Comparative genomic analysis revealed that dietary habits affected the adaptation of Bifidobacterium bifidum to the intestinal tract in different geographic populations

Recent research on the genome of Bifidobacterium bifidum has mainly focused on the isolation sources(intestinal tract niche)recently,but reports on the isolation region are limited.This study analyzed the differences in the genome of B.bifidum isolated from different geographical populations by comparative genomic analysis.Results at the genome level indicated that the GC content of American isolates was significantly higher than that of Chinese and Russian isolates.The phylogenetic tree,based on 919 core genes showed that B.bifidum might be related to the geographical characteristics of isolation region.Furthermore,functional annotation analysis demonstrated that copy numbers of carbohydrate-active enzymes(CAZys)involved in the degradation of polysaccharide from plant and host sources in B.bifidum were high,and 18 CAZys showed significant differences across different geographical populations,indicating that B.bifidum had adapted to the human intestinal environment,especially in the groups with diets rich in fiber.Dietary habits were one of the main reasons for the differences of B.bifidum across different geographical populations.Additionally,B.bifidum exhibited high diversity,evident in glycoside hydrolases,the CRISPR-Cas system,and prophages.This study provides a genetic basis for further research and development of B.bifidum.

Comparative Study of the Widal Test against Stool Culture in the Diagnosis of Suspected Cases of Typhoid Fever in Some Low Income Communities in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

Introduction: Infectious diseases constitute a major concern of public health in developing countries. Facilities and well trained staff have been shown to be one of the major obstacles in the rapid and quality diagnosis of these diseases. As such, we carried out an analysis to compare the Widal test and stool culture to identify febrile patients with Salmonella infection. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted to diagnose salmonella infection with out-patients who demonstrated signs of salmonella infection. Serum was harvested from blood collected from 368 (Vina = 234, Mayo Banyo 65, and Djerem = 69) patients accompanied by stool, Widal test was conducted on the spot and stool was taken to a reference laboratory for culture using standard microbiological methods, sociological set up was calculated in percentages, prevalence was calculated using excel while statistical difference was calculated using SPSS. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to compare the Widal test against stool culture. Results: A total of 368 (50.8% females and 49.2% males) participants took part in the survey. Salmonella prevalence (66.24%) in stool culture in the Vina division was significantly different (p 0.05). The sensitivity,specificity, PPV, and NPV of slide agglutination test against stool culture varied from different areas (Vina: 51.6%, 73.62%, 79.21% and 43.61%;Mayo Banyo: 60.53%, 77.78%, 79.31% and 58.33%;Djerem: 53.18%, 83.73% 73.91% and 67.39%) respectively. Slide agglutination test has a fair agreement with the stool culture (kappa, Vina = 0.202;Mayo Banyo = 0.37 and Djerem = 0.38). Conclusion: Generally, in the three areas of study, the Widal test had a fair correlation with the stool culture;This means the Widal test should not be used alone but in combination with stool culture in the detection of salmonella infections.

Life-Cycle Bearing Capacity for Pre-Stressed T-beams Based on Full-Scale Destructive Test

To investigate the evolution of load-bearing characteristics of pre-stressed beams throughout their service life and to provide a basis for accurately assessing the actual working state of damaged pre-stressed concrete T-beams,destructive tests were conducted on full-scale pre-stressed concrete beams.Based on the measurement and ana-lysis of beam deflection,strain,and crack development under various loading levels during the research tests,combined with the verification coefficient indicators specified in the codes,the verification coefficients of bridges at different stages of damage can be examined.The results indicate that the T-beams experience complete,incom-plete linear,and non-linear stages during the destructive test process.In the complete linear elastic stage,both the deflection and bottom strain verification coefficients comply with the specifications,indicating a good structural load-bearing capacity no longer adheres to the code’s requirements.In the non-linear stage,both coefficients exhi-bit a sharp increase,resulting in a further decrease in the structure’s load-bearing capacity.According to the pro-visions of the current code,the beam can be in the incomplete linear stage when both values fall within the code’s specified range.The strain verification coefficient sourced from the compression zone at the bottom of theflange is not recommended for assessing the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.

