Application Of VR Technology For Historical Architecture At Pattani, Thailand

The purpose of this research is to develop a home page for Kruse mosque, Pattani, Thailand using Virtual Reality (VR) approach. The development of the application involves two VR technologies. The first is the development of home page using Panorama VR technology. The research uses QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR), a photography-based VR that enables a user to explore panorama spaces and examine objects by rotating them to any viewpoint using a computer mouse. The authoring software like VR Worx 2.0 was used to stitch the images. The second phase, which is the development of home page using 3D VRML technology. The AutoCAD 2000 was used to create 2D model, and 3D Studio YIZ 3.0 was used to transform 2D model to 3D object and also to compile 3D object to 3D VRML. The last this research composed each section by Macromedia Dreamweaver 4.0 and created animations by Macromedia Flash 4.0. The result of this research has shown that in the world of VR technology could be almost developed and applied our environments at a lower cost desktop computer system

Detection and prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactamases production among Enterobacteriaceae isolated from urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) by extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) have become an important public health problem with a substantial economic burden, as they lead to more complicated infections, longer duration of treatment, and increases in patient mortality. A total of 1267 urine samples were collected from patients during the period of 2018 to 2020. The isolates were identified based on colony morphology and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Resistant isolates to third generation cephalosporins were tested for ESBL production by double-disk synergy test (DDST), DDST methods on MH agar plates supplemented with cloxacillin and by confirmatory double disk test (DDT). 400 strains causing UTIs were identified and classified as members of Enterobacteriaceae. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that 68.5% (274/400) of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. The overall prevalence of ESBL-E was 59.5% (238/400). The highest frequencies of ESBL-E were observed in internal medicine devices (68/400) and the highest ESBL production was observed in E. coli (85/238). The ESBL producing isolates were significantly resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins compared to non-ESBL producers. However, those ESBL-E strains were sensitive to imipenem (80.2%) and nitrofurantoin (87.8%). High levels of MDR strains and ESBL-E in our study highlights the need for applying specific infection control measures, and accordingly we urge physicians to opt for specific strategies for regular surveillance of uropathogenic bacteria

Changing geographic ranges of ticks and tick-borne pathogens: drivers, mechanisms and consequences for pathogen diversity

The geographic ranges of ticks and tick-borne pathogens are changing due to global and local environmental (including climatic) changes. In this review we explore current knowledge of the drivers for changes in the ranges of ticks and tick-borne pathogen species and strains via effects on their basic reproduction number (R-0), and the mechanisms of dispersal that allow ticks and tick-borne pathogens to invade suitable environments. Using the expanding geographic distribution of the vectors and agent of Lyme disease as an example we then investigate what could be expected of the diversity of tick-borne pathogens during the process of range expansion, and compare this with what is currently being observed. Lastly we explore how historic population and range expansions and contractions could be reflected in the phylogeography of ticks and tick-borne pathogens seen in recent years, and conclude that combined study of currently changing tick and tick-borne pathogen ranges and diversity, with phylogeographic analysis, may help us better predict future patterns of invasion and diversity

Utilisation des outils phylogéographiques pour explorer la diversité génétique de Borrelia burgdorferi et le paysage génétique de la maladie de Lyme au Canada

