Search

Low modulus materials that can change shape in response to external stimuli are promising for a wide range of applications. The authors here introduce a shape-reprogrammable construct, based on liquid metal microfluidic networks and electromagnetic actuation, that supports a unique collection of capabilities.

It is a conjecture that the ε subunit regulates ATP hydrolytic function of the F1Fo ATP synthase in bacteria. This has been proposed by the ε subunit taking an extended conformation, with a terminal helix probing into the central architecture of the hexameric catalytic domain, preventing ATP hydrolysis. The ε subunit takes a contracted conformation when bound to ATP, thus would not interfere with catalysis. A recent crystallographic study has disputed this; the Caldalkalibacillus thermarum TA2.A1 F1Fo ATP synthase cannot natively hydrolyse ATP, yet studies have demonstrated that the loss of the ε subunit terminal helix results in an ATP synthase capable of ATP hydrolysis, supporting ε subunit function. Analysis of sequence and crystallographic data of the C. thermarum F1Fo ATP synthase revealed two unique histidine residues. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the protonation state of these residues may influence ATP binding site stability. Yet these residues lie outside the ATP/Mg2+ binding site of the ε subunit. We then probed the effect of pH on the ATP binding affinity of the ε subunit from the C. thermarum F1Fo ATP synthase at various physiologically relevant pH values. We show that binding affinity changes 5.9 fold between pH 7.0, where binding is weakest, to pH 8.5 where it is strongest. Since the C. thermarum cytoplasm is pH 8.0 when it grows optimally, this correlates to the ε subunit being down due to ATP/Mg2+ affinity, and not being involved in blocking ATP hydrolysis. Here, we have experimentally correlated that the pH of the bacterial cytoplasm is of critical importance for ε subunit ATP affinity regulated by second-shell residues thus the function of the ε subunit changes with growth conditions.

Veronika Bach,1 Guenter Schruckmayer,1 Ines Sam,1 Georg Kemmler,2 Reinhard Stauder11Department of Internal Medicine V (Hematology and Oncology), 2Department of Biological Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, AustriaBackground: Anemia in later life is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and possible causes of anemia in the elderly in a well defined hospital cohort.Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional, retrospective analysis included all inpatients and outpatients aged ≥64 years with complete blood counts treated at Innsbruck Medical University Hospital between October 1, 2004 and September 29, 2005 (n=19,758, median age 73 years).Results: According to World Health Organization criteria, 21.1% of these patients were anemic, ie, 30.7% and 37.0% at 80+ years and 90+ years, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was significantly correlated with advanced age (r=0.21; P

During August 2007–February 2008, the novel Bundibugyo ebolavirus species was identified during an outbreak of Ebola viral hemorrhagic fever in Bundibugyo district, western Uganda. To characterize the outbreak as a requisite for determining response, we instituted a case-series investigation. We identified 192 suspected cases, of which 42 (22%) were laboratory positive for the novel species; 74 (38%) were probable, and 77 (40%) were negative. Laboratory confirmation lagged behind outbreak verification by 3 months. Bundibugyo ebolavirus was less fatal (case-fatality rate 34%) than Ebola viruses that had caused previous outbreaks in the region, and most transmission was associated with handling of dead persons without appropriate protection (adjusted odds ratio 3.83, 95% confidence interval 1.78–8.23). Our study highlights the need for maintaining a high index of suspicion for viral hemorrhagic fevers among healthcare workers, building local capacity for laboratory confirmation of viral hemorrhagic fevers, and institutionalizing standard precautions.

Abstract Background Viral respiratory tract infections (RTI) are relatively understudied in Southeast Asian tropical countries. In temperate countries, seasonal activity of respiratory viruses has been reported, particularly in association with temperature, while inconsistent correlation of respiratory viral activity with humidity and rain is found in tropical countries. A retrospective study was performed from 1982-2008 to investigate the viral etiology of children (≤ 5 years old) admitted with RTI in a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods A total of 10269 respiratory samples from all children ≤ 5 years old received at the hospital's diagnostic virology laboratory between 1982-2008 were included in the study. Immunofluorescence staining (for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A and B, parainfluenza types 1-3, and adenovirus) and virus isolation were performed. The yearly hospitalization rates and annual patterns of laboratory-confirmed viral RTIs were determined. Univariate ANOVA was used to analyse the demographic parameters of cases. Multiple regression and Spearman's rank correlation were used to analyse the correlation between RSV cases and meteorological parameters. Results A total of 2708 cases were laboratory-confirmed using immunofluorescence assays and viral cultures, with the most commonly detected being RSV (1913, 70.6%), parainfluenza viruses (357, 13.2%), influenza viruses (297, 11.0%), and adenovirus (141, 5.2%). Children infected with RSV were significantly younger, and children infected with influenza viruses were significantly older. The four main viruses caused disease throughout the year, with a seasonal peak observed for RSV in September-December. Monthly RSV cases were directly correlated with rain days, and inversely correlated with relative humidity and temperature. Conclusion Viral RTIs, particularly due to RSV, are commonly detected in respiratory samples from hospitalized children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As in temperate countries, RSV infection in tropical Malaysia also caused seasonal yearly epidemics, and this has implications for prophylaxis and vaccination programmes.

