Narrow Results

This research presents an advanced fractional-order compartmental model designed to delve into the complexities of COVID-19 transmission dynamics, specifically accounting for the influence of environmental pathogens on disease spread. By enhancing the classical compartmental framework, our model distinctively incorporates the effects of order derivatives and environmental shedding mechanisms on the basic reproduction numbers, thus offering a holistic perspective on transmission dynamics. Leveraging fractional calculus, the model adeptly captures the memory effect associated with disease spread, providing an authentic depiction of the virus’s real-world propagation patterns. A thorough mathematical analysis confirming the existence, uniqueness and stability of the model’s solutions emphasizes its robustness. Furthermore, the numerical simulations, meticulously calibrated with real COVID-19 case data, affirm the model’s capacity to emulate observed transmission trends, demonstrating the pivotal role of environmental transmission vectors in shaping public health strategies. The study highlights the critical role of environmental sanitation and targeted interventions in controlling the pandemic’s spread, suggesting new insights for research and policy-making in infectious disease management.

Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease that is caused by an intestinal bacterium, Vibrio cholerae. Recently an outbreak of cholera in Haiti brought public attention to this deadly disease. In this work, the goal of our differential equation model is to find an effective optimal vaccination strategy to minimize the disease related mortality and to reduce the associated costs. The effect of seasonality in pathogen transmission on vaccination strategies was investigated under several types of disease scenarios, including an endemic case and a new outbreak case. This model is an extension of a general water-borne pathogen model. This work involves the optimal control problem formulation, analysis and numerical simulations.

Novel Photodynamic Therapy of Emerging and Re-emerging Medically Important Viruses

TEM PCR Enhances Infectious Disease Diagnosis

AUSTRALIA – Centipede venom could lead to new class of pain drug.

AUSTRALIA – Artificial nerves in prosthetic limbs to restore touch: study.

SINGAPORE – Singapore scientists lead in the discovery of gene responsible for fatal drug allergy.

SINGAPORE – ‘Jekyll-and-Hyde’ protein determines life and death of cancer cells.

SINGAPORE – A*STAR researchers create novel assay to test for epigenetic abnormalities in pre-implanted mice embryos.

SINGAPORE – New hydrogel from IBN and IBM improves delivery of anti-cancer drug.

EUROPE – Novel family of natural products antibiotics with broad spectrum against Gram-negative pathogens.

NEPAL – Blood proteins could help monitor malnutrition.

UK – Developing world faces breast cancer surge, study suggests.

US – Positive signs for malaria vaccine based on GM parasite.

US – Could one cancer test find unrelated tumors?

US – Study suggests blood test can differentiate between benign lung nodules and early stage lung cancer.

US – New data obtained from Parkinson's disease program.

US – Research study on PAZ320 initiated at University of Minnesota.

US – 3D printed structures reveal bacterial ‘chit-chat’.

Young Innovators under 35 - 2016 Asia's TR35 Innovators (EmTech Asia 2016)

New Biomedical R&D Centre Set Up by Lite-On Group in Singapore

The Philippines Initiates the World's First Public Dengue Vaccination Programme

SINGAPORE – Singapore eHealth Innovations Summit Announces the First EMRAM Stage 7 Hospital in Singapore and Emphasized Technology as Transformative Agent in Specialty Functions.

TAIWAN – Health2Sync Strategically Partners with Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare in Asia's First Government Supported Online Diabetes Care Program.

UNITED STATES – Scientists Identify Protein Involved in Restoring Effectiveness of Common Treatment for Breast Cancer.

UNITED STATES – Scientists Reveal How Signals from Pathogenic Bacteria Reach Danger Sensors of Cells.

UNITED STATES – Scientists Find New Path in Brain to Ease Depression.

UNITED STATES – Tips for Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle.

CANADA – Review Suggests Eating Oats Can Lower Cholesterol as Measured by a Variety of Markers.

SOUTH KOREA – CSA Group Opens Highly Advanced Electro - Medical Laboratory in Seoul.

AUSTRALIA – Cynata’s Technology Significant Efficacy in Preclinical Asthma Study.

INDIA – Essilor Launches ‘Love to See Change’ Campaign to Educate People about Need to Preserve Visual Health.

Nobel Laureate Cooperates with Infinitus to Explore the Potential Roles of TCM in Immune Regulation.

XW Labs Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement with University of Pittsburgh to Develop Novel Mitochondria-Targeting Compounds.

Genetically-Engineered Malaria Vaccine May be Used in Liver Cancer Immunotherapy.

Magellan Diagnostics and PDXWildlife Partner to Identify Lead Exposure in Giant Pandas.

China Able to Detect 300 Known Pathogens within 72 Hours.

BioVentrix Announces the 1st Revivent TC™ TransCatheter Commercial Procedure to Treat Ischemic Cardiomyopathy in China.

New Superbug Could Be Epidemic.

Functional Circuits Regulate Activity of Serotonergic Neurons.

SERS Helps to Evaluate DHA Effect on Cancer Cells.

China Building World’s Largest Multifunctional Nano Research Facility.

Chinese Researchers Reveal a New Antiviral Defense Mechanism in Rice.

Rice is a significant cereal crop across the world. In rice cultivation, different types of sowing methods are followed, and thus bring in issues regarding sampling collection. Climate, soil, water level, and a diversified variety of crop seeds (hybrid and traditional varieties) and the period of growth are some of the challenges. This survey mainly focuses on rice crop diseases which affect the parts namely leaves, stems, roots, and spikelet; it mainly focuses on leaf-based diseases. Existing methods for diagnosing leaf disease include statistical approaches, data mining, image processing, machine learning, and deep learning techniques. This review mainly addresses diseases of the rice crop, a framework to diagnose rice crop diseases, and computational approaches in Image Processing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Convolutional Neural Networks. Based on performance indicators, interpretations were made for the following algorithms namely support vector machine (SVM), convolutional neural network (CNN), backpropagational neural network (BPNN), and feedforward neural network (FFNN).