La maladie de Lyme est la maladie infectieuse zoonotique la plus rapportée en zone tempérée. Elle a des conséquences importantes sur la santé humaine. Au Canada, elle est considérée comme étant émergente du fait principalement de l’expansion de la tique vectrice Ixodes scapularis vers de nouvelles zones du Sud Canadien où elle s’est établie. Par conséquent, les aires endémiques de la maladie de Lyme ne cessent de s’élargir, favorisées notamment par les changements climatiques. Ces événements coïncident avec la radiation adaptative que montre actuellement la bactérie Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi), qui est responsable des cas de maladie de Lyme en Amérique du Nord. Devant une telle problématique, les structures phylogéographiques de l’agent pathogène et de son vecteur montrent étonnamment peu de corrélation, malgré leur lien écologique intime. L’évaluation du risque environnemental de la maladie de Lyme nécessite d’avoir une image claire des différents processus qui œuvrent et qui guident l’expansion du pathogène et de son vecteur. Cependant cette image devient beaucoup plus complexe si on considère la diversité génétique de B. burgdorferi. En effet, elle peut avoir des effets négatifs sur les tests de diagnostics actuels et du fait de différents niveaux de pathogénicité, rendre le tableau clinique complexe. L’une des réponses à ces problématiques peut se trouver dans la génétique bactérienne de ce pathogène et sa relation avec son vecteur et ses hôtes. Dans cette étude, nous investiguons la diversité et la structure génétique des populations de B. burgdorferi sensu stricto dans le Sud du Canada et dans le Nord des États-Unis (ÉU) par l’utilisation des outils phylogéographiques, à savoir : i) la phylogénie pour explorer l’histoire évolutive de B. burgdorferi, et ii) la modélisation géo-spatiale pour définir sa structure génétique actuelle à l’échelle spatiale. Au total, 750 échantillons de B. burgdorferi sont exploités pour la reconstruction des liens de parenté entre les différentes souches typées avec la méthode multi-locus du typage des séquences (MLST) (477 échantillons des ÉU et du Canada sont disponibles dans la base pubmlst.org/bburgdorferi/ et 273 échantillons canadiens, utilisés pour la première fois, proviennent de la surveillance active). Deux autres approches complémentaires sont utilisées dans cette étude pour caractériser les différentes souches, à savoir le gène du plasmide cp26 codant pour la protéine C de surface (ospC) et l’espace inter-génique ribosomal rrs-rrlA (IGS). Nos travaux ont montré que la diversité génétique de B. burgdorferi au Canada est relativement semblable à celle des ÉU, mais que seulement 1/5 des souches sont communes entre les deux pays. L’image phylogéographique de B. burgdorferi en Amérique du Nord apparait plus complexe que ce qui était connu jusqu’à présent, tant sur le plan géographique que génétique. En effet, des souches de diverses origines géographiques forment des clades significatifs alors que d’autres qui ont les mêmes origines géographiques sont éparpillées sur différents clades (génétiquement très distinctes). Ceci est un signal probable de populations refuges. De même, une complexité génétique a été enregistrée, puisque 90 % des échanges génétiques se font à l’intérieur de chaque sous-structure phylogénétique. Une telle structure génétique peut être l’œuvre d’un patron écologique. Les fortes associations des génotypes avec des hôtes spécifiques peuvent limiter le flux génétique entre ces sous-structures. Dans ce contexte, la modélisation statistique a permis d’identifier des associations entre génotypes et certaines espèces de rongeurs : CC34 et ospC G avec le tamia rayé ; CC403, ospC A et RST1 avec la souris à pattes-blanches ; et CC4, ospC H et IGS 2D avec la souris sylvestre. La phylogénie a montré que les souches associées aux tamias sont plus anciennes comparativement à celles associées aux souris qui semblent avoir évoluées plus récemment. Des études basées sur le fossile du tamia corroborent cette hypothèse. En effet, cette espèce était l’une des rares espèces de petits mammifères ayant survécu durant les périodes glaciaires-interglaciaires. Durant son histoire, elle a entrepris une migration Nord-sud, alors que les souris, plus fragiles aux conditions climatiques ont entrepris une migration Sud-nord suite au retrait de la couche glaciaire. Les adaptations des souches de B. burgdorferi aux hôtes peuvent avoir été le moteur de différences de pathogénicité des génotypes en Amérique du Nord. Elles façonnent aussi la phylogéographie contemporaine de ce pathogène dans cette partie du monde. En effet, la modélisation géo-spatiale à l’aide des probabilités conditionnelles a révélé que des souches (p.ex. ST1) présentent des modèles d’occurrence déterminés en partie par la connectivité des forêts. Cette étude offre une première image phylogéographique compréhensive de B. burgdorferi dans le Sud du Canada, nécessaire pour comprendre l’épidémiologie évolutive de la maladie de Lyme en Amérique du Nord. Elle montre qu’il existe une diversité génétique importante, ce qui peut aider à comprendre les variations géographiques des souches pathogènes et les méthodes de dispersion de B. burgdorferi en Amérique du Nord. Ces résultats permettront d’améliorer notre habilité à prédire le risque de la maladie de Lyme au Canada et aideront à développer de nouvelles méthodes de diagnostic.Lyme borreliosis is the most reported zoonotic infectious disease in temperate zones with significant consequences for human health. In Canada, it is considered to be emerging due to the expansion of the Ixodes scapularis tick vector to new areas in southern Canada where it has become established. Therefore, endemic areas of Lyme disease continue to grow, and are being promoted by climate change. These events coincide with adaptive radiation of B. burgdorferi in North America. Within this problem, the phylogeographic pictures of the pathogen and its vector show surprisingly little correlation despite their intimate ecological association. The environmental risk assessment of Lyme disease requires a clear comprehension of the different patterns acting and driving the expansion of the pathogen and its vector. This picture is made more complex by considering the genetic diversity of B. burgdorferi which is important to its probable effects on diagnostic test performance and the differential pathogenicity amongst strains. Some answers to these problems may be found by study of the bacterial genetics of this pathogen to improve knowledge of its relationship with its vector and hosts. In this study we investigated the diversity and the genetic structure of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto populations in southern Canada and northern US by using phylogeographic tools: i) phylogenetic methods to explore the historical and the evolutionary processes of B. burgdorferi and ii) geo-spatial modeling to define the spatial distribution of different strains and their patterns of spread. A total of 750 samples of B. burgdorferi (477 samples are from US and Canada which are available in the pubmlst.org/bburgdorferi/, and 273 samples collected using active surveillance in Canada and analyzed for the first time in this study) were used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship between different strains genotyped using MLST approach. Two other complementary approaches were used to strain-type B. burgdorferi, the outer surface protein C (ospC) and the ribosomal spacer rrs-rrlA (IGS). It was found that the genetic diversity of B. burgdorferi in Canada is relatively similar to that of the US but only 1/5 strains are common to the both countries. This shows that the phylogeographic image of B. burgdorferi in North America appears to be more complex than previously known: i) geographic complexity because strains of various geographical origins form significant clades and others which have the same geographical origin but are genetically more distant dispersed on different clades (this is a probable signal of refugial populations) and ii) a genetic complexity since 90% of genetic exchanges occur within closely related phylogenetic groups. Such genetic structure can be driven by an ecological process, and we hypothesized that the associations of B. burgdorferi genotypes with specific hosts reduced gene flow between different groups. Statistical modeling allowed the identification of different associations between genotypes and certain rodent host species: CC34 and ospC G with Eastern Chipmunk; CC403, ospC A and RST1 with the white-footed mice; and CC4, ospC H and IGS 2D with the deer mice. However, the phylogeny also showed that strains associated with chipmunk are older relatively to those associated with mice, which appear to have evolved more recently. Studies based on the chipmunk fossil data in North America corroborate this hypothesis. In fact, this species was one of the few small mammals that survived during the glacial-interglacial periods which thought allowed the B. burgdorferi surviving. It had undergone a southward migration, whereas mice known to be more sensitive to climatic conditions had experienced a Northward migration after the last Pleistocene which led all these small mammals to share a common history. Therefore, host adaptations may have shaped the contemporary phylogeography of the pathogen in North America, which may be the driving force behind the differential pathogenicity of B. burgdorferi genotypes. Geo-spatial modeling using conditional probabilities showed that rodent-associated strains (e.g. ST1 of CC403 that is associated with white-footed mice) exhibit specific patterns of occurrence of dispersal driven by the landscape characteristics of forest connectivity. This study provides i) a first comprehensive phylogeographic picture of B. burgdorferi in southern Canada that is essential to understand the evolutionary epidemiology of Lyme disease in Northern America, ii) knowledge of the high genetic diversity in Canada that may be key to understanding geographic variations in occurrence of pathogenic strains and improving the specificity and sensitivity of diagnostic tests, and iii) understanding the methods of dispersion of B. burgdorferi in Northern America. Together these findings will improve our ability to predict risk from Lyme disease in Canada, and will drive research into new diagnostic methods

