bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of renal function in a specific population of living kidney donors
Authors: de Souza Rodrigues Thalyta , Amorim de Albuquerque Ana Letícia , de Oliveira Cosme Fillipe Agra , de Oliveira José Ayrton Macedo Guimarães , Magalhães Indalécio , Teles Flávio , Pedrosa André Falcão
Published: February 2017

Background

The increase in candidates for kidney transplant has led to growth in the number of living donor transplants. Therefore, studies that adequately evaluate the possible long‐term consequences of elective transplant nephrectomy are needed.

Objective

To evaluate the possible long‐term adverse effects of transplant nephrectomy on the renal function of living kidney donors.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Participants

Thirty‐three living kidney donors registered in the transplant programme of a centre in Alagoas, Brazil.

Measurements

Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, clinical data and biomarkers (creatinine, eGFR, microalbuminuria, cholesterol and triglycerides) were measured. Creatinine clearance was calculated using the Cockcroft‐Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formulae.

Results

Of the 33 individuals, 63.63% were female, and the median age was 45 years. Additionally, 24.24% of these individuals had altered blood pressure, 39.39% had altered abdominal circumference (AC) and 36.36% were obese, with a body mass index ≥30. Furthermore, 33.33% of these individuals had elevated triglyceride levels. The average eGFR was 97.33 (33.03–175.9) ml/min/1.73 m2 (CG) and 84.14 (29.4–131) ml/min/1.73 m2 (MDRD). The microalbuminuria level was altered in 12.12% patients.

Conclusion

Kidney donation is unquestionably a safe procedure. However, a better understanding of the long‐term consequences of living donor kidney transplantation is still needed. This knowledge may have important implications for the follow‐up of these patients. Our study has demonstrated a non‐negligible presence of an early marker of glomerular injury and a decrease in the GFR of some patients, thereby reinforcing the proposal for long‐term follow‐up of living kidney donors.
Gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease in 20 dogs (2012 to 2014)
Authors: Muenster M. , Hoerauf A. , Vieth M.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To describe the clinical features of canine gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease.

Materials and Methods

A search of our medical records produced 20 dogs with clinical signs attributable to oesophageal disease, hyper‐regeneratory oesophagopathy and no other oesophageal disorders. The clinical, endoscopic and histological findings of the dogs were analysed.

Results

The 3‐year incidence of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease was 0·9% of our referral dog population. Main clinical signs were regurgitation, discomfort or pain (each, 20/20 dogs) and ptyalism (18/20 dogs). Oesophagoscopy showed no (5/20 dogs) or minimal (13/20 dogs) mucosal lesions. In oesophageal mucosal biopsy specimens, there were hyperplastic changes of the basal cell layer (13/20 dogs), stromal papillae (14/20 dogs) and entire epithelium (9/20 dogs). Eleven dogs received omeprazole or pantoprazole and regurgitation and ptyalism improved in eight and pain diminished in six of these dogs within three to six weeks.

Clinical Significance

Our findings suggest that canine gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease is a more common clinical problem than hitherto suspected.
Individual, household, and community level risk factors of stunting in children younger than 5 years: Findings from a national surveillance system in Nepal
Authors: Dorsey Jamie L. , Manohar Swetha , Neupane Sumanta , Shrestha Binod , Klemm Rolf D. W. , West Keith P.
Published: February 2017

Despite substantial reductions in recent years in Nepal, stunting prevalence in children younger than 5 years remains high and represents a leading public health concern. To identify factors contributing to the stunting burden, we report multilevel risk factors associated with stunting in 4,853 children aged 6–59 months in a nationally and agroecologically representative random sample from the first year of the Policy and Science for Health, Agriculture, and Nutrition Community Studies, a community‐based observational, mixed‐panel study. Mixed effects logistic regressions controlling for multilevel clustering in the study design were used to examine the association of individual‐, household‐, and community‐level factors associated with stunting. Stunting prevalence was 38% in our sample. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, maternal factors, including maternal height and education, were generally the strongest individual‐level risk factors for stunting, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.52, 95% CI [1.96, 3.25], short (<145 cm) versus not short mothers; AOR = 2.09, 95% CI [1.48, 2.96], uneducated mothers versus secondary school graduates. Among the household‐ and community‐level factors, household expenditure and community infrastructure (presence of paved roads, markets, or hospitals) were strongly, inversely associated with increased stunting risk, AOR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.27, 2.24], lowest versus highest household expenditure quintile; AOR = 2.38, 95% CI [1.36, 4.14], less developed (lacking paved roads, markets, or hospitals) versus more developed communities. Although most factors associated with stunting are not rapidly modifiable, areas for future research and possible interventions emerged.
A link between LEAFY and B‐gene homologues in Welwitschia mirabilis sheds light on ancestral mechanisms prefiguring floral development
Authors: Moyroud Edwige , Monniaux Marie , Thévenon Emmanuel , Dumas Renaud , Scutt Charles P. , Frohlich Michael W. , Parcy François
Published: February 2017

