Mechanism For Example Research Articles

Phytochemicals as Adjuvant Therapies in RND Efflux-mediated Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections and Evaluation Techniques of Efflux Inhibitory Activities in Bacteria

: One of the top-listed opportunistic pathogens that are frequently found in medical devices such as ventilation systems is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacteria often cause infections in the lungs (pneumonia), blood after surgery, and other parts of the body. Extreme susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection primarily exists in immunosuppressed individuals, and long-term evolution has led to the development of genetic resistance mechanisms that have high genetic flexibility against damaging antibiotics. Several lines of research evidence point to efflux as the primary reason for the organism's effectiveness against antibiotic treat-ment in infections caused by this bacterium. Drug Efflux pumps play a crucial role in medicine because they expulse a variety of unique and unrelated chemical structures with either antibi-otics or antimicrobials before they reach the concentration necessary to kill bacteria, confer-ring multiple resistance to more than one class of antibiotics. Targeting this mechanism for example by blocking the most active efflux pump MexAB-orpM would probably lead to the discovery of new ways to circumvent the bacterial system of antibiotic resistance and boost treatment effectiveness.

Accountability Mechanisms In Result Based Financing And Their Implementation In Lira District, Northern Uganda

Introduction: Results based financing has been proposed as an innovative reform to enhance systems performance in Uganda. Lira District is one of the districts implementing the national results-based financing (RBF) scheme under the Uganda Reproductive Maternal and Child Health services Improvement Project (URMCHIP). The diversity of relationships among various actors in RBF implementation underscores the need for mechanisms to ensure accountability among them. This was a case study which aimed at exploring the RBF accountability mechanisms, their implementation, and related factors in Lira District. Methodology: The study was a descriptive case study employing qualitative methods. The data collection methods included a) focus group discussions with the health workers from RBF facilities, b) key informant interviews with key actors in the RBF program at the MOH as well as in the district including district managers, health facility in charges, verifiers, members of the health facility management committees, c) document review of RBF documents, annual progress and audit reports. were analyzed thematically guided by a framework that explored the relationships and related accountability arrangements in RBF. Results: Several accountability relationships do exist among actors in RBF program and each relationship has associated accountability mechanisms for example, accountability mechanisms between MOH and the district include MOUs and business plans, while between the district and facilities mechanisms include reporting, data verifications, financial audits while display of results on notice boards, complaint boxes are mechanisms between the facility and the community. Regular support supervision and facility innovations such as meetings complimented RBF-specific designs. Challenges hindering smooth implementation of accountability mechanisms included infrequent financial support to enable regular support supervision/verification visits by Expanded District Health Management Team (EDHMT) and corruption tendencies. Conclusion: Implementation of accountability mechanisms in RBF in Lira is suboptimal due to the various RBF design and implementation challenges. There is need to support the EDHMT and facility managers’ in terms of capacity building and facilitation to do their work. Additionally, efforts need to be undertaken to address delayed disbursement of funds and corruption impeding the implementation of accountability mechanisms in the district.

Interaction of layered double hydroxide phases with chloride ions

AbstractFor the sustainable transition of the construction sector, the durability of cementitious materials needs to be guaranteed. This requires a fundamental understanding of the deterioration mechanisms for example how the ingress of potentially detrimental ions affects the composition of the pore solution as well as the phase assemblage. This contribution links results from several research projects investigating the changes in layered double hydroxides (LDH) composition upon exposure to chlorides. The Cl/Al ratio in chloride‐containing AFm phases depends on the chloride concentration as well as on the pH of the liquid phase. In addition, the amount of AFm phases is affected by the pH. Another member of the LDH group, hydrotalcite (Ht), can also incorporate chloride ions into the interlayer and exhibit a similar chloride‐binding capacity as stoichiometric Friedel's salt. However, the chloride‐binding capacity of Ht also depends on the composition of the pore solution. These findings aid the fundamental understanding of chloride‐binding mechanisms of cementitious materials. This is especially important, as the pH and calcium availability in the pore solution of hydrated cement may be altered during its service life. Moreover, the results may help to accurately predict the durability performance of samples in the laboratory.

