A twin study of cilioretinal arteries, tilted discs and situs inversus

PURPOSE: To establish the prevalence and heritability of cilioretinal arteries (CRAs), tilted discs (TDs) and situs inversus (SI). METHODS: Fundus photos from the Twins UK Adult Twin registry twin database were analyzed: 1812 individuals, 526 complete monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 336 complete dizygotic (DZ) pairs. Images were assessed non-stereoscopically on a computer screen by the same ophthalmologist for presence of CRAs, TDs or SI. Prevalence figures, probandwise concordances and heritabilities were calculated. RESULTS: Prevalence of a CRA in subjects’ right eyes was 28.6% (26.5–30.8). Prevalence of subjects with a CRA in at least one eye was 45.0% (42.6–47.5), with a TD in at least one eye was 1.2% (0.8–1.9), and with SI at least one eye was 0.5% (0.3–1.0). There was no association between birth weight and presence of CRA. Concordance for CRA in at least one eye (MZ twins) was 60% (95% CI 55–64), and (DZ) was 45% (95% CI 39–51). Heritability for CRAs in at least one eye was 49.4% (95% CI 38.1–59.7) and for both eyes was 32.9% (95% CI 10.4–53.3). We were unable to calculate meaningful heritabilities or concordances for TDs and situs SI, due to insufficient numbers. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of CRAs appears to be moderately heritable, with greater variance explained by individual environmental factors or even stochastic events. They were not associated with low birth weight. Future genetic research and studies of birth/lifecourse cohorts may offer further insights into the etiology of congenital papillovascular abnormalities

Outage Probability of the EH-based Full-Duplex AF and DF Relaying Systems in α-μ Environment

Wireless power transfer and energy harvesting have attracted a significant research attention in terms of their application in cooperative relaying systems. Most of existing works in this field focus on the half-duplex (HD) relaying mechanism over certain fading channels, however, in contrast, this paper considers a dual-hop full-duplex (FD) relaying system over a generalized independent but not identically distributed αμ fading channel, where the relay node is energy-constrained and entirely depends on the energy signal from the source node. Three special cases of the α-μ model are investigated, namely, Rayleigh, Nakagami-m and Weibull fading. As the system performance, we investigate the outage probability (OP) for which we derive exact unified closed-form expressions. The provided Monte Carlo simulations validate the accuracy of our analysis. Moreover, the results obtained for the FD scenario are compared to the ones related to the HD. The results demonstrate that the decode-andforward relaying outperforms the amplify-and-forward relaying for both HD and FD scenarios. It is also shown that the FD scenario performs better than the HD relaying systems. Finally, we analyzed the impact of the fading parameters α and μ on the achievable OP

Efficiency of Food-Based Attractants for Monitoring Tephritid Fruit Flies Diversity and Abundance in Mango Systems Across Three West African Agro-Ecological Zones

Food baits are effective and widely used tools for monitoring diversity and abundance of tephritid fruit flies. Four food-baits-Nulure, BioLure, Mazoferm at 3 and 6%, and Torula yeast-were used in multi-lure traps over a 4-yr period in mango orchards in three Benin agro-ecological zones (AEZ) representing a large swath of environments in western Africa. Twelve tephritid fruit fly species were captured during the trials, with the highest richness in the Forest Savannah Mosaic (FSM), followed by the Southern Guinea Savannah (SGS), and the Northern Guinea Savannah (NGS) AEZ. Despite previous reports of displacement, the native species Ceratitis cosyra remained the dominant tephritid species in mango orchards in the NGS, with the invasive and exotic species Bactrocera dorsalis dominating the tephritid fauna in the SGS and FSM. Torula yeast captured the greatest number of fruit flies in each AEZ. Mazoferm-3% captures were similar to Torula yeast, except for lower captures in the NGS where it tended to harden. The rank order of relative efficiency indices (REI) of the food baits (relative to Torula yeast) is Mazoferm-3% > Nulure > Mazoferm-6% and BioLure. The latter captured more Ceratitis spp. than all the other baits, particularly at very low Ceratitis spp. abundance. To our knowledge, the study is the first to report relative efficiency indices for the selection of food baits in monitoring diversity and abundance of fruit flies. Ecological and practical implications for the use of food baits in comparison with male lures are discussed

Role of optimization algorithms based fuzzy controller in achieving induction motor performance enhancement.