Régime alimentaire de Crocidura pachyura (Küster, 135) (Mammalia, Soricidae) dans plusieurs localités d’Algérie

Le régime alimentaire de Crocidura pachyura (Küster, 1835) a été étudié grâce à l’analyse des contenus stomacaux de 95 spécimens collectés sur le terrain de juin 2007 à septembre 2008 et de mars 2012 à mai 2014. Ces individus ont été collectés au moyen de pièges Sherman et de pots-enterrés dans 8 localités d’Algérie du Nord et du Centre, du niveau de la mer à 1390 m d’altitude (Tigzirt, Boukhalfa, Ouadias, El Misser, Darna, Tala Guilef, Zeralda et Reghaia). On trouve 99 proies différentes distribuées dans 7 taxons d’invertébrés (Clitellates, Nématelminthes, Gastropodes, Arachnides, Crustacés, Myriapodes et Insectes), un vertébré (Squamate) et des plantes indéterminées, notamment des graines. Les invertébrés représentent 77,05 % du régime alimentaire et les insectes sont les proies les plus fréquentes avec 54,3 %. Crocidura pachyura se nourrit de petites proies de taille inférieure à 17 mm (moyenne 4 mm) et la diversité des proies (indice de diversité de Shannon-Weaver) varie de 1,58 à 4,88 (moyenne de 2,4). La comparaison avec les travaux similaires effectués en Algérie et en Europe sur C. russula montre quelques différences de régime, surtout en ce qui concerne les proportions des proies Coleoptères, Hyménoptères et Diptères.Ecological information, including food habits, on African shrews is scarce. The aim of this study was to describe the diet of Crocidura pachyura (Küster, 1835) in Algeria. Its diet was studied by analysing stomach contents of 95 shrews collected in pitfall and Sherman traps, from June 2007 to September 2008 and from March 2012 to May 2014, in eight localities of North-Central Algeria, from the sea level until 1390 m (Tigzirt, Boukhalfa, Ouadias, El Misser, Darna, Tala Guilef, Zeralda and Reghaia). The diet was composed of 99 different prey taxa distributed in seven invertebrate classes (Clitellata, Nematelminthes, Gastropoda, Arachnida, Crustacea, Myriapoda and Insecta), one vertebrate (Squamata) and plants, particularly seeds. The most important components of the diet were invertebrates: their contribution was 77.05 % of the overall diet composition. Insects were the most frequent prey with 54.3 %. Crocidura pachyura feeds on small preys lower than 17 mm (average 4 mm) and the diversity index of Shannon-Weaver varied between 1.58 and 4.88 (average 2.4). Comparisons with similar studies in Algeria and Europe for C. russula showed some differences especially for Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera proportions

