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We evaluated the performance of MGIT 960 system in terms of recover rate, detection time of mycobacteria and contamination rate from various human clinical specimens and compared it with already in use BACTEC 460 TB system and conventional LJ medium. This is the first reported study on MGIT 960 and its comparison with BACTEC 460 system in Pakistan. A total of 260 different clinical specimens received for the culture of mycobacteria were dealt during the six months study period. All the specimens were digested and decontaminated according to the standard N-acetyl-Lcysteine NaOH method. All the processed specimens were inoculated on both the liquid systems and solid medium and incubated for six weeks and eight weeks consecutively. A total of 44 mycobacterial isolates (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, n=43; Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis, n=1) were recovered from 260 clinical specimens. The recovery rate of M. tuberculosis complex was 97.6% on BACTEC MGIT 960 system and 93.0% on BACTEC 460 system and 83.7% on LJ medium. The mean detection time of mycobacteria on BACTEC MGIT 960 system was 11.2 days in smear positive cases, 14.2 days in smear negative cases and 14.8 days in smear positive cases on BACTEC 460 system. Contamination rates were 9.6% and 5.6% and 3.4% for BACTEC MGIT 960, BACTEC 460 system and LJ medium respectively. The non-radiometric, fully automated BACTEC MGIT 960 system has better diagnostic ability as compared with radiometric, semi-automated BACTEC 460 system and LJ medium, so it can be used as a reliable alternative in over burden laboratories.

Global warming has become a much more realised issue and an immediate threat, accelerating due to the anthropogenic carbon release associated with escalating energy demand. Consequently, pressures are building up to reduce anthropogenic carbon footprint by employing renewable energy resources, among which solar energy is the main. Solar roads are a new and innovative concept as they do not require land to be specifically allocated. This is because the road infrastructure already exists. Therefore, this emerging technique of embedding solar panels into pavements and roadways is becoming a more attractive proposition. However, a hurdle to its successful application is the lack of knowledge regarding its feasibility and viability. This study aims to evaluate the potential of solar roads to inform future feasibility and viability studies in varying contexts and implications. Within the scope of this study, the case of Great Britain is considered to evaluate the potential of how much energy can be generated via the solar roads technology that can be embedded in the country's road infrastructure. A mathematical exercise is performed in which calculations are executed to develop a basic numerical model of the potential. Therefore, the study is quantitative, and the factors considered include seasonal changes, average daily traffic covering roads, tree and building shades, road types and sizes, solar irradiance, solar panel types, and alike. It is estimated that solar roads may supply up to 96.42% of the UK's total electricity, which is a substantially promising potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of climate change challenges, energy demand is still increasing, and renewable energy is becoming increasingly necessary as a sustainable resource. Solar energy stands out as a promising renewable resource, yet its widespread adoption faces challenges, notably the substantial land requirements for photovoltaic (PV) panels. This conflict intensifies as land could be more efficiently utilized for agriculture and development. Conversely, railway infrastructure occupies expansive tracts of land, presenting an opportunity to integrate PV panels without disrupting rail operations. However, a comprehensive assessment of the solar potential along railway tracks on a national scale is lacking for different countries and the UK is one of them. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the feasibility of installing PV panels on railway tracks throughout the UK to generate electricity. Utilizing mathematical models tailored to five distinct solar panel technologies, the study incorporates various factors, including solar radiation levels across different months. Assumptions were made where necessary, with values for certain variables averaged to facilitate calculations. The findings reveal that solar energy harnessed from railways could satisfy up to 8% of the UK's total electricity demand, with a minimum contribution of 0.3%. This study provides valuable insights from a UK‐centric perspective and offers a replicable framework for similar assessments in other countries with extensive railway networks, such as China and India. By leveraging existing infrastructure for renewable energy generation, such initiatives could contribute significantly to global sustainability efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Numerous techniques have been described to repair inherently unstable bilateral rostral fractures of the mandible. However, these can require significant expertise and specialised equipment and have numerous risk factors for surgical site complications. Case Summary: A novel technique to repair bilateral mandibular fractures in the foal is described. A 32-day old foal presented for assessment and treatment of bilateral fractures of the rostral body of the mandible. The fractures were stabilised with two crossed Steinmann pins, placed through the rostral mandible at the level of the lateralmost incisor and across the intermandibular space into the opposing hemimandible, aiming for the level of the second cheek tooth. The foal was comfortable enough to nurse immediately after recovery from anaesthesia and was discharged the next day. When presented