Flowering plants evolved from an unidentified gymnosperm ancestor. Comparison of the mechanisms controlling development in angiosperm flowers and gymnosperm cones may help to elucidate the mysterious origin of the flower.

We combined gene expression studies with protein behaviour characterization in Welwitschia mirabilis to test whether the known regulatory links between LEAFY and its MADS‐box gene targets, central to flower development, might also contribute to gymnosperm reproductive development.

We found that WelLFY, one of two LEAFY‐like genes in Welwitschia, could be an upstream regulator of the MADS‐box genes APETALA3/PISTILLATA‐like (B‐genes). We demonstrated that, even though their DNA‐binding domains are extremely similar, WelLFY and its paralogue WelNDLY exhibit distinct DNA‐binding specificities, and that, unlike WelNDLY, WelLFY shares with its angiosperm orthologue the capacity to bind promoters of Welwitschia B‐genes. Finally, we identified several cis‐elements mediating these interactions in Welwitschia and obtained evidence that the link between LFY homologues and B‐genes is also conserved in two other gymnosperms, Pinus and Picea.

Although functional approaches to investigate cone development in gymnosperms are limited, our state‐of‐the‐art biophysical techniques, coupled with expression studies, provide evidence that crucial links, central to the control of floral development, may already have existed before the appearance of flowers.
Plant, microbial and ecosystem carbon use efficiencies interact to stabilize microbial growth as a fraction of gross primary production
Authors: Sinsabaugh Robert L. , Moorhead Daryl L. , Xu Xiaofeng , Litvak Marcy E.
Published: February 2017

The carbon use efficiency of plants (CUEa) and microorganisms (CUEh) determines rates of biomass turnover and soil carbon sequestration. We evaluated the hypothesis that CUEa and CUEh counterbalance at a large scale, stabilizing microbial growth (μ) as a fraction of gross primary production (GPP).

Collating data from published studies, we correlated annual CUEa, estimated from satellite imagery, with locally determined soil CUEh for 100 globally distributed sites. Ecosystem CUEe, the ratio of net ecosystem production (NEP) to GPP, was estimated for each site using published models.

At the ecosystem scale, CUEa and CUEh were inversely related. At the global scale, the apparent temperature sensitivity of CUEh with respect to mean annual temperature (MAT) was similar for organic and mineral soils (0.029°C−1). CUEa and CUEe were inversely related to MAT, with apparent sensitivities of −0.009 and −0.032°C−1, respectively.

These trends constrain the ratio μ : GPP (= (CUEa × CUEh)/(1 − CUEe)) with respect to MAT by counterbalancing the apparent temperature sensitivities of the component processes. At the ecosystem scale, the counterbalance is effected by modulating soil organic matter stocks. The results suggest that a μ : GPP value of c. 0.13 is a homeostatic steady state for ecosystem carbon fluxes at a large scale.
Activation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis by miR319‐targeted TCP4 transcription factor
Authors: Sun Xudong , Wang Chongde , Xiang Nan , Li Xiong , Yang Shihai , Du JianCan , Yang Yongping , Yang Yunqiang
Published: February 2017

The overexpression of miR319 in plants results in delayed senescence, and high levels of miR319‐targeted TCP4 transcription factor cause premature onset of this process. However, the underlying mechanisms of this pathway remain elusive. Here, we found that miR319 overexpression results in a decrease in TCP4 abundance and secondary cell wall formation in the stem. Conversely, constitutive expression of miR319‐resistant TCP4 promotes secondary cell wall formation, indicating that miR319‐mediated TCP4 controls secondary cell wall formation during development. Further analysis revealed that TCP4 might directly bind the promoter of VND7 to activate its expression, which triggers the expression of a VND7 transcriptional network associated with secondary cell wall biosynthesis and programmed cell death and accelerates vessel formation. In addition, the development process gradually increased TCP4 expression. These results suggest that miR319 and its target TCP4 can act as switches that turn on secondary cell wall synthesis and programmed cell death.
Florentine household accounts, fourteenth to seventeenth centuries
Authors: Goldthwaite Richard A.
Published: February 2017

