Modeling of shear deficient beams by the mixed smeared/discrete cracking approach

AbstractThis paper presents an analytical study on the modeling of shear critical reinforced concrete beams modeled using the finite element method. The paper investigates two modeling strategies; the first of which is the well established smeared cracking modeling approach. Experimental test results from a wide range of beams tested by other researchers were used for model verification. This paper presents a mixed modeling approach in which the smeared cracking model was used in conjunction with discrete cracking planes to model the concrete continuums in an effort to reach a better correlation with the experimental data. This is achieved by introducing a specific plane inclined at angles in a specified range determined as a result of matching these models’ behavior with behavior monitored in the experimental work at the suspected plane of failure for shear critical beams. Analytical results have shown that the proposed modeling approach is capable of better simulation of the observed experimental response in terms of strength and stiffness, as well as capturing the post-peak response of the tested beams. Errors have been calculated between analytical and experimental results; these errors are also acceptable within the bounds of the engineering judgment. Finally the mixed smeared/discrete cracking model is validated and can be used with a high degree of confidence to conduct further parametric studies

Factors Affecting The Income Of Fashion Msmes In Indramayu Regency

MSMEs have a significant role in the Indonesian economy. The Ministry of  Tourism and Creative Economy encourages the creative economy to be more advanced, and MSME players, including the fashion sector, are increasingly innovating in an effort to generate substantial revenue. Income for business actors is the main goal. Various factors can influence the income of business actors. This study aims to analyze the effect of capital, selling price, working hours, and business location on the income of fashion business actors and the variables whose influence is most dominant on such income. This study used primary data obtained from the distribution of questionnaires to fashion business actors and analyzed it using multiple linear regression methods and elasticity analysis. The results showed that capital has a positive effect on the income of fashion business actors; selling price and working hours do not affect the income of fashion business actors; and there is no difference in income between business actors located in strategic and non-strategic places. Keywords: MSMEs, Revenue, Capital, Selling Price, Working Hours, and Business Locatio

Improved Reptile Search Optimization Algorithm using Chaotic map and Simulated Annealing for Feature Selection in Medical Filed

The increased volume of medical datasets has produced high dimensional features, negatively affecting machine learning (ML) classifiers. In ML, the feature selection process is fundamental for selecting the most relevant features and reducing redundant and irrelevant ones. The optimization algorithms demonstrate its capability to solve feature selection problems. Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA) is a new nature-inspired optimization algorithm that stimulates Crocodiles’ encircling and hunting behavior. The unique search of the RSA algorithm obtains promising results compared to other optimization algorithms. However, when applied to high-dimensional feature selection problems, RSA suffers from population diversity and local optima limitations. An improved metaheuristic optimizer, namely the Improved Reptile Search Algorithm (IRSA), is proposed to overcome these limitations and adapt the RSA to solve the feature selection problem. Two main improvements adding value to the standard RSA; the first improvement is to apply the chaos theory at the initialization phase of RSA to enhance its exploration capabilities in the search space. The second improvement is to combine the Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm with the exploitation search to avoid the local optima problem. The IRSA performance was evaluated over 20 medical benchmark datasets from the UCI machine learning repository. Also, IRSA is compared with the standard RSA and state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Grasshopper Optimization algorithm (GOA) and Slime Mould Optimization (SMO). The evaluation metrics include the number of selected features, classification accuracy, fitness value, Wilcoxon statistical test (p-value), and convergence curve. Based on the results obtained, IRSA confirmed its superiority over the original RSA algorithm and other optimized algorithms on the majority of the medical datasets

Treatment Efficiency of Different Routes of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injection in Rat Liver Fibrosis Model

Background/Aims: The most appropriate route for bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) transplantation in the management of liver fibrosis remains controversial. This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of intravenous and intrasplenic BM-MSC transplantation on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced rat liver fibrosis. Methods: Fifty rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 10 rats per group): healthy control group, CCl4 group, CCl4/ recovery group, CCl4/BM-MSC intravenous group, and CCl4/BM-MSC intrasplenic group. BM-MSCs were isolated, labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP), and injected into fibrotic rats either intravenously or intrasplenically. Gene expression of interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6), interferon (INF)-γ, hepatic growth factor, and the hepatocyte-specific marker cytokeratin 18 was estimated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Vascular endothelial growth factor and connective tissue growth factor was detected by western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. At 2 weeks after intravenous and intrasplenic BM-MSC injections, GFP-positive cells were detected in liver tissue. Results: Both routes achieved a similar enhancement of liver function, which was confirmed by histopathological examination. The intravenous route was more effective than the intrasplenic route in reducing gene expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and INF-γ. However, fibrotic changes were still observed in the recovery group. Conclusion: Intravenous BM-MSC injection was an efficient and appropriate route for BM-MSC transplantation for the management of liver fibrosis

Higher nitric oxide levels are associated with disease activity in Egyptian rheumatoid arthritis patients

