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• Discovering putative biomarkers that point to the interaction between AUD and NDs. • To identify the synergistic effects and targets of AUD on the progression of NDs. • Exploring proinflammatory responses was the significant pathways in AUD and NDs. • Identifying hub proteins (CCL2, IL1B, and TH etc.) for therapeutic targets. • Determining several TFs and miRNAs to understand the gene regulation patterns. Clinical investigations showed that individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) have worse Neurological Disease (ND) development, pointing to possible pathogenic relationships between AUD and NDs. It remains difficult to identify risk factors that are predisposing between AUD and NDs. In order to fix these issues, we created the bioinformatics pipeline and network-based approaches for employing unbiased methods to discover genes abnormally stated in both AUD and NDs and to pinpoint some of the common molecular pathways that might underlie AUD and ND interaction. We found 100 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both the AUD and ND patient's tissue samples. The most important Gene Ontology (GO) terms and metabolic pathways, including positive control of cytotoxicity caused by T cells, proinflammatory responses, antigen processing and presentation, and platelet-triggered interactions with vascular and circulating cell pathways were then extracted using the overlapped DEGs. Protein-protein interaction analysis was used to identify hub proteins, including CCL2, IL1B, TH, MYCN, HLA-DRB1, SLC17A7, and HNF4A, in the pathways that have been reported as playing a function in these disorders. We determined several TFs (HNF4A, C4A, HLA-B, SNCA, HLA-DMB, SLC17A7, HLA-DRB1, HLA-C, HLA-A, and HLA-DPB1) and potential miRNAs (hsa-mir-34a-5p, hsa-mir-34c-5p, hsa-mir-449a, hsa-mir-155-5p, and hsa-mir-1-3p) were crucial for regulating the expression of AUD and ND which could serve as prospective targets for treatment. Our methodologies discovered unique putative biomarkers that point to the interaction between AUD and various neurological disorders, as well as pathways that could one day be the focus of therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimental thermal conductivity data of R1234ze(Z) has been reported. • Empirical models of thermal conductivity of R1234ze(Z) was carried with the new data using ECS and RES method. • Modification of RES method has been adopted to make it independent of ECS method. • Adjustable parameters of both ECS and RES methods have been reported. • Models presented show very good agreement with experimental data. This article represents the empirical modeling for thermal conductivity of cis-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(Z)) with new experimental measurements conducted in liquid and vapor phases using the well-established transient hot-wire method. These new experimental data, covering a temperature range of 313 to 414 K for liquid and 354 to 452 K for vapor phase at a pressure range of 0.20 to 4.0 MPa, have an expanded uncertainty of less than 2.17% for liquid and 2.41 % for vapor measurements at a 95 % confidence level (k = 2). The thermal conductivity model of this fluid is presented using the extended corresponding states (ECS) and modified fluid specific residual entropy scaling (RES) techniques with the help of recently published respective viscosity models. Using the adjustable parameters found during the modeling process, the extended corresponding states and the residual entropy scaling technique model equations can represent the experimental data within reported uncertainties. Furthermore, the average absolute deviations for thermal conductivity were found to be 0.96 % and 0.72 % using the ECS and the RES methods, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh is characterized by a high demand for skilled workers. Hence, the significance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) becomes crucial to address the existing skill gaps to stimulate economic development. This research addresses the major challenges that hinder the progress of TVET in Bangladesh. This study adopts a mixed-method approach to investigate thoroughly the fundamental aspects of TVET’s capacity to provide high-quality skills development programs with an aim to increase its graduates’ employability. This study finds that individuals, upon their graduation from TVET institutions, face significant obstacles in the job market. These challenges, as the research finds, arise primarily due to discrepancies between graduates’ skills and job market demands. This study also examines the local TVET issues in Bangladesh, offers valuable insights and policy recommendations to address skill deficits, ensure sustainable employment for TVET graduates, and enhance economic development in developing nations.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Hypertension (HTN), a major global health concern, is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, premature death and disability, worldwide. It is important to develop an automated system to diagnose HTN at an early stage. Therefore, this study devised a machine learning (ML) system for predicting patients with the risk of developing HTN in Ethiopia. Materials and methods: The HTN data was taken from Ethiopia, which included 612 respondents with 27 factors. We employed Boruta-based feature selection method to identify the important risk factors of HTN. The four well-known models [logistics regression, artificial neural network, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting (XGB)] were developed to predict HTN patients on the training set using the selected risk factors. The performances of the models were evaluated by accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and area under the curve (AUC) on the testing set. Additionally, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method is one of the explainable artificial intelligences (XAI) methods, was used to investigate the associated predictive risk factors of HTN. Results: The overall prevalence of HTN patients is 21.2%. This study showed that XGB-based model was the most appropriate model for predicting patients with the risk of HTN and achieved the accuracy of 88.81%, precision of 89.62%, recall of 97.04%, F1-score of 93.18%, and AUC of 0. 894. The XBG with SHAP analysis reveal that age, weight, fat, income, body mass index, diabetes mulitas, salt, history of HTN, drinking, and smoking were the associated risk factors of developing HTN. Conclusions: The proposed framework provides an effective tool for accurately predicting individuals in Ethiopia who are at risk for developing HTN at an early stage and may help with early prevention and individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal pain, including visceral pain, is prevalent in functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (FGIDs), affecting the overall quality of a patient's life. Neural circuits in the brain encode, store, and transfer pain information across brain regions. Ascending pain signals actively shape brain dynamics; in turn, the descending system responds to the pain through neuronal inhibition. Pain processing mechanisms in patients are currently mainly studied with neuroimaging techniques; however, these techniques have a relatively poor temporal resolution. A high temporal resolution method is warranted to decode the dynamics of the pain processing mechanisms. Here, we reviewed crucial brain regions that exhibited pain-modulatory effects in an ascending and descending manner. Moreover, we discussed a uniquely well-suited method, namely extracellular electrophysiology, that captures natural language from the brain with high spatiotemporal resolution. This approach allows parallel recording of large populations of neurons in interconnected brain areas and permits the monitoring of neuronal firing patterns and comparative characterization of the brain oscillations. In addition, we discussed the contribution of these oscillations to pain states. In summary, using innovative, state-of-the-art methods, the large-scale recordings of multiple neurons will guide us to better understanding of pain mechanisms in FGIDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to appraise the impact of service quality dimensions on user satisfaction in Bangladeshi public university libraries using structural equation modeling (SEM). Design/methodology/approach: This study developed an SEM method based on SERVQUAL, LibQUAL+ and SERVPERF instruments, including 30 items under five service quality dimensions and eight satisfaction items with the 7-point Likert scale to appraise the impact of library service quality dimensions on user satisfaction. For this purpose, a survey was carried out among 437 students, 52 MPhil/PhD researchers and 32 teachers of the nine selected public university libraries of Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire. The SEM approach included path analysis, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, as well as construct reliability and validity where user satisfaction was used as the dependent variable, and five service quality dimensions were applied as independent variables. Findings: This model was identified as significant and clarified 58% of the total variation in user satisfaction. The study findings indicated that resources of the