| 181. |
- Taghavi, Hamidreza, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Technical design of a new bone conduction implant (BCI) system
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 54:10, s. 736-744
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the technical design and verify the technical performance of a new bone conduction implant (BCI) system. Design: The BCI consists of an external audio processor and an implanted unit called the bridging bone conductor. These two units use an inductive link to communicate with each other through the intact skin in order to drive an implanted transducer. Study sample: In this study, the design of the full BCI system has been described and verified on a skull simulator and on real patients. Results: It was found that the maximum output force (peak 107 dB re 1 N) of the BCI is robust for skin thickness range of 2-8 mm and that the total harmonic distortion is below 8% in the speech frequency range for 70 dB input sound pressure level. The current consumption is 7.5 mA, which corresponds to 5-7 days use with a single battery. Conclusions: This study shows that the BCI is a robust design that gives a sufficiently high output and an excellent sound quality for the hearing rehabilitation of indicated patients.
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| 182. |
- Tarbiat, Behdad, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison between anthelmintic treatment strategies against Ascaridia galli in commercial laying hens
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Veterinary Parasitology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-4017 .- 1873-2550. ; 226, s. 109-115
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The efficacy of a sustainable deworming strategy based on targeted treatments (TT) against Ascaridia galli was investigated for the first time in laying hen flocks on a Swedish commercial farm. Three experimental protocols with different levels of treatment, e.g. targeted treatment (TT), conventional treatment (CT) and untreated (UT), were tested in randomly allocated flocks of two different bird hybrids. Every second week faecal egg counts (FECs) were determined from pooled faecal materials collected on trays (20 x 27 cm) placed for a maximum of 12 h on the litter belts. In the TT, anthelmintic administration (fenbendazole, 1 mg/kg body weight for 5 days) started at 22 weeks post placement (wpp) and was repeated twice when the pooled FECs surpassed the assigned threshold of 200 egg per gram faeces (EPG). The CT flocks were treated once at 27 wpp using the same anthelmintic. Hens in the UT were not dewormed and served as controls. Additionally, FECs on cloacal contents, worm fecundity and worm burdens were determined at 19, 35 and 45 wpp. None of the flocks became infected until after 16 wpp. The cumulative pooled FECs at the end of the study were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in the TT compared to both CT and UT. Although repeated treatment in the TT protocol did not affect the fecundity, a worm density-dependent increase in fecundity was observed. Cloacal FECs and the number of adult A. galli in TT at 35 and 45 wpp were significantly lower compared to other flocks. This study provides evidence that the TT strategy is better in terms of lower worm burden and decreased cumulative environmental parasite egg numbers compared to CT strategy. The TT strategy should be considered as an alternative to the CT strategy with regard to A. galli control in commercial laying hens. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 183. |
- Tarbiat, Behdad, et al.
(författare)
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Developmental capacity of Ascaridia galli eggs is preserved after anaerobic storage in faeces
- 2018
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Ingår i: Veterinary Parasitology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-4017 .- 1873-2550. ; 255, s. 38-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The reliability of the results of in vitro studies such as detection of anthelmintic resistance often depends on the ability of the parasite eggs to develop under laboratory conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the embryonation capability of the chicken roundworm Ascaridia galli eggs after storage under different conditions. Two storage media for parasite eggs were used; faeces or water. Eggs in petri dishes (90 dishes in total) containing faces or water media were first exposed either to aerobic or anaerobic conditions at different temperatures (4 degrees C / + O-2, 4 degrees C / -O-2, 25 degrees C / -O-2) for a maximum of 72 days. Every second week, materials from petri dishes in triplicates were recovered and incubated aerobically for two weeks at 25 degrees C. After the incubation, 200-300 eggs from each petri shish (sampling unit) were counted and the number of embryonated eggs was determined. Data was analyzed in R (version 3.4.3) A logistic regression model with the probability of an egg to embryonate as dependent variable and conditions, storage medium and time points as fixed effects with quasibinomial distribution was run. Least-square means were calculated and pairwise comparisons were made with the fixed effect factors (condition, storage medium and time point). Eggs in faeces had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher embryonation than those in water, irrespective of storage conditions. At 4 degrees C embryonation tended to decline over time under aerobic conditions irrespective of the storage medium, whereas it remained constant following storage at anaerobic conditions. In contrast, anaerobic storage at the 25 degrees C negatively affected egg development in both media, except for day 14 in faeces. Our major finding was that eggs in faeces under anaerobic conditions and at 4 degrees C retained the highest rate of development, with a minimum decline in their developmental capacity over time compared to cleaned eggs stored in water.
