Identifying Molecular Markers for Early Detection of Toxic Cyanobacteria and Dinoflagellate

Harmful algal Blooms (HABs) develop when algal colonies grow out of control, causing toxicity or injury to humans, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Most HABs of public health concern in saltwater generally are caused by eukaryotic dinoflagellates and diatoms. Prokaryotic cyanobacteria are usually responsible for freshwater blooms although they can contribute to saltwater and brackish blooms too. A common monitoring target of both groups is the saxitoxin-encoding genes. Saxitoxin(STX) is responsible for Paralytic shellfish poisoning, a foodborne illness developed from consumption of STX contaminated shellfish. Each cyanobacterial SXT gene cluster contains a set of core genes, common to all SXT clusters and a set of genes that vary between different clusters. In cyanobacteria, SxtA seems to be the only gene that initiates STX production and has been focused on in this study. Currently, most widely used monitoring methods require samples to be collected using specific or generalist sampling devices, then sorted and taxonomically identified individually, usually under the microscope, to derive biodiversity information from conventional morphological analysis. Molecular approaches are becoming increasingly popular as tools for measuring biodiversity and environmental management are improving. Targeted detection technologies, primarily based on PCR but increasingly incorporating novel probe-based methodologies, have ushered in a new era in rare species monitoring, such as ballast water surveillance. We hypothesized that there would be enough conserved yet divergent areas in the Saxitoxin gene cluster that can be accessed to create species specific probes that can detect only certain toxic species of concern in HABs. Through multiple sequence alignment, primer designing tools, and other bioinformatic analyses we focused on sxtA gene and identified a potential candidate region. This region now needs to be further studied in wet lab setting and real-world system and has the potential to be developed into a species-specific probe for early detection of HABs

Detection of Antibiotics Sensitivity at Different PH Levels for Proteus Mirabilis Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections

جمعت مائة وتسعة وستون عينة من الادرار خلال الفترة الممتدة من شهر كانون الأول من العام ٢٠١٦ الى شهر أيار من العام ٢٠١٧. ان الغرض من جمع هذه العينات هو عزل وتشخيص بكتريا المتقلبة الرائعة. جمعت عينات الادرار من مرضى اصابات المسالك البولية ثم نميت هذه العينات على اوساط زرعية مختلفة وشخصت بواسطة عدة فحوصات كيموحيوية كذلك درست الحساسية الدوائية لها باستخدام عشرون نوع من المضادات الحيوية. درست الحساسية الدوائية لهذه العينات عند الأس الهيدروجيني الحامضي، المتعادل والقاعدي بأستخدام طريقة انتشار القرص. كانت انواع المضادات الحيوية المستخدمة في هذه الدراسة هي السيبروفلوكساسين، أميكاسين، ميروبينم، إيميبينيم، امبيسيللين، ريفامبين، جنتاميسين، تريميثوبريم، تتراسايكلين،اموكسيسللين، سولفاميثوكسازول، كاربينيسيلين، ريفاكسيمين، بنزيل بنسيالين، حمض الأوكسولينيك، باسيتراسين، كليندامايسين، إريثرومايسين، روفاميسين والأزيثروميسين. امتلك كل من السيبروفلوكساسين والأزيثروميسين فعالية عالية عند كل من الاس الهيدروجيني الحامضي والمتعادل.   بينما امتلك كل من الأميكاسين، الميروبينم،الإيميبينيم والسيبروفلوكساسين فعالية عالية في الاس الهيدروجيني القاعدي ضد هذه البكتريا.One hundred and sixty-nine samples of urine have been collected through the period from December/2016 to May/2017. Were for isolation and identification of Proteus mirabilis. Isolated from urine in patients with UTI. Identification was done by grow-  ing on different media and biochemical tests as well as the antibiotics susceptibility were studied by using twenty types of antibiotics at acidic pH, neutral pH and alkaline or basic pH by disc diffusion method. These antibiotics were involved Ciprofloxacin, Amikcin, Meromenem, Imipenem, Ampicillin, Rifampin, Gentamicin, Trimethoprim, Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, Sulfamethoxazole, Carbnicillin, Rifaximin, Penicillin-G, Ox- olinic acid, Bacitracin, Clindamycin, Erthromycin, Novamicin and Aztreomycin. The Ciprofloxacin and Aztreomycin have high activity at both acidic and neutral pH, while the Amikcin, Meromenem, Imipenem and Ciprofloxacin have high activity at basicity pH against these bacteria

