Though empirical testing is broadly used to evaluate heuristics, there are shortcomings with how it is often applied in practice. In a systematic review of Max-Cut and quadratic unconstrained binary ...optimization (QUBO) heuristics papers, we found only 4% publish source code, only 14% compare heuristics with identical termination criteria, and most experiments are performed with an artificial, homogeneous set of problem instances. To address these limitations, we implement and release as open-source a code-base of 10 Max-Cut and 27 QUBO heuristics. We perform heuristic evaluation using cloud computing on a library of 3,296 instances. This large-scale evaluation provides insight into the types of problem instances for which each heuristic performs well or poorly. Because no single heuristic outperforms all others across all problem instances, we use machine learning to predict which heuristic will work best on a previously unseen problem instance, a key question facing practitioners.
The online supplement is available at
https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2017.0798
.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Andrographolide, a diterpenoid, is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It can be isolated from various plants of the genus
Andrographis
, commonly known as ‘creat’. This purified compound has ...been tested for its anti-inflammatory effects in various stressful conditions, such as ischemia, pyrogenesis, arthritis, hepatic or neural toxicity, carcinoma, and oxidative stress, Apart from its anti-inflammatory effects, andrographolide also exhibits immunomodulatory effects by effectively enhancing cytotoxic T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, phagocytosis, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). All these properties of andrographolide form the foundation for the use of this miraculous compound to restrain virus replication and virus-induced pathogenesis. The present article covers antiviral properties of andrographolide in variety of viral infections, with the hope of developing of a new highly potent antiviral drug with multiple effects.
Abstract
Intrinsic transcription termination (ITT) sites are currently identified by locating single and double-adjacent RNA hairpins downstream of the stop codon. ITTs for a limited number of ...genes/operons in only a few bacterial genomes are currently known. This lack of coverage is a lacuna in the existing ITT inference methods. We have studied the inter-operon regions of 13 genomes covering all major phyla in bacteria, for which good quality public RNA-seq data exist. We identify ITT sites in 87% of cases by predicting hairpin(s) and validate against 81% of cases for which the
RNA-seq derived
sites could be calculated. We identify 72% of these sites correctly, with 98% of them located ≤ 80 bases downstream of the stop codon. The predicted hairpins form a
cluster
(when present < 15 bases) in two-thirds of the cases, the remaining being
single
hairpins. The largest number of
clusters
is formed by two hairpins, and the occurrence decreases exponentially with an increasing number of hairpins in the
cluster
. Our study reveals that hairpins form an effective ITT unit when they act in concert in a
cluster
. Their pervasiveness along with
single
hairpin terminators corroborates a wider utilization of ITT mechanisms for transcription control across bacteria.
•Respiratory viruses mutate and evolve rapidly to cause epidemics and pandemics.•WHO-GISRS is a global surveillance mechanism for influenza and respiratory viruses.•ILI and SARI surveillance led by ...WHO NICs remains weak in many parts of the world.•Surveillance through NICs must be strengthened for timely outbreak detection.•We have suggested strategies to strengthen surveillance through NICs.
The global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS), coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a global framework for surveillance of influenza and other respiratory viruses, data collection, laboratory capacity building, genomic data submission and archival, standardization, and calibration of reagents and vaccine strains, production of seasonal influenza vaccines and creating a facilitatory regulatory environment for the same.
WHO-designated national influenza centers (NICs) are entrusted with establishing surveillance in their respective countries. National and subnational surveillance remains weak in most parts of the world because of varying capacities of the NICs, lack of funds, poor human and veterinary surveillance mechanisms, lack of intersectoral coordination, and varying commitments of the local government.
As influenza viruses have a wide variety of nonhuman hosts, it is critical to strengthen surveillance at local levels for timely detection of untypable or novel strains with potential to cause epidemics or pandemics. In this article, we have proposed possible strategies to strengthen and expand local capacities for respiratory virus surveillance through the designated NICs of the WHO.
Proposed mechanism for strengthening local or subnational respiratory virus surveillance and response. Display omitted
Spectrum of Allergens and Allergen Biology in India Bhattacharya, Kashinath; Sircar, Gaurab; Dasgupta, Angira ...
International archives of allergy and immunology,
01/2018, Letnik:
177, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The growing prevalence of allergy and asthma in India has become a major health concern with symptoms ranging from mild rhinitis to severe asthma and even life-threatening anaphylaxis. The "allergen ...repertoire" of this subcontinent is highly diverse due to the varied climate, flora, and food habits. The proper identification, purification, and molecular characterization of allergy-eliciting molecules are essential in order to facilitate an accurate diagnosis and to design immunotherapeutic vaccines. Although several reports on prevalent allergens are available, most of these studies were based on preliminary detection and identification of the allergens. Only a few of these allergen molecules have been characterized by recombinant technology and structural biology. The present review first describes the composition, distribution pattern, and natural sources of the predominant allergens in India along with the prevalence of sensitization to these allergens across the country. We go on to present a comprehensive report on the biochemical, immunological, and molecular information on the allergens reported so far from India. The review also covers the studies on allergy- related biosafety assessment of transgenic plants. Finally, we discuss the allergen-specific immunotherapy trials performed in India.
Despite a large increase in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) severity, morbidity and mortality in the US since the early 2000s, CDI burden estimates have had limited generalizability and ...comparability due to widely varying clinical settings, populations, or study designs.
