• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.33 no.8
• /
• pp.1091-1100
• /
• 2023

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are the major causes of cervical lesions and are associated with 71% of cervical cancer cases globally. However, public health infrastructures to support cervical cancer screening may be unavailable to women in low-resource areas. Therefore, sensitive, convenient, and cost-efficient diagnostic methods are required for the detection of HPV16/18. Here, we designed two novel methods, real-time ERA and ERA-LFD, based on enzymatic recombinase amplification (ERA) for quick point-of-care identification of the HPV E6/E7 genes. The entire detection process could be completed within 25 min at a constant low temperature (35-43℃), and the results of the combined methods could be present as the amplification curves or the bands presented on dipsticks and directly interpreted with the naked eye. The ERA assays evaluated using standard plasmids carrying the E6/E7 genes and clinical samples exhibited excellent specificity, as no cross-reaction with other common HPV types was observed. The detection limits of our ERA assays were 10⁰ and 10¹ copies/µl for HPV16 and 18 respectively, which were comparable to those of the real-time PCR assay. Assessment of the clinical performance of the ERA assays using 114 cervical tissue samples demonstrated that they are highly consistent with real-time PCR, the gold standard for HPV detection. This study demonstrated that ERA-based assays possess excellent sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability for HPV16 and HPV18 detection with great potential to become robust diagnostic tools in local hospitals and field studies.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2023

Tree in river have environmental functions such as ecosystem preservation and flood control functions that protect the riverbank. On the other hand, excessive tree development can have the negative effect of fixing the sand bar and reducing the cross-sectional area. Nays2D simulation results performing two flow conditions (average dam operation discharge and two-year frequency discharge) and four tree density conditions (current, zero, low, high tree density) used as input data for PHABSIM to calculate WUA (Weighted Usable Area). The results show that riverbed changes occur more significantly in the zero tree density than presence of trees, which could have a positive impact on the biological habitat environment of Zacco platypus.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.335-353
• /
• 2022

There are two aspects of digital trade: the digitalisation of goods/services being traded and the digitalisation of the transactional act. Digital data (i.e. machine-readable industrial data and transactional data) is the major driving force for both aspects of digital trade. Digital data is a non-rivalrous input, whether for production or marketing activities, and is thus able to be used by many firms or government agencies without limiting the use of others. Digital platforms provide online infrastructure for the interactions between groups, for instance, consumers and producers. The externality effect refers to the situation in which prosperity in one group on a given platform will improve the returns of other groups on the same platform. In the era of the data-driven economy, strategic trade policy can involve data-related policies. The major objective of these policies is to improve the competitiveness of domestic firms. For instance, firms may be subsidised if they use cloud services provided by specific platforms. This strand of strategic trade policies might be useful for increasing the competitiveness of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via the digitalisation of production/marketing processes. Alternatively, strategic trade policy may also exploit the externality effect via platform economy-related policies. Further, some countries may form data coalitions to facilitate cross-border data flow. This paper uses cases in Asian countries to illustrate which role these strategic trade policies can play in the digital economy.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.293-303
• /
• 2024

River mining, the extraction of sand and gravel from riverbeds, is rising at an alarming rate to keep pace with the increasing demand for construction materials worldwide. The far-reaching deleterious effects of river mining include the lowering of water levels, the augmentation of turbidity, and the erosion of riverbanks, i.e., the disruption of water flow and alteration of river morphology. Aggregates demand, geolocation, and the economy of Bangladesh accelerated illegal extraction. However, limited research has been carried out in this region, despite the severe impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. To address the corresponding consequences and direct the scope for further research, it is required to evaluate existing studies of other countries having similarities in river morphology, climate, economy, and other related parameters. In this respect, based on previous studies, the effects of sand extraction are particularly prominent in India, having 54 cross-boundary rivers with Bangladesh. The geological profile of numerous rivers in the past decades has been altered due to natural aggregate mining in the Indian subcontinent. Hence, this study focused on relevant research in this region. However, the existing research only focuses on the regional portion of the aforementioned international rivers, which lacks proper assessments of these rivers, taking into account especially the mining effects. Moreover, several global rivers that have similarities with Bangladeshi rivers, considering different parameters, are also included in this study. The findings of this article underline the pressing need for more efficacious measures to address the adverse effects of river mining and safeguard ecosystems and communities globally, especially in the Indian subcontinent, where the situation is particularly vulnerable. For this reason, targeting the aforementioned region, this review highlights the global evidence in assessing the future effects of river mining and the need for further research in this field.