A new tube chamber system for evaluation of anterior chamber pressure during phacoemulsification tested in porcine eyes

AIM:To measure the optimal anterior chamber pressure(ACP)for safe phacoemulsification using a new tube chamber system with internal pressure measurement function in the porcine eye.METHODS:The 20-gauge and 21-gauge straight tips with yellow and orange sleeves,respectively,were covered by a test chamber combined with a pressure sensor for measuring ACP.This was measured for 20s from 10s after starting aspiration in the linear mode using vacuum levels of 200 and 150 mm Hg with a 20-gauge tip,and 300 and 250 mm Hg with a 21-gauge tip.Using a porcine eye,a pressure sensor fixed with a 0.9 mm corneal incision measured ACP.For the posterior capsule contact assay,porcine eyes were treated as described above,and the ultrasonic needle tip was held at the height of the iris and aspirated for 30s in linear mode at a vacuum of 200 and 150 mm Hg for the 20-gauge tip,and 300 and 250 mm Hg for the 21-gauge tip.The bottle height at which the posterior capsule accidentally contacted the ultrasonic tip was recorded,and the estimated ACP was calculated.RESULTS:The internal pressure of the new tube chamber system and ACP from the porcine eye closely matched proportional changes at vacuum levels of 200 and 150 mm Hg with 20-gauge tips.Similarly,proportional changes at vacuum levels of 300 and 250 mm Hg with the 21-gauge tip were nearly equal.The bottle height at which the posterior capsule contacted with the tip and estimated ACP were 57.5±12.6 cm(20.2±7.9 mm Hg)at 200 mm Hg with a 20-gauge tip,35.0±10.0 cm(16.6±6.3 mm Hg)at 150 mm Hg with a 20-gauge tip,47.5±12.6 cm(18.7±8.7 mm Hg)at 300 mm Hg with a 21-gauge tip,and 32.5±5.0 cm(15.7±3.5 mm Hg)at 250 mm Hg with a 21-gauge tip.CONCLUSION:A comprehensive understanding of this chamber system’s characteristics and usage can resolve anterior chamber instability caused by changing preoperative settings on the phaco machine.

Comparative Test for New Watermelon Cultivars

Comparative test was conducted on 11 （including the cultivar as control） new watermelon cultivars to identify the yielding ability, stability, adaptability, stress resistance and other important characteristics of the new watermelon oultivars, to thereby obtain new watermelon cultivars with good comprehensive characters suit- able for different regions and different cultivation manners. The results showed that Dali Qilin, Jingangerhao Hemeiren, Hongli Dahonghu, Hongli Baowang, Longjing Heibao and XJ-I had outstanding performance in yield, resistance and quality, and thus were worthy of further experiment demonstration and certification.

Comparative Studies on Detection of Antibodies against Infectious Bursal Disease Virus with Test Strips and Agar Gel Immunodiffusion Method

[Objective] This study aimed to compare the detection results of antibodies against infectious bursal disease virus with test strips and agar gel immunodiffusion method. [Method] Antibodies against infectious bursal disease virus in chicken serum were detected using test strips developed in our laboratory, and the results were comparad^with that using traditional agar diffusion method. [Result] The comparative study of the two methods showed that the sensitivity of test strips was eight times over agar gel immunodiffusion; test strips showed higher detection rate in the deter- mination test of 216 clinical samples, with high specificity, easy preservation, and simple and rapid operation, thereby being more suitable for the monitoring of clinical antibodies. [Conclusion] Test strips could replace the existing serological methods, having great promotion and application value in antibody monitoring.