A decision-analytic model incorporating key input parameters important in CDI epidemiology was developed to estimate the annual number of initial and recurrent CDI cases, attributable and all-cause deaths, economic burden in the general population, and specific number of high-risk patients in different healthcare settings and the community in the US. Economic burden was calculated adopting a societal perspective using a bottom-up approach that identified healthcare resources consumed in the management of CDI.
Annually, a total of 606,058 (439,237 initial and 166,821 recurrent) episodes of CDI were predicted in 2014: 34.3 % arose from community exposure. Over 44,500 CDI-attributable deaths in 2014 were estimated to occur. High-risk susceptible individuals representing 5 % of the total hospital population accounted for 23 % of hospitalized CDI patients. The economic cost of CDI was $5.4 billion ($4.7 billion (86.7 %) in healthcare settings; $725 million (13.3 %) in the community), mostly due to hospitalization.
A modeling framework provides more comprehensive and detailed national-level estimates of CDI cases, recurrences, deaths and cost in different patient groups than currently available from separate individual studies. As new treatments for CDI are developed, this model can provide reliable estimates to better focus healthcare resources to those specific age-groups, risk-groups, and care settings in the US where they are most needed. (Trial Identifier ClinicaTrials.gov: NCT01241552).
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), which are widely used in pesticides, explosives, dyes, and pharmaceuticals, include nitrobenzene, nitrotoluenes, nitrophenols, and nitrobenzoates. They are also ...significant industrial pollutants in the environment. These substances, as well as their derivatives, frequently have toxic or mutagenic properties. Wastewater containing nitroaromatic compounds can be effectively managed by using biological treatment methods that are accessible, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. This review highlights the latest developments in biological treatment systems for removing NACs from wastewater. The large-scale implementation of biological treatment systems will be facilitated by future studies that focus on identifying the best operational methods and that determine how co-pollutants impact the removal of NACs from wastewater.
Display omitted
Moringa oleifera Lam. (vern. Drumstick) is a mineral rich, medicinally important tree species of family Moringaceae. It has a wide range of culinary applications and has ...bioremediation, nutritional and medicinal properties. Conventionally, seeds of the tree have been used as natural coagulants and flocculents in waste water treatment. Its leaves and bark act as biosorbent for remediation of heavy metals and dyes. The tree provides remedies for a range of diseases and disorders by dint of its unique combination of numerous phytochemicals. Gum exudates of the tree are of immense medicinal importance due to their applications in biodegradable drug delivery systems and in treatment of asthma, dysentery and intestinal cancer. The multidimensional utilities of M. oleifera may cause overexploitation of this tree, posing danger to the existing natural variability in the near future. Therefore, there is a need for conservation of the species for ethnobotanical, pharmacological, nutraceutical and biodiversity purposes. Development of tissue culture propagation methods will assist in preserving some of the germplasm of the species. In the present review, consolidated analysis of the role of biotechnology in conservation and genetic enhancement of nutritional, medicinal and commercial value of the tree has been placed in perspective, together with an up to date review on phytochemical analysis of the plant, and its utility has been discussed to invite the attention of the scientific community to further consider the study of this miracle tree species and its nutritional and pharmaceutical properties.
The treatment of calcified root canals is challenging in endodontic practice. A 63-year-old man was referred to the postgraduate endodontic clinic at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, ...Baltimore, MD, for the treatment of tooth #3. Because of the patient’s history of head and neck radiation and the high risk of developing osteoradionecrosis, a nonsurgical endodontic approach was found to be the most reasonable treatment option despite the questionable prognosis of the tooth. During the endodontic treatment, the distobuccal canal appeared to be partially calcified and was not possible to be located freehand even with use of the dental operating microscope and cone-beam computed tomographic approximated approach. Therefore, the dynamic navigation system using the X-Guide system (X-Nav technologies, LLC, Lansdale, PA) was used, which allowed for the successful location of the canal. Conventional endodontic treatment was completed following standardized instrumentation, irrigation, and obturation. Details on how to use the dynamic navigation system are described including its advantages, disadvantages, and limitations.
Zika virus, influenza, and Ebola have called attention to the ways in which infectious disease outbreaks can severely – and at times uniquely – affect the health interests of pregnant women and their ...offspring. These examples also highlight the critical need to proactively consider pregnant women and their offspring in vaccine research and response efforts to combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Historically, pregnant women and their offspring have been largely excluded from research agendas and investment strategies for vaccines against epidemic threats, which in turn can lead to exclusion from future vaccine campaigns amidst outbreaks. This state of affairs is profoundly unjust to pregnant women and their offspring, and deeply problematic from the standpoint of public health. To ensure that the needs of pregnant women and their offspring are fairly addressed, new approaches to public health preparedness, vaccine research and development, and vaccine delivery are required. This Guidance offers 22 concrete recommendations that provide a roadmap for the ethically responsible, socially just, and respectful inclusion of the interests of pregnant women in the development and deployment of vaccines against emerging pathogens. The Guidance was developed by the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies (PREVENT) Working Group – a multidisciplinary, international team of 17 experts specializing in bioethics, maternal immunization, maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, philosophy, public health, and vaccine research and policy – in consultation with a variety of external experts and stakeholders.
PDF
