461 research outputs found
Development and characterization of poly-epsilon-caprolactone-based polymer electrolyte for lithium rechargeable battery development and characterization of poly-ε-caprolactone-based polymer electrolyte for lithium rechargeable battery
A biodegradable polymer electrolyte based on Poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) with various level of concentrations of Lithium salt and plasticizer have been synthesized under both the ambient and vacuum environments. The ionic conductivity, morphology, topology and structural properties are examined using EIS, SEM and XRD respectively. Conductivity as high as 3.48E-(04) Scm(-1) and 4.99E(-04) Scm(-1) are obtained for the ambient and vacuum environment respectively. Ionic mobility is improved by increasing the amorphousity content of the polymer and degree of salt dissociation with plasticizer. Ionic conductivity is further enhanced with the addition Li salt to increase the free ions concentration. Ionic conductivity measurements are further supported by the XRD data which reveal that sample with higher amorphous content tends to show higher conductivity. The dielectric relaxation study in terms of characteristic of the structural molecular interaction and ionic transportation properties are also carried out. Both of the conductivity and XRD results are further verified by SEM images
NURSES’ PERCEIVED FAMILIARITY WITH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
A major disaster, either natural or man-made, resulting in a large number of deaths and casualties, is hard to predict. Hence, preparing for, and responding to, a disaster is a public health priority that must be addressed, often in situations with constrained resources. The aim of this study was to assess nurses’ familiarity with disaster preparedness.
A cross-sectional design was used. One hundred and thirty nurses were recruited using simple random sampling. Data was collected between December 2013 and February 2014 using a self-administered questionnaire. Pearson Chi Square analyses were used to determine the association between socio-demographic data and nurses’ perceived familiarity with disaster preparedness. A p value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The majority of the nurses were female (80%). Less than half were from the intensive care unit (30%). More than half were unfamiliar with disaster preparedness (62.3%). Among the socio-demographic factors, nurses’ workplace area was associated with perceived disaster preparedness
Theory of Current and Shot Noise Spectroscopy in Single-Molecular Quantum Dots with Phonon Mode
Using the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function technique, we study the
current and shot noise spectroscopy of a single molecular quantum dot coupled
to a local phonon mode. It is found that in the presence of electron-phonon
coupling, in addition to the resonant peak associated with the single level of
the dot, satellite peaks with the separation set by the frequency of phonon
mode appear in the differential conductance. In the ``single level'' resonant
tunneling region, the differential shot noise power exhibit two split peaks.
However, only single peaks show up in the ``phonon assisted''
resonant-tunneling region. An experimental setup to test these predictions is
also proposed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 eps figures embedde
Bridging the TB data gap: in silico extraction of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis diagnostic test results from whole genome sequence data
YesBackground: Mycobacterium tuberculosis rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely
employed in routine laboratories and national surveys for detection of rifampicinresistant (RR)-TB. However, as next-generation sequencing technologies have
become more commonplace in research and surveillance programs, RDTs are being
increasingly complemented by whole genome sequencing (WGS). While comparison
between RDTs is difficult, all RDT results can be derived from WGS data. This
can facilitate continuous analysis of RR-TB burden regardless of the data generation
technology employed. By converting WGS to RDT results, we enable comparison of
data with different formats and sources particularly for low- and middle-income
high TB-burden countries that employ different diagnostic algorithms for drug
resistance surveys. This allows national TB control programs (NTPs) and
epidemiologists to utilize all available data in the setting for improved RR-TB
surveillance.
Methods: We developed the Python-based MycTB Genome to Test (MTBGT) tool
that transforms WGS-derived data into laboratory-validated results of the primary
RDTs—Xpert MTB/RIF, XpertMTB/RIF Ultra, GenoType MDRTBplus v2.0, and
GenoscholarNTM+MDRTB II. The tool was validated through RDT results of
RR-TB strains with diverse resistance patterns and geographic origins and applied on
routine-derived WGS data.
Results: The MTBGT tool correctly transformed the single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) data into the RDT results and generated tabulated frequencies of the RDT
probes as well as rifampicin-susceptible cases. The tool supplemented the RDT
probe reactions output with the RR-conferring mutation based on identified SNPs.
The MTBGT tool facilitated continuous analysis of RR-TB and Xpert probe reactions
from different platforms and collection periods in Rwanda.
