Objective: Identification of Chlorella species from the environment through 18s ribosomal RNA sequencing. This study was aimed to design primer targeting Chlorella and other closely related algal ...species targeting 18s ribosomal RNA, ITS1 region.
Methods: Sanger sequencing was carried out for the identification of algae up to the genus and species level using an in-house designed primer and optimized PCR conditions.
Results: Out of 2 algae samples identified phenotypically, one isolate identified as Chlorella vulgaris and other one identified as Chlorella sorokiniana based on the results of Basic Alignment Search Tool (BLAST).
Conclusion: To conclude, this study provided primers with PCR conditions to characterize algal samples through molecular identification with 100% accuracy than the phenotypic method.
Assessing the early use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or intrapleural enzyme therapy (IET) in pleural infection requires a phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT).
To establish ...the feasibility of randomization in a surgery-versus-nonsurgery trial as well as the key outcome measures that are important to identify relevant patient-centered outcomes in a subsequent RCT.
The MIST-3 (third Multicenter Intrapleural Sepsis Trial) was a prospective multicenter RCT involving eight U.K. centers combining on-site and off-site surgical services. The study enrolled all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pleural infection and randomized those with ongoing pleural sepsis after an initial period (as long as 24 h) of standard care to one of three treatment arms: continued standard care, early IET, or a surgical opinion with regard to early VATS. The primary outcome was feasibility based on >50% of eligible patients being successfully randomized, >95% of randomized participants retained to discharge, and >80% of randomized participants retained to 2 weeks of follow-up. The analysis was performed per intention to treat.
Of 97 eligible patients, 60 (62%) were randomized, with 100% retained to discharge and 84% retained to 2 weeks. Baseline demographic, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of the patients were similar across groups. Median times to intervention were 1.0 and 3.5 days in the IET and surgery groups, respectively (
= 0.02). Despite the difference in time to intervention, length of stay (from randomization to discharge) was similar in both intervention arms (7 d) compared with standard care (10 d) (
= 0.70). There were no significant intergroup differences in 2-month readmission and further intervention, although the study was not adequately powered for this outcome. Compared with VATS, IET demonstrated a larger improvement in mean EuroQol five-dimension health utility index (five-level edition) from baseline (0.35) to 2 months (0.83) (
= 0.023). One serious adverse event was reported in the VATS arm.
This is the first multicenter RCT of early IET versus early surgery in pleural infection. Despite the logistical challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the study met its predefined feasibility criteria, demonstrated potential shortening of length of stay with early surgery, and signals toward earlier resolution of pain and a shortened recovery with IET. The study findings suggest that a definitive phase III study is feasible but highlights important considerations and significant modifications to the design that would be required to adequately assess optimal initial management in pleural infection.The trial was registered on ISRCTN (number 18,192,121).
Due to the workload and lack of a critical mass of trained operational researchers within their ranks, health systems and programmes may not be able to dedicate sufficient time to conducting ...operational research (OR). Hence, they may need the technical support of operational researchers from research/academic organisations. Additionally, there is a knowledge gap regarding implementing differentiated tuberculosis (TB) care in programme settings. In this 'how we did it' paper, we share our experience of implementing a differentiated TB care model along with an inbuilt OR component in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. This was a health system initiative through a collaboration of the State TB cell with the Indian Council of Medical Research institutes and the World Health Organisation country office in India. The learnings are in the form of eleven tips: four broad principles (OR on priority areas and make it a health system initiative, implement simple and holistic ideas, embed OR within routine programme settings, aim for long-term engagement), four related to strategic planning (big team of investigators, joint leadership, decentralised decision-making, working in advance) and three about implementation planning (conducting pilots, smart use of e-tools and operational research publications at frequent intervals). These may act as a guide for other Indian states, high TB burden countries that want to implement differentiated care, and for operational researchers in providing technical assistance for strengthening implementation and conducting OR in health systems and programmes (TB or other health programmes). Following these tips may increase the chances of i) an enriching engagement, ii) policy/practice change, and iii) sustainable implementation.