Transmission routes of neuropathogenic pathogens-Possible mechanisms of neuroinvasion

Despite natural protective barriers, many human pathogens can penetrate the nervous system. The pathogens have developed sophisticated mechanisms to overturn the privileged immune status of the nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) has natural barriers and immunological protective mechanisms, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), that prevent the invasion of pathogens. Bacteria enter the CNS, for example, through transcellular penetration, paracellular entry or via infected leucocytes from the peripheral circulation. Viruses can enter the CNS by hematogenous routes, by direct infection of endothelial cells or by paracellular passage between disrupted endothelial cells (cribriform plate). Also, a few "enhanced barriers", such as the cribriform plate and circumventricular organs (CVO) can serve as entry points for viruses. Viruses can also gain access to the CNS by infection of peripheral nerves. Importantly, most successful neurotropic pathogens are not necessarily restricted to aCNS entry portal. The majority of viral pathogens are of animal origin. Through sometimes sophisticated immune mechanisms for example in bats, highly pathogenic pathogens arose through cross-species transmission. In the last 50years, various viruses, such as West Nile, Ebola, Marburg, Zika, Nipah and Hendra viruses have also been transmitted from animals to humans. Knowledge of these biological strategies is crucial to hinder, contain or prevent CNS infections.

METHOD OF THE DECLARATIVE METAPROGRAMMING BASED ON DOMAIN-SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

A concept of declarative metaprogramming which focuses on program code generation is considered. The method is based on using domain-specific languages that are implemented by means of existing general-purpose programming languages. Since metaprogramming is based on using programs that produce other programs, the declarative approach means that the input and the output program code must be as close as possible in terms of syntax or ideally identical. In order to generate a program code, it is required to write templates that hold the exact structure of a resulting generated code but contain placeholders for specifics of concrete generated instances. Such an approach is highly useful when there is a need of generating a large number of similar program files by structure but different in details. The simplest way to define such templates would be just by constructing them from string literals by injecting the specific details using a string interpolation mechanism for example. However, such an approach does not provide type safety and compile time validation, so there is no guarantee the generated code is a correct and compilable program. The domain-specific language, on the other hand, replicates all the syntactic constructions of the target programming language so that, the resulting generated code would be the same as code written by the programmer. Moreover, having preserved all the syntax validations by the compiler on which the domain-specific language is based. The paper considers a concrete example of a code generator for a Starlark programming language, a dialect of Python while the domain specific-language is based on Kotlin language. Using the toolset of Kotlin, such a domain-specific language replicates such Starlark constructs as variable assignments, list comprehensions, library functions, slices, etc with a required level of customizability.

Recognition and Practice of Home-Management of Malaria among Mothers of Under-Five Children in Obafemi Owode Community, Abeokuta, Ogun State

The study investigates the factors influencing the recognition and practice of Home-management of malaria among mothers of under-five children in Obafemi Owode Community, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. The study employed a multi-staged sampling technique to select 299 nursing mothers of under-five children at the primary health care centre of Obafemi Owode Community. The main instrument for the study was a questionnaire. The selected socio-demographic variables were analyzed using the descriptive analysis while the hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and linear regression analysis. The result indicated that 38.5% of the nursing mothers had a high level of knowledge of home-based management of malaria. 55.9% of the respondents had an average attitude towards home-based management of Malaria. 46.8% had a good level of practice of home-based management of malaria. There was a significant relationship between the demographic factors of nursing mothers and knowledge of home-based management of malaria among nursing mothers of Obafemi Owode Community, Abeokuta, Ogun State (p< .05). However, the age of mother is not significantly associated with knowledge of home-based management (p> 0.05). The calculated R Squared and p-value for demographic variables on practice of home-management of malaria among nursing mothers is: 0.788 which signifies 78.8% contribution to practice of home-management among nursing mothers. Hence, all demographic characteristics of nursing mothers are significant predictors of practice of home-based management of Malaria among Nursing mothers of Obafemi Owode Community, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The study recommended that Primary Health centres should put in place mechanisms for example incorporating components of home visit in the performance appraisal of community Health Officers to ensure the recommended number of visits are adhered to. Also, caregivers’ seemingly inability to correctly dissociate between the two essentials of knowledge related to malaria can be addressed by Community Health Officers through the home visit programme.

Resolving Structural Changes of Photoreceptors in Living Escherichia coli via In-cell Infrared Difference Spectroscopy.

