We revisit a spatial metapopulation model on continuous space as a stochastic point pattern dynamics. In the model, local patches as points are distributed with a certain spatial configuration and ...status of each patch changes stochastically between occupied and empty: an occupied patch becomes empty by local extinction and an empty patch becomes occupied both by local and global colonization. We carry out simulation analysis and derive an analytical model in terms of singlet, pair and triplet probabilities that describe the stochastic dynamics. Using a simple closure that approximates triplet probabilities by singlet and pair probabilities, we show that equilibrium singlet and pair probabilities can be analytically derived. The derived equilibrium properties successfully describe simulation results under a certain condition where the range of local colonization and the proportion of global colonization play key roles. Our model is an extension of the classical non-spatial Levins model to a spatially explicit metapopulation model. We appeal the advantage of point pattern approach to study spatial dynamics in general ecology and call for the need to deepen our understanding of mathematical tools to explore point pattern dynamics.
•A spatial metapopulation model is analyzed as a stochastic point pattern dynamics.•Status of each local patch changes stochastically between empty or occupied by colonization from occupied patch(s) and local extinction.•Local colonization depends on distance(s) from occupied patch(s) while global colonization is independent of distance.•We derive an analytical model in terms of singlet, pair and triplet probabilities that we expect describes the stochastic dynamics.•With a simple closure, we successfully derive equilibrium singlet and pair probabilities that are compared with simulation results.•We appeal the advantage of point pattern approach to study spatial metapopulation dynamics.
The pathogenesis of severe dengue is not well understood. Maternally derived subneutralizing levels of dengue virus-reactive IgG are postulated to be a critical risk factor for severe dengue during ...infancy. In this study, we found that, in healthy Vietnamese infants, there was a strong temporal association between the Fc-dependent, dengue virus infection-enhancing activity of neat plasma and the age-related epidemiology of severe dengue. We then postulated that disease severity in infants with primary infections would be associated with a robust immune response, possibly as a consequence of higher viral burdens in vivo. Accordingly, in infants hospitalized with acute dengue, the activation phenotype of peripheral-blood NK cells and CD8+ and CD4+ T cells correlated with overall disease severity, but HLA-A*1101-restricted NS3133–142-specific CD8+ T cells were not measurable until early convalescence. Plasma levels of cytokines/chemokines were generally higher in infants with dengue shock syndrome. Collectively, these data support a model of dengue pathogenesis in infants whereby antibody-dependent enhancement of infection explains the age-related case epidemiology and could account for antigen-driven immune activation and its association with disease severity. These results also highlight potential risks in the use of live attenuated dengue vaccines in infants in countries where dengue is endemic.
The pathogenesis of dengue in infants is poorly understood. We postulated that dengue severity in infants would be positively associated with markers of viral burden and that maternally derived, ...neutralizing anti-dengue antibody would have decayed before the age at which infants with dengue presented to the hospital. In 75 Vietnamese infants with primary dengue, we found significant heterogeneity in viremia and NS1 antigenemia at hospital presentation, and these factors were independent of disease grade or continuous measures of disease severity. Neutralizing antibody titers, predicted in each infant at the time of their illness, suggested that the majority of infants (65%) experienced dengue hemorrhagic fever when the maternally derived neutralizing antibody titer had declined to <1:20. Collectively, these data have important implications for dengue vaccine research because they suggest that viral burden may not solely explain severe dengue in infants and that neutralizing antibody is a reasonable but not absolute marker of protective immunity in infants.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever can occur in primary dengue virus (DENV) infection of infants. The decay of maternally derived DENV immunoglobulin (Ig) G and the incidence of DENV infection were determined ...in a prospectively studied cohort of 1244 Vietnamese infants. Higher concentrations of total IgG and DENV-reactive IgG were found in cord plasma relative to maternal plasma. Maternally derived DENV-neutralizing and E protein–reactive IgG titers declined to below measurable levels in >90% of infants by 6 months of age. In contrast, IgG reactive with whole DENV virions persisted until 12 months of age in 20% of infants. Serological surveillance identified 10 infants with asymptomatic DENV infection for an incidence of 1.7 cases per 100 person-years. DENV-neutralizing antibodies remained measurable for ⩾1 year after infection. These results suggest that whereas DENV infection in infants is frequently subclinical, there is a window between 4 and 12 months of age where virion-binding but nonneutralizing IgG could facilitate antibody-dependent enhancement