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| 184. |
- Tarbiat, Behdad, et al.
(författare)
-
Evaluation of benzimidazole resistance status in Ascaridia galli
- 2017
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Ingår i: Parasitology. - 0031-1820 .- 1469-8161. ; 144, s. 1338-1345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Susceptability of Ascaridia galli to benzimidazole (BZ) was investigated using faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), in ovo larval development test (LDT) and genetic markers (mutations at codons 167, 198 and 200 of beta-tubulin gene). Six flocks (F1-F6) of a commercial laying hen farm with different number of exposure to BZ were recruited. The FECR was calculated by analyzing individual faeces (F1, F2, F4 and F5) before and 10 days after treatment. The LDT was performed on parasite eggs from pooled samples from F1 to F6 and LC50 and LC99 were calculated. DNA was extracted from 120 worms and sequenced for beta-tubulin gene. In all flocks, the FECRs were above 95% (lower CI above 90%). No significant difference was observed (p > 0.05) among obtained LC50 (F1/F4 and F2/F5 vs F3/F6) in the LDT. However, LC50 and LC99 were higher than suggested values for declaration of resistance in other nematode species. No variation was observed in codon positions involved in BZ resistance. Overall, our results indicated lack of evidence of resistance to BZ in A. galli. More research is needed to confirm these results and to further optimize the existing tools for detection and monitoring of anthelmintic resistance in A. galli.
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| 185. |
- Tarbiat, Behdad, et al.
(författare)
-
The efficacy of flubendazole against different developmental stages of the poultry roundworm Ascaridia galli in laying hens
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Veterinary Parasitology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-4017 .- 1873-2550. ; 218, s. 66-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infection with the poultry roundworm Ascaridia galli has increased in European countries due to the ban on battery cages. This study was conducted in two commercial laying hen flocks (F1 & F2) on different farms in central Sweden. The aims were to (1) investigate the efficacy of flubendazole (FLBZ, 1.43 mg/kg administered in drinking water for 7 days) against adult and larval stages including histotrophic larvae of A. galli, and (2) determine how long it took before the flocks were reinfected after deworming. Accordingly, 180 randomly selected hens were sacrificed before drug administration (bd), on day 3 and 7 during drug administration (dd), and on a weekly basis for up to five weeks post drug administration (pd). Intestinal contents and cloacal materials of each hen plus pooled faecal samples from manure belts were investigated to assess the worm burden and the parasite egg per gram faeces (epg). Additionally, drinking water, and serum and gastrointestinal digesta content samples obtained from ten treated animals were analyzed by HPLC to measure FLBZ and its reduced (R-FLBZ) and hydrolyzed (H-FLBZ) metabolites. No parasite eggs were observed in cloacal samples on day 21 and 28 pd on F1 and on day 21 pd on F2. The epg in manure decreased by 65% and 88% on day 3 dd and by 99% and 97% on day 35 pd on F1 and F2 respectively. Mean FLBZ concentrations quantified in duodenal contents ranged between 0.50 and 0.79 mu g/g. Although, no histotrophic larvae were found dd, they reappeared one week pd (7 +/- 7 F1, 0.5 +/- 0.5 F2). Adult worms were found in both flocks before drug administration (44 +/- 20 F1, 35 +/- 25 F2), on day 3 dd (4 +/- 3 F1, 2 +/- 2 F2), and then not until day 35 (0.2 +/- 0.6) on Fl and day 28 (0.4 +/- 0.9) pd on F2. Thus, the only period in which no A. galli were found was on day 7 dd. Although FLBZ was highly efficient our results indicate that the birds were reinfected already within one week pd. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 186. |
- Teumer, A., et al.
