Development of an Animal Microbiota Online Web-Based System Basilio: Bacterial Assemblages and Species Identity Library Online

Zoonotic diseases caused by infectious microorganisms transmitted from animals to humans, are becoming a greater threat to global health security. With the massive amount of data on animal microbiota and zoonosis research that recognize the pivotal roles of microorganisms in animal physiology and human health, it is necessary to process and present the data and make them accessible to researchers, educators, and to those involved in microbiota and zoonotic infections studies. The Bacterial Assemblages and Species Identity Library Online (BASILIO) is a web-based bacterial system and database that was created to curate data from various research publications on isolated bacteria from a variety of animal species worldwide. The system focuses on the presentation of animal and bacterial taxonomy, with an emphasis on the abundance of bacterial diversity in the animals studied and the classification of bacteria according to their pathogenicity. The project gathered data on animal microbiota from published studies in reputable peer-reviewed journals. AGILE development approach was utilized to develop the information system iteratively. Unit, system, and acceptability testing were used to execute test plans. The BASILIO web-system was evaluated using ISO 9126 standards and found to be functional, usable, reliable, efficient, portable, maintainable, and usable. The BASILIO in its current state, fills in the need for a database dedicated to fast access to information on pathogenic bacteria found in animals. Future developers are proposed to adopt the BASILIO system and incorporate other data management tools and algorithms to create a more complex and robust system

Investigating the effectiveness of rice husk ash as stabilizing agent of expansive soil

Expansive soils pose a significant threat to structures due to its ability to cause damage from the footing up to the superstructure. This paper intends to provide an economic and environment-friendly method of mitigating the swelling potential of expansive soil by replacing a set volume of expansive soil with rice husk ash (RHA) - an abundant waste material produced by the biomass power plant. The swelling behavior of the soil mixtures was analyzed through its expansion index obtained via ASTM D4829. Results of the tests revealed that the mixture containing 20% and 25% RHA are considered non-expansive soil. Soil stability parameters were also obtained through the tests specified by ASTM D4609. The tests on the soil stability parameters revealed that soil-RHA mixtures exhibited an improvement in the Atterberg limits which garnered a 36.32% decrease in the liquid limit and 64.75% decrease in the plasticity index; however, a decline was observed in the compaction characteristics and the unconfined compressive strength. Soil-RHA mixtures experienced a maximum decrease of 230 kg/m3 in the maximum dry density and a 40.17% increase in the optimum moisture content. The unconfined compressive strength of treated soils yielded a decrease of as much as 194.2 kPa as well as a decrease in the cohesion development of the soil. The results revealed that while an increase of the RHA content reduces the swelling potential of soil, other strength parameters such as the compaction behavior and the unconfined compressive strength of the soil declines. © Int. J. of GEOMATE

Ultrasound assessment of muscle thickness and muscle crosssectional area: a reliability study

Purpose: Previous studies showed that ultrasound imaging is reliable when measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of a muscle. However, measurements of muscles could be affected by the level of experience of the observer. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the reliability of observers when measuring the CSA and thickness of the rectus femoris (RF). Methods and Materials: Seven observers assessed eight different images of RF. On each image the CSA and thickness was measured three times using ImageJ. The measurements were analysed using IBM SPSS. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to analyse reliability. A Paired Sample T-Test was used to investigate any differences between the first and mean measurement recorded by the observers. Results: No significant differences were found between the first and mean of the repeated measures for CSA and thickness respectively (p = 0. 217- 0.817, p = 0.337-0.897). Intra-observer reliability shows excellent agreement between measurement one and the mean for each observer (CSA ICC = 0.987-1.000, thickness ICC = 0.996-1.000). High inter-observer reliability was found for both CSA (ICC = 0.938, 95% CI = 0.845-0.985) and thickness (ICC = 0.9774, 95% CI = 0.934-0.994). Agreement between an experienced and inexperienced observer was excellent (ICC = 0.991, 95% CI = 0.959-0.998). Conclusion: This pilot study shows that there is a high level of inter- and intra-observer reliability among the observers in measuring the CSA and thickness of the RF. It also shows that experience in ultrasound measurements is not a factor in reliability

Development of an Animal Microbiota Online Web-Based System Basilio: Bacterial Assemblages and Species Identity Library Online

Zoonotic diseases caused by infectious microorganisms transmitted from animals to humans, are becoming a greater threat to global health security. With the massive amount of data on animal microbiota and zoonosis research that recognize the pivotal roles of microorganisms in animal physiology and human health, it is necessary to process and present the data and make them accessible to researchers, educators, and to those involved in microbiota and zoonotic infections studies. The Bacterial Assemblages and Species Identity Library Online (BASILIO) is a web-based bacterial system and database that was created to curate data from various research publications on isolated bacteria from a variety of animal species worldwide. The system focuses on the presentation of animal and bacterial taxonomy, with an emphasis on the abundance of bacterial diversity in the animals studied and the classification of bacteria according to their pathogenicity. The project gathered data on animal microbiota from published studies in reputable peer-reviewed journals. AGILE development approach was utilized to develop the information system iteratively. Unit, system, and acceptability testing were used to execute test plans. The BASILIO web-system was evaluated using ISO 9126 standards and found to be functional, usable, reliable, efficient, portable, maintainable, and usable. The BASILIO in its current state, fills in the need for a database dedicated to fast access to information on pathogenic bacteria found in animals. Future developers are proposed to adopt the BASILIO system and incorporate other data management tools and algorithms to create a more complex and robust system

Ultrasound assessment of muscle thickness and muscle crosssectional area: a reliability study

Purpose: Previous studies showed that ultrasound imaging is reliable when measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of a muscle. However, measurements of muscles could be affected by the level of experience of the observer. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the reliability of observers when measuring the CSA and thickness of the rectus femoris (RF). Methods and Materials: Seven observers assessed eight different images of RF. On each image, the CSA and thickness were measured three times using ImageJ. The measurements were analyzed using IBM SPSS. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to analyze reliability. A Paired Sample T-Test was used to investigate any differences between the first and mean measurement recorded by the observers. Results: No significant differences were found between the first and mean of the repeated measures for CSA and thickness respectively (p = 0.217-0.817, p = 0.337-0.897). Intra-observer reliability shows excellent agreement between measurement one and the mean for each observer (CSA ICC = 0.987-1.000, thickness ICC = 0.996-1.000). High inter-observer reliability was found for both CSA (ICC = 0.938, 95% CI = 0.845-0.985) and thickness (ICC = 0.9774, 95% CI = 0.934-0.994). Agreement between an experienced and inexperienced observer was excellent (ICC = 0.991, 95% CI = 0.959-0.998). Conclusion: This pilot study shows that there is a high level of inter- and intraobserver reliability among the observers in measuring the CSA and thickness of the RF. It also shows that experience in ultrasound measurements is not a factor in reliability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio