Abstract In this work, we report the development of a novel device, integrated into a shoe, to monitor plantar pressure under real-life conditions by reducing the spatial and temporal resolution. The ...device consists of a shoe insole with seven pressure-sensitive conductive rubber sensors and a wireless data transmission unit incorporated into a smaller measurement unit. One advantage of this approach is that the mass and volume of the measurement unit are less than 1/10th and 1/50th, respectively, of that reported for other devices. A comparison experiment was conducted for validation of the device using the F-scan system, and the initial test of the device was conducted by recording unobstructed gaits of one young adult subject and two elderly subjects. Each subject performed a straight, level walking trial at a comfortable speed for 7 m without any assistive device while wearing the in-shoe device. Changes in the plantar pressure during gait were recorded. Compared with the young subject, the pressure under the heel of the elderly subject was found to be smaller and less steep. This in-shoe device can be used to monitor plantar pressure during daily living and is expected to be useful in various clinical applications.
Polycrystalline samples of Bi2-xPbxSr2CaCu2O8 (0.32 ≤ x(Pb) ≤ 0.42) have been prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. It has been found that the maximum value of Tc, defined as the ...onset temperature of the shielding effect in the magnetic susceptibility measurements, is 102 K for x(Pb)=0.36. The present compound is the first superconductor with Tc above 100 K in the Bi-2212 phase.
•The focus of most studies on trypanosomosis has been on cattle and humans.•Little has been done in generating the disease information in goats.•This study reports a high prevalence of caprine ...trypanosomosis in southern Zambia.•Control strategies for the disease should also consider goats as potential reservoirs.
African animal trypanosomosis is one of the key livestock diseases hindering full exploitation of livestock production potential covering 37 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Many studies have been carried out to investigate the prevalence of the disease in cattle and humans in many tropical African countries but very little attention has been directed towards generating the disease prevalence rates in goats. The current study was conducted between December 2013 and January 2014 to establish the prevalence of caprine trypanosomosis in Sinazongwe and Kalomo districts, southern Zambia. It involved 422 goats which were first examined by palpation for possible enlargement of superficial lymph nodes. Blood samples were then collected from the goats and subjected to laboratory diagnosis using the microscope and Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP). None of the examined goats displayed enlargement of superficial lymph nodes. On microscopy only one goat was found to be positive. The results of investigation using the LAMP method showed that 100 goats were infected with trypanosomes giving an overall prevalence rate of 23.7%. The prevalence of infection in Sinazongwe was 22.4% (n=183) while in Kalomo it was 24.7% (n=239); and the difference between the two districts was statistically significant at 95% CL (x2=4.4, df=1, p<0.05). Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanasoma vivax and Trypanasoma congolense were detected in 82.0%, 31.0% and 23.0% of the infected goats, respectively. Mixed infections were detected among 33.0% of the positive samples. The high prevalence rate of trypanosomes detected in the study area confirms the earlier reports that trypanosomosis is re-emerging in the areas previously aerial sprayed by Government. The detection of trypanosomes in naturally infected goats outlines the important role goats play in the epidemiology of African animal trypanosomosis.
A total of 44 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from 23 dogs from Malaysia were screened for Rickettsia, Anaplasmataceae and Coxiella burnetii. Coxiella burnetii was detected in 59% (26/44) of ...ticks however Rickettsia and Anaplasmataceae were not detected in any of the ticks. In order to genotype the strains of C. burnetii, multispacer sequence typing (MST) was carried out using three different spacers. One of the spacers; Cox2 successfully amplified a fragment for which the full length sequence of 397 bp was obtained. The sequenced product revealed only a single nucleotide difference with the Cox2.3 type sequence.
The kaleidoscope of disciplinarity Sugimoto, Cassidy R; Weingart, Scott
Journal of documentation,
07/2015, Letnik:
71, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify criteria for and definitions of disciplinarity, and how they differ between different types of literature.
Design/methodology/approach
– This ...synthesis is achieved through a purposive review of three types of literature: explicit conceptualizations of disciplinarity; narrative histories of disciplines; and operationalizations of disciplinarity.
Findings
– Each angle of discussing disciplinarity presents distinct criteria. However, there are a few common axes upon which conceptualizations, disciplinary narratives, and measurements revolve: communication, social features, topical coherence, and institutions.
Originality/value
– There is considerable ambiguity in the concept of a discipline. This is of particular concern in a heightened assessment culture, where decisions about funding and resource allocation are often discipline-dependent (or focussed exclusively on interdisciplinary endeavors). This work explores the varied nature of disciplinarity and, through synthesis of the literature, presents a framework of criteria that can be used to guide science policy makers, scientometricians, administrators, and others interested in defining, constructing, and evaluating disciplines.