Three-phase induction motors (TIMs) are widely used for machines in industrial operations. As an accurate and robust controller, fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is crucial in designing TIMs control systems. The performance of FLC highly depends on the membership function (MF) variables, which are evaluated by heuristic approaches, leading to a high processing time. To address these issues, optimisation algorithms for TIMs have received increasing interest among researchers and industrialists. Here, we present an advanced and efficient quantum-inspired lightning search algorithm (QLSA) to avoid exhaustive conventional heuristic procedures when obtaining MFs. The accuracy of the QLSA based FLC (QLSAF) speed control is superior to other controllers in terms of transient response, damping capability and minimisation of statistical errors under diverse speeds and loads. The performance of the proposed QLSAF speed controller is validated through experiments. Test results under different conditions show consistent speed responses and stator currents with the simulation results

Further spread of the venomous jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica Galil, Spannier & Ferguson, 1990 (Rhizostomeae, Rhizostomatidae) in the western Mediterranean

The present paper documents the further spread of the venomous scyphomedusa Rhopilema nomadica Galil, Spannier & Ferguson, 1990, which first appeared in the Mediterranean off the Israeli coast in the mid-1970s. This report provides the northernmost and westernmost record of the species in the Mediterranean—from the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sardinia—based on a new record of the species within the Sicily Channel (Aegadian Islands) and provides evidence of its further establishment within Tunisian coastal waters.peer-reviewe

Medical students' perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine therapies: A pre- and post-exposure survey in Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia

Background: Evidently, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is increasingly a recognized medical practice that efficiently uses multiple treatment therapies and techniques in promoting the health  and wellbeing of people as well as preventing and managing a variety of human disorders. Research in CAM, which courses exposure to diverse healthcare professionals, is important from many perspectives including improvement in teaching skills of faculty, enhancing capacity building, and  innovative curriculum development. This pre- and post-design crosssectional study aimed to assess perceptions, training needs, personal usage, use in office practice, and knowledge of two batches of medical students toward CAM therapies in Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods: The second year medical students of the first (year 2012-13) and second (year 2013-2014) batch [n=26 & 39, respectively] were selected for this study. A reliable 16-item  self-administered questionnaire was distributed among all students for answering before and after the 48-hour specific 19 CAM therapies course, in terms of CAM therapies are clearly conventional or  alternative, training needs, effectiveness, personal use, use in practice, management of two clinical cases by CAM or conventional therapies, and views about which evidence based approach strongly support individual CAM modalities.Results: Medical students' knowledge and perceptions of CAM therapies significantly improved across some sub-items of CAM questionnaire with a positive trend in the rest of its items including their views about CAM therapies, need for further training, personal use of therapies and advising patients regarding CAM practices strongly supported by randomized clinical controlled trials and published case studies.Conclusion: CAM course tends to have positive impact on the knowledge and perceptions of medical students, in addition to need for further training, and personal use and use of CAM therapies in practice in line with strong evidence-based data regarding therapeutic efficacy. The preliminary results of this study call for further research in specific CAM modalities with a larger sample in academic settings across the nation. Key words: Medical students; Complementary and Alternative Medicine; CAM course; CAM therapies; pre-post design study; Saudi Arabia

Projections of the current and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infection in Malaysia

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Malaysia has been estimated at 2.5% of the adult population. Our objective, satisfying one of the directives of the WHO Framework for Global Action on Viral Hepatitis, was to forecast the HCV disease burden in Malaysia using modelling methods.An age-structured multi-state Markov model was developed to simulate the natural history of HCV infection. We tested three historical incidence scenarios that would give rise to the estimated prevalence in 2009, and calculated the incidence of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) under each scenario, to the year 2039. In the baseline scenario, current antiviral treatment levels were extended from 2014 to the end of the simulation period. To estimate the disease burden averted under current sustained virological response rates and treatment levels, the baseline scenario was compared to a counterfactual scenario in which no past or future treatment is assumed.In the baseline scenario, the projected disease burden for the year 2039 is 94,900 DALYs/year (95% credible interval (CrI): 77,100 to 124,500), with 2,002 (95% CrI: 1340 to 3040) and 540 (95% CrI: 251 to 1,030) individuals predicted to develop decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively, in that year. Although current treatment practice is estimated to avert a cumulative total of 2,200 deaths from DC or HCC, a cumulative total of 63,900 HCV-related deaths is projected by 2039.The HCV-related disease burden is already high and is forecast to rise steeply over the coming decades under current levels of antiviral treatment. Increased governmental resources to improve HCV screening and treatment rates and to reduce transmission are essential to address the high projected HCV disease burden in Malaysia

Isolation and characterisation of human gingival margin-derived STRO-1/MACS+ and MACS− cell populations

