Correlation between hepatitis B G1896A precore mutations and HBeAg in chronic HBV patients

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important health concern worldwide, with critical outcomes. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative chronic hepatitis B is frequently caused by a mutation (G1896A) in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore (PC) reading frame, which creates a stop codon, causing premature termination of the HBe protein. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the G1896A PC mutation and its effect on HBeAg detection in chronic HBV patients. Patients and Methods: In this study, 120 chronic HBV patients neither vaccinated or who had benefited from immunoglobulin therapy, were recruited. The HBV-DNA was extracted from plasma and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed. Positive PCR products were subjected to automated sequencing. The HBV serological markers hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg were tested. Results: One hundred out of 120 (83.3%) patients were HBeAg negative and 100% were HBsAg positive. The comparison of nucleotide sequences with the reference sequence (Accession number: AB033559) in HBeAg negative patients showed that there was a high rate of mutations in G1896A (93.18%). Conclusions: This study indicates that the rate of G1896A mutation at the PC region among HBeAg negative patients, in the Golestan province of Iran, was similar to the average rate encountered in other parts of Iran. The PC stop codon mutation was detected in 93.18% of HBeAg negative patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to elucidate the exact role of these mutations in the clinical course of chronic HBV infection. © 2015, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Fermentasi Kulit Nanas Menjadi Bioetanol Menggunakan Zymomonas Mobilis dengan Variasi Pemekatan Medium dan Waktu Fermentasi

The high dependence of fuel resource such as oil, coal, and gas will influence the depletion of fossil resources (oil, natural gas, and coal). Therefore, it is important to study conversion of pineapple peel to bioethanol as renewable energy to overcome dependence on fossil fuels. This research was conducted the fermentation of pineapple peel with concentrated medium variation to obtain high concentration of bioethanol. This work is aimed to study of bioethanol production from pineapple peel with concentrated medium variation with Zymomonas mobilis to increasing the concentration of the sugar inside the medium to obtain maximum conditions on producing bioethanol. Fermentation was conducted in 2 Liter fermentor with variations of fermentation time from 12 ; 24 ; 36 ; 48 ; 60 ; 72 until 84 hours respectively and concentratedmedium variation from 15% ; 20% ; 25% until 30%. respectively. The concentration of bioethanol was increased by increasing of concentrated medium variation. Maximum conditions of bioethanol production from pineapple peel were shown having 30%concentrated medium variation, and fermentation hours 60th about 8,79 % v/v

Levothyroxine effects on depressive symptoms and limbic glucose metabolism in bipolar disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled positron emission tomography study.

Adding supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine (L-T4) to standard treatment for bipolar depression shows promise, but the mechanisms underlying clinical improvement are unknown. In a previous pilot study, L-T4 treatment reduced depression scores and activity within the anterior limbic network. Here we extended this work in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of patients with bipolar depression. Cerebral glucose metabolism was assessed with positron emission tomography and [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose before and after 6 weeks of treatment with L-T4 (n=15) or placebo (n=10) in 12 volumes of interest (VOIs): the bilateral thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, dorsal striatum and ventral striatum, and midline cerebellar vermis and subgenual cingulate cortex. Radioactivity in the VOIs, normalized to whole-brain radioactivity was taken as a surrogate index of glucose metabolism, and markers of thyroid function were assayed. Changes in brain activity and their association with clinical response were assessed using statistical parametric mapping. Adjunctive L-T4 treatment produced a significant decline in depression scores during the 6-week treatment. In patients treated with L-T4, we found a significant decrease in regional activity at P<0.05 after Bonferroni correction in the left thalamus, right amygdala, right hippocampus, left ventral striatum and the right dorsal striatum. Decreases in the left thalamus, left dorsal striatum and the subgenual cingulate were correlated with a reduction in depression scores (P<0.05 after Bonferroni correction). Placebo treatment was associated with a significant decrease in activity only in the right amygdala, and no region had a change in activity that was correlated with change in depression scores. The groups differed significantly in the relationship between the changes in depression scores and in activity in the thalamus bilaterally and the left ventral striatum. The findings provide evidence that administration of supraphysiologic thyroid hormone improves depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder by modulating function in components of the anterior limbic network