Using tetanus toxoid (TT) and influenza (Flu) immunization of rhesus macaques as a model, the effect of IL-2 and IL-15 on the generation and maintenance of antigen specific memory T cells was ...evaluated following primary and secondary immunization. Daily cytokine administration expanded primarily effector but not memory cells, while spacing cytokine administration to q3–7 days markedly enhanced TT and Flu specific memory responses. Following primary immunization, TT specific CD4 and influenza matrix protein (Flu-MP) specific CD8 effector responses were enhanced by IL-2 administration but CD8 specific memory responses were no different from cytokine non-treated monkeys. In contrast, expansion of Flu specific CD8 cells with IL-15 was only modest but resulted in significantly elevated levels of memory cells at 6 months. IL-15 also significantly enhanced early and late TT specific CD4 responses. The highest levels of primary effector and memory T cells were observed following alternate administration of both IL-2 and IL-15. Following booster immunization, however, only IL-15 appeared able to enhance CD8 T cell responses while IL-2 or IL2/IL-15 administration were less effective.
Acute exacerbation (AE) of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has an extremely poor prognosis. Direct hemoperfusion with a polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-DHP) has been used to improve ...oxygenation for acute respiratory distress syndrome. The study aim was to retrospectively determine the predictive factors affecting the prognosis of AE of IPF treated with PMX-DHP.
We studied patients suffering from AE of IPF, treated with PMX-DHP combined with high-dose corticosteroid therapy. Stored serum taken before and after PMX-DHP therapy was analyzed for 27 cytokines and chemokines.
Nineteen patients with AE of IPF were studied. The median survival time after diagnosis of AE was 22 days. Survival rates after diagnosis of AE were 47.4% at 30 days, 31.6% at 60 days, and 26.3% at 90 days. Serum levels of Interleukin (IL)-7, an anti-fibrotic cytokine, in survivors at day 30 following PMX-DHP therapy ('Survivors') significantly increased after the treatment, compared to serum levels of non-survivors at day 30 after the therapy ('Nonsurvivors'), which did not demonstrate a significant change. Serum levels of IL-1beta, interferon-y and chemokine ligand (CCL) 2 levels were not significantly altered in 'Survivors', but were significantly changed in 'Nonsurvivors.' Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analysis showed that an increase in IL-7 levels after PMX-DHP therapy and treatment without intubation (other than invasive positive-pressure ventilation) were significantly better prognostic factors.
The results suggest that serum IL-7 may be a useful prognostic factor for patients with AE of IPF treated with PMX-DHP, possibly reflecting underlying anti-fibrotic mechanisms.
Full-Parasites (http://fullmal.hgc.jp/) is a transcriptome database of apicomplexa parasites, which include Plasmodium and Toxoplasma species. The latest version of Full-Parasites contains a total of ...105 786 EST sequences from 12 parasites, of which 5925 full-length cDNAs have been completely sequenced. Full-Parasites also contain more than 30 million transcription start sites (TSS) for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Toxoplasma gondii (Tg), which were identified using our novel oligo-capping-based protocol. Various types of cDNA data resources were interconnected with our original database functionalities. Specifically, in this update, we have included two unique RNA-Seq data sets consisting of 730 million mapped RNA-Seq tags. One is a dataset of 16 time-lapse experiments of cultured bradyzoite differentiation for Tg. The other dataset includes 31 clinical samples of Pf. Parasite RNA was extracted together with host human RNA, and the extracted mixed RNA was used for RNA sequencing, with the expectation that gene expression information from the host and parasite would be simultaneously represented. By providing the largest unique full-length cDNA and dynamic transcriptome data, Full-Parasites is useful for understanding host-parasite interactions and will help to eventually elucidate how monophyletic organisms have evolved to become parasites by adopting complex life cycles.
African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) and human African trypanosomosis (HAT) are complex chronic, debilitating, emaciating and often fatal diseases of animals and humans, respectively. This ...cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with bovine trypanosomosis in tsetse-infested Kilwa district, Lindi region, southern Tanzania. Blood samples were collected from 420 cattle randomly selected from 86 herds from ten villages. A maximum of ten herds per village and at most six animals from each herd were selected for sampling. At the same time, a questionnaire was administered. Individual animal samples were analysed using microscopy and pooled sample at herd level were analysed by loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). A herd was considered positive if at least one animal in the herd was positive for AAT. A prevalence of 9.3% (95% CI: 2.9-14.9) was recorded for AAT by microscopy, mainly caused by Trypanosoma congolense (5.8%, 95% CI=0.9-10.7), Trypanosoma brucei species (5.8%, 95%, CI=0.9-10.7) and Trypanosoma vivax (3.5%, 95% CI=0-7.4). Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) recorded a heard prevalence of 41.9% (95% CI: 30.0-51.4%), mainly caused by T. congolense (30.2%, 95% CI: 20.5-39.9), T. brucei species (25.6%, 95% CI: 16.4-34.8) and T. vivax (20.9%, 95% CI: 12.3-29.7). Most of the cattle herds had mixed infections of these parasites. According to LAMP, Miteja and Matandu villages had the highest AAT herd prevalence of 57% (95% CI: 20.3-93.7) while Mavuji had the lowest prevalence of 14% (95% CI: 0-39.7). Data from the present study suggest that district of origin, grazing in game reserve, water source and form of watering point are risk factors associated with AAT in Kilwa district, southern Tanzania. Continuous surveillance and monitoring of AAT using more sensitive are recommended.
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