Comparative study of model tests on automatically formed roadway and gob-side entry driving in deep coal mines

Automatically formed roadway(AFR)by roof cutting with bolt grouting(RCBG)is a new deep coal mining technology.By using this technology,the broken roadway roof is strengthened,and roof cutting is applied to cut off stress transfer between the roadway and gob to ensure the collapse of the overlying strata.The roadway is automatically formed owing to the broken expansion characteristics of the collapsed strata and mining pressure.Taking the Suncun Coal Mine as the engineering background,the control effect of this new technology on roadways was studied.To compare the law of stress evolution and the surrounding rock control mechanisms between AFR and traditional gob-side entry driving,a comparative study of geomechanical model tests on the above methods was carried out.The results showed that the new technology of AFR by RCBG effectively reduced the stress concentration of the roadway compared with gob-side entry driving.The side abutment pressure peak of the solid coal side was reduced by 24.3%,which showed an obvious pressure-releasing effect.Moreover,the position of the side abutment pressure peak was far from the solid coal side,making it more beneficial for roadway stability.The deformation of AFR surrounding rock was also smaller than the deformation of the gob-side entry driving by the overload test.The former was more beneficial for roadway stability than the latter under higher stress conditions.Field application tests showed that the new technology can effectively control roadway deformation.Moreover,the technology reduced roadway excavation and avoided resource waste caused by reserved coal pillars.

A comparative laboratory diagnosis of malaria:microscopy versus rapid diagnostic test kits

Objective:To compare the two methods of rapid diagnostic tests(RDTs)and microscopy in the diagnosis of malaria.Methods:RDTs and microscopy were carried out to diagnose malaria. Percentage malaria parasitaemia was calculated on thin films and all non-acute cases of plasmodiasis with less than 0.001%malaria parasitaemia were regarded as negative.Results were simply presented as percentage positive of the total number of patients under study.The results of RDTs were compared to those of microscopy while those of RDTs based on antigen were compared to those of RDTs based on antibody.Patients' follow-up was made for all cases.Results: All the 200 patients under present study tested positive to RDTs based on malaria antibodies(serum)method(100%).128 out of 200 tested positive to RDTs based on malaria antigen(whole blood)method(64%),while 118 out of 200 patients under present study tested positive to visual microscopy of Lieshman and diluted Giemsa(59%).All patients that tested positive to microscopy also tested positive to RDTs based on antigen.All patients on the second day of follow-up were non-febrile and had antimalaria drugs.Conclusions;We conclude based on the present study that the RDTs based on malaria antigen(whole blood)method is as specific as the traditional microscopy and even appears more sensitive than microscopy.The RDTs based on antibody(serum)method is unspecific thus it should not be encouraged.It is most likely that Africa being an endemic region,formation of certain levels of malaria antibody may not be uncommon.The present study also supports the opinion that a good number of febrile cases is not due to malaria. We support WHO's report on cost effectiveness of RDTs but,recommend that only the antigen based method should possibly,be adopted in Africa and other malaria endemic regions of the world.

Shaking table comparative test and associated study of a stepped wall-frame structure

A new structural system called a stepped wall-frame structure is proposed in this study to solve the bottom yielding problem of RC frames, which widely occurred during previous earthquakes such as thc Wcnchuan and Yushu earthquakes in China. A 1/5 scale ordinary RC frame model and a stepped wall-frame model were subjected to shake table motions together to study the seismic behavior of the new structural system. This paper presents the dynamic characteristics, the seismic responses and the failure and collapse mechanism of the two models under low, moderate and high intensity shaking. The test results and further analysis demonstrate that the seismic performance of stepped wall-frame structures is superior to ordinary RC frames in terms of the well-controlled deformation pattern and more uniformly distributed damage. The stepped wall can effectively suppress the bottom yielding mechanism, and is simple, economical and practical tbr engineering practice.

Comparative yield and efficiency of strategies based on risk assessment and fecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer screening:A cross-sectional population-based analysis