for pin removal eight weeks post-surgery, there was bony callous formation at both fracture sites, considered adequate for pin removal. One pin had been prematurely lost. At follow-up seven months later, no long-term complications were reported. Relevance: The cross-pin technique achieved sufficient stabilisation of the bilateral mandibular fractures to allow healing. Surgical insertion of cross pins is technically easier compared to internal fixation, external skeletal fixation, U-bar fixation and intra-oral splinting. Advantages include reduced surgical time, simple surgical equipment, low implant cost and potentially lower risk of surgical site complications and infection. Further studies with larger numbers of cases and longer-term follow-up are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three strains of fungi belonging to the genus Metarhizium Sorokīn (ARSEF 4556, ARSEF 3297, native strain) were assayed against adults and nymphs of the Neotropical brown stinkbug Euschistus heros (F.) and the green-belly stinkbug Dichelops furcatus (F.). The most virulent strain, ARSEF 4556, caused over 90% mortality. The average survival time of the second and fifth instar nymphs and adults following immersion in 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 was 4.8, 5.7, and 5.2 d, respectively. The second instar nymphs were more susceptible than the adults. The LC50 values and median survival times for second instar and adult E. heros were 1.6 × 107 and 3.1 × 107 conidia ml−1 and 6 and 8 d, respectively. Eggs of E. heros and the closely related stinkbug, D. furcatus , were highly susceptible to ARSEF 4556 with the mean mortality of eggs immersed in 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 being 77.4% and 89.7%, respectively. The strain 3297 showed also good aptitudes for stinkbugs control with mortalities higher than 80% against nymphs and adults and eggs mortalities of 75.5% for E. heros and 79.6% for D. furcatus. This study has shown that it is possible to have a two-pronged control strategy, targeting adults and to reduce oviposition and targeting egg clusters to prevent emergence and dispersal of nymphs. Besides early instars of nymphs have been shown to be more susceptible to the fungal strains than late instars and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new system for deployment of fungus‐impregnated black cloths was tested against Aedes aegypti. A “PET trap” was placed in a test chamber to evaluate attractiveness to female A. aegypti with black cloths covered in adhesive film or adhesive film only for 24 and 48 hr. Traps with fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana)‐impregnated black cloths were tested against female mosquitoes for different time periods (3 h to 48 hr) in the chambers. Traps were then tested under intradomicile conditions against sucrose and blood‐fed insects. Experiments were carried out to ascertain the minimum number of PET traps need to be deployed per test room and to test the effect of different periods of exposure to traps. Exposing the insects for 24 and 48 hr to a PET trap with adhesive film + black cloth resulted in higher rates of trapped mosquitoes (38.6% and 68%, respectively) when compared with adhesive film only (6% and 12.6%, respectively). Both fungal species were effective at reducing survival rates when mosquitoes were exposed to traps for 24 hr or 48 hr. Lower exposure times did not significantly alter survival rates when compared to controls. The results showed that five traps or three traps per room were equally effective in reducing mosquito survival rates when testing both fungal species. The results for sucrose‐fed insects showed significant reductions in survival when exposed to M. ansiopliae or B. bassiana for 24, 48 or 120 hr when compared to control survival, with the lowest survival rates seen following 48‐ or 120‐hr exposures. Survival of blood‐fed mosquitoes exposed to fungus‐impregnated traps for 48 hr was not significantly different to the controls; however, longer exposure times significantly reduced survival rates. PET traps could be an effective system for deploying fungus‐impregnated cloths in residences, facilitating cooperation of volunteers and reducing distribution time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rapidly progressive, lethal neuromuscular disorder, present from birth, which occurs almost exclusively in males. We have reviewed contemporary evidence of burden, epidemiology, illness costs and treatment patterns of DMD. This systematic review adhered to published methods with information also sought from the web and contacting registries. Searches were carried out from 2005 to June 2015. The population of interest was individuals with clearly defined DMD or their carers.Results: Nine thousand eight hundred fifty titles were retrieved from searches. Fifty-eight studies were reviewed with three assessed as high, 33 as medium and 22 as low quality. We found two studies reporting birth and four reporting point prevalence, three reporting mortality, 41 reporting severity and/or progression, 18 reporting treatment patterns, 12 reporting quality of life, two reporting utility measures, three reporting costs of illness and three treatment guidelines. Birth prevalence ranged from 15.9 to 19.5 per 100,000 live births. Point prevalence per 100,000 males was for France, USA, UK and Canada, 10.9, 1.9, 2.2 and 6.1 respectively. A study of adult DMD patients at a centre in France found median survival for those born between 1970 and 1994 was 40.95 years compared to 25.77 years for those born between 1955 and 1969. Loss of ambulation occurred at a median age of 12 and ventilation starts at about 20 years. There was international variation in use of corticosteroids, scoliosis surgery, ventilation and physiotherapy. The economic cost of DMD climbs dramatically with disease progression - rising as