Texture to the Rescue : Practical Paper Fingerprinting based on Texture Patterns

In this article, we propose a novel paper fingerprinting technique based on analyzing the translucent patterns revealed when a light source shines through the paper. These patterns represent the inherent texture of paper, formed by the random interleaving of wooden particles during the manufacturing process. We show that these patterns can be easily captured by a commodity camera and condensed into a compact 2,048-bit fingerprint code. Prominent works in this area (Nature 2005, IEEE S&P 2009, CCS 2011) have all focused on fingerprinting paper based on the paper "surface." We are motivated by the observation that capturing the surface alone misses important distinctive features such as the noneven thickness, random distribution of impurities, and different materials in the paper with varying opacities. Through experiments, we demonstrate that the embedded paper texture provides a more reliable source for fingerprinting than features on the surface. Based on the collected datasets, we achieve 0% false rejection and 0% false acceptance rates. We further report that our extracted fingerprints contain 807 degrees of freedom (DoF), which is much higher than the 249 DoF with iris codes (that have the same size of 2,048 bits). The high amount of DoF for texturebased fingerprints makes our method extremely scalable for recognition among very large databases; it also allows secure usage of the extracted fingerprint in privacy-preserving authentication schemes based on error correction techniques

Einstein A Coefficients for Rovibronic Lines of the A2Π → X2Σ+ and B\u272Σ+ → X 2Σ+ Transitions of MgH

Einstein A coefficients have been calculated for rovibronic lines of the A2Π →X2Σ+ and B\u272Σ+ →X2Σ+ transitions of 24MgH. Using the experimentally determined analytic potential energy curve for the X2Σ+ state, and the Rydberg-Klein-Rees potentials for the A2Π and B\u272Σ+ states, combined with the most recent ab initio transition dipole moments, rovibronic transition moments were computed. The rovibronic transition frequencies were obtained accurately by subtracting the published term values of the X2Σ+, A2Π and B\u272Σ+ states. Using the rovibronic transition dipole moments, transition frequencies and the Hönl-London factors, the Einstein A coefficients were calculated individually for ~30 000 rovibronic lines of the A2Π→X2Σ+ and B\u272Σ+ →X2Σ+ transitions of 24MgH. © 2013 The Author

Behavioral correlates of the decision process in a dynamic environment: post-choice latencies reflect relative value and choice evaluation

One characteristic of natural environments is that outcomes vary across time. Animals need to adapt to these environmental changes and adjust their choices accordingly. In this experiment, we investigated the sensitivity with which rats could detect, and adapt to, multiple changes in the environment. Rats chose between two spouts which delivered 5% sucrose rewards with distinct probabilities. Across three phases, reward probabilities changed in size (large or small) and direction (increase or decrease). A discrete trial-structure was used, which allowed the choice process to be decomposed into three distinct response latency measures (choice execution latency, spout sampling duration, and trial-initiation latency). We found that a large decrease in reward probabilities rapidly produced the greatest change in choice proportions. The time taken to execute a choice reflected the differences in reward probabilities across the two spouts in some cases, but also reflected training history. By contrast, the amount of time rats spent responding at reward spouts in anticipation of reward consistently reflected the relative likelihood of reward across the two spouts and not the absolute probability of reward. The latency to initiate the subsequent trial reflected choice evaluation. These three response latencies thus indexed key behavioral correlates of the choice process as it unfolds in time. We discuss how this paradigm can be used to assess the corresponding neural correlates of decision-makin

A Comprehensive Review of the State-of-the-Art of Secondary Control Strategies for Microgrids

The proliferation of distributed energy resources in distribution systems has given rise to a new concept known as Microgrids (MGs). The effective control of MGs is a crucial aspect that needs to be prioritized before undertaking any implementation procedure. This article provides a comprehensive overview of hierarchical control methods that ensure efficient and robust control for MGs. Specifically, it focuses on the secondary controller approaches (centralized, distributed, and decentralized control) and examines their primary strengths and weaknesses. The techniques are thoroughly discussed, deliberated, and compared to facilitate a better understanding. According to functionality, the hierarchical-based control scheme is allocated into three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. For secondary control level, the MG communication structures permit the usage of various control methods that provided the significance of the secondary controller for consistent and reliable MG performance and the deficiency of an inclusive recommendation for scholars. Also, it gives a review of the literature on present important matters related to MG secondary control approaches in relation to the challenges of communication systems. The problem of the secondary level control is deliberated with an emphasis on challenges like delays. Further, at the secondary layer, the distributed control techniques for reducing communication system utilization and then reducing communication system delays are conferred. Furthermore, the benefits and limitations of various control structures, such as centralized, decentralized, and distributed are also discusses in this study. Later a comparative analysis of entire control approaches, the best methods of control according to the author's perspective are also discussed