• Hip & pelvis
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.228-232
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) has an enormous physiological and psychological burden on patients. Surgeons rightly wish to minimise this risk. It has been shown that a standardised, evidence-based approach to perioperative care leads to better patient outcomes. A review of current practice was conducted using a cross-sectional survey among surgeons at multiple centers nationwide. Materials and Methods: An 11-question electronic survey was circulated to hip and knee arthroplasty consultants nationally via the BOA (British Orthopaedic Association) e-newsletter. Results: The respondents included 56 consultants working across 19 different trusts. Thirty-four (60.7%) screen patients for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) preoperatively, with 19 (55.9%) would treating with antibiotics. Fifty-six (100%) screen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and treat if positive. Only 15 (26.8%) screen for methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) or empirically eradicate. Zero (0%) routinely catheterize patients perioperatively. Forty-one (73.2%) would give intramuscular or intravenous gentamicin for a perioperative catheterisation. All surgeons use laminar flow theatres. Twenty-six (46.4%) use only an impervious gown, 6 (10.7%) exhaust pipes, and 24 (42.3%) surgical helmet system. Five different antimicrobial prophylaxis regimens are used 9 (16.1%) cefuroxime, 2 (3.6%) flucloxacillin, 19 (33.9%) flucloxacillin and gentamicin, 10 (17.9%) teicoplanin, 16 (28.6%) teicoplanin and gentamicin. Twenty-two (39.3%) routinely give further doses. Conclusion: ASB screening, treatment and intramuscular gentamicin for perioperative catheterisation is routinely practiced despite no supporting evidence base. MSSA screening and treatment is underutilised. Multiple antibiotic regimens exist despite little variation in organisms in PJI. Practice varies between surgeons and centers, we should all be practicing evidence-based medicine.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.179-186
• /
• 2024

Objective: This study aims to assess the reliability and validity of the new hand-held spirometer as a potential substitute for traditional pulmonary function testing (PFT) devices. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: In this study, thirty healthy adults underwent spirometry using both the new hand-held spirometer and the MIR spirometer, which is a standard PFT device. Parameters including peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured and analyzed for validity and reliability. Inter-rater reliability and validity were evaluated through 95% limits of agreement (LOA) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Statistical analyses, including the Bland-Altman plots and the ICC, were utilized to assess agreement between the two devices. Results: The new hand-held spirometer exhibited a good agreement with intra-class coefficient (ICC [2,1]) ranging 0.762 to 0.956 and 95% LOA of -1.94 to 1.80 when compared with MIR. The test-retest reliability of the hand-held spirometer analyzed using - ICC [2,1] demonstrated a good level of consistency (ICC [2,1] =0.849-0.934). Conclusions: In conclusion, the study aimed to assess the potential of the new hand-held spirometer as a viable alternative to traditional PFT devices, with a specific focus on its reliability and validity in spirometric measurements. The new hand-held spirometer exhibited good test-retest reliability across all measured variables, suggesting its potential as a valid and reliable tool for simultaneous PFT measurements.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.252-260
• /
• 2009

The effects of the treatment of an acidic solution at pH 2 on polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were investigated using a circular cross-flow filtration bench with a membrane module. A substantial reduction in the membrane permeability was observed after 80 hours' treatment of the acidic solution. In addition, the analyses of the sample solutions by ultraviolet/visible absorption spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which were taken from the feed tank as a function of the treatment time, showed that a new organic compound was produced in the course of the treatment. From a thorough search of the mass spectral library we presumed the new compound to be 1,6-dioxacyclododecane-7,12-dione (DCD), one of the well-known additives for polyurethane. Based on further experimental results, including the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and the solid-state NMR spectra of the membranes used for the treatment of the acidic solution, we suggested that the decrease of the permeate flux resulted not from the deformation of the membranes, but from the fouling by DCD eluted from the polyurethane tubes in the filtration bench during the treatment. Those results imply that the reactivity to an acidic solution of the parts comprising the filtration bench is as important as that of the membranes themselves for effective treatments of acidic solutions, for efficient chemical cleaning by strong acids, and also in determining the pH limit of the solutions that can be treated by the membranes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.6
• /
• pp.868-873
• /
• 2019

In this study, the evaluation of performance of AORFB using methyl viologen and TEMPOL as organic active materials in neutral supporting electrolyte (NaCl) with various membrane types was performed. Using methyl viologen and TEMPOL as active materials in neutral electrolyte solution, the cell voltage is 1.37V which is relatively high value for AORFB. Two types of membranes were examined for performance comparison. First, when using Nafion 117 membrane which is commercial cation exchange membrane, only the charge process occurred in the first cycle and the single cell couldn't work because of its high resistance. However, when using Fumasep anion exchange membrane (FAA-3-50) instead of Nafion 117 membrane, the result was obtained as the totally different charge-discharge graphs. When current density was $40mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$ and cut off voltage range was from 0.55 V to 1.7 V, the charge efficiency (CE) was 97% and voltage efficiency (VE) was 78%. In addition, the discharge capacity was $1.44Ah{\cdot}L^{-1}$ which was 54% of theoretical capacity ($2.68Ah{\cdot}L^{-1}$) at $10^{th}$ cycle and the capacity loss rate was $0.0015Ah{\cdot}L^{-1}$ per cycle during 50 cycles. Through cyclic voltammetry test, it seems that this difference in the performance between the full cell using Nafion 117 membrane and Fumasep anion exchange membrane came from increasing resistance due to chemical reaction between membrane and active material, not the capacity loss due to cross-over of active material through membrane.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.332-340
• /
• 2001

