BACKGROUND We compared the AdvanSure hepatitis B virus real-time polymerase chain reaction (AdvanSure HBV) kit with three other HBV DNA quantification assays and evaluated its performance. METHODS The AdvanSure HBV real-time PCR assay was compared with the Abbott RealTime HBV Quantification Kit, the COBAS TaqMan HBV Test, and the VERSANT HBV branched DNA 3.0 assay. The precision, linearity, a...

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among individuals infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The study of the joint dynamics of HBV and TB present formidable mathematical challenges due to the fact that the models of transmission are quite distinct. We formulate and analyze a deterministic mathematical model which incorporates of the co-dynamics of hepatitis B and tuberculosis. ...

Entecavir (ETV; Baraclude) is a novel deoxyguanosine analog with activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV). ETV differs from the other nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors approved for HBV therapy, lamivudine (LVD) and adefovir (ADV), in several ways: ETV is >100-fold more potent against HBV in culture and, at concentrations below 1 microM, displays no significant activity against hu...

FRBR, FRAD and FRSAD, the three conceptual models developed by IFLA, have influenced the way in which communities around the globe perceive, understand and model the bibliographic universe. The sustained interest in these three conceptual models has led to their continuing evolution. This paper will look at two areas of development: harmonization with other cultural heritage communities to supp...

This paper presents a novel framework for the complexity analysis of rainfall, runoff, and runoff coefficient (RC) time series using multiscale entropy (MSE). The MSE analysis of RC time series was used to investigate changes in the complexity of rainfallrunoff processes due to human activities. Firstly, a coarse graining process was applied to a time series. The sample entropy was then compute...

BACKGROUND & AIMS The significance of early HBV DNA suppression during telbivudine treatment in predicting long-term outcomes needs further investigation. METHODS We determined the cumulative rates of HBeAg seroconversion, ALT normalization, HBV DNA suppression (<12IU/ml) and telbivudine resistant mutations (using the highly sensitive line probe assay) for 117 treatment-native chronic hepatit...

At least 250 million people worldwide are chronically infected with HBV, a small hepatotropic DNA virus that replicates through reverse transcription. Chronic infection greatly increases the risk for terminal liver disease. Current therapies rarely achieve a cure due to the refractory nature of an intracellular viral replication intermediate termed covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA. Upon inf...

The standard conceptual HBV model was originally developed with daily data and is normally operated on daily time step. But many floods in Slovenia are usually flash floods as result of intense frontal precipitation combined with orographic enhancement. Peak discharges are maintained only for hours or even minutes. To use the HBV model for flash flood forecasting, the version of HBV-96 has been...