Objective:Integration of risk stratification into fecal immunochemical test(FIT)might aid in the suboptimal detection of advanced neoplasms by FIT in colorectal cancer(CRC)screening.A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the participation and diagnostic yield of the parallel combination of questionnaire-based risk assessment(QRA)and FIT,FIT-only and QRA-only strategies in a CRC screening program in China.Methods:The study included 29,626 individuals aged 40-74 years and invited to participate in a CRC screening program in China.Participants were first invited to undertake QRA and one-time FIT(OC-sensor).Participants with positive QRA or FIT were deemed to be high-risk individuals who were recommended for subsequent colonoscopy.Participation,detection rate,and resource demand for colonoscopy were calculated and compared.Results:Of the 29,626 invitees,20,203 completed the parallel combination,8,592 completed the QRA-only,and11 completed the FIT-only strategy.For the parallel combination,FIT-only,and QRA-only strategies,the overall positivity rates were 10.2%(2,928/28,806),5.4%(1,096/20,214),and 6.8%(1,944/28,795),respectively;the yield of advanced neoplasm per 10,000 invitees were 46.9[95%confidence interval(95%CI):39.8-55.4],36.8(95%CI:30.5-44.4),and 12.2(95%CI:8.8-16.8),respectively;the positive predictive values for detecting advanced neoplasms among participants who completed colonoscopy were 4.7%(95%CI:4.0%-5.6%),9.9%(95%CI:8.3%-11.9%),and 1.9%(95%CI:1.3%-2.6%),respectively;the number of colonoscopies required to detect one advanced neoplasm was 11.4(95%CI:9.8-13.4),5.7(95%CI:4.8-6.7),and 28.4(95%CI:20.7-39.2),respectively.Conclusions:The parallel combination of QRA and FIT did not show superior efficacy for detecting advanced neoplasm compared with FIT alone in this CRC screening program.

Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Brazzaville: Comparative Study of Two Identification Tests

Objective: To determine the place of two identification tests for Helicobacter pylori infection available in Congo. Materials and Methods: This was a comparative study carried out in two digestive endoscopy centers in Brazzaville from 1 January to 31 May 2018. Symptomatic patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included systematically. The frequency of infection was determined from two identification tests, namely the rapid urease test in gastric biopsies and the detection of antigen (Ag) for the germ in the stool. The criterion for judging the presence of the germ in each patient was the positivity of at least one of the two tests. The McNEMAR X2 test (p < 0.05) was used for the comparison of averages. Results: During the study period, 137 consenting patients were included, including 62 men and 75 women. The overall incidence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection was 79.6% (109/28). Of the 137 patients, 18 were urease positive only;6 were looking for Hp Ag in the stool, and 85 were in the two tests. The frequency of infection was 75.2% (103/137) with the rapid urease test and 66.4% (91/137) with the Hp Ag test in stool. The rapid urease test proved more reliable in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection than the stool antigen test.

Comparative Test of New Late Indica Hybrid Rice Combinations with Good Quality

[Objectives]This study was conducted to screen rice varieties suitable for planting in Nanchang City with high quality,high yield,good yield,and strong disease and stress resistance.[Methods]Seven new late indica hybrid rice combinations with good quality bred in Jiangxi Province in recent years and seven new late indica hybrid rice combinations with good quality bred by Nanchang Academy of Agricultural Sciences were introduced,and compared with Tianyouhuazhan as a control.[Results]The rice quality and taste of the tested combinations were better than those of the control.Among the tested combinations,Yuliangyoufuxiangzhan,Xintaiyousizhan,Yuxiangliangyou No.8 and Guangheyou 33 had good stress resistance,high yield and good rice quality.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for the selection and breeding of new rice varieties in Nanchang City.

Comparative Cultivation Test of Actias selene ningpoana Felder in Different Species of Trees

[Objective] The paper was to understand the harms of Actias selene ningpoana Felder to plants. [Method] The larvae were cultured in five different groups: camphor tree, cherry tree, crape myrtle tree, poplar and willow, to observe the growth status of larvae. [Result] The survival rates of A. selene ningpoana in cherry tree and crape myrtle tree group were higher. The larvae in cherry tree group had faster growth, and the adults were large. [Conclusion] A. selene ningpoana is most harmful to cherry trees, which should be paid special attention in cherry garden.