Southeast Asia plays a key role in the evolution of the eastern Tethys, which is characterized by accretion and amalgamation of numerous terranes since early Paleozoic. In the present study, an early ...Paleozoic granitoid sequence from the Kontum massif in the central Indochina block was investigated to reveal the early Paleozoic accretionary orogenesis of the eastern Tethys. Early Paleozoic Kontum granitoids include diorites and granites. Early Ordovician (485–473 Ma) Ben Giang diorites show high Mg#, Cr and Ni contents, and negative Nb-Ta and positive Pb anomalies as well as positive zircon ɛHf(t) values (+6.2 to +10), probably reflecting the melting of a metasomatized mantle wedge. Late Ordovician (457–453 Ma) Dien Binh hornblende-bearing diorites and granites exhibit low Mg#, Cr and Ni contents, and negative Nb-Ta and positive Pb anomalies as well as negative zircon ɛHf(t) values (−8.7 to −4.2), which is interpreted to reflect the reworking of ancient continental mafic crust during subduction. In contrast, the Silurian (422 Ma) Dai Loc muscovite-bearing granites are characterized by relatively high A/CNK and heavy rare earth element contents, and a negative Eu anomaly, corresponding to a typical S-type granite affinity. Their negative zircon ɛHf(t) values (−6.0 to +0.6) suggest that a petrogenesis linked to reworking of crustal sediments. In combination with the widespread occurrence of coeval high-pressure metamorphism, we suggest that an advancing accretionary orogenesis was responsible for the generation of the early Paleozoic magmatic arc in the Kontum massif. Such magmatic arc systems dominated the early Paleozoic evolution of the northern Gondwana margin during the subduction of the Proto-Tethys.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) have received significant attention; however, the leaked light from their blue InGaN chips has an undesirable effect on human health. Hence, it ...is necessary to develop red, green, and blue-emitting phosphors, which can be excited by an NUV chip instead of a blue chip. Herein, green-emitting ZnO:Cu2+ phosphors have been successfully synthesized by a simple and facile thermal diffusion method. The obtained powder shows a broad emission band peaking at 525 nm and a strong absorption peak at 377 nm. The ZnO:5%Cu2+ phosphor annealed at 800 °C in 2 hours revealed a lifetime of 0.57 ms, an activation energy of 0.212 eV, and the highest emission intensity with (x, y) CIE colour coordinates (0.3130, 0.5253). A WLED prototype has been fabricated by coating the ZnO:5%Cu2+ phosphor on an NUV 375 nm LED chip, where this coated phosphor shows a high quantum efficiency (QE) of 56.6%. This is, so far, the highest reported QE value for ZnO-based phosphors. These results suggest that the ZnO:Cu2+ phosphor could be an excellent candidate for NUV-pumped phosphor-converted WLED applications.
Although fibers are used only infrequently as an additive in concrete in the construction industry, fiber-enhanced concrete is known to provide a wide range of advantages over conventional concrete. ...The main objective of this study was to investigate the influences of fiber type and content on the mechanical properties and durability of high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) designed using a novel densified mixture design algorithm with fly ash and rice husk ash. Three types of fiber, including polypropylene (PP) fiber, steel fiber (SF), and hybrid fiber (HF), were considered. Based on the results, the inclusion of fibers decreased HPFRC flowability, regardless of fiber type. Although the compressive strength of HPFRC with 1.6% PP fiber content was 11.2% below that of the reference HPFRC specimen at 91 d of curing age, the 91-d compressive strengths of both SF and HF-enhanced HPFRC specimens were significantly better than that of the reference HPFRC specimen. Furthermore, the HPFRC specimens incorporating SF and HF both exhibited better splitting tensile and flexural strengths as well as less drying shrinkage than the HPFRC specimens incorporating PP fiber. However, the fiber-enhanced specimens, especially those with added SF, registered less surface electrical resistivity and greater vulnerability to chloride ion penetration than the reference HPFRC specimen.
Hypovolemic shock (dengue shock syndrome (DSS)) is the most common life-threatening complication of dengue. We conducted a genome-wide association study of 2,008 pediatric cases treated for DSS and ...2,018 controls from Vietnam. Replication of the most significantly associated markers was carried out in an independent Vietnamese sample of 1,737 cases and 2,934 controls. SNPs at two loci showed genome-wide significant association with DSS. We identified a susceptibility locus at MICB (major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I polypeptide-related sequence B), which was within the broad MHC region on chromosome 6 but outside the class I and class II HLA loci (rs3132468, Pmeta = 4.41 × 10−11, per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.34 (95% confidence interval: 1.23-1.46)). We identified associated variants within PLCE1 (phospholipase C, epsilon 1) on chromosome 10 (rs3765524, Pmeta = 3.08 × 10−10, per-allele OR = 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.86)). We identify two loci associated with susceptibility to DSS in people with dengue, suggesting possible mechanisms for this severe complication of dengue.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Taenia hydatigena
is a globally distributed canine tapeworm. The canine tapeworm results in economic impacts for farmers owing to organ condemnation.
T. hydatigena
utilizes dogs and other carnivores ...as definitive hosts while swine and ruminants serve as intermediate hosts.
T. hydatigena
is endemic in Vietnam; however, information on the prevalence and risk factors associated with infection is scarce. This cross-sectional study aims to identify the prevalence of
T. hydatigena
taeniasis in dogs and
T. hydatigena
cysticercosis in pigs and cattle. The risk factors associated with taeniasis in dogs were identified using a fixed effects logistic regression model and quantified using population attributable fractions. The prevalence of
T. hydatigena
taeniasis in dogs and
T. hydatigena
cysticercosis in pigs and cattle was 10.31% (95% CI 8.21 to 12.84%), 7.60% (95% CI 6.34 to 9.08%), and 11.11% (95% CI 7.63 to 11.81%), respectively; these levels were lower than those reported in other regions of Vietnam. The population attributable fraction of risk factors associated with
T. hydatigena
taeniasis in dogs for dogs living in proximity of an abattoir, those having access to raw pork or beef viscera, and those living in multi-dog households were 80%, 19%, and 7%, respectively. This current study identified and quantified the risk factors for taeniasis in dogs thus advocating for targeted community intervention programs to break the lifecycle of
T. hydatigena
in Dak Lak province.
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