Kajian Abu Vulkanik Gunung Kelud Sebagai Alternatif Bahan Penyusun Batako Berlubang

Abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud adalah abu yang dihasilkan oleh letusan Gunung Kelud yang kemudian terbang ke segala arah sesuai dengan arah hembusan angin. Keberadaan abu vulkanik ini dianggap sebagai limbah yang dapat mencemari lingkungan dan mengganggu masyarakat sekitar. Untuk mengatasi hal itu maka dilakukan pengkajian untuk memanfaatkan material abu vulkanik. Abu vulkanik dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan pengganti pasir karena bersifat pozzolan dan dilihat dari ukuran butir yang memiliki kandungan silika yang relatif tinggi. Abu vulkanik pada penelitian ini akan digunakan sebagai pengganti sebagian pasir dalam pembuatan batako berlubang. Batako merupakan salah satu alternatif bahan dinding yang murah dan relatif kuat yang terbuat dari campuran pasir, semen dan air. Pengujian dilakukan dengan membuat benda uji batako dengan campuran pasir, semen dan abu vulkanik dengan variasi prosentasi pasir dan abu vulkanik. Kemudian dilakukan uji penyerapan air dan kuat tekan untuk mengetahui penyerapan air dan kuat tekan batako serta pengaruh dari penggunaan abu vulkanik. Penelitian ini menggunakan 15 buah benda uji dengan persentase abu vulkanik didalamnya sebesar 0%, 25% dan 50%, untuk masing-masing perlakuan dibuat 5 benda uji. Dari hasil pengujian penyerapan air dan kuat tekan didapatkan hasil bahwa abu vulkanik gunung kelud dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai pengganti sebagian pasir. Berdasarkan syarat dari SNI 03-0349, secara keseluruhan penyerapan air pada batako memenuhi standar penyerapan maksimal yaitu 25%. Untuk pengujian kuat tekan semua benda uji memenuhi SNI, komposisi abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud sebesar 0% dan 25% tergolong dalam mutu I, sedangkan komposisi abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud sebesar 50% tergolong dalam mutu III, sehingga dari penelitian ini dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud dapat digunakan sebagai alternatif bahan pengganti sebagian pasir pada pembuatan batako

IKKα and IKKβ Each Function to Regulate NF-κB Activation in the TNF-Induced/Canonical Pathway

Activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB by cytokines is rapid, mediated through the activation of the IKK complex with subsequent phosphorylation and degradation of the inhibitory IkappaB proteins. The IKK complex is comprised of two catalytic subunits, IKKalpha and IKKbeta, and a regulatory protein known as NEMO. Using cells from mice that are genetically deficient in IKKbeta or IKKalpha, or using a kinase inactive mutant of IKKbeta, it has been proposed that IKKbeta is critical for TNF-induced IkappaB phosphorylation/degradation through the canonical pathway while IKKalpha has been shown to be involved in the non-canonical pathway for NF-kappaB activation. These conclusions have led to a focus on development of IKKbeta inhibitors for potential use in inflammatory disorders and cancer.Analysis of NF-kappaB activation in response to TNF in MEFs reveals that IKKbeta is essential for efficient phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of IkappaB alpha, yet IKKalpha contributes to the NF-kappaB activation response in these cells as measured via DNA binding assays. In HeLa cells, both IKKalpha and IKKbeta contribute to IkappaB alpha phosphorylation and NF-kappaB activation. A kinase inactive mutant of IKKbeta, which has been used as evidence for the critical importance of IKKbeta in TNF-induced signaling, blocks activation of NF-kappaB induced by IKKalpha, even in cells that are deficient in IKKbeta.These results demonstrate the importance of IKKalpha in canonical NF-kappaB activation, downstream of cytokine treatment of cells. The experiments suggest that IKKalpha will be a therapeutic target in inflammatory disorders