much as 5.7 fold from the early ambulatory phase to the non-ambulatory phase in Germany.Conclusions: This is the first systematic review of treatment, progression, severity and quality of life in DMD. It also provides the most recent description of the burden, epidemiology, illness costs and treatment patterns in DMD. There are evidence gaps, particularly in prevalence and mortality. People with DMD seem to be living longer, possibly due to corticosteroid use, cardiac medical management and ventilation. Future research should incorporate registry data to improve comparability across time and between countries and to investigate the quality of life impact as the condition progresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite landfills having the potential to pollute the environment both during their operation and long after they have ceased to receive waste, they remain a dominant waste management option, particularly in the UK. In order to combat the environmental pollution caused by landfills, risk analysis is increasingly being employed through computer models. However, for a risk analysis process to be successful, its foundation has to be well established through a baseline study. This paper aims to identify knowledge gaps in software packages regarding environmental risk assessments in general, and especially those that have been developed specifically for landfills and landfill leachate. The research establishes that there is no holistic computer model for the baseline study of landfills, which risk assessors can use to conduct risk analyses specifically for landfill leachate. This paper also describes a number of factors and features that should be added to the baseline study system in order to render it more integrated—thereby enhancing quantitative risk analysis, and subsequently environmental risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various cathodes (Ti/RuO2, stainless steel, WC/TiC) and anodes (Ti/RuO2, stainless steel) were used to find appropriate catalytic material applicable at room temperature for wastewater electrolysis. Performance of Ti/RuO2as a cathode for hydrogen production from contaminated water at low current density having pharmaceutically active compounds was found to be competitive. Stability of Ti/RuO2as an anode as well as a cathode was found to be satisfactory. Use of kaolin seems to apparently increase the hydrogen production, which is not documented in any previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Steels are said to be stainless when they resist corrosion; this is achieved by dissolving sufficient chromium in the iron to produce a coherent, adherent, insulating and regenerating chromium oxide protective film on the surface. Passivation is a protective layer formation technique. Stainless steels are passivated to avoid the corrosion. Mostly the surgical stainless steels are more sensitive and passivated to avoid the corrosion and increase the life time of the instruments. Passivation is carried out normally in nitric acid or citric acid. The key variables are time, temperature and process. The main objective of this research is to study the passivation of surgical steels. The effects of key variables such as temperature, time and process etc. were studied and compiled. A number of experiments were carried out using the chemical compositions such as Citric Acid (10 wt. %, 30 wt. % & 50 wt. %, respectively) and Nitric Acid (20 vol. %, 50 vol. % & 70 vol. %, respectively). All the chemicals and the key variables used for the passivation of surgical steels samples were found satisfactory. Most of the samples did not show any pink spots except a few one. Therefore, these steels are strong candidates for applications in biomedical applications as Biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ti based shape memory alloys with composition of Ti50Ni48Fe2, Ti50Ni47Fe3 and Ti50Ni45Fe5 were developed by vacuum arc melting under a purified argon atmosphere. The study was designed to evaluate in vivo cytotoxicity of the Ti-Ni-Fe shape memory alloy system. The materials were implanted in rabbits, and blood examination and histology of various vital organs (liver, heart and kidney) were performed to determine cytotoxicity of these alloy systems, if any, after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The results showed that Ti-Ni-Fe alloy neither was cytotoxic nor has any systemic reaction on living system in any of the test performed. Implantation shows good compatibility and a potential of being used directly in in vivo system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various risk assessment approaches have been adopted for landfill waste disposal sites, there are still wide-ranging knowledge gaps and limitations which need addressing by developing a holistic risk assessment methodology. This paper conceptually presents only a framework of such a risk analysis methodology for landfill leachate in a holistic format, thereby attempting to bridge these knowledge gaps. The conceptual framework or structure does not only draw together various sections and sub-sections of holistic risk assessment in one place but also categorizes and arranges them in a logical sequence. The holistic structure is to assist in performing the process of a risk analysis from start to end. Also, in order to place Risk Assessment (RA) in a broader perspective of the decision-making process, relationships between Risk Management (RM), Hazard Assessment (HA), and Risk Estimation (R Esti) are also presented. Although this paper attempts to cover the whole of the risk analysis methodology in the form of a fundamental framework, the study does not engage in in-depth detail of sections and sub-sections of the methodology due to brevity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The need to segregate poultry based on sex is driven by sex-related differences