Flowable composite resin has lower filler content, increased flow, and lower modules of elasticity. It is suggested that flowable composite resin can be bonded to the tooth structure intimately and absorb or dissipate the stress. Therefore, it may be advantageous to use flowable composite resin for the base material of class II restoration and for the class V restoraton. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microleakage and shear bond strength of four flowable composite resins (Aeliteflo, Flow-It, Revolution, Ultraseal XT Plus) compared to Z100 using Scotchbond Multi Purpose dentin bonding system. To evaluate the microleakage, notch-shaped class V cavities were prepared on buccal and lingual surfaces of 80 extracted human premolars and molars on cementum margin. The teeth were randomly divided into non-thermocycling group (group 1) and thermocycling group (group 2) of 40 teeth each. The experimental teeth of each group were randomly divided onto five subgroups of eight samples (sixteen surfaces). The Scotchbond Multi-Purpose and composite resin were applied for each group following the manufacturer's instructions. the teeth of group 2 were thermocycled five hundred times between 5$^{\circ}C$ and 55$^{\circ}C$. The teeth of group 2 were placed in 2% methylene blue dye for 24 hours, then rinsed with tab water. The specimens were embedded in clear resin, and sectioned longitudinally with a diamond saw. The dye penetration on each of the specimen were observed with a stereomicioscope at $\times$20 magnification. To evaluate the shear bond strength, 60 teeth were divided into five groups of twelve teeth each. The experimental teeth were ground horizontally below the dentinoenamel junction, so that no enamel remained. After applying Scotchbond Multi-Purpose on the dentin surface, composite resin was applied in the shape of cylinder. The cylinder was 4mm in diameter and 2mm in thickness. Shear bond strength was measured using Instron with a cross-head speed of 0.5mm/min. After shear bond strength measurement, mode of failure was evaluated with a stereomicroscope at $\times$30 magnification. All data were statistically analyzed by One Way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls method. The correlation between microleakage and shear bond strength was analyzed by linear regression. The results of this study were as follows ; 1. In non-thermocycling group, the leakage value of Z100 was significantly lower than those of flowable composite resins at the enamel and dentin margin, margin, except that Revolution showed the lower leakage value than that of Z100 at the dentin margin (p<0.05). 2. In thermocycling group, the leakage values of Z100 and Ultraseal XT Plus were lower than those of other subgroup at the enamel and dentin margin, except that Flow-It showed the lower leakage value than that of Ultraseal XT Plus at the dentin margin (p<0.05). 3. The leakage value of Z100 and Ultraseal XT Plus in thermocycling group were not higher than that in non-thermocycling group at the enamel margin. The leakage value of Z100 in thermocycling group was not higher than that in non-thermocycling group at the dentin margin (p<0.05). 4. As for the shear bond strength measurement, there were no statistically significant differences among groups (p<0.05). The shear bond strengths given in descending order were as follows: Z100(16.81$\pm$2.98 MPa), Flow-It(14.8$\pm$4.43 MPa), Aeliteflo(14.34$\pm$3.69 MPa), Revolution(13.46$\pm$4.23 MPa), Ultraseal XT Plus(12.83$\pm$3.16 MPa). 5. Failure modes of all specimens were adhesive failures. 6. There was no correlation between microleakage and shear bond strength.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.77 no.3
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 1988

To investigate the cause of overflow in the torrential stream, the estimated peak flow of run-off and the maximum tarring capacity of the stream were measured at the upstream of Samsung-cheon located in Kwanak Aboretum during July, 1987. The results obtained from this study could be summarized as follows : 1. The surveyed catchment area was 477ha, which was 116 of the designed area (410ha) by the plan. 2. The maximum rainfall intensity measured was 99.5mm/hr and was almost same as the designed intensity(100mm/hr). 3. The surveyed run-off coefficient was 0.672 that was about twice as much as designed one(0.35). 4. The surveyed peak flow of run-off was $88.59m^3/sec$, 222% as large the designed one($39.9m^3/sec$). 5. The designed cross-sectional area of the stream was $17.25m^2$, which was 68% of the designed one$25.43m^2$. 6. The surveyed hydraulic mean radius was 0.94m, which was shorter than the designed one(1.28m). 7. The surveyed mean stream-bed gradient(0.998%) was almost the same as the designed one(1.00%). 8 The surveyed maximum velocity of flow passing through the stream was 2.87m/sec, 78.0 of the designed one(3.68m/sec). 9 The surveyed run-off capacity of the stream was $49.51m^3/sec$, 53% of the designed one ($93.5m^3/sec$).