This article calls attention to the personal accounts kept by Florentines for their private affairs. Well over a thousand of these documents survive from the late fourteenth century onwards, and they constitute a source that for the early period probably has no equal for any other city in Europe. Kept according to the highest standards of accounting practice at the time, these accounts document the personal activity of Florentines in the marketplace outside the sphere of their business interests, an area barely adumbrated in the literature on the economic and social history of the city. Of the several functions this activity served, this article concentrates exclusively on just one: the household economy. It explores this subject through a survey of several hundred such accounts with the objective of bringing this source into the extensive literature in Florentine studies on the family, material culture and the economy in general. The discussion emphasizes the importance of change across time and touches on the wider issue of the cultural significance of the accounting practice that brought these documents into existence.
Two new HLA class I alleles described in a Spanish individual, HLA‐A*11:01:01:04 and HLA‐B*35:330
Authors: Pacho A. , Arrieta A. , Balas A. , De Juan M. D. , Vicario J. L.
Published: February 2017

Two new HLA class I alleles,
HLA‐A*11:01:01:04 and
HLA‐B*35:330, were characterized in a Spanish patient.
Thinking About Multiword Constructions: Usage‐Based Approaches to Acquisition and Processing
Authors: Ellis Nick C. , Ogden Dave C.
Published: February 2017

Usage‐based approaches to language hold that we learn multiword expressions as patterns of language from language usage, and that knowledge of these patterns underlies fluent language processing. This paper explores these claims by focusing upon verb–argument constructions (VACs) such as “V(erb) about n(oun phrase).” These are productive constructions that bind syntax, lexis, and semantics. It presents (a) analyses of usage patterns of English VACs in terms of their grammatical form, semantics, lexical constituency, and distribution patterns in large corpora; (b) patterns of VAC usage in child‐directed speech and child language acquisition; and (c) investigations of VAC free‐association and psycholinguistic studies of online processing. We conclude that VACs are highly patterned in usage, that this patterning drives language acquisition, and that language processing is sensitive to the forms of the syntagmatic construction and their distributional statistics, the contingency of their association with meaning, and spreading activation and prototypicality effects in semantic reference. Language users have rich implicit knowledge of the statistics of multiword sequences.
The impact of bowl size, program setup, and blood hematocrit on the performance of a discontinuous autotransfusion system
Authors: Seyfried Timo F. , Gruber Michael , Streithoff Fabian , Mandle Robert J. , Pawlik Michael T. , Busse Hendrik , Hansen Ernil
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Cell salvage is an essential element in the concept of blood management. Modern devices provide different bowl sizes and sensor‐directed programs to optimally adjust to varying clinical situations.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In an experimental performance study, the discontinuous autotransfusion device XTRA (LivaNova/Sorin) was evaluated using fresh donor blood anticoagulated with heparin 5 U/mL and adjusted to a hematocrit of 10% or 25%, representing orthopedic or cardiac surgery. Test blood was processed with the autotransfusion device XTRA in four different bowls (55 mL, 125 mL, 175 mL, and 225 mL) and in three different program modes (a standard program, an optimized program, and an emergency program).

RESULTS

Processing speed increased with bowl size and with the emergency program (range, 6.4‐29.8 mL red blood cells [RBCs]/min). The RBC recovery rate exceeded 90% for all bowls and programs except the 55‐mL bowl with the emergency program. Plasma elimination exceeded 95% for all bowls and programs except the 225‐mL bowl with the emergency and standard programs. Maximal RBC recovery (range, 94.7%‐97.6%) and plasma elimination (range, 98.7%‐99.5%) were obtained with the medium‐sized bowls (125 mL and 175 mL) and the optimized program. Elimination rates for potassium or plasma free hemoglobin were consistently lower than for protein or albumin and were highest for heparin.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased hematocrit and RBC recovery rates are obtained with the optimized program Popt with the discontinuous autotransfusion device. The emergency program Pem speeds up the process but leads to RBC loss and reduced plasma elimination rates; therefore, it should be restricted to emergency situations. All four different sized bowls have high performance. Plasma elimination is represented best by protein or albumin elimination rates.
FORENSIC RADIOLOGY AND IMAGING FOR VETERINARY RADIOLOGISTS
Authors: Watson Elizabeth , Heng Hock Gan
Published: February 2017