AbstractBackgroundOxidative stress generated within inflammatory joints can produce autoimmune phenomena and joint destruction. Radical species with oxidative activity, including reactive nitrogen species, represent mediators of inflammation and cartilage damage.ObjectivesTo assess serum nitric oxide as a marker of oxidative stress in Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its relation to disease activity.MethodsEighty patients with rheumatoid arthritis were divided into 2 groups, according to the DAS-28 score: Group I: 42 patients with disease activity, and Group II: 38 patients with no disease activity. Forty age- and sex-matched individuals were included as control group (Group III). Routine laboratory investigations were done, and nitric oxide was measured using Elisa. Hand plain radiographies were done for radiological status scoring using the Sharp method.ResultsA comparison between nitric oxide in all three groups showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001), significantly higher levels were obtained among rheumatoid arthritis patients in comparison to controls, and higher levels were obtained in patients with active disease (mean±SD 82.38±20.46) in comparison to patients without active disease (35.53±7.15). Nitric oxide in Group I showed a significant positive correlation with morning stiffness (r=0.45), arthritis (r=0.43), platelet count (r=0.46), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.83), C-reactive protein (r=0.76) and Disease Activity Score (r=0.85). Nitric oxide showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.43) with hand radiographies (Sharp score) in Group I.ConclusionThere are increased levels of nitric oxide in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Nitric oxide correlates significantly with disease activity, inflammatory markers and radiological joint status

Dosimetric Study of Tissue Heterogeneity Correction for Breast Conformal Radiotherapy

Introduction: Heterogeneity correction is an important parameter in dose calculation for cancer patients where it may be cause inaccuracy in dose calculation as a result of different densities of patients. This study studied the impact of dose calculation of breast cancer patients with and without heterogeneity correction. Material and Methods: Twenty breast cancer patients were treated with Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy(3DCRT). Dose calculations were performed using two modes: Fast Photon mode for homogeneity and Fast Photon Effective Path length for heterogeneity with two photon energies. Monitor Units(MU), Modulation Factor, Dose Volume Histograms(DVH) and quality indices were used to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity correction on dose calculation and investigate the mechanism of this effect in the low and high energies. Results: Heterogeneity correction compared to without it showed significant reduction in MU and modulation factor at 6MVand 10MV (

Evaluating antimicrobial resistance patterns of the etiological agents of urinary tract infections

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance has been presented as a highly prevailing condition.AimsTo evaluate antimicrobial resistance patterns of the etiological agents of urinary tract infection among children in Saudi Arabia.Methods A retrospective population-based epidemiological study has been conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, from the year 2016–2017. It has recruited individuals with clinical diagnosis of urinary tract infection, particularly.Results The study has recruited 63 participants on the basis of inclusion criteria. Among these, majority were males with the prevalence of 54 per cent (n=34); while females were 46 per cent (n=29). Most of the participants were under the age of two years with the prevalence of 50.8 per cent (n=32), then children of 2 years with 34.9 per cent (n=22); and older than two years with 14.3 per cent (n=9). Resistance to ampicillin was observed in 12.7 per cent cases; resistance to ciprofloxacin was observed in 1.6 per cent; resistance to cotrimoxazole was witnessed in 3.2 per cent; and multidrug resistance was observed in 30.2 per cent of the patients.ConclusionClinical management of urinary tract infections is a challenge that mainly presents antimicrobial resistance as the point of concern

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Antibodies in Dogs and Cats from Egypt and Risk Factor Analysis.

BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are major protozoan parasites of worldwide distribution and significance in veterinary medicine and, for T. gondii, in public health. Cats and dogs, as final hosts for T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively, have a key function in environmental contamination with oocysts and, thus, in parasite transmission. Very little is known about the prevalence of T. gondii infections in dogs and cats in Egypt, and even less about the prevalence of N. caninum in the same hosts. METHODS In the current study, 223 serum samples of both dogs (n = 172) and cats (n = 51) were investigated for specific antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum using commercially available ELISAs. A risk factor analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with seropositivity. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Exposure to T. gondii was reported in 23.3% of the dogs and in 9.8% of the cats, respectively. In addition, N. caninum-specific antibodies were recorded in 5.8% of dogs and in 3.4% of cats. A mixed infection was found in two dogs (1.2%) and in one cat (2%). Antibodies to T. gondii in dogs were significantly more frequent in dogs aged 3 years or more and in male German Shepherds. As this breed is often used as watchdogs and was the most sampled breed in Alexandria governorate, the purpose "watchdog" (compared to "stray" or "companion"), the male sex, and the governorate "Alexandria" also had a significantly higher seroprevalence for T. gondii. No factors associated with antibodies to N. caninum could be identified in dogs, and no significant factors were determined in cats for either T. gondii or N. caninum infection. Our study substantially adds to the knowledge of T. gondii infection in dogs and cats and presents data on N. caninum infection in cats for the first and in dogs in Egypt for the second time

Development of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione hybrids as aldose reductase inhibitors endowed with antihyperglycaemic activity: design, synthesis, biological investigations, and in silico insights

This research study describes the development of new small molecules based on 2,4-thiazolidinedione (2,4-TZD) and their aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory activities. The synthesis of 17 new derivatives of 2,4-TZDs hybrids was feasible by incorporating two known bioactive scaffolds, benzothiazole heterocycle, and nitro phenacyl moiety. The most active hybrid (8b) was found to inhibit AR in a non-competitive manner (0.16 µM), as confirmed by kinetic studies and molecular docking simulations. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that compound 8b had a significant hypoglycaemic effect in mice with hyperglycaemia induced by streptozotocin. Fifty milligrams per kilogram dose of 8b produced a marked decrease in blood glucose concentration, and a lower dose of 5 mg/kg demonstrated a noticeable antihyperglycaemic effect. These outcomes suggested that compound 8b may be used as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic complications

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London