Several in-cell spectroscopic techniques have been developed recently to investigate the structure and mechanism of proteins in their native environment. Conditions in vivo differ dramatically from those selected for in vitro experiments. Accordingly, the cellular environment can affect the protein mechanism for example by molecular crowding or binding of small molecules. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy is a well-suited method to study the light-induced structural responses of photoreceptors including changes in cofactor, side chains and secondary structure. Here, we describe a protocol to study the response of cofactor and protein in living E. coli cells via in-cell infrared difference (ICIRD) spectroscopy using the attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration. Proteins are overexpressed in E. coli, the cells are transferred into saline solution and the copy number per cell is determined using fluorescence spectroscopy. The suspension is centrifuged and the concentrated cells transferred onto the ATR cell inside the FTIR spectrometer. The thermostatted cell is sealed and illuminated from the top with an LED. Intensity spectra are recorded before and after illumination to generate the difference spectrum of the receptor inside the living cell. With ICIRD spectroscopy, structural changes of soluble photoreceptors are resolved in a near-native environment. The approach works in H2O at ambient conditions, is label free, without any limitations in protein size and does not require any purification step. Graphic abstract: In-cell infrared difference spectroscopy on photoreceptors in living E. coli using attenuated total reflection.

Multiple limit-cycles shimmy characteristics of dual-axle steering mechanism considering the wheel alignment parameters

In this study, a nine degree of freedom mathematical model of dual-axle steering mechanism considering the wheel alignment parameters is established. Taking one multi-axle vehicle with dual-axle mechanism for example, the numerical method is used to analyze the effects of the wheel alignment parameters on multiple limit-cycles shimmy characteristics. The results show that the variation of the camber angle, the toe angle, and the caster angle will cause the maximum swing angles of first and second axle and the speed ranges of multiple limit-cycles shimmy to change. In addition, taking the caster angle as an example, the effects of matching of different wheel alignment parameters for the first and second axle on multiple limit-cycles shimmy characteristics were discussed. It is found that the effects which the caster angle of second axle having on multiple limit-cycles shimmy characteristics of dual-axle steering mechanism are much more greater than the caster angle of first axle's effects. This finding can provide theoretical guidance for suppressing multiple limit-cycles shimmy of the multi-axle vehicle with dual-axle steering mechanism.

Upregulation of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETCs) as consequence of adjuvant radiation therapy in primary breast cancer patients.

3 Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of the treatment of breast carcinoma but unfortunately many patients experience local recurrence. During the inflammatory response that accompanies radiation tumor cells may develop multiple resistance mechanisms for example the up-regulation of PD-L1 on tumor cells which leads to immune evasion. Since CETCs arise from the tumor it is conceivable that under evolutionary pressure they might share some of the immune escape mechanism inherent to tumor cells. In this study we demonstrate that RT leads to a transitory adaptive up-regulation of PD-L1 expression on CETCs. Methods: CETCs and the expression of PD-L1 and Ki-67 were analyzed from 25 patients with primary non-metastatic breast cancer using the maintrac method. The fraction of PD-L1 and Ki-67 positive CETCs were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 weeks after start of RT and 6 weeks after end of therapy. Additionally, copy number status of PD-L1 was determined using FISH. Results: Fractionated-dose RT leads to a significant increase in PD-L1 expression on CETCs with the highest expression level midterm of irradiation as compared to baseline (49% vs. 74%, p < 0.01). 6 weeks after end of RT the number of PD-L1 positive CETCs returned to baseline value. The up-regulation of PD-L1 was dose dependent. Patients who received higher total dose had significantly more PD-L1 positive CETCs as compared to patients treated with lower total dose midterm of RT (64% vs. 43, p < 0.05). Before start of therapy there was a correlation between the fraction of PD-L1 and Ki-67 positive CETCs (r = 0.6, p < 0.01). PD-L1 copy number gains were significantly associated with PD-L1 expression (r = 0.6, P < 0.05). Conclusions: RT leads to an up-regulation of PD-L1 expression on CETCs, which could be a possible mechanism of acquired radioresistance. Combining immunomodulatory agents with radiation might have the potential to overcome this resistance and could improve clinical outcome in breast cancer.

Adjuvant radiation therapy to induce a transitory adaptive up-regulation of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETCs) to affect the anti-tumor immune response in primary breast cancer patients.