Background: In 2008–2010, Malaysia experienced a nationwide chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak caused by the Indian Ocean lineage E1-226V (valine) variant, adapted to Aedes albopictus. In 2017–2022, transition to an E1-226A (alanine) variant occurred. Ae. albopictus prevails in rural areas, where most cases occurred during the E1-226V outbreak, while Ae. aegypti dominates urban areas. The shift in circulating CHIKV variants from E1-226V to E1-226A (2009–2022) was hypothesized to result in a transition from rural to urban CHIKV distribution, driven by differences in Ae. aegypti vector competence for the two variants. This study aimed to: (1) map the spatiotemporal spread of CHIKV cases in Malaysia between 2009–2022; and (2) compare replication of E1-226A and E1-226V variants in the midguts and head/thoraxes of Ae. aegypti. Methodology/Principal findings: Spatiotemporal analysis of national notified CHIKV case addresses was performed. Between 2009–2022, 12,446 CHIKV cases were reported, with peaks in 2009 and 2020, and a significant shift from predominantly rural cases in 2009–2011 (85.1% rural), to urban areas in 2017–2022 (86.1% urban; p<0.0001). Two Ae. aegypti strains, field-collected MC1 and laboratory Kuala Lumpur (KL) strains, were fed infectious blood containing constructed CHIKV clones, pCMV-p2020A (E1-226A) and pCMV-p2020V (E1-226V) to measure CHIKV replication by real-time PCR and/or virus titration. The pCMV-p2020A clone replicated better in Ae. aegypti cell line Aag2 and showed higher replication, infection and dissemination efficiency in both Ae. aegypti strains, compared to pCMV-p2020V. Conclusions/Significance: This study revealed that a change in circulating CHIKV variants can be associated with changes in vector competence and outbreak epidemiology. Continued genomic surveillance of arboviruses is important. Author summary: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes fever, rash and joint pain in humans. CHIKV is spread by bites of infected Aedes (Ae.) aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. In 2008–2010, CHIKV with an E1-226V mutation became highly adapted to Ae. albopictus and caused global outbreaks. In Malaysia, these major outbreaks occurred mainly in rural areas where this mosquito is most common. We found that a resurgence of CHIKV in 2017–2022 was associated with a different variant with an E1-226A mutation, which had a greater ability to replicate in the Ae. aegypti mosquito than the previous E1-226V variant. This mosquito is found mainly in urban areas, and by looking at geographical locations of reported CHIKV cases, we found that the case distribution had also shifted from rural to predominantly urban areas in 2017–2022. Genetic surveillance of CHIKV and other mosquito-borne viruses is important to identify genetic changes that may affect virus ability to infect different vectors, and disease numbers and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial recognition is a challenging pattern recognition problem in computer vision. This paper proposes a face recognition system that uses Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Local Binary Pattern (LBP) based feature extraction for a robust face recognition system. This scheme initially decomposes the image into 2N number of IMF (Intrinsic Mode Function) images, where N numbers of IMF images are estimated in the X direction and N number of IMF images are estimated in the Y direction. From the 2N number of IMFs, the M number of best matching IMF image pairs is estimated using 2D Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The IMF pair is added to extract the IC-LBP (Intensity Compensated-Local Binary Pattern) features. The IC-LBP features are extracted from the IMF images such that the center intensity is adjusted based on an adaptive intensity threshold. The use of EMD and IC-LBP features uses the essential descriptors that best represent a facial image. The same process is repeated in the testing phase where the test image is categorized from the trained images using the Naïve Bayes algorithm. The performance evaluation was done using the Yale, MORPH, and FGNET using metrics such as time complexity and recognition rate on different types of test face images like partial faces, different lightning, and rotation. Results show that the proposed face recognition system outperforms the traditional algorithms. Results show that the proposed face recognition system outperforms the traditional algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]