libraries, staff competence, demeanor approach and tangible facilities of the public university libraries have a significant impact on user satisfaction. Originality/value: An initiative has been taken for the first time to ascertain the impact of library service quality on user satisfaction applying the SEM approach in Bangladesh. Moreover, it creates an avenue to prompt future studies on the structural relationship between user satisfaction and service quality dimensions in academic libraries globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrazole, an important pharmacophore and a privileged scaffold of immense significance, is a five-membered heterocyclic moiety with an extensive therapeutic profile, viz., anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-anxiety, anticancer, analgesic, antipyretic, etc. Due to the expansion of pyrazolecent red pharmacological molecules at a quicker pace, there is an urgent need to put emphasis on recent literature with hitherto available information to recognize the status of this scaffold for pharmaceutical research. The reported potential pyrazole-containing compounds are highlighted in the manuscript for the treatment of cancer and inflammation, and the results are mentioned in % inhibition of inflammation, % growth inhibition, IC50, etc. Pyrazole is an important heterocyclic moiety with a strong pharmacological profile, which may act as an important pharmacophore for the drug discovery process. In the struggle to cultivate suitable anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents, chemists have now focused on pyrazole biomolecules. This review conceals the recent expansion of pyrazole biomolecules as anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents with an aim to provide better correlation among different research going around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) content in tubewell water (n = 58) in primary educational institutions and subsequently assess the health risks to school-going children. Results described that the As concentration ranged between 0.002 and 0.994 mg L−1 with an average value of 0.044 mg L−1; which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline value of 0.01 mg L−1. Similarly, the Fe content varied from 0.05 to 10 mg L−1 averaging to 2.84 mg L−1. Samples of 55.17% contained a greater As concentration than 0.01 mg L−1 and 18.97% greater than Bangladesh drinking water quality (BDWQ) standard of 0.05 mg L−1, respectively. Meanwhile, 75.86% of samples contained a higher Fe concentration than the maximum Bangladesh permissible limit of 1 mg L−1. Health risk assessment indicated that girls are more vulnerable than boys are. The average hazard quotients (HQs) for As intake through drinking water were 6.01 ± 17.85 and 7.41 ± 22.03 for boys and girls, respectively, implying non-carcinogenic health risks to both genders. The HQs for Fe intake were less than threshold value of 1 indicating no health issues may arise from Fe intake alone. However, consumption of As and Fe may trigger health risks to students as indicated by the hazard index (HI), which was higher than 1. The average cancer risk (CR) values for both boys (0.0027 ± 0.008) and girls (0.0033 ± 0.0099) exceeded the threshold limit of 10–6–10–4, suggesting a possibility of lifetime cancer risks to the school-going children. Consequently, school authorities should find alternative ways to ensure safe drinking water for school-going children to avoid possible cancer and non-cancer health risks through consumption of As-poisoning water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major risk factor of child mortality and morbidity during infancy (0–3 years) and early childhood (3–8 years) in low and lower-middle-income countries, including Bangladesh. LBW is a vital public health concern in Bangladesh. The objective of the research was to investigate the socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of LBW among singleton births and identify the significantly associated determinants of singleton LBW in Bangladesh. Materials and methods: The data utilized in this research was derived from the latest nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2017–18, and included a total of 2327 respondents. The concentration index (C-index) and concentration curve were used to investigate the socioeconomic inequality in LBW among the singleton newborn babies. Additionally, an adjusted binary logistic regression model was utilized for calculating adjusted odds ratio and p-value (<0.05) to identify the significant determinants of LBW. Results: The overall prevalence of LBW among singleton births in Bangladesh was 14.27%. We observed that LBW rates were inequitably distributed across the socioeconomic groups (C-index: -0.096, 95% confidence interval: [-0.175, -0.016], P = 0.029), with a higher concentration of LBW infants among mothers living in the lowest wealth quintile (poorest). Regression analysis revealed that maternal age, region, maternal education level, wealth index, height, age at 1st birth, and the child's aliveness (alive or died) at the time of the survey were significantly associated determinants of LBW in Bangladesh. Conclusion: In this study, socioeconomic disparity in the prevalence of singleton LBW was evident in Bangladesh. Incidence of LBW might be reduced by improving the socioeconomic status of poor families, paying special attention to mothers who have no education and live in low-income households in the eastern divisions (e.g., Sylhet, Chittagong). Governments, agencies, and non-governmental organizations should address the multifaceted issues and implement preventive programs and policies in Bangladesh to reduce LBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pelagic shrimp Lucensosergia lucens is a commercially important species in Japan, predominantly harvested in Suruga Bay. It has been suggested that a marked decrease in the wild population over recent years is associated with an increased concentration of suspended particles. We tested the hypothesis that suspended inorganic particles (kaolinite) negatively affect the hatching ratio of fertilized eggs, and the survival, growth, and metamorphosis of nauplius and elaphocaris larvae. The relative hatching ratio of eggs decreased from 100 to 57.7% at 139 mg L−1 of kaolinite particles. Similarly, the relative survival ratio of nauplius larvae progressively decreased from 100% in filtered seawater to 73.6% after 72 h of exposure to 139 mg L−1 of kaolinite particles. Consequently, the survival ratio of elaphocaris larvae was greatly reduced at high particle concentrations. Exponential growth in the standard lengths of elaphocaris larvae occurred at particle concentrations < 6.9 mg L−1, but growth was inhibited at kaolinite concentrations > 20 mg L−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate employability is a multifaceted concept considering the Sustainable Development Goals. Graduate employability and skills development are also significant determinants for future career success. Graduate employability has seen more sweeping emphasis and concerns in national and global job markets, due to the ever-rising number of unemployed people, which has increased even more due to COVID-19. Due to its importance, this study investigates the current state of skill development initiatives in Bangladesh and the perceptions of university graduates regarding skill development for their future employability. This study uses mixed-method research. Data was collected through surveys and in-depth interviews; various probabilistic and non-probabilistic sample selection methods were used. A total of 437 participants responded to this study. After analysis, the data was shown descriptively. The empirical findings of this study demonstrated that university graduates are well-aware of the skill development requirements for their future employability. However, university graduates face many obstacles in acquiring these necessary skill development opportunities. Therefore, the government and relevant stakeholders must work together to alleviate the obstacles. Furthermore, this study includes recommendations that can assist in developing a model for skill development programs and initiatives in the country for university graduates to ensure their future employability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore peoples' perception on rules-in-use and interaction among actors in a community-based peatland restoration program (CBPRP) in Raja Muja Forest Reserve (RMFR) of peninsular Malaysia. We followed Ostrom's institutional analysis and development framework, and collected both qualitative and quantitative data through organizing a stakeholders' workshop, 200 structured interviews, four focus group discussions and five key informants' interviews. Local people claimed that there was significant decline in their rights to access forests (χ2 = 49.42, p =.001), extraction of forest resources (χ2 = 53.02, p =.001), recreational (χ2 = 10.32, p =.001) and agricultural uses (χ2 = 4.35, p =.05) due to change in governance regimes from state forest management toward CBPRP. However, CBPRP introduced several social development programs for local community. This study identified 44 actors under seven categories, and only two actors (Selangor State Forestry Department and Global Environment Center, an NGO) played significant roles in decision-making process and interacted with other actors