11558 Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of the treatment of breast carcinoma but unfortunately many patients experience local recurrence. During the inflammatory response that accompanies radiation tumor cells may develop multiple resistance mechanisms for example the up-regulation of PD-L1 on tumor cells which leads to immune evasion. Since CETCs arise from the tumor it is conceivable that under evolutionary pressure they might share some of the immune escape mechanism inherent to tumor cells. In this study we demonstrate that RT leads to a transitory adaptive up-regulation of PD-L1 expression on CETCs. Methods: CETCs and the expression of PD-L1 and Ki-67 were analyzed from 25 patients with primary non-metastatic breast cancer using the maintrac method. The fraction of PD-L1 and Ki-67 positive CETCs were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 weeks after start of RT and 6 weeks after end of therapy. Additionally, copy number status of PD-L1 was determined using FISH. Results: Fractionated-dose RT leads to a significant increase in PD-L1 expression on CETCs with the highest expression level midterm of irradiation as compared to baseline (49% vs. 74%, p < 0.01). 6 weeks after end of RT the number of PD-L1 positive CETCs returned to baseline value. The up-regulation of PD-L1 was dose dependent. Patients who received higher total dose had significantly more PD-L1 positive CETCs as compared to patients treated with lower total dose midterm of RT (64% vs. 43, p < 0.05). Before start of therapy there was a correlation between the fraction of PD-L1 and Ki-67 positive CETCs (r = 0.6, p < 0.01). PD-L1 copy number gains were significantly associated with PD-L1 expression (r = 0.6, P < 0.05). Conclusions: RTleads to an up-regulation of PD-L1 expression on CETCs, which could be a possible mechanism of acquired radioresistance. Combining immunomodulatory agents with radiation might have the potential to overcome this resistance and could improve clinical outcome in breast cancer.

ECCO Mnemonic Authentication—Two-Factor Authentication Method with Ease-of-Use

Not very long ago, organizations used to identify their customers by means of one-factor authentication mechanisms. In today's world, however, these mechanisms cannot overcome the new security threats at least when it comes to high risk situations. Hence, identity providers have introduced varieties of two-factor authentication mechanisms. It may be argued that users may experience difficulties at time of authentication in systems that use two-factor authentication mechanisms for example because they may be forced to carry extra devices to be authenticated more accurately. This is however the tradeoff between ease-of-use and having a secure system that may be decided by the users and not the security providers. In this paper we present a new two-factor authentication mechanism that secures systems and at the same time is easier to use. We have used mnemonic features and the cache concept to achieve ease-of-use and security, respectively. Also, we have tested our method with almost 6500 users in real world using The Mechanical Turk Developer Sandbox. Index Terms—Security, authentication, identification, privacy, cache-based, mnemonic.

The Research on Motion Reliability Simulation of Planar Linkage Mechanism

Taking planar pivot four-bar mechanism for example, the method motion reliability simulation on solving motion reliability of planar linkage mechanism is proposed in this paper. Under the circumstances that manufacturing errors and joint clearances are normal distribution, ADAMS is taken as the analysis platform and the parameterized model of planar linkage mechanism is established by it, then Monte Carlo theory is used to calculate in order that different random simulation model can be obtained. After cycle simulation, the data of simulation will be saved in text files so that it could be used for calculating the result of motion reliability. This method is applied to solving motion reliability of the opening/closing mechanism of the bottom door in the coal hopper, and the result is reasonable, thereby its effectiveness is proved successfully.

Experimental study of quartz solubility in H2O-HF system, and possible host rock silification mechanism for example of nature objects

Experimental study of quartz solubility in H2O-HF system, and possible host rock silification mechanism for example of nature objects

Engine Informationization Platform Design

Taking crank-connecting rod mechanism for example, this paper uses the Pro/E modeling, uses the 3D-MAX to create a disassembly animations, and then uses image processing software Fireworks and Web Design Software Dreamweaver(both belong to the webpage three swordsmen ) to design a basic page. The former two contents and the other searched information, such as courseware, pictures, enterprise-links and driving test and so on, as a resource to fill the web page. Finally completes the design of an informationization platform, making it to be an intuitive, comprehensive, efficient learning channel.

Evaluation of primary and secondary fugitive dust suppression methods using enclosed water spraying systems at bulk solids handling

To suppress effectively fugitive dust emissions using water spraying systems at bulk solids handling an optimal design of these devices is necessary. The dust suppression mechanism for example at conveyor belt hand over points can be subdivided in a primary and a secondary dust minimization effect. In this case the moistening of the bulk solids is a primary dust minimization effect and the airborne dust capture is a secondary dust minimization effect. In this work the evaluation of both dust minimization effects is carried out. As a first step an experimental investigation of the total and the secondary dust suppression efficiency took place. A model of two separators which are acting in series got used to compare the measured efficiencies and to calculate the primary dust suppression efficiency. The secondary dust suppression effect showed low performance compared to the primary dust suppression efficiency. So it has to be clarified if the streaming situation and the dust concentration situation at the position where the nozzle operates can get improved. Therefore enquiries at different positions in the middle and aside a concentrated particle flow got carried out. The results provide an informative basis how water spraying systems can get improved to suppress fugitive dust emissions at bulk solids handling.