in growth rate, market age, management practices, and nutritional requirements. Each day, poultry industry staff globally would ideally like to determine the sex of >150 million newly hatched birds. Currently, this can be done only manually at the hatchery, which is a virtually impossible undertaking. It is becoming more difficult each year to conduct manual sexing because this skill is disappearing from the workforce, is becoming unaffordable to the industry, and is encumbered by such negative effects as repetitive motion disorder. Automated sex sorting of eggs before hatching could resolve many, if not all, of these problems. We have developed a facile, rapid, and low-cost yeast-based assay that distinguishes male from female embryonated eggs before hatching based on the estrogen concentration of their allantoic fluid. Herein, we describe this novel sex-sorting technology, which we believe offers the potential to standardize and automate sex sorting in the poultry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the present time, risk analysis is an effective management tool used by environmental managers to protect the environment from inevitable anthropogenic activities. There are generic elements in environmental risk assessments, which are independent of the subject to which risk analysis is applied. Examples of these elements are: baseline study, hazard identification, hazards' concentration assessment and risk quantification. Another important example of such generic elements is exposure assessment, which is required in a risk analysis process for landfill leachate as it would in any other environmental risk issue. Furthermore, computer models are also being developed to assist risk analysis in different fields. However, in the review of current computer models and literature, particularly regarding landfills, the authors have found no evidence for the existence of a holistic exposure assessment procedure underpinned with a computational method for landfill leachate. This paper, with reference to the relevant literature and models reviewed, discusses the extent to which exposure assessment is absent in landfill risk assessment approaches. The study also indicates a number of factors and features that should be added to the exposure assessment system in order to render it more strategic, thereby enhancing the quantitative risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of 15 commercially available fungicides on the germination, growth and virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Isaria fumosorosea, and Lecanillium longisporum was evaluated. The influence of the fungicides on conidial germination was dependant on the fungicide type and dose. Most fungicides retarded conidial germination of all the fungi tested at 10× and at the recommended rate of application, however, their toxicity declined at lower concentrations. Most of the fungicides inhibited mycelial growth of B. bassiana, whereas L. longisporum growth was unaffected. Only two and eight fungicides influenced mycelial growth of I. fumosorosea and M. anisopliae, respectively. None of the fungicides influenced the virulence of B. bassiana and L. longisporum, however, tolylfluanid and azoxystrobin reduced the virulence of M. anisopliae and I. fumosorosea, respectively. These studies clearly show that certain fungicides have the potential to inhibit germination of entomopathogenic fungi in vitro but appear to have little or no effect on their virulence against target insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined use of the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Heterorhabditidae), Steinernema feltiae Bovien, and Steinernema kraussei Steiner (Steinernematidae) and the insect-pathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin (Clavicipitaceae) was evaluated for control of third-instar black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Black vine weevil larvae were exposed to various concentrations of M. anisopliae and EPNs and mortality was assessed weekly or at 3-day intervals under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The EPNs were added simultaneously, or 1 or 2 weeks after application of M. anisopliae. Throughout the experiments, the combined application of EPNs with M. anisopliae resulted in increased efficacy against black vine weevil. When the EPNs were applied 1 or 2 weeks after application of the fungus, 100% larval mortality was obtained, even when the biocontrol agents were used at reduced rates. The interactions observed suggest that EPN and M. anisopliae work together synergistically in potted Euonymus fortunei Blondy (Celastraceae) under greenhouse conditions and may provide a powerful and economically feasible approach for black vine weevil larval control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at 2 military hospitals in Pakistan from January 2004 to December 2005. Young adult males with age range 17-22 years from different districts of Pakistan were screened for hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV). Out of 5707 young men tested, 95 (1.70%) were positive for anti-HCV and 167 (2.93%) for HBsAg. Although both viruses were distributed evenly through-out Pakistan, seroprevalence was higher in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh than in North-West Frontier province and Baluchistan and Azad Kashmir provinces. Health education to the general public, including barbers, would be an important tool for control/preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of several entomopathogenic fungi to control soil-dwelling stages of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), was evaluated in various growing media. Two Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) Sorokin strains, V275 and ERL700, were the most effective, causing 85–96% mortality of thrips larvae and pupae (as measured by relative adult