Abstract Background: This research paper reports on the first statewide implementation of differentiated Tuberculosis (TB) care in routine health system settings in India and possibly globally. This ...pilot aimed to assess the feasibility in routine health system settings and to identify the predictors of triaging and the burden of triage positive. Methods/Design: An observational study involving cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive design. This differentiated TB care was implemented amongst all public notified adults (≥15 years) with TB (not known to be drug resistant at diagnosis) in routine health system settings involving the existing workforce in Tamil Nadu, India (except Chennai). Results: Of 2,382 adults with TB notified during 14-27 March 2022, 1,636 (69%) were triaged for severe illness and 290 (18%) were triage positive. Of these 298, a total of 160 (55%) were comprehensively assessed after referral. Of 136 confirmed as severely ill, 116 (85%) were admitted and 103 were discharged. The median admission duration was 4 days. From diagnosis, the median time interval to admit a severely ill patient was 1 day. Adults diagnosed by rapid molecular test, with extrapulmonary TB and transferred out of district, were less likely to be triaged. Conclusion: To reduce TB deaths, the losses in the care cascade should be reduced and the admission duration increased. The findings of this pilot exercise guided the eventual implementation starting 01 April 2022.
We present findings from the International Collaborative Effusion database, a European Respiratory Society clinical research collaboration. Nonspecific pleuritis (NSP) is a broad term that describes ...chronic pleural inflammation. Various aetiologies lead to NSP, which poses a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. A significant proportion of patients with this finding eventually develop a malignant diagnosis.
12 sites across nine countries contributed anonymised data on 187 patients. 175 records were suitable for analysis.
The commonest aetiology for NSP was recorded as idiopathic (80 out of 175, 44%). This was followed by pleural infection (15%), benign asbestos disease (12%), malignancy (6%) and cardiac failure (6%). The malignant diagnoses were predominantly mesothelioma (six out of 175, 3.4%) and lung adenocarcinoma (four out of 175, 2.3%). The median time to malignant diagnosis was 12.2 months (range 0.8-32 months). There was a signal towards greater asbestos exposure in the malignant NSP group compared to the benign group (0.63
0.27, p=0.07). Neither recurrence of effusion requiring further therapeutic intervention nor initial biopsy approach were associated with a false-negative biopsy. A computed tomography finding of a mass lesion was the only imaging feature to demonstrate a significant association (0.18
0.01, p=0.02), although sonographic pleural thickening also suggested an association (0.27
0.09, p=0.09).
This is the first multicentre study of NSP and its associated outcomes. While some of our findings are reflected by the established body of literature, other findings have highlighted important areas for future research, not previously studied in NSP.
Fast response Retrodirective Radar Buchanan, N B; Fusco, V F; Sundaralingam, P
2010 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
Conference Proceeding
This paper shows the ability of an all analogue Retrodirective Radar, the first of its type, to provide continuous surveillance and near instantaneous target acquisition while automatically beam ...steering in real time onto a target which is presented to it. Assessment of the phase conjugation unit shows that the Radar is capable of operating either in CW or in pulsed mode. Test results are presented which show that Retrodirective tracking of targets travelling at speeds in excess of 780 m/s is possible. To confirm tracking ability bistatic results of a small near field target are presented, and the capability is also shown to extract the position of the near field target with only very simple calculations, with no DSP circuitry required.
G·A mispairs are one of the most common noncanonical structural motifs of RNA. The 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of the RNA 16-mer r(GCAGAGUUAAAUCUGC)2 has been determined with two isolated or ...nonadjacent G·A mispairs. The molecule crystallizes with one duplex in the asymmetric unit in space group R3 and unit cell dimensions a = b = c = 49.24 Å and α = β = γ = 51.2°. It is the longest known oligonucleotide duplex at this resolution and isomorphous to the 16-mer duplex with the C·A+ mispairs Pan, et al., (1998) J. Mol. Biol. 283, 977−984. The C·A+ mispair behaves like a wobble pair while the G·A+ does not. The G·A mispairs are protonated at N1 of the adenines as in the C·A+ mispairs, and two hydrogen bonds in the G(syn)·A+(anti) conformation are formed. The syn guanine is stabilized by an intranucleotide hydrogen bond between the 2-amino and the 5‘-phosphate groups. The G(syn)·A+(anti) conformation can provide a different surface for recognition in the grooves compared to other G·A hydrogen bonding schemes. The major groove is widened between the two mispairs allowing access to ligands. One of the 3-fold axes is occupied by a sodium ion and a water molecule, while a second is occupied by another water molecule.
PDF