Recently, gingival margin-derived stem/progenitor cells isolated via STRO-1/magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) showed remarkable periodontal regenerative potential in vivo. As a second-stage investigation, the present study's aim was to perform in vitro characterisation and comparison of the stem/progenitor cell characteristics of sorted STRO-1-positive (MACS+) and STRO-1-negative (MACS−) cell populations from the human free gingival margin. Cells were isolated from the free gingiva using a minimally invasive technique and were magnetically sorted using anti-STRO-1 antibodies. Subsequently, the MACS+ and MACS− cell fractions were characterized by flow cytometry for expression of CD14, CD34, CD45, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146/MUC18 and STRO-1. Colony-forming unit (CFU) and multilineage differentiation potential were assayed for both cell fractions. Mineralisation marker expression was examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MACS+ and MACS− cell fractions showed plastic adherence. MACS+ cells, in contrast to MACS− cells, showed all of the predefined mesenchymal stem/progenitor cell characteristics and a significantly higher number of CFUs (P<0.01). More than 95% of MACS+ cells expressed CD105, CD90 and CD73; lacked the haematopoietic markers CD45, CD34 and CD14, and expressed STRO-1 and CD146/MUC18. MACS− cells showed a different surface marker expression profile, with almost no expression of CD14 or STRO-1, and more than 95% of these cells expressed CD73, CD90 and CD146/MUC18, as well as the haematopoietic markers CD34 and CD45 and CD105. MACS+ cells could be differentiated along osteoblastic, adipocytic and chondroblastic lineages. In contrast, MACS− cells demonstrated slight osteogenic potential. Unstimulated MACS+ cells showed significantly higher expression of collagen I (P<0.05) and collagen III (P<0.01), whereas MACS− cells demonstrated higher expression of osteonectin (P<0.05; Mann–Whitney). The present study is the first to compare gingival MACS+ and MACS− cell populations demonstrating that MACS+ cells, in contrast to MACS− cells, harbour stem/progenitor cell characteristics. This study also validates the effectiveness of the STRO-1/MACS+ technique for the isolation of gingival stem/progenitor cells. Human free gingival margin-derived STRO-1/MACS+ cells are a unique renewable source of multipotent stem/progenitor cells

The molecular characterisation of Escherichia coli K1 isolated from neonatal nasogastric feeding tubes

Background: The most common cause of Gram-negative bacterial neonatal meningitis is E. coli K1. It has a mortality rate of 10–15%, and neurological sequelae in 30– 50% of cases. Infections can be attributable to nosocomial sources, however the pre-colonisation of enteral feeding tubes has not been considered as a specific risk factor. Methods: Thirty E. coli strains, which had been isolated in an earlier study, from the residual lumen liquid and biofilms of neonatal nasogastric feeding tubes were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and 7-loci multilocus sequence typing. Potential pathogenicity and biofilm associated traits were determined using specific PCR probes, genome analysis, and in vitro tissue culture assays. Results: The E. coli strains clustered into five pulsotypes, which were genotyped as sequence types (ST) 95, 73, 127, 394 and 2076 (Achman scheme). The extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) phylogenetic group B2 ST95 serotype O1:K1:NM strains had been isolated over a 2 week period from 11 neonates who were on different feeding regimes. The E. coli K1 ST95 strains encoded for various virulence traits associated with neonatal meningitis and extracellular matrix formation. These strains attached and invaded intestinal, and both human and rat brain cell lines, and persisted for 48 h in U937 macrophages. E. coli STs 73, 394 and 2076 also persisted in macrophages and invaded Caco-2 and human brain cells, but only ST394 invaded rat brain cells. E. coli ST127 was notable as it did not invade any cell lines. Conclusions: Routes by which E. coli K1 can be disseminated within a neonatal intensive care unit are uncertain, however the colonisation of neonatal enteral feeding tubes may be one reservoir source which could constitute a serious health risk to neonates following ingestion

Landscape of Pharmacogenetic Variants Associated With Non-Insulin Antidiabetic Drugs in the Indian Population

INTRODUCTION: Genetic variants contribute to differential responses to non-insulin antidiabetic drugs (NIADs), and consequently to variable plasma glucose control. Optimal control of plasma glucose is paramount to minimizing type 2 diabetes-related long-term complications. India\u27s distinct genetic architecture and its exploding burden of type 2 diabetes warrants a population-specific survey of NIAD-associated pharmacogenetic (PGx) variants. The recent availability of large-scale whole genomes from the Indian population provides a unique opportunity to generate a population-specific map of NIAD-associated PGx variants. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We mined 1029 Indian whole genomes for PGx variants, drug-drug interaction (DDI) and drug-drug-gene interactions (DDGI) associated with 44 NIADs. Population-wise allele frequencies were estimated and compared using Fisher\u27s exact test. RESULTS: Overall, we found 76 known and 52 predicted deleterious common PGx variants associated with response to type 2 diabetes therapy among Indians. We report remarkable interethnic differences in the relative cumulative counts of decreased and increased response-associated alleles across NIAD classes. Indians and South Asians showed a significant excess of decreased metformin response-associated alleles compared with other global populations. Network analysis of shared PGx genes predicts high DDI risk during coadministration of NIADs with other metabolic disease drugs. We also predict an increased CYP2C19-mediated DDGI risk for CYP3A4/3A5-metabolized NIADs, saxagliptin, linagliptin and glyburide when coadministered with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). CONCLUSIONS: Indians and South Asians have a distinct PGx profile for antidiabetes drugs, marked by an excess of poor treatment response-associated alleles for various NIAD classes. This suggests the possibility of a population-specific reduced drug response in atleast some NIADs. In addition, our findings provide an actionable resource for accelerating future diabetes PGx studies in Indians and South Asians and reconsidering NIAD dosing guidelines to ensure maximum efficacy and safety in the population