in peatland restoration actions. Community people had only participated in the implementation of rehabilitation actions. In order to sustain community development and sustainable management of RMFR, we suggest to reform multi-stakeholder governance structure that ensures active participation of local community people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some (E)-3-(3-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one conjugates 5a–r were designed; synthesized; characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, and ESI-MS; and evaluated for tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity and in vitro cytotoxicity against breast (MCF-7), cervical (SiHa), and prostate (PC-3) cancer cell lines, as well as a normal cell line (HEK-293T). The compounds were also tested to determine their binding modes at the colchicine-binding site of tubulin protein (PDB ID-3E22), for in silico ADME prediction, for bioactivity study, and for PASS prediction studies. Among all the synthesized conjugates, compound 5o exhibited excellent cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 2.13 ± 0.80 µM (MCF-7), 4.34 ± 0.98 µM (SiHa), and 4.46 ± 0.53 µM (PC-3) against cancer cell lines. The compound did not exhibit significant toxicity to the HEK cells. Results of the in silico prediction revealed that the majority of the conjugates possessed drug-like properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamins are inner nuclear membrane proteins that belong to the intermediate filament family. Lamin A/C lie adjacent to the heterochromatin structure in polymer form, providing skeletal to the nucleus. Based on the localization, lamin A/C provides nuclear stability and cytoskeleton to the nucleus and modulates chromatin organization and gene expression. Besides being the structural protein making the inner nuclear membrane in polymer form, lamin A/C functions as a signalling molecule involved in gene expression as an enhancer inside the nucleus. Lamin A/C regulates various cellular pathways like autophagy and energy balance in the cytoplasm. Its expression is highly variable in differentiated tissues, higher in hard tissues like bone and muscle cells, and lower in soft tissues like the liver and brain. In muscle cells, including the heart, lamin A/C must be expressed in a balanced state. Lamin A/C mutation is linked with various diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, lipodystrophy, and cardiomyopathies. It has been observed that a good number of mutations in the LMNA gene impact cardiac activity and its function. Although several works have been published, there are still several unexplored areas left regarding the lamin A/C function and structure in the cardiovascular system and its pathological state. In this review, we focus on the structural organization, expression pattern, and function of lamin A/C, its interacting partners, and the pathophysiology associated with mutations in the lamin A/C gene, with special emphasis on cardiovascular diseases. With the recent finding on lamin A/C, we have summarized the possible therapeutic interventions to treat cardiovascular symptoms and reverse the molecular changes. [Display omitted] • Lamin A/C is an inner nuclear membrane protein and plays significant role in its formation. • Lamin A/C mutations cause variety of disease with cardiac abnormalities as an overlapping feature. • Good percentage of patients having progeria, a form of genetic disease with lamin A/C mutation, dies due to cardiac disorder. • Arrhythmia and dilated cardiomyopathy are two common causes of dysregulated lamin A/C induced cardiac disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The viscosity data of R1234ze(Z) is presented. • The expanded uncertainty of the experimental data is calculated. • The correlation of viscosity at saturation state is developed A Hydro-Fluro-Olefin (HFO) cis-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(Z)) can be assessed as a promising working fluid in the high-temperature heat pump as it has a low global warming potential (GWP). In this work, the viscosity of R1234ze(Z) is measured in liquid and vapor phases by the method of tandem capillary tubes. The viscosity measurements were performed from 0.5 to 4.08 MPa pressure over a temperature ranges from 313.74 to 414.31 K at liquid and 354.07 to 455.80 K at vapor phase. Total expanded uncertainties of the viscosity measurement with k = 2 and 95% confidence level in liquid and vapor phase are lower than ±2.19% and ±2.59%, respectively. Viscosities at saturation conditions are estimated from experimental measurement data by the extrapolation method. Simplified correlations are developed in terms of saturation temperature for the viscosity of liquid and vapor at saturation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies, multiple quantitative traits are often measured along with the marker genotypes. Multi-trait QTL (MtQTL) analysis, which includes multiple quantitative traits together in a single model, is an efficient technique to increase the power of QTL identification. The two most widely used classical approaches for MtQTL mapping are Gaussian Mixture Model-based MtQTL (GMM-MtQTL) and Linear Regression Model-based MtQTL (LRM-MtQTL) analyses. There are two types of LRM-MtQTL approach known as least squares-based LRM-MtQTL (LS-LRM-MtQTL) and maximum likelihood-based LRM-MtQTL (ML-LRM-MtQTL). These three classical approaches are equivalent alternatives for QTL detection, but ML-LRM-MtQTL is computationally faster than GMM-MtQTL and LS-LRM-MtQTL. However, one major limitation common to all the above classical approaches is that they are very sensitive to outliers, which leads to misleading results. Therefore, in this study, we developed an LRM-based robust MtQTL approach, called LRM-RobMtQTL, for the backcross population based on the robust estimation of regression parameters by maximizing the β-likelihood function induced from the β-divergence with multivariate normal distribution. When β = 0, the proposed LRM-RobMtQTL method reduces to the classical ML-LRM-MtQTL approach. Simulation studies showed that both ML-LRM-MtQTL and LRM-RobMtQTL methods identified the same QTL positions in the absence of outliers. However, in the presence of outliers, only the proposed method was able to identify all the true QTL positions. Real data analysis results revealed that in the presence of outliers only our LRM-RobMtQTL approach can identify all the QTL positions as those identified in the absence of outliers by both methods. We conclude that our proposed LRM-RobMtQTL analysis approach outperforms the classical MtQTL analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Bangladesh, riverbank erosion is a major problem that regularly displaces millions of people and affects their mental health every year. Objectives: The primary objective is to explore the effects of riverbank erosion on mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted a household survey from August 2019 to November 2019 on randomly selected adult respondents from Rajbari District located along the Ganges River and Tangail District located along the Brahmaputra River. The respondents were divided into two groups: exposed and non-exposed to riverbank erosion. All participants were asked to complete self-reported questionnaires on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and other socio-demographic, economic and riverbanks erosion-related factors. We performed Chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis to explore the significant risk factors (P<0.05) of mental illness (depression, anxiety and stress). Results: We surveyed 611 households, of whom 410 were from Rajbari and 201 were from Tangail. Among 611 respondents, 509 (83.31%) were exposed by riverbank erosion whereas 102 (16.69%) were non-exposed. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) was 38.30%, 76.60%, 32.41%, respectively, and they were significantly higher among the exposed group than the non-exposed group (depression: 45.19% versus 3.92%, P<0.001; anxiety: 82.71% versus 46.08%, P<0.001; stress: 38.11% versus 3.92%, P<0.001). The respondents exposed to river erosion were respectively 8.28, 2.26 and 5.09 times more likely to develop DAS disorder compared to their non-exposed counterparts (ORD = 8.28, 95% CI = 2.75–24.89; ORA = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.31–3.88; ORS = 5.09, 95% CI = 1.64–15.76). Females and those who lost their houses and displaced, were more likely to have DAS disorder compared to their respective counterparts. Conclusions: The exposed people were more likely to experience mental health problem and demand some social safety net programs with special focus on female and those who lost houses and displaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate simple interval mapping (SIM) is one of the most popular approaches for multiple quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Both maximum likelihood (ML) and least squares (LS) multivariate regression (MVR) are widely used methods for multi-trait SIM. ML-based MVR (MVR-ML) is an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm based iterative and complex time-consuming approach. Although the LS-based MVR (MVR-LS) approach is not an iterative process, the calculation of likelihood ratio (LR) statistic in MVR-LS is also a time-consuming complex process. We have introduced a new approach (called FastMtQTL) for multi-trait QTL analysis based on the assumption of multivariate normal distribution of phenotypic observations. Our proposed method can identify almost the same QTL positions as those identified by the existing methods. Moreover, the proposed method takes comparatively less computation time because of the simplicity in the calculation of LR statistic by this method. In the proposed method, LR statistic is calculated only using the sample variance–covariance matrix of phenotypes and the conditional probability of QTL genotype given the marker genotypes. This improvement in computation time is advantageous when the numbers of phenotypes and individuals are larger, and the markers are very dense resulting in a QTL mapping with a bigger dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelets are one of the key mediators in thrombosis as well as in the progression of many diseases. An increase in platelet activation and a decrease in platelet count is associated with a plethora of liver diseases. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), platelets are highly activated and participate in the disease progression by enhancing the pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory state. Some altered platelet parameters such as mean platelet volume, plateletcrits, and platelet distribution width, aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index, liver stiffness to platelet ratio and red cell distribution width to platelet ratio were found to be associated with NAFLD disease. Further, platelet contributes to the progression of cardiovascular complications in NAFLD is gaining the researcher's attention. An elevated mean platelet volume is known to enhance the risk of stroke, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and myocardial infarction in NAFLD. Evidence also suggested that modulation in platelet function using aspirin, ticlopidine, and cilostazol help in controlling the NAFLD progression. Future research should focus on antiplatelet therapy as a treatment strategy that can control platelet activation in NAFLD as well as its cardiovascular risk. In the present review, we have detailed the role of platelets in NAFLD and its cardiovascular complications. We further aimed to highlight the growing need for antiplatelet therapy in NAFLD. [Display omitted] • In NAFLD, platelets are highly activated and plays a role in progression of disease. • Pathophysiology of disease along with various altered platelet parameters linked to NAFLD has been described in detail. • Highlighted the link between altered platelet function and an increased cardiovascular risk in NAFLD. • Listed the beneficial role of antiplatelet drugs in NAFLD and its importance as a therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf morphology of crop plants has significant value in agronomy. Leaf rolling in rice plays a vital role to increase grain yield. However, collective information on the rolling leaf (RL) genes reported to date and different comparative bioinformatics studies of their sequences are still incomplete. This bioinformatics study was designed to investigate structures, functions and diversifications of the RL related genes reported till now through several studies. We performed different comparative and functional analyses of the selected 42 RL genes among 103 RL genes using different bioinformatics techniques including gene structure, conserved domain, phylogenetic, gene ontology (GO), transcription factor (TF), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein–protein network. Exon-intron organization and conserved domain analysis showed diversity in structures and conserved domains of RL genes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the proteins into five major groups. GO and TF analyses revealed that regulation-related genes were remarkably enriched in biological process and 10 different TF families were involved in rice leaf rolling. KEGG analysis demonstrated that 14 RL genes were involved in the KEGG pathways, among which 50% were involved in the metabolism pathways. Of the selected RL proteins, 55% proteins were non-interacting with other RL proteins and OsRL9 was the most interacting RL protein. These results provide important information regarding structures, conserved domains, phylogenetic revolution, protein–protein interactions and other genetic bases of RL genes which might be helpful to the researchers for functional analysis of new candidate RL genes to explore their characteristics and molecular mechanisms for high yield rice breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We have previously shown that the deficiency of the gut enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in humans, and mice deficient in IAP develop the metabolic syndrome, a precipitant of T2DM and ischemic heart disease (IHD). We hypothesized that IAP deficiency might also be associated with IHD in humans. We aimed to determine the correlation between the IAP level and IHD in humans. Methods and Results. The IHD patients were recruited from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the control healthy participants were recruited from a suburban community of Dhaka. We determined the IAP level in the stools of 292 IHD patients (187 males, 105 females) and 331 healthy control people (84 males, 247 females). We found that compared to controls, IHD patients have approx. 30% less IAP (mean ± SEM : 63.7 ± 3.5 vs. 44.9 ± 2.1 U/g stool, respectively; p < 0.000001), which indicates that IAP deficiency is associated with IHD, and a high level of IAP is probably protective against IHD in humans. The adjusted generalized linear model (GLM) of regression analysis predicted a strong association of IAP with IHD (p = 0.0035). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed an independent inverse relationship between the IAP level and the IHD status (odds ratio, OR = 0.993 with 95% CI 0.987-0.998; p < 0.01). Conclusions. IAP deficiency is associated with IHD, and a high level of IAP might be protective against IHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cis-1-chloro-2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1224yd(Z)) is a new low global warming potential promising working fluid in high temperature heat pumps and organic Rankine cycle. In this study, the thermal conductivity was measured in the temperatures from 317 to 416 K with pressures from 1.0 to 4.0 MPa at liquid phase and from 376 to 453 K with pressures from 0.2 to 1.5 MPa at vapor phase. The combined standard uncertainties of thermal conductivity measurements were estimated to be less than ±2.1% at liquid and ±2.3% at vapor phases. On the other hand, the viscosity was measured over the temperature range of 303–424 K at liquid and from 394 to 475 K at vapor phase up to 4.0 MPa. The combined standard uncertainties were estimated to be less than ±2.95% at liquid and ±3.0% at vapor phases. Moreover, correlations were developed at saturation condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity and frequency of extremes are changing; thus, it is becoming necessary to evaluate the impacts of land cover changes and urbanisation along with climate change. A framework of the Generalised Extreme Value (GEV) method, Google Earth Engine (GEE), and land cover patterns' classification including Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) can be useful for streamflow impact analysis. For this study, we developed a unique framework consisting of a hydrological model in line with the Process-informed Nonstationary Extreme Value Analysis (ProNEVA) GEV model and an ensemble of General Circulation Models (GCMs), mapping land cover patterns using classification methods within the GEE platform. We applied these methods in Southeast Queensland (SEQ) to analyse the maximum instantaneous floods in non-stationary catchment conditions, considering the physical system in terms of cause and effect. Independent variables (DEM, population, slope, roads, and distance from roads) and an integrated RF, SVM methodology were utilised as spatial maps to predict their influences on land cover changes for the near and far future. The results indicated that physical factors significantly influence the layout of landscapes. First, the values of projected evapotranspiration and rainfall were extracted from the multi-model ensemble to investigate the eight GCMs under two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The AWBM hydrological model was calibrated with daily streamflow and applied to generate historical runoff for 1990–2010. Runoff was projected under two scenarios for eight GCMs and by incorporating the percentage of each land cover into the hydrological model for two horizons (2020–2065 and 2066–2085). Following that, the ProNEVA model was used to calculate the frequency and magnitude of runoff extremes across the parameter space. The maximum peak flood differences under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios were 16.90% and 15.18%, respectively. The outcomes of this study suggested that neglecting the non-stationary assumption in flood frequency can lead to underestimating the amounts that can lead to more risks for the related hydraulic structures. This framework is adaptable to various geographical regions to estimate extreme conditions, offering valuable insights for infrastructure design, planning, risk assessment, and the sustainable management of future water resources in the