposed algorithm in optimizing the benchmark functions to better values.

Description: Enterococcus faecium has undergone a transition to a multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. The population structure of E. faecium is characterized by a sharp distinction of clades, where the hospital-adapted lineage is primarily responsible for bacteremia. So far, factors that were identified in hospital-adapted strains and that promoted pathogenesis of nosocomial E. faecium mainly play a role in adherence and biofilm production, while less is known about factors contributing to survival in blood. This study identified a gene cluster, which includes genes encoding bacterial Toll/interleukin-1 receptor- (TIR-) domain-containing proteins (TirEs). The cluster was found to be unique to nosocomial strains and to be located on a putative mobile genetic element of phage origin. The three genes within the cluster appeared to be expressed as an operon. Expression was detected in bacterial culture media and in the presence of human blood. TirEs are released into the bacterial supernatant, and TirE2 is associated with membrane vesicles. Furthermore, the tirE-gene cluster promotes bacterial proliferation in human blood, indicating that TirE may contribute to the pathogenesis of bacteremia.

Description: Designs of buildings are changing with emerging demands of several aesthetical features and efficient design based on geometry. Development of new building materials and construction techniques have enabled us to build new buildings which are tall and unsymmetrical, but unfortunately such structures are more susceptible to wind loads. Thus it becomes necessary to estimate wind loads with higher degree of confidence. Although ample information regarding wind load on symmetrical and regular structure is available in various international codes, they lack the study of effect of wind forces on unsymmetrical structures. This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of the wind effect on commonly used C-shaped buildings with varying aspect ratio and its optimization caused by the alteration of angle of incidence. Furthermore, results obtained by numerical analysis have been validated with the experimental one. For this study, numerical analysis has been carried out using ANSYS Fluent with k-ε model of turbulence. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques is used to evaluate the surface pressure on various faces of the model for angle of attack of 0° to 180° at an interval of 30° in a subsonic open circuit wind tunnel. The results found by CFD technique are well compared with the experimental results which suggest the feasibility of using this technique of predicting wind pressures on building efficiently and accurately.

Description: Partial nephrectomy (open or minimally invasive) usually requires temporary renal arterial occlusion to limit intraoperative bleeding and improve access to intrarenal structures. This is a time-critical step due to the critical ischemia period of renal tissue. Prolonged renal ischemia may lead to irreversible nephron damage in the remaining tissue and, ultimately, chronic kidney disease. This is potentiated by the incompletely understood ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). A key mechanism in IRI prevention appears to be the upregulation of an intracellular transcription protein, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF). HIF mediates metabolic adaptation, angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, cell growth, survival, and apoptosis. Upregulating HIF-1α via ischemic preconditioning (IPC) or drugs that simulate hypoxia (hypoxia-mimetics) has been investigated as a method to reduce IRI. While many promising chemical agents have been trialed for the prevention of IRI in small animal studies, all have failed in human trials. The aim of this review is to highlight the techniques and drugs that target HIF-1α and ameliorate IRI associated with renal ischemia. Developing a technique or drug that could reduce the risk of acute kidney injury associated with renal IRI would have an immediate worldwide impact on multisystem surgeries that would otherwise risk ischemic tissue injury.

Description: The lipid component of the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is primarily composed of the glycolipid lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which serves to form a protective barrier against hydrophobic toxins and many antibiotics. LPS is comprised of three regions: the lipid A membrane anchor, the nonrepeating core oligosaccharide, and the repeating O-antigen polysaccharide. The lipid A portion is also referred to as endotoxin as its overstimulation of the toll-like receptor 4 during systemic infection precipitates potentially fatal septic shock. Because of the importance of LPS for the viability and virulence of human pathogens, understanding how LPS is synthesized and transported to the outer leaflet of the outer membrane is important for developing novel antibiotics to combat resistant Gram-negative strains. The following review describes the current state of our understanding of the proteins responsible for the synthesis and transport of LPS with an emphasis on the contribution of protein structures to our understanding of their functions. Because the lipid A portion of LPS is relatively well conserved, a detailed description of the biosynthetic enzymes in the Raetz pathway of lipid A synthesis is provided. Conversely, less well-conserved biosynthetic enzymes later in LPS synthesis are described primarily to demonstrate conserved principles of LPS synthesis. Finally, the conserved LPS transport systems are described in detail.

