is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast causing invasive health care-associated infection with high mortality worldwide. Rapid identification of
is of primary importance for the implementation of ...public health measures to control the spread of infection. To achieve these goals, we developed and validated a TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 (
2) region of the ribosomal gene. The assay was highly specific, reproducible, and sensitive, with the detection limit of 1
CFU/PCR. The performance of the
real-time PCR assay was evaluated by using 623 surveillance samples, including 365 patient swabs and 258 environmental sponges. Real-time PCR yielded positive results from 49 swab and 58 sponge samples, with 89% and 100% clinical sensitivity with regard to their respective culture-positive results. The real-time PCR also detected
DNA from 1% and 12% of swab and sponge samples with culture-negative results, indicating the presence of dead or culture-impaired
The real-time PCR yielded results within 4 h of sample processing, compared to 4 to 14 days for culture, reducing turnaround time significantly. The new real-time PCR assay allows for accurate and rapid screening of
and can increase effective control and prevention of this emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen in health care facilities.
The multidrug-resistant yeast pathogen
continues to cause outbreaks and clusters of clinical cases worldwide. Previously, we developed a real-time PCR assay for the detection of
from surveillance ...samples (L. Leach, Y. Zhu, and S. Chaturvedi, J Clin Microbiol 56:e01223-17, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01223-17). The assay played a crucial role in the ongoing investigations of the
outbreak in New York City. To ease the implementation of the assay in other laboratories, we developed an automated sample-to-result real-time
PCR assay using the BD Max open system. We optimized sample extraction at three different temperatures and four incubation periods. Sensitivity was determined using eight pools of patient samples, and specificity was calculated using four clades of
and closely and distantly related yeasts. Three independent extractions and testing of two patient sample pools in quadruplicate yielded assay precision. BD Max optimum assay conditions were as follows: DNA extraction at 75°C for 20 min and the use of PerfeCTa multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) ToughMix. The limit of detection (LOD) of the assay was one
CFU/PCR. We detected all four clades of
without cross-reactivity to other yeasts. Of the 110 patient surveillance samples tested, 50 were positive for
using the BD Max system with 96% clinical sensitivity and 94% accuracy compared to the results of the manual assay. The BD Max assay allows high-throughput
screening of 180 surveillance samples in a 12-h workday.
•A fuzzy arithmetic based reliability allocation method at early system design stage.•Linguistic variables are used to assess the ratings of allocation factors in an intuitive and easy manner.•Use of ...trapezoidal fuzzy division linear programming method to reduce the fuzziness.•More flexible to combine diversified opinions of multiple domain experts.
During early design and development stages, every engineering system has to meet its specific reliability goals. The target reliability of the system is achieved through application of an effective reliability apportionment technique to its subsystems. There are various traditional methods exist to perform the reliability allocation based on engineering factors that are assessed in a subjective manner. The conventional reliability allocation approach requires the assessment of factors like complexity, cost, and maintenance. This may not be realistic in real applications if they are assessed in a crisp manner by the domain experts of their varied expertise and background.
In this paper, we treat allocation factors as fuzzy numbers, which are evaluated in fuzzy linguistic terms. As a result, fuzzy proportionality factor scales are proposed for the subsystems. In order to accomplish fuzzy division to evaluate the fuzzy proportionality factor, an approximation method based on linear programming for trapezoidal fuzzy numbers is also proposed in this paper. For the evaluation of weighting factors from fuzzy proportionality factors, centroid method of defuzzification is being employed. The allocated reliability of each subsystem is computed with the help of weighting factor thereafter. An example is provided to illustrate the potential application of the proposed fuzzy based reliability allocation approach.
The present paper reports, novel outcome comprising experimental results on electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and radar signal absorption characteristics of a polymer-metal composite (PMC) ...based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dispersed with varying concentration of nanocrystalline iron (n-Fe). The PVDF/n-Fe composites, prepared using mechanical blending followed by hot-molding process at an optimum pressure and temperature, exhibited better filler dispersion. The relevant parameters, i.e.; microwave permittivity, permeability, shielding effectiveness (SE) and loss factors, has been calculated using scattering parameters measured in X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz) by waveguide method. The theoretical EMI SE has also been evaluated by transmission line model using measured material parameters as the input for meaningful comparison with the experimental results. Further, a theoretical analysis of single layer PMC is performed for the absorption by assuming that the absorbing structure is backed by perfect electrical conductor. The results so obtained, confirmed an improved shielding and absorption properties of PVDF/n-Fe composites vis-à-vis its counterpart reported in literature. The findings in this work, suggest potential futuristic applications of PMC in shielding and absorption of electromagnetic waves.
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•PVDF/n-Fe composite samples have been prepared through simple blending and hot-molding process.•Electromagnetic properties have been studied in the microwave region of frequency.•Shielding effectiveness calculated using transmission line approach agrees well with the experimental results.•Best radar absorbing structure has been observed in the neighbourhood of percolation threshold.
•DX-SAHP water heaters systems are economical as well as energy conserving.•The economic analysis is performed using the life cycle cost (LCC) analysis.•LCC can be optimized with respect to the ...collector area at a specific temperature.•For high load temperature range a two stage heat pump system is more appropriate.