context of long-term water management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HFE-356mmz is a low global warming working fluid. • Thermal conductivity measurements are presented using transient hot wires method. • Kinematic viscosity measurements are reported using tandem capillary tubes method. • Correlations have developed for saturation liquid and vapor. Hydrofluoroether 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-methoxypropane (HFE-356mmz) is a promising candidate of low global warming working fluid in high-temperature heat pumps and organic Rankine cycle. In this study, the thermal conductivity was measured by using a transient hot wire method in the conditions of temperature from 319 to 462 K and pressure from 0.5 to 4.0 MPa for the liquid phase, and temperature from 393 to 452 K and pressure from 0.18 to 1.04 MPa for vapor phase. The combined standard uncertainties of thermal conductivity measurements were estimated to be less than 2.3% at liquid and 2.6% at vapor phases. On the other hand, the kinematic viscosity was measured by using tandem the capillary tubes method over the temperature range of 313–454 K for liquid and from 393 to 475 K for vapor phase up to 4.00 MPa. The uncertainties in liquid and vapor phases were estimated to be less than 2.9% and 3.0%, respectively. Also, correlations have been developed for saturated liquid and vapor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most common nosocomial infection worldwide is urinary tract infection (UTI), which can be treated with various antimicrobial agents.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of cefotaxime, a third-generation cephalosporin, against potential uropathogens.Methods: This study was carried out by retrospective analysis of laboratory data routinely collected from the Microbiology Department of the Ibn Sina Diagnostic and Consultation Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh. We used conventional methods for urine culture and sensitivity, the disc diffusion method for susceptibility, and SPSS software for data analysis.Results: A total of 3765 urine samples were collected during the period July 2017 to June 2018, of which 346 (9.19%) were bacteriologically positive. Among isolated uropathogens, 97.9% were Gram-negative bacteria and 2.1% were Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus). A higher proportion of males than females were prone to UTIs in the ≤ 10 and > 60 years age groups, and a higher proportion of females than males were affected in all age groups between 10 and 60 years. Escherichia coli was the most predominant (83.8%) isolate, followed by Klebsiella spp. (5.8%). Most of the uropathogens were sensitive to cefotaxime in males. Approximately 49.3% of males and 41.6% of females were resistant to E. coli.Conclusions: Cefotaxime is still considered to be effective against uropathogens but its use should only be reserved for complicated UTIs and should follow antibiotic guidelines in order to prevent the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampus is crucial for declarative memories in humans and encodes episodic and spatial memories in animals. Memory coding strengthens synaptic efficacy via an LTP-like mechanism. Given that animals store memories of everyday experiences, the hippocampal circuit must have a mechanism that prevents saturation of overall synaptic weight for the preservation of learning capacity. LTD works to balance plasticity and prevent saturation. In addition, adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is proposed to be involved in the down-scaling of synaptic efficacy. Here, we show that adult neurogenesis in male rats plays a crucial role in the maintenance of hippocampal capacity for memory (learning and/or memory formation). Neurogenesis regulated the maintenance of LTP, with decreases and increases in neurogenesis prolonging or shortening LTP persistence, respectively. Artificial saturation of hippocampal LTP impaired memory capacity in contextual fear conditioning, which completely recovered after 14 d, which was the time required for LTP to decay to the basal level. Memory capacity gradually recovered in parallel with neurogenesis-mediated gradual decay of LTP. Ablation of neurogenesis by x-ray irradiation delayed the recovery of memory capacity, whereas enhancement of neurogenesis using a running wheel sped up recovery. Therefore, one benefit of ongoing adult neurogenesis is the maintenance of hippocampal memory capacity through homeostatic renewing of hippocampal memory circuits. Decreased neurogenesis in aged animals may be responsible for the decline in cognitive function with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Viscosity measurements of R-1233zd(E) are presented. • Correlations were assessed using experimental data by extrapolation method. • Validation of experimental data using Nusselt theory has performed. Abstract Measurements of viscosity of trans -1‑chloro‑3,3,3-trifluoropropene (R-1233zd(E)) in liquid and vapor phases are the key attention of the present study and we developed correlations to predict viscosities of saturated liquid and vapor by extrapolating the data to saturation condition, which are useful in industrial design and simulation. R-1233zd(E) is being introduced as a potential candidate to be an alternative working fluid for high temperature heat pumps and organic Rankine cycles (ORCs). In this work, the viscosity of R-1233zd(E) was measured by a tandem capillary tubes method up to 4.07 MPa pressure over a temperature ranges from 314 K (40.85°C) to 434 K (160.85°C) and 394 K (120.85°C) to 474 K (200.85°C) for liquid and vapor phases, respectively. Total standard combined uncertainties in liquid and gas viscosity measurements are lower than ± 3.0% and ± 3.1%, respectively. On the other hand, there were large deviations between experimental data and REFPROP version 9.1 for the liquid viscosity in a range of -25 to -37% and those of vapor phase are −7 to −16%. Experimental data of condensation heat transfer which cannot be correlated well with Nusselt's theory by REFPROP version 9.1 viscosity give a good agreement by using the present viscosity data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, thermal conductivity of a refrigerant trans -1‑chloro‑3,3,3-trifluoropropene (R-1233zd(E)) was measured and simplified correlations at saturated state were proposed. R-1233zd(E) is an unsaturated hydrochlorofluoroolefin and it is considered as an alternative working fluid due to its preferable properties. The thermal conductivity of R-1233zd(E) was measured by a well-established transient hot-wire method at temperatures from 313 to 433 K and 334 to 474 K for the liquid and vapor phases, respectively for pressures up to 4.0 MPa. Experimental values of thermal conductivity were compared to predicted values from conventional correlations as well as proposed simplified correlations for saturation condition. The estimated combined standard uncertainty of thermal conductivity of R-1233zd(E) was found ± 2.17% for liquid and ± 2.52% for vapor at a confidence level of 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Hydro-Fluoro-Olefin refrigerant cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (R-1336mzz(Z)) has low global warming potentials and it is considered as a potential working fluid for high temperature heat pump and Organic Rankine Cycle. Thermophysical properties of this fluid are necessary to be used in practical system. In this work, thermal conductivity of R-1336mzz(Z) is measured using a well-known transient hot wire method. A polarization voltage of 6 V was applied to minimize the effect of polarity. The thermal conductivity of liquid and gaseous R-1336mzz(Z) is measured in the temperature which ranges from 314 K to 435 K and 321 K to 496 K, respectively at a pressure up to 4 MPa and proposed simplified correlations. Total standard uncertainties of thermal conductivity measurements in liquid and gas phase were estimated to be less than ±2.07% and ±2.26% respectively and near the critical temperature, the uncertainty increases to ±3.40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of thiazolidinedione based amide derivatives were designed, synthesized and docked against the PPARγ receptor target. 