Description: Milk and dairy foods have frequently been implicated in staphylococcal food poisoning, and contaminated raw milk is often involved. The aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in raw cow milk cheese produced in Mexico. A total of 78 unpasteurized cow milk cheese samples were screened for S. aureus. The isolates were identified as S. aureus based on morphology, Gram stain, catalase test, coagulase test, and mannitol salt agar fermentation. Isolates were subjected to biotyping, the methicillin resistance was analyzed using the disk diffusion, and the Staphylococcus enterotoxin A (SEA) production was examined by a dot-blot analysis. From a total of 78 samples of unpasteurized cheeses analyzed in this study, 44 cheeses were positive for S. aureus; however, a differential contamination between the different types of cheeses was observed, with high risk of contamination in adobero cheese (12, 95% CI 1.75 to 94.20; ). In this study, the frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was 18.1% (8/44) and of enterotoxin A producers was 18.1% (8/44). When classified by biotypes, MRSA only belongs to the human ecovar biotype (2/8, 25%) and the D biotype (4/8, 50%). S. aureus producers of enterotoxin A were distributed in specific nonhost biotypes.

Description: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are one of the major public health problems in developing countries like Nepal. Besides the influenza, several other pathogens are responsible for acute respiratory infection in children. Etiology of infections is poorly characterized at the course of clinical management, and hence empirical antimicrobial agents are used. The objective of this study was to characterize the influenza and other respiratory pathogens by real-time PCR assay. A total of 175 throat swab specimens of influenza-positive cases collected at National Influenza Center, Nepal, during the 2015/16 winter season were selected for detecting other respiratory copathogens. Total nucleic acid was extracted using Pure Link viral RNA/DNA mini kit (Invitrogen), and multiplex RT-PCR assays were performed. Influenza A and B viruses were found in 120 (68.6%) and 55 (31.4%) specimens, respectively, among which coinfections were found in 106 (60.6%) specimens. Among the influenza A-positive cases, 25 (20.8%) were A/H1N1 pdm09 and 95 (79.2%) were A/H3 subtypes. Viruses coinfected frequently with influenza virus in children were rhinovirus (26; 14.8%), respiratory syncytial virus A/B (19; 10.8%), adenovirus (14; 8.0%), coronavirus (CoV)-HKU1 (14; 8.0%), CoV-OC43 (5; 2.9%), CoV-229E (2; 1.1%), metapneumovirus A/B (5; 2.9%), bocavirus (6; 3.4%), enterovirus (5; 2.9%), parainfluenza virus-1 (3; 1.7%), and parainfluenza virus-3 (2; 1.1%). Coinfection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae with influenza virus was found in children (5; 2.8%). Most of the viral infection occurred in young children below 5 years of age. In addition to influenza virus, nine different respiratory pathogens were detected, of which coinfections of rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus A/B were predominantly found in children. This study gives us better information on the respiratory pathogen profile and coinfection combinations which are important for diagnosis and treatment of ARIs.

Description: Grammatophyllum speciosum is a plant in Orchidaceae family which contains a variety of phytochemical compounds that might be beneficial for medicinal use. This study aimed to evaluate the activity of pseudobulb of G. speciosum extract (GSE) in wound healing processes in human primary fibroblast cells along with in vitro antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of GSE. Scratch wound healing assay indicated that GSE was capable of increasing migration rate after 6 and 9 hours of treatment. Besides, the extract was able to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radicals indicating the antioxidative property of GSE. This study suggested a novel role of the of pseudobulb extract of G. speciosum as a wound healing enhancer. The results from this study might be beneficial for the development of further novel active compounds for skin wound healing.

Description: Declines in wild and managed bee species richness and abundances have been observed throughout Europe and North America in recent decades. These declines have led to questions regarding pollination of wild and cultivated plants. In response to these concerns, efforts towards the conservation of pollinators have been initiated. Part of this conservation effort should be to provide the basic nutritional needs for bees. Nutrition plays one of the most important roles in bee growth, development, and reproduction. There is a large body of information regarding honey bee nutrition, whereas we lack nutritional information on native wild bees. Our knowledge of bumble bee nutritional needs has increased since the introduction of commercial rearing and sale of certain bumble bee species; however, there is still a lack of basic nutritional guidelines such as minimum dietary needs of proteins, amino acids, lipids, and sterols. The large difference in physiology and life history between honey bees and North American wild bees suggests that their nutritional requirements could be quite different.