Evidence for host-genotype associations of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto

Different genotypes of the agent of Lyme disease in North America, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, show varying degrees of pathogenicity in humans. This variation in pathogenicity correlates with phylogeny and we have hypothesized that the different phylogenetic lineages in North America reflect adaptation to different host species. In this study, evidence for host species associations of B. burgdorferi genotypes was investigated using 41 B. burgdorferi-positive samples from five mammal species and 50 samples from host-seeking ticks collected during the course of field studies in four regions of Canada: Manitoba, northwestern Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. The B. burgdorferi genotypes in the samples were characterized using three established molecular markers (multi-locus sequence typing [MLST], 16S-23S rrs-rrlA intergenic spacer, and outer surface protein C sequence [ospC] major groups). Correspondence analysis and generalized linear mixed effect models revealed significant associations between B. burgdorferi genotypes and host species (in particular chipmunks, and white-footed mice and deer mice), supporting the hypotheses that host adaptation contributes to the phylogenetic structure and possibly the observed variation in pathogenicity in humans

Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of strains of the agent of Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi from Canadian emergence zones

Lyme disease is emerging in southern Canada due to range expansion of the tick vector, followed by invasion of the agent of Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Strain diversity, as determined by Multi Locus Sequence Typing, occurs in this zone of emergence, and this may have its origins in adaptation to ecological niches, and have phenotypic consequences for pathogenicity and serological test performance. Sixty-four unique strains were cultured from ticks collected in southern Canada and the genomes sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of the chromosome revealed two large clades with multiple subclades. Consistent with previous studies on this species, the clades were not geographically defined, and some Canadian strains were highly divergent from previously sequenced US strains. There was evidence for recombination in the chromosome but this did not affect the phylogeny. Analysis of chromosomal genes indicated that these are under intense purifying selection. Phylogenies of the accessory genome and chromosome were congruent. Therefore strain differences identified in the phylogeny of chromosomal genes likely act as a proxy for genetic determinants of phenotypic differences amongst strains that are harboured in the accessory genome. Further studies on health implications of strain diversity are needed

African tropical rainforest net carbon dioxide fluxes in the twentieth century

The African humid tropical biome constitutes the second largest rainforest region, significantly impacts global carbon cycling and climate, and has undergone major changes in functioning owing to climate and land-use change over the past century. We assess changes and trends in CO2 fluxes from 1901 to 2010 using nine land surface models forced with common driving data, and depict the inter-model variability as the uncertainty in fluxes. The biome is estimated to be a natural (no disturbance) net carbon sink (−0.02 kg C m−2 yr−1 or −0.04 Pg C yr−1, p < 0.05) with increasing strength fourfold in the second half of the century. The models were in close agreement on net CO2 flux at the beginning of the century (σ1901 = 0.02 kg C m−2 yr−1), but diverged exponentially throughout the century (σ2010 = 0.03 kg C m−2 yr−1). The increasing uncertainty is due to differences in sensitivity to increasing atmospheric CO2, but not increasing water stress, despite a decrease in precipitation and increase in air temperature. However, the largest uncertainties were associated with the most extreme drought events of the century. These results highlight the need to constrain modelled CO2 fluxes with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and extreme climatic events, as the uncertainties will only amplify in the next century

Travelers With Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cured Without Systemic Therapy

Guidelines recommend wound care and/or local therapy as first-line treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. An analysis of a referral treatment program in 135 travelers showed that this approach was feasible in 62% of patients, with positive outcome in 83% of evaluable patient

Integrins promote axonal regeneration after injury of the nervous system.

Integrins are cell surface receptors that form the link between extracellular matrix molecules of the cell environment and internal cell signalling and the cytoskeleton. They are involved in several processes, e.g. adhesion and migration during development and repair. This review focuses on the role of integrins in axonal regeneration. Integrins participate in spontaneous axonal regeneration in the peripheral nervous system through binding to various ligands that either inhibit or enhance their activation and signalling. Integrin biology is more complex in the central nervous system. Integrins receptors are transported into growing axons during development, but selective polarised transport of integrins limits the regenerative response in adult neurons. Manipulation of integrins and related molecules to control their activation state and localisation within axons is a promising route towards stimulating effective regeneration in the central nervous system