emergence rates), 11 days after inoculation. Mortality in other M. anisopliae-treated media ranged from 51–84%; Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin strains caused 54–84% mortality, and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) 63–75% mortality. In contrast, mortality from the insecticide treatment (fipronil 1 g l−1 medium) was only 15–54%. Metarhizium anisopliae V275 was selected for more in-depth evaluation under greenhouse conditions. There was no significant difference in M. anisopliae efficacy in growing media whether it was applied as drench (84–93%) or premixed into the medium as dry conidia (85–92%). The use of M. anisopliae with reduced rates of either fipronil or imidacloprid did not significantly improve control. Overall, our study shows that M. anisopliae V275 is robust and offers much promise for the control of soil-dwelling stages of thrips as part of an integrated pest-management programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus) are pests that feed and oviposit in the buds and flowers of oilseed rape. Honey-bees foraging from a hive fitted with an inoculum dispenser at the entrance effectively delivered dry conidia of the entomogenous fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae , to the flowers of oilseed rape in caged field plots. In both winter- and spring-sown rape experiments, a greater mortality of pollen beetles occurred in treated plots than in control plots. The mortality (61% on winter rape, 100% on spring rape) was greatest during peak flowering, when the feeding activity of both bees and beetles from the flowers was maximal, providing optimal conditions for inoculum dissemination and infection. Conidial sporulation occurred on a significant proportion of the dead pollen beetles. There was no evidence of any adverse effect on the honey-bee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major stimulus to our paper has been our recent observation of Dr. Vic Meyer at a behavioural workshop. We are concerned therefore with the types of clinical problems which are presented by self-referred “neurotic”, primarily out-patient population. Dr. Meyer particularly excites our interest, since he is a clinician in the instigative mould which we favour. Furthermore he seems to have overcome, for himself at least, the problems we wish to discuss. We are uncomfortable with his claim, however, that he has done so by a rigid adherence to the sort of S-R behaviourist psychology that we can find in textbooks such as Kimble (1967) and other basic learning texts. We feel it to be important to spell out those areas where the term “behavioural” is ascribed to procedures which do not owe their origin to behaviour therapy and is used in some way to authorise and to furnish a rather empty post hoc description of them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mitosis in a mite-pathogenic species of Neozygites (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy using an antibody against α-tubulin for visualization of microtubules (MTs). DAPI and rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin were used to stain chromatin and actin, respectively. Salient features of mitosis in Neozygites sp. are (1) a strong tendency for mitotic synchrony in any given cell, (2) conical protrusions at the poles of metaphase and anaphase nuclei revealed by actin staining, (3) absence of astral and other cytoplasmic MTs, (4) a spindle that occupies most of the nuclear volume at metaphase, (5) a spindle that remains symmetrical throughout most of mitosis, (6) kinetochore MTs that shorten during anaphase A, (7) a central spindle that elongates during anaphase B, pushing the daughter nuclei into the cell apices, and (8) interpolar MTs that continue to elongate even after separation of the daughter nuclei. Cortical cytoplasmic MTs are present in a few interphasic and post-cytokinetic cells. The data presented show that Neozygites possesses features unique to this genus and support the erection of the Neozygitaceae as a separate family in the Entomophthorales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed account of the ultrastructure and behaviour of the spindle pole body (SPB) of the entomophthoraceous fungus Erynia neoaphidis is presented for the first time. The SPB consists of extranuclear (ENC) and intranuclear (INC) components. The ENC is a 'saucepan-shaped' structure which lies in a pocket of the nuclear envelope. It is composed of a forked, fibrillar 'handle' and a shallow, cylindrical 'pan'. The 'pan' has a wall of two layers, both of which are thickened with a regular periodicity so that they appear to be 'beaded'. It is postulated that the 'pan' is formed from rough endoplasmic reticulum and that it synthesizes the amorphous, electron-dense material coating the ENC. The INC is a 'saucer-shaped', electron-dense plaque in which the ends of the spindle microtubules terminate. During metaphase, a 'clear zone' separates the INC from the nuclear envelope and persists until telophase. The roles of the amorphous, electron-dense material and the 'clear zone' as well as the method of SPB replication are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An account of mitosis in the aphid-pathogenic, entomophthoraceous fungus Erynia neoaphidis is presented. The mitotic apparatus is characterized by a closed, intranuclear, polarized spindle. Chromosomes are permanently attached by kinetochore microtubules (kcMTs) to the poles during mitosis. The spindle develops as the spindle pole bodies migrate and separate. At metaphase the eccentric spindle contains only kcMTs and is located in a relatively chromatinfree zone. Paired sister kinetochores are arranged in a broad metaphase plate. During anaphase kcMTs shorten, astral and nonchromosomal microtubules develop and elongate and the interpolar distance increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]