Dynamic behaviour of protective covers in machine tools

The durability of protective covers in high dynamic machine tools is no longer acceptable. Due to high velocities and acceleration, the structural components of the bellow, the crossbar mechanism for example, do not withstand the occurring forces. The following article analyses the forces which affect a protective cover occurring due to feed motion of the axis. The requirements of protective covers are defined in order to derive the cycles for the dynamic tests. The measured variables recorded during the trials are analyzed and associated to the structural components of the bellow.

Protein oxidation and 20S proteasome-dependent proteolysis in mammalian cells.

The generation of reactive oxygen species is an inevitable aspect of aerobic life. In addition to being exposed to free radicals in the environment, aerobic organisms must also deal with oxygen radicals generated as byproducts of a number of physiological mechanisms for example, by the mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum electron transport chains, and by cells of the immune system. Although most organisms are equipped with several lines of defense against oxidative stress, these defensive mechanisms are not 100% effective, and oxidatively modified forms of proteins accumulate during aging, and in many pathological conditions. Oxidatively modified proteins can form large aggregates due to covalent cross-linking or increased surface hydrophobicity. Unless repaired or removed from cells, these oxidized proteins are often toxic and can threaten cell viability. Mammalian cells exhibit only limited direct repair mechanisms, and oxidatively damaged proteins appear to undergo selective proteolysis, primarily by the major cytosolic proteinase, the proteasome. Interestingly, it appears that the 20S 'core' proteasome conducts the recognition and elimination of oxidized proteins in an ATP-independent and ubiquitin-independent pathway.

Transport of Milk Constituents by the Mammary Gland

This review deals with the cellular mechanisms that transport milk constituents or the precursors of milk constituents into, out of, and across the mammary secretory cell. The various milk constituents are secreted by different intracellular routes, and these are outlined, including the paracellular pathway between interstitial fluid and milk that is present in some physiological states and in some species throughout lactation. Also considered are the in vivo and in vitro methods used to study mammary transport and secretory mechanisms. The main part of the review addresses the mechanisms responsible for uptake across the basolateral cell membrane and, in some cases, for transport into the Golgi apparatus and for movement across the apical membrane of sodium, potassium, chloride, water, phosphate, calcium, citrate, iodide, choline, carnitine, glucose, amino acids and peptides, and fatty acids. Recent work on the control of these processes, by volume-sensitive mechanisms for example, is emphasized. The review points out where future work is needed to gain an overall view of milk secretion, for example, in marsupials where milk composition changes markedly during development of the young, and particularly on the intracellular coordination of the transport processes that result in the production of milk of relatively constant composition at a particular stage of lactation in both placental and marsupial mammals.

What Do Developers Really Think AboutSoftware Quality

For an organisation to get the biggest increase in software quality that it can from introducing a more formal and quality-focused process of software development, the attitudes that developers and managers have to any new working practices must be understood, listen to and accommodated. It is only then that software quality will be improved and sustained in the long-term. This paper presents the results of a recent wide-ranging study which explores the attitudes that developers and managers have to software quality generally, and to the introduction and use of quality-oriented working practices specifically. The study is based on the analysis of over two hundred questionnaire responses from software developers and managers in a number of organisations. All of these organisations either had, or were in the process of introducing, a formal quality management system. The study found that developers and managers often had markedly different perspectives on the usefulness and scope of mechanisms for software quality. Sometimes managers were more enthusiastic about a particular mechanism for example the collection and use of software metrics. Whilst at other times developers were more keen on a particular mechanism for example the use of standards. The study also revealed some interesting goal variations between developers and managers. For instance developers rated software reliability as a much more important organisational goal than managers did Conversely, and probably more predictably, managers rated low costs as a much more important organisational goal than developers did. Clearly such goal incongruence would seem a potential source of quality problems. Transactions on Information and Communications Technologies vol 11, © 1995 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3517