(författare)
-
Genomewide meta-analysis identifies loci associated with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels with impact on age-related traits
- 2016
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Ingår i: Aging Cell. - : Wiley. - 1474-9718 .- 1474-9726. ; 15:5, s. 811-824
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis can be manipulated in animal models to promote longevity, and IGF-related proteins including IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have also been implicated in risk of human diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Through genomewide association study of up to 30 884 adults of European ancestry from 21 studies, we confirmed and extended the list of previously identified loci associated with circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations (IGF1, IGFBP3, GCKR, TNS3, GHSR, FOXO3, ASXL2, NUBP2/IGFALS, SORCS2, and CELSR2). Significant sex interactions, which were characterized by different genotype–phenotype associations between men and women, were found only for associations of IGFBP-3 concentrations with SNPs at the loci IGFBP3 and SORCS2. Analyses of SNPs, gene expression, and protein levels suggested that interplay between IGFBP3 and genes within the NUBP2 locus (IGFALS and HAGH) may affect circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations. The IGF-I-decreasing allele of SNP rs934073, which is an eQTL of ASXL2, was associated with lower adiposity and higher likelihood of survival beyond 90 years. The known longevity-associated variant rs2153960 (FOXO3) was observed to be a genomewide significant SNP for IGF-I concentrations. Bioinformatics analysis suggested enrichment of putative regulatory elements among these IGF-I- and IGFBP-3-associated loci, particularly of rs646776 at CELSR2. In conclusion, this study identified several loci associated with circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations and provides clues to the potential role of the IGF axis in mediating effects of known (FOXO3) and novel (ASXL2) longevity-associated loci. © 2016 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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| 187. |
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| 188. |
- Valero-Lara, P., et al.
(författare)
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A Non-uniform Staggered Cartesian Grid approach for Lattice-Boltzmann method
- 2015
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Ingår i: Procedia Computer Science. - : Elsevier. - 1877-0509. ; , s. 296-305
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We propose a numerical approach based on the Lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) for dealing with mesh refinement of Non-uniform Staggered Cartesian Grid. We explain, in detail, the strategy for mapping LBM over such geometries. The main benefit of this approach, compared to others, consists of solving all fluid units only once per time-step, and also reducing considerably the complexity of the communication and memory management between different refined levels. Also, it exhibits a better matching for parallel processors. To validate our method, we analyze several standard test scenarios, reaching satisfactory results with respect to other stateof-the-art methods. The performance evaluation proves that our approach not only exhibits a simpler and efficient scheme for dealing with mesh refinement, but also fast resolution, even in those scenarios where our approach needs to use a higher number of fluid units.
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| 189. |
- Valero-Lara, P., et al.
(författare)
-
LBM-HPC - An open-source tool for fluid simulations. Case study : Unified parallel C (UPC-PGAS)
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Cluster Computing, ICCC. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 9781467365987 ; , s. 318-321
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main motivation of this work is the evaluation of the Unified Parallel C (UPC) model, for Boltzmann-fluid simulations. UPC is one of the current models in the so-called Partitioned Global Address Space paradigm. This paradigm attempts to increase the simplicity of codes and achieve a better efficiency and scalability. Two different UPC-based implementations, explicit and implicit, are presented and evaluated. We compare the fundamental features of our UPC implementations with other parallel programming model, MPI-OpenMP. In particular each of the major steps of any LBM code, i.e., Boundary Conditions, Communication, and LBM solver, are analyzed.
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| 190. |
- Valero-Lara, Pedro, et al.
(författare)
-
MANY-TASK COMPUTING ON MANY-CORE ARCHITECTURES
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Scalable computing. - : UNIV VEST TIMISOARA. - 1895-1767. ; 17:1, s. 33-46
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many-Task Computing (MTC) is a common scenario for multiple parallel systems, such as cluster, grids, cloud and supercomputers, but it is not so popular in shared memory parallel processors. In this sense and given the spectacular growth in performance and in number of cores integrated in many-core architectures, the study of MTC on such architectures is becoming more and more relevant. In this paper, authors present what are those programming mechanisms to take advantages of such massively parallel features for the particular target of MTC. Also, the hardware features of the two dominant many-core platforms (NVIDIA's GPUs and Intel Xeon Phi) are also analyzed for our specific framework. Given the important differences in terms of hardware and software in our two many-core platforms, we have considered different strategies based on CUDA (for GPUs) and OpenMP (for Intel Xeon Phi). We carried out several test cases based on an appropriate and widely studied problem for benchmarking as matrix multiplication. Essentially, this study consisted of comparing the time consumed for computing in parallel several tasks one by one (the whole computational resources are used just to compute one task at a time) with the time consumed for computing in parallel the same set of tasks simultaneously (the whole computational resources are used for computing the set of tasks at very same time). Finally, we compared both software-hardware scenarios to identify the most relevant computer features in each of our many-core architectures.
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