Positron Acceleration in Plasma Wakefields

Plasma acceleration has emerged as a promising technology for future particle accelerators, particularly linear colliders. Significant progress has been made in recent decades toward high-efficiency and high-quality acceleration of electrons in plasmas. However, this progress does not generalize to acceleration of positrons, as plasmas are inherently charge asymmetric. Here, we present a comprehensive review of historical and current efforts to accelerate positrons using plasma wakefields. Proposed schemes that aim to increase the energy efficiency and beam quality are summarised and quantitatively compared. A dimensionless metric that scales with the luminosity-per-beam power is introduced, indicating that positron-acceleration schemes are currently below the ultimate requirement for colliders. The primary issue is electron motion; the high mobility of plasma electrons compared to plasma ions, which leads to non-uniform accelerating and focusing fields that degrade the beam quality of the positron bunch, particularly for high efficiency acceleration. Finally, we discuss possible mitigation strategies and directions for future research.Comment: 24 pages (30 pages with references), 22 figure

A Comprehensive Overview of Classical and Modern Route Planning Algorithms for Self-Driving Mobile Robots

Mobile robots are increasingly being applied in a variety of sectors, including agricultural, firefighting, and search and rescue operations. Robotics and autonomous technology research and development have played a major role in making this possible. Before a robot can reliably and effectively navigate a space without human aid, there are still several challenges to be addressed. When planning a path to its destination, the robot should be able to gather information from its surroundings and take the appropriate actions to avoid colliding with obstacles along the way. The following review analyses and compares 200 articles from two databases, Scopus and IEEE Xplore, and selects 60 articles as references from those articles. This evaluation focuses mostly on the accuracy of the different path-planning algorithms. Common collision-free path planning methodologies are examined in this paper, including classical or traditional and modern intelligence techniques, as well as both global and local approaches, in static and dynamic environments. Classical or traditional methods, such as Roadmaps (Visibility Graph and Voronoi Diagram), Potential Fields, and Cell Decomposition, and modern methodologies such as heuristic-based (Dijkstra Method, A* Algorithms, and D* Algorithms), metaheuristics algorithms (such as PSO, Bat Algorithm, ACO, and Genetic Algorithm), and neural systems such as fuzzy neural networks or fuzzy logic (FL) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are described in this report. In this study, we outline the ideas, benefits, and downsides of modeling and path-searching technologies for a mobile robot

A Survey on Employment Law in Petrochemical Industry in Malaysia Aust

Since 1990s the Petrochemical industry in Malaysia has developed a lot. The petrochemical industry is now playing very important role in economic growth of this country. The main purpose of this research is to clarify the rules and regulations which are mentioned in Malaysian Labor Law 1955 and Occupational and Safety Law (1994), in order to protect the safety of workforce in petrochemical companies in Malaysia. The study was conducted in PETRONAS in Kuala Lumpur. The employment rules inside the company are analyzed to understand beside the Malaysian law, how the rules and regulations of the company support workforce. The main instrument to collect the data is interviews with some employees in the organization

Perbandingan Hasil Belajar Peserta Didik pada Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam melalui Model Pembelajaran Mind Mapping dan Crossword Puzzle di Kelas IV UPTD SDN 44 Barru Kabupaten Barru

Berdasarkan hasil analisis data deskriptif menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata hasil belajar PAI kelas eksperimen I setelah menggunakan model pembelajaran mind mapping adalah 77,9. Sedangkan kelas eksperimen II setelah menggunakan model pembelajaran crossword puzzle adalah 79,95. Adapun hasil analisis statistik inferensial didapati signifikansi 2-tailed pada kolom Equal variances assumed sebesar 0,873. Karena nilai signifikan 2-tailed (Sig) > 0,05 (0,873 > 0,05). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa H0 diterima dan Ha ditolak. Artinya, tidak terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan hasil belajar PAI peserta didik kelas IV yang mendapat model pembelajaran mind mapping dengan peserta didik yang mendapat model pembelajaran crossword puzzle pada kelas IV UPTD SDN 44 Barru Kabupaten Barru