Invasive fish species can be successfully grown in sewage-fed fish-ponds, especially treated sewage ponds. Fish species commonly grown in sewage fish ponds are bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and catfish species, such as African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and walking catfish (Clarias batrachus). These fish are known to be invasive or potential invasive species and can tolerate extreme environments, such as those with high temperatures and wide ranges of salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia. Among the fish used in sewage-fed fishponds, tilapia exhibit the best survival in sewage. However, inorganic pollutants (heavy metals), organic pollutants (such as pesticides), and pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites) in sewage cause morphological and physiological alterations in organs. Fortunately, these sewage pollutants mainly accumulate in the viscera (especially the liver and gill) and less in the muscle (the edible part of the fish). Furthermore, these undesirable pollutants and pathogens are generally within ranges suitable for human consumption. The information in this chapter is expected to serve as a reference for the management of invasive fish species.

Bacterial pathogens cause disease in man and animals. They have unique biological properties, which enable them to colonize mucous surfaces, penetrate them, grow in the environment of the host, inhibit or avoid host defences and damage the host. The bacterial products responsible for these five biological requirements are the determinants of pathogenicity (virulence determinants). Current knowledge comes from studies in vitro, but now interest is increasing in how bacteria behave and produce virulence determinants within the infected host. There are three aspects to elucidate: bacterial activities, the host factors that affect them and the metabolic interactions between the two. The first is relatively easy to accomplish and, recently, new methods for doing this have been devised. The second is not easy because of the complexity of the environment in vivo and its ever-changing face. Nevertheless, some information can be gained from the literature and by new methodology. The third aspect is very difficult to study effectively unless some events in vivo can be simulated in vitro.

The objectives of the Discussion Meeting were to describe the new methods and to show how they, and conventional studies, are revealing the activities of bacterial pathogens in vivo. This paper sets the scene by raising some questions and suggesting, with examples, how they might be answered.

Bacterial growth in vivo is the primary requirement for pathogenicity. Without growth, determinants of the other four requirements are not formed. Results from the new methods are underlining this point. The important questions are as follows. What is the pattern of a developing infection and the growth rates and population sizes of the bacteria at different stages? What nutrients are present in vivo and how do they change as infection progresses and relate to growth rates and population sizes? How are these nutrients metabolized and by what bacterial mechanisms? Which bacterial processes handle nutrient deficiencies and antagonistic conditions that may arise? Conventional and new methods can answer the first question and part of the second; examples are described. The difficulties of trying to answer the last two are discussed.

Turning to production in vivo of determinants of mucosal colonization, penetration, interference with host defence and damage to the host, here are the crucial questions. Are putative determinants, which have been recognized by studies in vitro, produced in vivo and are they relevant to virulence? Can hitherto unknown virulence determinants be recognized by examining bacteria grown in vivo? Does the complement of virulence determinants change as infection proceeds? Are regulatory processes recognized in vitro, such as ToxR/ToxS, PhoP/PhoQ, quorum sensing and type III secretion, operative in vivo? What environmental factors affect virulence determinant production in vivo and by what metabolic processes? Examples indicate that the answers to the first four questions are 'yes' in most but not all cases. Attempts to answer the last, and most difficult, question are also described.

Finally, sialylation of the lipopolysaccharide of gonococci in vivo by host-derived cytidine 5′-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid, and the effect of host lactate are described. This investigation revealed a new bacterial component important in pathogenicity, the host factors responsible for its production and the metabolism involved.

There are over 100 different types of pathogens that can be found in contaminated water. Contaminated drinking water due to inadequate and unsanitary disposal of sewage and excreta continue to pose a threat to the health in many communities in developing countries. Groundwaters, surface waters, and distribution systems are at risk. Waterborne disease outbreaks are rising due to increasing vulnerable populations, political upheaval, and high numbers of refugees in developing countries. Natural disasters such as flooding and droughts due to climatic changes may also be affecting global water quality. As we move into the next century, it will be important to arm drinking water utility personnel with current and comprehensive information regarding waterborne pathogens and the importance of maintaining vigilance in their control.

In the last few years, there has been a significant increase in population growth all over the world. This has been accompanied by intensive urbanization, an increase in industrial activities and a greater exploitation of cultivable land. These transformations have provoked a huge increase both in the quantity of discharge and the range of pollutants that could reach the aquatic ecosystems and deteriorating water quality. This review covers the aspects of water quality and impact assessment of aquatic pollution.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the synergism effect of citric acid, lemon oil, lime oil and nisin as sanitizer to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, “in vitro”, using statistical design (23 factorial designs with three central points). The experiment was carried out, varying the concentrations of citric acid (% w/v, 0; 0.5; 1.0), lime oil (% v/v, 0; 1.0; 2.0) and nisin (IU/mL, 0; 50; 100), using nutrient broth as media. Escherichia coli was inoculated into 11 flasks (106 CFU/mL), which were incubated at 37°C during 24 h. The interaction between lime and lemon oil was also studied. The results showed that after 1h, only citric acid and lime oil had significant effects on inhibition growth of the E. coli as well their interaction (p<0.05). When the factors were combined, the reduction was 100%. No combined effect on combating bacteria growth was observed between lime and lemon oils in the range studied.