Imaging studies are often of evidentiary value in medicolegal investigations involving animals and the role of the veterinary radiologist is to interpret those images for courts as an expert or opinion witness. With progressing interest in prosecuting animal crimes and strengthening of penalties for crimes against animals, the participation of veterinary radiologists in medicolegal investigations is expected to increase. Veterinary radiologists who are aware of radiographic and imaging signs that result in animal suffering, abuse, or neglect; knowledgeable in ways radiology and imaging may support cause of death determinations; conversant in postmortem imaging; comfortable discussing mechanisms and timing of blunt or sharp force and projectile trauma in imaging; and prepared to identify mimics of abuse can assist court participants in understanding imaging evidence. The goal of this commentary review is to familiarize veterinary radiologists with the forensic radiology and imaging literature and with the advantages and disadvantages of various imaging modalities utilized in forensic investigations. Another goal is to provide background information for future research studies in veterinary forensic radiology and imaging.
SMALL INTESTINAL INTRAMURAL HEMATOMA SECONDARY TO A MIGRATING WIRE FOREIGN BODY IN A DOG
Authors: Padalkar Mukul , Savage Mason , Cohen Eli B.
Published: February 2017

A 12‐year‐old spayed female Labrador retriever was presented for a 5‐day history of vomiting and inappetence. Radiographic findings included poor peritoneal serosal contrast, segmental small intestinal dilation, and multiple linear, metal opaque, intestinal and peritoneal wire foreign bodies. Sonographic findings included septated, hypoechoic, mural expansion of the distal duodenum and jejunum; and an intramural, thin, linear hyperechogenicity with distal acoustic shadowing consistent with a foreign body. Exploratory laparotomy was performed with resection of the affected distal duodenum and proximal jejunum. Histopathology of the excised segment confirmed an intramural hematoma. This case represents an uncommon complication of migrating wire foreign bodies.
Left paralumbar laparoscopic bilateral ovariectomy in mares
Authors: Colbath Aimee C. , Hackett Eileen S. , Lesser Craig S. , Hendrickson Dean A.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To develop a novel technique for left paralumbar laparoscopic bilateral ovariectomy in standing, sedated mares.

Study design

Prospective descriptive clinical study.

Animals

Twelve client‐owned mares.

Methods

Healthy mares with normal ovarian palpation and ultrasonographic appearance were enrolled. Horses were restrained in standing stocks and administered a variable rate infusion of sedation. A left paralumbar bilateral ovariectomy was performed with 1 laparoscopic and 3 instrument portals. Access to the right ovary was facilitated by retracting the descending colon and associated mesentery with a fan retractor. Ovaries were removed with traumatic forceps, and a blunt tip vessel sealing device. A laparoscopic portal within the 17th intercostal space provided good visualization of the right ovary and reduced interference between instrumentation. Complications were recorded during hospitalization. In addition, an owner follow‐up questionnaire was used to determine complications after discharge from the hospital.

Results

Left paralumbar bilateral ovariectomy was successful in all 12 mares, with a mean surgical time of 76 ± 8 minutes. Postoperative complications occurred in 4/12 (33%) mares and included fever, mild colic, incisional swelling, and azotemia. Complications resolved and mares returned to full activity, with complete owner satisfaction.

Conclusions

Bilateral ovariectomy can be successfully achieved with minimal morbidity in standing mares with normal ovarian ultrasonographic appearance via left paralumbar laparoscopy.
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Pigeons from Public Parks in Costa Rica
Authors: Blanco‐Peña K. , Esperón F. , Torres‐Mejía A. M. , de la Torre A. , de la Cruz E. , Jiménez‐Soto M.
Published: February 2017