Direct expansion solar assisted heat pump systems (DX-SAHP) have been widely used in many applications including water heating. In the DX-SAHP systems the solar collector and the heat pump evaporator are integrated into a single unit in order to transfer the solar energy to the refrigerant. The present work is aimed at studying the use of the DX-SAHP for low temperature water heating applications. The novel aspect of this paper involves a detailed long-term thermo-economic analysis of the energy conservation potential and economic viability of these systems. The thermal performance is simulated using a computer program that incorporates location dependent radiation, collector, economic, heat pump and load data. The economic analysis is performed using the life cycle cost (LCC) method. Results indicate that the DX-SAHP water heaters systems when compared to the conventional electrical water heaters are both economical as well as energy conserving. The analysis also reveals that the minimum value of the system life cycle cost is achieved at optimal values of the solar collector area as well as the compressor displacement capacity. Since the cost of SAHP system presents a barrier to mass scale commercialization, the results of the present study indicating that the SAHP life cycle cost can be minimized by optimizing the collector area would certainly be helpful in lowering, if not eliminating, the economic barrier to these systems. Also, at load temperatures higher than 70°C, the performance of the single stage heat pump degrades to the extent that its cost and efficiency advantages over the electric only system are lost.
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In our effort to identify potent gastric sparing anti-inflammatory agents, a series of methyl sulfanyl/methyl sulfonyl substituted 2,3-diaryl quinazolinones were designed by ...analogue-based design strategy and synthesized for biological evaluation. Subsequently, the compounds were evaluated for both cyclooxygenase inhibitions by ovine COX assay and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay. All the methyl sulfonyl substituted quinazolinones were exhibited promising anti-inflammatory activity. In particular, 6-bromo-3-(4-methanesulfonyl-phenyl)-2-phenyl-3
H-quinazolin-4-one (
18), 7-chloro-3-(4-methanesulfonyl-phenyl)-2-phenyl-3
H-quinazolin-4-one (
19), 3-(4-methanesulfonyl-phenyl)-2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-3
H-quinazolin-4-one (
21) and 6-bromo-3-(4-methanesulfonyl-phenyl)-2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-3
H-quinazolin-4-one (
22) emerged as the most active compounds in the series. The results of ulcerogenic activity assay suggest that these compounds are gastric safe compared to indomethacin. The molecular docking analysis was performed to understand the binding interactions of these compounds to COX-2 enzyme. The results from the present investigation suggests that 2,3-diaryl quinazolinones as a promising template for the design of new gastric safe anti-inflammatory agents, which can be further explored for potential anti-inflammatory activity.
With remarkable advancements in the fields of global satellite based navigation systems and wireless communication networks, there is a tremendous increase in the number of mobile device users ...throughout the globe. Each day, new arduous projects and applications utilizing mobile devices are evolving, with a prime motive to deploy wireless multi-hop networks into the real world. As these networks are, in general, deployed in extreme environmental conditions their performance evaluation is a matter of great concern and demands rigorous analysis. Several models, simulators, testbeds and visualization tools have evolved in the last two decades for analyzing the characteristics of these wireless multi-hop networks. In this paper, first we discuss a number of models and the changing trends of research along with the associated challenges. Then, we discuss several simulators, emulators, testbeds and real world projects implementing such networks. Besides, we also discuss an important aspect of wireless multi-hop networks, i.e., reliability and identify various imperative metrics from the literature for performance evaluation of such dynamic networks.
Objective: To study the influence of spiritual well being (Sp WB) on
symptoms of distress, depression, and other dimensions of quality of
life in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. ...Materials
and Methods: The study was cross-sectional in nature. Fifty patients
with advanced cancer from a hospice were assessed with the following
instruments: the visual analog scale for pain (VAP), M.D. Anderson
symptom inventory (MDASI), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS),
Functional assessment of cancer therapy - Palliative Care (FACT-pal),
and Functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual
well-being (FACIT-sp). We studied the correlations between spirituality
and other variables on these scales. Results: Depression and anxiety
were negatively correlated with spiritual well-being (Sp WB). Sp WB was
significantly correlated with fatigue (r = -0.423, P = 0.002), symptom
distress (r = -0.717, P < 0.001), memory disturbance (r = -0.520, P
< 0.001), loss of appetite (r = -0.399, P = 0.004), drowsiness (r =
-0.400, P = 0.004), dry mouth (r = -0.381, P = 0.006), and sadness (r =
-0.720, P < 0.001). Sp WB was positively correlated with all the
other aspects of QOL measures. Predictors such as palliative care
well-being (t = 2.840, P = 0.008), distress (t = -2.582, P = 0.015),
sadness (t = -2.765, P = 0.010), mood (t = 2.440, P = 0.021), and
enjoyment in life (t = -3.586, P = 0.001) were significantly correlated
with Sp WB, after regression analysis. Conclusions: This study suggests
that spiritual well being is an important component of the quality of
life of advanced cancer patients, and is closely related to the
physical and psychological symptoms of distress. It should be addressed
appropriately and adequately in palliative care settings.
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