11 compounds from the series with good glide scores were selected for in vivo antidiabetic study based on streptozotocin induced diabetic rat model. It was observed that 4 compounds ( 6c , 6e , 6m & 6n ) showed significantly good antidiabetic activity in comparison to rosiglitazone and pioglitazone as reference drugs. Compound 6c appeared as the most potent derivative in lowering blood glucose level and showed excellent interaction with SER 342, ILE 281, pi-pi interaction with ARG 288 and halogen bond interaction with LYS 367. Further, PPARγ transactivation and gene expression studies of compound 6c were carried out to investigate the possible mechanism of action through PPARγ modulation. Compound 6c exhibited 53.65% transactivation and elevated PPARγ gene expression by 2.1 folds. The biochemical parameters (AST, ALT and ALP levels) were found within the range with no noteworthy damage to liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved understanding of the potential regional impacts of projected climatic changes on nitrogen yield is needed to inform water resources management throughout the United States ( U.S.). The objective of this research is to look broadly at watersheds in the contiguous U.S. to assess the potential regional impact of changes in precipitation ( P) and air temperature ( T) on nitrogen yield. The SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes model and downscaled P and T outputs from 14 general circulation models were used to explore impacts on nitrogen yield. Results of the analysis suggest that projected changes in P and T will decrease nitrogen yield for the majority of the contiguous U.S., including the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. Some regions, however, such as the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, are projected to face climatic conditions that, according to the model results, may increase nitrogen yield. Combining the projections of climate-driven changes in nitrogen yield with projected changes in watershed nitrogen inputs could help water resource managers develop regionally specific, long-term strategies to mitigate nitrogen pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet and the gut microbiota have a profound influence on physiology and health, however, mechanisms are still emerging. Here we outline several pathways that gut microbiota products, particularly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), use to maintain gut and immune homeostasis. Dietary fibre is fermented by the gut microbiota in the colon, and large quantities of SCFAs such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate are produced. Dietary fibre and SCFAs enhance epithelial integrity and thereby limit systemic endotoxemia. Moreover, SCFAs inhibit histone deacetylases (HDAC), and thereby affect gene transcription. SCFAs also bind to 'metabolite-sensing' G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) such as GPR43, which promotes immune homeostasis. The enormous amounts of SCFAs produced in the colon are sufficient to lower pH, which affects the function of proton sensors such as GPR65 expressed on the gut epithelium and immune cells. GPR65 is an anti-inflammatory Gα s -coupled receptor, which leads to the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines. The importance of GPR65 in inflammatory diseases is underscored by genetics associated with the missense variant I231L (rs3742704), which is associated with human inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. There is enormous scope to manipulate these pathways using specialized diets that release very high amounts of specific SCFAs in the gut, and we believe that therapies that rely on chemically modified foods is a promising approach. Such an approach includes high SCFA-producing diets, which we have shown to decrease numerous inflammatory western diseases in mouse models. These diets operate at many levels - increased gut integrity, changes to the gut microbiome, and promotion of immune homeostasis, which represents a new and highly promising way to prevent or treat human disease. • Lacking dietary fibre underlies the prevalence of western diseases. • Gut microbiota ferments dietary fibre into acids, i.e. short-chain fatty acids. • Fermentation of dietary fibre and production of acids shapes the gut microbiota. • Dietary fibre and acids modulate immune homeostasis. • Novel medicinal food based on fibre may be effective against western diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiazolidinedione is an important heterocyclic ring system, a pharmacophore and a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry; is a derivative of thiazolidine ring which came into existence for its role as antihyperglycemic agent and a specific ligand of PPAR's (Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor). Exhaustive research has led to determination of its vast biological profile with wide range of therapeutic applications. This review covers recent pharmacological advancements of thiazolidinedione moiety along with structure activity relationship so as to provide better correlation among different structures and their receptor interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore how people in rural Bangladesh with paraplegia accessed water and sanitation in their home environment. Method: Based on a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were used to gather direct experiences. Six people with complete paraplegia were recruited and their interview data were subject to thematic analysis. Findings: There were different ways of accessing water and sanitation. Experience varied depending on accessibility within the home environment, design of assistive devices, and individual skills. The dynamics between these factors determined how much time and energy were required. Easier access was associated with higher life satisfaction and a sense of occupational balance. Barriers to access have serious implications for health and wellbeing, but independence can be achieved through environmental adaptation or modification, appropriate design of assistive devices and development of individual skills. Conclusions: Community-based rehabilitation and other campaigns could use these findings to advocate for improved access to water and sanitation for people with paraplegia. At an individual level, occupational therapists can address barriers to access, by enabling people to gain skills, and adapt their environment and routines. Combining individual and community approaches could have many benefits for occupational balance, health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to analysis the nutritional and microbial quality of farm's milk and commercially processed brands milk of Bangladesh; to find out the specific source of microorganism in total milk processing and marketing. There were collected and analyzed 20 raw milk from different farms of Sirajgonj, Rajshahi, Chapainababgoan and Pabna and pasteurized and UHT milk from local shops. In the proximate analysis of raw milk, 4.1% fat, SNF 9.2%, Lactose 4.9%, Protein 3.55, Solid 0.8, corrected lactometer reading 26 were found. The processed milk contain fat 3.55%, SNF 8.24%; Lactose 3.36%; Protein 3.17%; Solid 0.7%, corrected lactometer reading 28. Adulteration test of processed milk are shown negative except for sugar and skim milk powder. During the microbial analysis of Total Coliform and Total Plate Count of the milk, it was found that there was >22000cfu /ml of total plate count in raw milk which exceeds the BDS standards while in pasteurized milk it was 7000/ml. In UHT milk the Total Plate Count was nill. It was found that, total plate count in farmer's hand was 178 CFU/ml and in milking pot it was 94 cfu/ml. Total coliform count in farmer's hand was 44 CFU/ml and in milking pot 27 CFU/ml. Finally we can conclude that raw milk is high in nutrients than processed milk and free from any adulteration but from the microbial point of view processed milk are almost free from any microbial contamination and are very safe to drink than raw milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present robust feature extractors that incorporate a regularized minimum variance distortionless response (RMVDR) spectrum estimator instead of the discrete Fourier transform-based direct spectrum estimator, used in many front-ends including the conventional MFCC, to estimate the speech power spectrum. Direct spectrum estimators, e.g., single tapered periodogram, have high variance and they perform poorly under noisy and adverse conditions. To reduce this performance drop we propose to increase the robustness of speech recognition systems by extracting features that are more robust based on the regularized MVDR technique. The RMVDR spectrum estimator has low spectral variance and is robust to mismatch conditions. Based on the RMVDR spectrum estimator, robust acoustic front-ends, namely, are regularized MVDR-based cepstral coefficients (RMCC), robust RMVDR cepstral coefficients (RRMCC) and normalized RMVDR cepstral coefficients (NRMCC). In addition to the RMVDR spectrum estimator, RRMCC and NRMCC also utilize auditory domain spectrum enhancement methods, auditory spectrum enhancement (ASE) and medium duration power bias subtraction (MDPBS) techniques, respectively, to improve the robustness of the feature extraction method. Experimental speech recognition results are conducted on the AURORA-4 large vocabulary continuous speech recognition corpus and performances are compared with the Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), perceptual linear prediction (PLP), MVDR spectrum estimator-based MFCC, perceptual MVDR (PMVDR), cochlear filterbank cepstral coefficients (CFCC), power normalized cepstral coefficients (PNCC), ETSI advancement front-end (ETSI-AFE), and the robust feature extractor (RFE) of Alam et al. (2012). