Large Parameter Cases of the Gauss Hypergeometric Function

We consider the asymptotic behaviour of the Gauss hypergeometric function when several of the parameters a, b, c are large. We indicate which cases are of interest for orthogonal polynomials (Jacobi, but also Krawtchouk, Meixner, etc.), which results are already available and which cases need more attention. We also consider a few examples of 3F2-functions of unit argument, to explain which difficulties arise in these cases, when standard integrals or differential equations are not available.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Role of microRNAs in antiviral responses to dengue infection

Dengue virus (DENV) is the etiological agent of dengue fever. Severe dengue could be fatal and there is currently no effective antiviral agent or vaccine. The only licensed vaccine, Dengvaxia, has low efficacy against serotypes 1 and 2. Cellular miRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators that could play a role in direct regulation of viral genes. Host miRNA expressions could either promote or repress viral replications. Induction of some cellular miRNAs could help the virus to evade the host immune response by suppressing the IFN-α/β signaling pathway while others could upregulate IFN-α/β production and inhibit the viral infection. Understanding miRNA expressions and functions during dengue infections would provide insights into the development of miRNA-based therapeutics which could be strategized to act either as miRNA antagonists or miRNA mimics. The known mechanisms of how miRNAs impact DENV replication are diverse. They could suppress DENV multiplication by directly binding to the viral genome, resulting in translational repression. Other miRNA actions include modulation of host factors. In addition, miRNAs that could modulate immunopathogenesis are discussed. Major hurdles lie in the development of chemical modifications and delivery systems for in vivo delivery. Nevertheless, advancement in miRNA formulations and delivery systems hold great promise for the therapeutic potential of miRNA-based therapy, as supported by Miravirsen for treatment of Hepatitis C infection which has successfully completed phase II clinical trial

Anti-microbial mechanism of Lonicera japonica and Andrographis paniculata extract in inhibiting Pseudomonas sp.

Antibiotic resistance reported in Pseudomonas sp. is associated with various opportunistic infections and is a concern in the public health system. The present study investigated the inhibitory effects of ethanol extracts of Lonicera japonica and Andrographis paniculata on Pseudomonas sp. The total phenolic compound (TPC) calculated in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) was 508.6±117.96 mg GAE/100 g dried weight (DW) in L. japonica while A. paniculata contained 129.0 ± 21.00 mg GAE/100 g DW. Both herbs significantly reduced the swarming zone diameters of Pseudomonas sp., even at a concentration as low as 5 mg/mL when compared to the controls. The anti-swarming effect of L. japonica and A. paniculata may be one of the mutual mechanisms underlying their anti-microbial properties. However, only the extract of L. japonica showed cell anti-adhesion activity, which can prevent biofilm formation. Andrographis paniculata extract on the other hand shows the highest activity in disrupting the cell membrane of Pseudomonas sp

Fungal and bacterial species in degrading carbamazepine: a metabolite perspective: Mini-review

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a ubiquitous pharmaceutical pollutant found in various water environments. This is due to the ineffective CBZ removal, despite employing advanced physiochemical treatment technologies in the current conventional wastewater treatment plants. Thus, bioremediation that utilizes enzymes in microorganisms' systems to bio-mineralize CBZ is suggested as an alternative or complementary technique to remove CBZ more effectively. However, information from published research on the biodegradation of CBZ, the toxicity of metabolites, or toxicity testing was rarely evaluated or assessed cohesively. This aspect is important because if bioremediation of CBZ produces toxic metabolites, it will defeat the main purpose of bioremediation. Thus, the focus of this review is to assess the effectiveness of fungi and bacteria in the biodegradation of CBZ, particularly by looking at the type of enzymes expressed, and the metabolites produced. In this review, information related to the fungal and bacterial species that were reported to degrade CBZ was collated from the published literature and analyzed. Results of the analysis showed that cytochrome P450, laccase, and manganese peroxidase were the common enzymes responsible to degrade CBZ. However, such enzymatic activities can sometimes produce epoxy-CBZ, which is a more toxic compound than the parent compound. Only the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was able to oxidize epoxy-CBZ via the acridine pathway into acridone, the latter a metabolite that is susceptible to further biodegradation into nontoxic metabolites. However, the identity of the end metabolites is not reported nor characterized. Further, Pseudomonas spp. is the most promising bioremediating agent since it can metabolize CBZ into catechol, the latter can enter the carbon central pathways to generate energy for the bacterial cells

Comparative Assessment of Three Fungal Genus in Mycoremediation of Spent Engine Oil: A Brief Review

Spent engine oil is composed of various aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, lubricative additives, and traces of heavy metal. Improper disposal of spent engine oil can lead to deleterious effects on humans due to spent engine oil properties, which can exert toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity on cells and organs. The conventional method to remove hydrocarbon in the spent engine oil is not only expensive but unable to degrade the hydrocarbon completely. In comparison, the mycoremediation approach has been reported to be environmentally friendly, efficient, and cost-effective. The main objective of this review article is to identify the fungal isolate which is most efficient to degrade spent engine oil by assessing the biomass production and the percentage of spent engine oil degraded. Based on the comparative information obtained, Mucor sp. showed the highest biomass production in the presence of spent engine oil. Trichoderma sp. and Aspergillus niger were found to have average biomass production and it depending on the strain and incubation period. Both A. flavus and A. nidulans were found to have the lowest biomass production. In terms of spent engine oil degradation, Mucor sp, Trichoderma sp. and A. niger showed >55% degradation as compared to A. flavus and A. nidulans which have less than 50% degradation. Therefore, from the results of the study, it can be concluded that Mucor sp. has the best potential to degrade spent engine oil within a short period based on the high biomass production and percentage of degradation. The comparative data also suggest that by selecting the right strain and right incubation period, the percentage of spent engine oil degradation by using Trichoderma sp. and A. niger could also increase

PUBI perceptions, attitudes and Expfctations toward nurses' competence in Johor

Competence is a complex multidimensional phenomenon. Nurses demonstrate competence nursing care that leads to patients· perspective of care and satisfaction. Nurses· competency is substantially very important -to ensure the quality of care giving to the patient. The aim of thjs study was to determine the public perception. attitudes= and expectation towards nurses' competence in the provision of nursing care in Johor. A cross sectional survey on public (n = 154) in Johar was done us ing a selfadministered Slrnctured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package Social Science (SPSS) software version 18.0. From the finding. there is a s lightly positive perception and attitude from the public towards nurses' competencies in Johor. The public also shows high expectations towards nursing competencies. Besides. this study highlighted that the older participant score higher in the attitudes towards nurses· competence compared with the younger respondents. While the lower educated group show higher expectation towards nurses' competence. Regarding ethnicity, Indians have highest expectation towards nurses· competencies. fol lowed by Malay. \Vhile Chinese has lesser expectation towards nurses' competencies. Using Pearson correlation. researcher found that there was a significant association between public·s attitudes and their perception towards nurses' competencies. There was also a significant finding that there was an association between public's perceptions and their expectations towards nurses· competencies in Johor. This study provided the bas is for further research on public perception. attitudes, and expectations towards nurses' competencies