Conclusion: Overall, the MTBGT tool allows low- and middle-income countries to
make sense of the increasingly generated WGS in light of the readily available RDT.Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Fellowship grant 2016- 1346
Electronic Structure of the Complex Hydride NaAlH4
Density functional calculations of the electronic structure of the complex
hydride NaAlH4 and the reference systems NaH and AlH3 are reported. We find a
substantially ionic electronic structure for NaAlH4, which emphasizes the
importance of solid state effects in this material. The relaxed hydrogen
positions in NaAlH4 are in good agreement with recent experiment. The
electronic structure of AlH3 is also ionic. Implications for the binding of
complex hydrides are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Potential application of digitally linked tuberculosis diagnostics for real-time surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis transmission: Validation and analysis of test results
YesBackground: Tuberculosis (TB) is the highest-mortality infectious disease in the world and the main cause of death related to antimicrobial resistance, yet its surveillance is still paper-based. Rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) is an urgent public health crisis. The World Health Organization has, since 2010, endorsed a series of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) that enable rapid detection of drug-resistant strains and produce large volumes of data. In parallel, most high-burden countries have adopted connectivity solutions that allow linking of diagnostics, real-time capture, and shared repository of these test results. However, these connected diagnostics and readily available test results are not used to their full capacity, as we have yet to capitalize on fully understanding the relationship between test results and specific rpoB mutations to elucidate its potential application to real-time surveillance.
Objective: We aimed to validate and analyze RDT data in detail, and propose the potential use of connected diagnostics and associated test results for real-time evaluation of RR-TB transmission.
Methods: We selected 107 RR-TB strains harboring 34 unique rpoB mutations, including 30 within the rifampicin resistance–determining region (RRDR), from the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms, Antwerp, Belgium. We subjected these strains to Xpert MTB/RIF, GenoType MTBDRplus v2.0, and Genoscholar NTM + MDRTB II, the results of which were validated against the strains’ available rpoB gene sequences. We determined the reproducibility of the results, analyzed and visualized the probe reactions, and proposed these for potential use in evaluating transmission.
Results: The RDT probe reactions detected most RRDR mutations tested, although we found a few critical discrepancies between observed results and manufacturers’ claims. Based on published frequencies of probe reactions and RRDR mutations, we found specific probe reactions with high potential use in transmission studies: Xpert MTB/RIF probes A, Bdelayed, C, and Edelayed; Genotype MTBDRplus v2.0 WT2, WT5, and WT6; and Genoscholar NTM + MDRTB II S1 and S3. Inspection of probe reactions of disputed mutations may potentially resolve discordance between genotypic and phenotypic test results.
Conclusions: We propose a novel approach for potential real-time detection of RR-TB transmission through fully using digitally linked TB diagnostics and shared repository of test results. To our knowledge, this is the first pragmatic and scalable work in response to the consensus of world-renowned TB experts in 2016 on the potential of diagnostic connectivity to accelerate efforts to eliminate TB. This is evidenced by the ability of our proposed approach to facilitate comparison of probe reactions between different RDTs used in the same setting. Integrating this proposed approach as a plug-in module to a connectivity platform will increase usefulness of connected TB diagnostics for RR-TB outbreak detection through real-time investigation of suspected RR-TB transmission cases based on epidemiologic linking.KCN was supported by Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Fellowship grant 2016-1346, and BCdJ, LR, and CJM were supported by European Research Council-INTERRUPTB starting grant 311725
Rotating metrics admitting non-perfect fluids in General Relativity
In this paper, by applying Newman-Janis algorithm in spherical symmetric
metrics, a class of embedded rotating solutions of field equations is
presented. These solutions admit non-perfect fluidsComment: LaTex, 39 page
Energy and Flux Measurements of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays Observed During the First ANITA Flight
The first flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA)
experiment recorded 16 radio signals that were emitted by cosmic-ray induced
air showers. For 14 of these events, this radiation was reflected from the ice.
The dominant contribution to the radiation from the deflection of positrons and
electrons in the geomagnetic field, which is beamed in the direction of motion
of the air shower. This radiation is reflected from the ice and subsequently
detected by the ANITA experiment at a flight altitude of 36km. In this paper,
we estimate the energy of the 14 individual events and find that the mean
energy of the cosmic-ray sample is 2.9 EeV. By simulating the ANITA flight, we
calculate its exposure for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. We estimate for the
first time the cosmic-ray flux derived only from radio observations. In
addition, we find that the Monte Carlo simulation of the ANITA data set is in
agreement with the total number of observed events and with the properties of
those events.Comment: Added more explanation of the experimental setup and textual
improvement
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