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed robust feature extractors outperformed the other robust front-ends in terms of percentage word error rate on the AURORA-4 large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) task under clean and multi-condition training conditions. In clean training conditions, on average, the RRMCC and NRMCC provide significant reductions in word error rate over the rest of the front-ends. In multi-condition training, the RMCC, RRMCC, and NRMCC perform slightly better in terms of the average word error rate than the rest of the front-ends used in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuins are the endogenously present anti-aging protein deacetylases that regulate the mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Especially Sirt3, a mitochondrial sirtuin, is well known for maintaining mitochondrial function and health. In the present study, we have explored the novel role of Sirt3 in mitochondrial biogenesis and shown the role of Sirt3 in mito-nuclear communication through AMPK-α in Sirt3 knockdown and Sirt3 overexpressed H9c2 cells. The study found that impaired mitochondrial function in Sirt3-knockdown H9c2 cells was associated with decreased expression of mitochondrial DNA encoded genes, reduced SOD2 expression and activity. The study also revealed that Sirt3 knockdown affects mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics. To further confirm the role of Sirt3 on mitochondrial biogenesis and health, we did Sirt3 overexpression in H9c2 cells. Sirt3 overexpression enhanced the expression of mitochondrial DNA encoded genes, increased SOD2 activity and altered mitochondrial dynamics. Sirt3 overexpression also caused an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis gene and protein (PGC-1α and TFAM) expression. All these changes were confirmed with mitochondrial functional parameters like basal respiration, maximal respiratory capacity, spare respiratory capacity and ATP production. We found decreased mitochondrial function in Sirt3-knockdown H9c2 cells when compared to control H9c2 cells. Together our data conclude that Sirt3 regulates cardiac mitochondrial health and function through the Sirt3-AMPKα-PGC-1α axis. [Display omitted] • Sirt3 modulation altered the expression of mitochondrial DNA-encoded genes and SOD2 activity. • Sirt3 overexpression enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics. • Sirt3-knockdown decreased mitochondrial function by affecting their biogenesis and dynamics. • Sirt3 regulates cardiac mitochondrial health and function through the Sirt3-AMPKα-PGC-1α axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a cross sectional study, we show that infants who received single dose of live attenuated OPV and BCG vaccines within 48 h of birth, have higher excretion of human cathelicidin LL37 ( p < 0.05) in stool at 6 wk of age. This response remained unchanged in multivariate analysis after adjusting for sex, mode of delivery, infant age, mother age birth weight and breast milk feeding pattern. This analysis also reveals that irrespective of vaccination, girl infants have higher human-beta-defencin2 (HBD2) and exclusively breastfed infants have higher total and anti-polio specific IgA to all three subtypes in stool ( p < 0.05). However, vaccination induces anti-polio IgA responses only to infants who are exclusively breastfed. Thus on-birth live attenuated vaccination may provide non-specific beneficial effect against infections while exclusive breastfeeding enhance protection by boosting vaccine induced IgA. The result also suggests that in polio endemic area, exclusive breastfeeding may be sufficient for mucosal anti-polio responses during early infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective in vitro culture system for mature nodal segments of European plum (Prunus domestica) was established. Several important aspects of regeneration from nodal explants were studied for adaptation of European plum in Bangladesh. Leaf explants were used for callus induction and ½ MS media supplemented with 1.0 mg/l indole butyric acid (IBA) + 0.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) induced low efficiency callus. The nodal segments of 1.5 cm were cut from young plants, sterilized and established in vitro. The successful cultures were achieved on MS media supplemented with 2-6 mg/l kinetin (KIN); 2, 3, 5 mg/l benzyleaminopurine (BAP) and 4 mg/l KIN combination with 2 mg/l BAP. The highest number of shoot length (1.20 ±0.15 cm), highest number of shoot (3.00±0.35 cm), and highest number of leaf (14.25±1.45) were observed at KIN 4.0 mg/l. The successful multiple shoots were achieved on MS media with 2-6 mg/l KIN, 4 mg/l KIN combination with 2 mg/l BAP. This indicates that, in general, European plum species is very responsive to in vitro regeneration from nodal segment. The shoots from micro cutting were rooted in MS media supplemented with 1.0 mg/l IBA and with 0.5 mg/l BAP; ½ MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l IBA + 0.5mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l IBA + 0.5 mg/l BAP. Regenerated plantlets successfully acclimatized to grow vigorously with no apparent phenotypic aberrations. In addition, in sense of commercial value without growth hormone achieved great result. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of extracts of European plum was evaluated against the human pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Protease mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus by agar disc diffusion method. Most of the human pathogens were resistant against commercial disk. But plum fruit extract showed good inhibition zone result (14.25 mm by crude extract against P. aeruginosa and 12.4 mm by dry extract against S. aureus). The positive results of screening of this plum for antibacterial activity forms primary platform for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the effect of non-plastic silt on the cyclic behavior of sand–silt mixtures, total sixty undrained cyclic triaxial stress-control tests were carried out on sand–silt mixtures. These tests were conducted on specimens of size 71 mm diameter and 142 mm height with a frequency of 1 Hz. Specimens were prepared at a constant relative density and constant density approach. The effect of relative density, confining pressure as well as magnitude of cyclic loading was also studied. For a constant relative density (D r =60%) the effect of limiting silt content, pore pressure response and cyclic strength was observed. The rate of generation of excess pore water pressure with respect to cycles of loading was found to initially increase with increase in silt content till the limiting silt content and thereafter it reverses its trend when the specimens were tested at a constant relative density. The cyclic resistance behavior was observed to be just opposite to the pore pressure response. Permeability, CRR and secant shear modulus decreased till limiting silt content; after that they became constant with increasing silt content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral spreading of backfill soil caused by displacement of gravity-type quay walls is a major concern for geotechnical engineers. This paper evaluates the efficiency of a technique for mitigation of damage to quay walls, which involves densification of loose sand around the toe. The beneficial and unfavorable effects of densification of sand of different locations of the gravity-type quay walls are also answered. For these purposes, numerical simulations (using a finite-element code) and shake table tests were conducted. From numerical simulations and model tests, it was observed that the displacement of a gravity-type quay wall occurred mainly because of shear strain in the foundation. It was also found that the densification of soil at the toe could mitigate the quay wall damage significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate topology and coefficients have a great impact on their models' performances. This paper proposes an enhanced group method of data handling (GMDH) algorithm using a modified Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) method. In this work, evolutionary algorithm and LM techniques are deployed simultaneously for optimal design of both connectivity configuration and associated coefficients of each candidate solution in the evolving population combination. However, use of singular value decomposition technique with LM is considered as a novel method to overcome the problem of initial guess, which is presented for the first time in this research. In order to illustrate the benefits of the proposed algorithm, it has been applied in a Malaysian manufacturing company for forecasting in inventory control. Moreover, a comparison between the basic GMDH algorithm and the enhanced GMDH algorithm is made, and the results show that the accuracy of the proposed method is considerably high with reasonable reduction in processing time. Therefore, the enhanced GMDH method can be used to replace old techniques in an inventory control system to generate a structure when it is applied to a Kanban setting in the just in time system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities in developing countries are confronted with two conflicting problems. On the one hand, there is always an increasing demand for urban services and, on the other hand, the public sector responds poorly to the growing demand for such services. This articleexplores and compares the status of physical and environmental infrastructure and services provided in public and privately developed land and housing projects in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study made use of primary data gathered from April to June 2008. The findings indicate that although some households and developers are aware of the planning regulations which mandate infrastructure and services, this does not necessarily translate into compliance, particularly in privately developed housing projects. As a result, projects are usually developed with inadequate and unsatisfactory facilities. The analysis revealed that most physical and environmental infrastructure and services are either missing or unsatisfactory. These include narrow roads inconsistent with standard widths, little open space for social activities, few areas for childrens' playgrounds and poor waste management. The factors that explain the relatively low levels of physical environmental conditions in privately developed projects include an absence of inter-agency coordination, corruption, a lack of good governance, and political interference, along with disregard and apathy on the part of developers and buyers towards planning regulations. In the light of these findings, this article proposes stronger enforcement of planning regulations and more consistent monitoring by planning agencies to achieve better planned residential areas in Dhaka. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: In this paper we study the performance of the low-variance multi-taper Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) and perceptual linear prediction (PLP) features in a state-of-the-art i-vector speaker verification system. The MFCC and PLP features are usually computed from a Hamming-windowed periodogram spectrum estimate. Such a single-tapered spectrum estimate has large variance, which can be reduced by averaging spectral estimates obtained using a set of different tapers, leading to a so-called multi-taper spectral estimate. The multi-taper spectrum estimation method has proven to be powerful especially when the spectrum of interest has a large dynamic range or varies rapidly. Multi-taper MFCC features were also recently studied in speaker verification with promising preliminary results. In this study our primary goal is to validate those findings using an up-to-date i-vector classifier on the latest NIST 2010 SRE data. In addition, we also propose to compute robust perceptual linear prediction (PLP) features using multitapers. Furthermore, we provide a detailed comparison between different taper weight selections in the Thomson multi-taper method in the context of speaker verification. Speaker verification results on the telephone (det5) and microphone speech (det1, det2, det3 and det4) of the latest NIST 2010 SRE corpus indicate that the multi-taper methods outperform the conventional periodogram technique. Instead of simply averaging (using uniform weights) the individual spectral estimates in forming the multi-taper estimate, weighted averaging (using non-uniform weights) improves performance. Compared to the MFCC and PLP baseline systems, the sine-weighted cepstrum estimator (SWCE) based multitaper method provides average relative reductions of 12.3% and 7.5% in equal error rate, respectively. For the multi-peak multi-taper method, the corresponding reductions are 12.6% and 11.6%, respectively. Finally, the Thomson multi-taper method provides error reductions of 9.5% and 5.0% in EER for MFCC and PLP features, respectively. We conclude that both the MFCC and PLP features computed via multitapers provide systematic improvements in recognition accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The galvanic replacement reaction between silver nanostructures and AuCl4 - solution has recently been demonstrated as a versatile method for generating metal nanostructures with hollow interiors. Here we describe the results of a systematic study detailing the morphological, structural, compositional, and spectral changes involved in such a heterogeneous reaction on the nanoscale. Effects of Ar or O2 gas bubbling for the formation of Ag-Au alloy nanoparticles by the galvanic replacement between spherical Ag nanoparticles and AuCl4 - especially were studied in ethylene glycol (EG) at 150°C. The shape, size, and composition changes occur rapidly under O2 bubbling in comparison with those under Ar bubbling. The major product after 60 min heating under Ar gas bubbling was perforated Ag-Au alloy particles formed by the replacement reaction and the minor product was ribbon-type particles produced from splitting off some perforated particles. On the other hand, the major product after 60 min heating under O2 gas bubbling was ribbon-type particles. In addition, small spherical Ag particles are produced. They are formed through rereduction of Ag+ ions released from the replacement reaction and oxidative etching of Ag nanoparticles by O2/Cl- in EG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new grid-based model of nutrient dynamics and transport process has been developed within a distributed hydrological modelling framework and integrated with river network module. The key aspect of this development is a process based description of nutrient generation process on the land surface and its related nutrient release with hydrologic runoff and soil erosion. Whereas the conventional modelling uses the event mean concentration method for nutrient dynamics modelling and estimates nutrient loads from catchments to the rivers this study has introduced an export function based release related with flow capacity. The river module solves the dynamic equation for transport and chemical reaction. The model output is available in high spatial and temporal resolution, which was tested and verified applying in two catchment areas from different hydro-climatic backgrounds. The model was able to simulate short term high intensity flood events as well as long term seasonal patterns. The simulated results for most of the nutrient parameters are within acceptable range as reflected by measures of statistical indices and visual interpretation. For example, the R 2 values for different nutrient levels in the Saru River, Japan are within the range of 0.83–0.99 and 0.66–0.87 for calibration and validation, respectively. Similarly, the relative root mean square error (RRMSE) values for different nutrient levels in the Saru River range between 0.06–0.22 and 0.06–0.26 for calibration and validations, respectively. The maximum load of nutrients in each grid was extracted from time series output, analyzed further and presented in two dimensional maps, which showcase the usefulness of the model in decision making process for management of land and maintenance of the in-stream water quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Molecular diversity of methanogens in the rumen of Korean black goats was investigated with 16S rRNA gene clone libraries using methanogen-specific primers. The libraries were composed of rumen fluid-associated methanogens (FAM) and rumen particle-associated methanogens (PAM) from rumen-fistulated Korean black goats. Among the 141 clones of the FAM library, the sequences were mostly related to two phyla, the Methanobacteriaceae family (77.3%) and the Thermoplasmatales family (22.7%); and among the 68 clones of the PAM library, sequences were also mainly clustered in the two phyla, the Thermoplasmatales family (63.24%) and the Methanobacteriaceae family (35.29%). Most of the sequenced clones in the two libraries were closely related to uncultured methanogenic archaeon. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that PAM (8.97 log 10) had significantly higher ( P < 0.01) density of methanogens by the methanogenic 16S rRNA gene copies than FAM (7.57 log 10). The two clone libraries also showed difference in Shannon index (FAM library 1.70 and PAM library 1.59) and Chao 1 estimator (FAM library 18 and PAM library 17 operational taxonomic units). Apparent differences found in the microbial community from the two 16S rRNA gene libraries could be a result of such factors as the chemical and physical nature of the target material surface, types or component of diets, the interaction between the methanogens and other microbes, and age of the experimental goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape changes in Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles involving polygonal Au particles were examined during oil-bath heating in ethylene glycol (EG). Polygonal Au and spherical Ag particles were annealed at 150 °C for 10–60 min with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), yielding spherical Au-rich Au/Ag alloy particles, denoted as Au/Ag, with an average diameter of 207 ± 35 nm, and string-like Au/Ag alloy aggregates. The yield of spherical Au/Ag alloy particles increased with annealing time. Formation of Au/Ag alloy without the presence of etchants indicated that shape and size changes occur through fusion of Au and Ag particles during annealing. This method can be used as a simple technique for preparation of monodispersed Au/Ag alloy particles using mixtures of Au and Ag particles. Addition of polygonal Au seeds to AgNO3/EG/PVP solution preheated at 150 °C caused remarkable shape changes in products. After heating for 30 min, Au and Au@Ag core–shell particles attached to Ag-rich Ag/Au alloy nanowires were produced. They were transformed to excentered Au core Ag-rich Ag/Au alloy shell nanoparticles, denoted as Au@Ag/Au, with an average diameter of 370 ± 73 nm after further heating for 30 min. Results show that a shape change from Ag/Au alloy nanowires to spherical Ag/Au alloy shells occurs from attached parts of Au and Au@Ag particles to nanowires. The effects of HAuCl4concentration used for the preparation of Au seeds and solvent temperature on the shape, sizes or composition distributions were examined. This report is the first describing new simple technique for preparation of excentered Au@Ag/Au particles during oil-bath heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]