Description: Encouraged by the recent progress in pedestrian detection, we investigate the gap between current state-of-the-art methods and the “perfect single frame detector”. We enable our analysis by creating a human baseline for pedestrian detection (over the Caltech pedestrian dataset). After manually clustering the frequent errors of a top detector, we characterise both localisation and background-versus-foreground errors. To address localisation errors we study the impact of training annotation noise on the detector performance, and show that we can improve results even with a small portion of sanitised training data. To address background/foreground discrimination, we study convnets for pedestrian detection, and discuss which factors affect their performance. Other than our in-depth analysis, we report top performance on the Caltech pedestrian dataset, and provide a new sanitised set of training and test annotations.

Description: This paper addresses the problem of robust and efficient relative rotation averaging in the context of large-scale Structure from Motion. Relative rotation averaging finds global or absolute rotations for a set of cameras from a set of observed relative rotations between pairs of cameras. We propose a generalized framework of relative rotation averaging that can use different robust loss functions and jointly optimizes for all the unknown camera rotations. Our method uses a quasi-Newton optimization which results in an efficient iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) formulation that works in the Lie algebra of the 3D rotation group. We demonstrate the performance of our approach on a number of large-scale data sets. We show that our method outperforms existing methods in the literature both in terms of speed and accuracy.

Description: Speaker diarization consists of assigning speech signals to people engaged in a dialogue. An audio-visual spatiotemporal diarization model is proposed. The model is well suited for challenging scenarios that consist of several participants engaged in multi-party interaction while they move around and turn their heads towards the other participants rather than facing the cameras and the microphones. Multiple-person visual tracking is combined with multiple speech-source localization in order to tackle the speech-to-person association problem. The latter is solved within a novel audio-visual fusion method on the following grounds: binaural spectral features are first extracted from a microphone pair, then a supervised audio-visual alignment technique maps these features onto an image, and finally a semi-supervised clustering method assigns binaural spectral features to visible persons. The main advantage of this method over previous work is that it processes in a principled way speech signals uttered simultaneously by multiple persons. The diarization itself is cast into a latent-variable temporal graphical model that infers speaker identities and speech turns, based on the output of an audio-visual association process, executed at each time slice, and on the dynamics of the diarization variable itself. The proposed formulation yields an efficient exact inference procedure. A novel dataset, that contains audio-visual training data as well as a number of scenarios involving several participants engaged in formal and informal dialogue, is introduced. The proposed method is thoroughly tested and benchmarked with respect to several state-of-the art diarization algorithms.

Description: The capabilities of (I) learning transferable knowledge across domains; and (II) fine-tuning the pre-learned base knowledge towards tasks with considerably smaller data scale are extremely important. Many of the existing transfer learning techniques are supervised approaches, among which deep learning has the demonstrated power of learning domain transferrable knowledge with large scale network trained on massive amounts of labeled data. However, in many biomedical tasks, both the data and the corresponding label can be very limited, where the unsupervised transfer learning capability is urgently needed. In this paper, we proposed a novel multi-scale convolutional sparse coding (MSCSC) method, that (I) automatically learns filter banks at different scales in a joint fashion with enforced scale-specificity of learned patterns; and (II) provides an unsupervised solution for learning transferable base knowledge and fine-tuning it towards target tasks. Extensive experimental evaluation of MSCSC demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed MSCSC in both regular and transfer learning tasks in various biomedical domains.

Description: Learning visual representations from web data has recently attracted attention for object recognition. Previous studies have mainly focused on overcoming label noise and data bias and have shown promising results by learning directly from web data. However, we argue that it might be better to transfer knowledge from existing human labeling resources to improve performance at nearly no additional cost. In this paper, we propose a new semi-supervised method for learning via web data. Our method has the unique design of exploiting strong supervision, i.e., in addition to standard image-level labels, our method also utilizes detailed annotations including object bounding boxes and part landmarks. By transferring as much knowledge as possible from existing strongly supervised datasets to weakly supervised web images, our method can benefit from sophisticated object recognition algorithms and overcome several typical problems found in webly-supervised learning. We consider the problem of fine-grained visual categorization, in which existing training resources are scarce, as our main research objective. Comprehensive experimentation and extensive analysis demonstrate encouraging performance of the proposed approach, which, at the same time, delivers a new pipeline for fine-grained visual categorization that is likely to be highly effective for real-world applications.