昆明烟区土壤线虫数量与环境因子的Mantel Test分析

为进一步明确昆明烟区影响线虫的环境因素,于2022年采集云南昆明烟区8个县(市、区)64个乡镇的320个植烟土壤样品,调查与测定样品采集地的海拔、土壤线虫数量以及土壤理化性质(pH值及有机质、水解性氮、速效钾和有效磷含量),并探讨土壤线虫数量与植烟土壤环境因子之间的潜在关系。结果表明,昆明烟区土壤线虫数量一定程度上受到海拔及土壤理化性质的影响,海拔与有机质、水解性氮和速效钾呈显著正相关,pH值与有效磷呈极显著负相关,相关系数为-0.850;土壤线虫数量与土壤有效磷呈正相关,与海拔、pH值、有机质、水解性氮、速效钾呈负相关,其中与海拔、有机质和水解性氮的相关系数较大,分别为-0.751、-0.651和-0.568。通过Mantel test分析确定海拔、有机质和水解性氮含量是影响昆明烟区土壤线虫数量的重要因子。本结果可为有效防治土壤线虫提供科学依据。

Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models for PDF Malware Detection:Evaluating Different Training and Testing Criteria

The proliferation of maliciously coded documents as file transfers increase has led to a rise in sophisticated attacks.Portable Document Format(PDF)files have emerged as a major attack vector for malware due to their adaptability and wide usage.Detecting malware in PDF files is challenging due to its ability to include various harmful elements such as embedded scripts,exploits,and malicious URLs.This paper presents a comparative analysis of machine learning(ML)techniques,including Naive Bayes(NB),K-Nearest Neighbor(KNN),Average One Dependency Estimator(A1DE),RandomForest(RF),and SupportVectorMachine(SVM)forPDFmalware detection.The study utilizes a dataset obtained from the Canadian Institute for Cyber-security and employs different testing criteria,namely percentage splitting and 10-fold cross-validation.The performance of the techniques is evaluated using F1-score,precision,recall,and accuracy measures.The results indicate that KNNoutperforms other models,achieving an accuracy of 99.8599%using 10-fold cross-validation.The findings highlight the effectiveness of ML models in accurately detecting PDF malware and provide insights for developing robust systems to protect against malicious activities.

A Comparative Study of Speaking Test and Writing Test

The testing of second language speaking is a relatively new field; even within the young discipline of applied linguistics.One of the main problems underlying speaking tests is that "speaking" is a difficult construct to define. As to the speaking test and the writing test,there are many differences between the two. In spite of these, the similarities are greater than the differences. We shall discuss the differences shortly only in part one but I believe it will be useful to look at the points on which the two are the same. Therefore, I will do a comparative study of the speaking test and the writing test in the paper.

Scopus vs WOS as scientific evaluation tools:A comparative analysis based on a testing sample search on the topic of electric vehicles

Based on a bibliometric analysis in combination with other information analysis methods, this paper compares the different evaluation results on the subject of 'electric vehicles' drawn from Web of Science(WOS) and from Scopus. We came to the following conclusions after a careful comparison of these two databases. Firstly, both WOS and Scopus would provide some valid and unique evaluation indicators. Secondly, they showed similar results in terms of evaluating research performance of countries and research organizations involved in the targeted subject fields. In fact, both databases are good for discovering the research trend in general at the macroscopic level. Lastly, we ought to take the disciplinary characteristics, the extent of journal inclusion and resource selection criteria as well as inevitable data errors into full account in making recommendations to policy decision-makers.

Performance of Comparative Cervical Tuberculin Test and Serological Methods with Culturing of Nasal Swab in Diagnosis of Bovine Tuberculosis in Cross Breed Cattle Baghdad Iraq: A Comparative Evaluation

This study was designed to assess the diagnostic value of Rapid Antigen bovine TB antibody test kit (RAT) and any association with cervical comparative tuberculin test (CCTT), (iELISA) and nasal swabs culturing, among based detection of M. bovis infection. A herd of 21 animals aged 1 - 8 years cross bread cattle of college of veterinary medicine. 19 (90.47%) animals had good body condition scores, two bulls included, and 2 (9.52%) cows were fair. Serum samples were collected, analyzed for anti-bovine TB antibody using RAT and iELISA. Also the herd was screened by CCTT. The tests were carried out twice, more than ten month interval, and twelve nasal swabs were taken within second survey. The first survey results revealed prevalence rate: 4 (19.04%) animals considered positive results (one positive and 3 suspected results) for CCTT, while the prevalence rate according to RAT was 10 (47.61%). The difference between the two prevalence rate was significant (McNemar chi-statistic = 4.50, p-value = 0.03) Kappa = 0.215 95% confidence interval: from -0.128 to 0.558;the strength of agreement is considered to be “fair”. The study interprets: sensitivity 30%;specificity 99%. The second survey results revealed prevalence rate according to CCTT was 4 (36.36%), while prevalence rate according to RAT was 5 (45.45%). The difference between the two prevalence was not significant (McNemar chi-statistic = 0.33, p-value = 0.56). Kappa = 0.441 95% confidence interval: from -0.087 to 0.968;the strength of agreement is considered to be “moderate”;sensitivity: 60%;specificity: 83%. All serum samples and nasal swabs gave negative results for iELISA and culturing respectively. The study concluded that RAT was highly specific, easy, labor and time saving, suggesting its use as screening test in bovine tuberculosis, and CCTT could be used to confirm positive animals screened by RAT, while there was no association between RAT, CCTT with body condition scores, iELISA and nasal swabs culture results.

Comparative analysis by simulating and testing pole impact for hot stamping front crossbeam of automobile

Hot stamping 22MnB5 steel plate with ultra-high strength has been widely used for body structural members in consideration of automobile safety and lightweight.This paper presents a verification program of simulating and testing pole impact in order to verify if the front crossbeam reinforcement assembly can meet the design requirements,reduce the overall vehicle simulation and test cost and shorten the operation period.In the same condition,the simulation proved conforming to the design requirements;however,the bumper cracked at the impacting point in the course of pole impact test.The analysis of the crack by optical microscope,Vickers and scanning electron microscope indicates that mixture of ferrite,bainite and martensite was produced in the weld heat-affected zone of the 340/590DP tow hook holder and the 22MnB5 front crossbeam;therefore,their hardness and mechanical property were reduced obviously,so that they fractured when impacted.No welding process with continuous weld but spot welding or other bonding method may be employed for the reason that the capacity of the 22MnB5 steel plate in the weld heat-affected zone was reduced obviously.

Failure characterization of fully grouted rock bolts under triaxial testing

Confining stresses serve as a pivotal determinant in shaping the behavior of grouted rock bolts.Nonetheless,prior investigations have oversimplified the three-dimensional stress state,primarily assuming hydrostatic stress conditions.Under these conditions,it is assumed that the intermediate principal stress(σ_(2))equals the minimum principal stress(σ_(3)).This assumption overlooks the potential variations in magnitudes of in situ stress conditions along all three directions near an underground opening where a rock bolt is installed.In this study,a series of push tests was meticulously conducted under triaxial conditions.These tests involved applying non-uniform confining stresses(σ_(2)≠σ_(3))to cubic specimens,aiming to unveil the previously overlooked influence of intermediate principal stresses on the strength properties of rock bolts.The results show that as the confining stresses increase from zero to higher levels,the pre-failure behavior changes from linear to nonlinear forms,resulting in an increase in initial stiffness from 2.08 kN/mm to 32.51 kN/mm.The load-displacement curves further illuminate distinct post-failure behavior at elevated levels of confining stresses,characterized by enhanced stiffness.Notably,the peak load capacity ranged from 27.9 kN to 46.5 kN as confining stresses advanced from σ_(2)=σ_(3)=0 to σ_(2)=20 MPa and σ_(3)=10 MPa.Additionally,the outcomes highlight an influence of confining stress on the lateral deformation of samples.Lower levels of confinement prompt overall dilation in lateral deformation,while higher confinements maintain a state of shrinkage.Furthermore,diverse failure modes have been identified,intricately tied to the arrangement of confining stresses.Lower confinements tend to induce a splitting mode of failure,whereas higher loads bring about a shift towards a pure interfacial shear-off and shear-crushed failure mechanism.