Antimicrobial resistance is known to be an emerging problem, but the extent of the issue remains incomplete. The aim of this study was to determine the presence or absence of nine resistance genes (blaTEM, catI, mecA, qnrS, sulI, sulII, tet(A), tet(Q), vanA) in the faeces of 141 pigeons from four urban parks in Alajuela, Guadalupe, Tres Ríos and San José in Costa Rica. The genes were identified by real‐time PCR directly from enema samples. About 30% of the samples were positive for genes catI and sulI; between 13% and 17% were positive for qnrS, sulII, tet(A) and tet(Q); and 4% were positive for blaTEM. The mecA and vanA genes were not detected. The average of antimicrobial resistance genes detected per pigeon was 2. Eight different patterns of resistance were identified, without differences in the sampling areas, being the most common pattern 2 (sulII positive samples). During rainy season, the genes more frequently found were sulI and tet(A). In conclusion, the urban inhabiting pigeons tested are currently carrying antimicrobial resistance genes, potentially acting as reservoirs of resistant bacteria and vectors to humans. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study carried out on direct detection of resistance genes in the digestive metagenomes of pigeons.
Step-type and step-density influences on CO adsorption probed by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy using a curved Pt(1 1 1) surface
Authors: Walsh Anton J. , van Lent Richard , Auras Sabine V. , Gleeson Michael A. , Berg Otto T. , Juurlink Ludo B. F.
Published: February 2017

In comparison to flat single crystals, the continuous variation of structure provided by curved crystals offers many benefits for the study of physical and chemical processes at surfaces. However, the curvature of the surface also creates experimental challenges. For infrared spectroscopy, in particular, adsorbates on metal samples are typically probed by grazing-incidence reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). In this geometry, a convex crystal acts as a strongly diverging mirror. The authors describe how the experimental difficulties introduced by a cylindrical surface can be resolved for RAIRS. A complementary mirror, placed directly downfield of the curved crystal within the vacuum chamber, minimizes the divergence created by the sample. By simply translating the infrared focus across the sample, the authors probe adsorbate vibrational spectra as a function of local step-type and step-density with high sensitivity and spatial resolution. Time-consuming sample exchange, and the concomitant sample-to-sample experimental errors, are eliminated. The authors apply this new technique to carbon monoxide adsorption on a curved Pt(1 1 1) crystal and use it to resolve the influence of step-type and step-density on the CO stretch vibration as a function of coverage.
Assessment of nitrogen incorporation in dilute GaAsN films using isotopically enriched molecular beam epitaxy and resonant nuclear reaction analysis
Authors: Demaree John D. , Svensson Stefan P. , Sarney Wendy L.
Published: February 2017

This paper describes the development of a new materials analysis technique enabled by modifying standard crystal growth methods for dilute nitride III–V semiconductors. The key to this method is the use of nitrogen gas enriched with the 15N isotope during material growth via molecular beam epitaxy, which allows enhanced detection of nitrogen using resonant nuclear reaction analysis (RNRA). Films of GaAs15N have been synthesized and examined using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Accelerator-based ion beam analysis techniques, both RNRA and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (including ion beam channeling configurations), were used to examine the films to obtain depth profiles of nitrogen, to assess their crystallinity, and to determine whether nitrogen is incorporated into substitutional or interstitial lattice sites. This method avoids possible artifacts from surface contamination by N and has confirmed that for the growth parameters investigated, the incorporation of 15N into the material corresponds with the expected enrichment of the feed gas, that the films have excellent crystallinity and uniform composition throughout their thickness, and that the nitrogen in GaAsN is predominantly incorporated substitutionally, in agreement with the lattice distortion observed by XRD.
Time reversal focusing of elastic waves in plates for an educational demonstration
Authors: Heaton Christopher , Anderson Brian E. , Young Sarah M.
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this research is to develop a visual demonstration of time reversal focusing of vibrations in a thin plate. Various plate materials are tested to provide optimal conditions for time reversal focusing. Specifically, the reverberation time in each plate and the vibration coupling efficiency from a shaker to the plate are quantified to illustrate why a given plate provides the best spatially confined focus as well as the highest focal amplitude possible. A single vibration speaker and a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) are used to provide the time reversal focusing. Table salt is sprinkled onto the plate surface to allow visualization of the high amplitude, spatially localized time reversal focus; the salt is thrown upward only at the focal position. Spatial mapping of the vibration focusing on the plate using the SLDV is correlated to the visual salt jumping demonstration. The time reversal focusing is also used to knock over an object when the object is placed at the focal position; some discussion of optimal objects to use for this demonstration are given.
Draft Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium chimaera Type Strain Fl-0169
Authors: Pfaller Stacy , Tokarev Vasily , Kessler Collin , McLimans Christopher , Gomez-Alvarez Vicente , Wright Justin , King Dawn , Lamendella Regina
Published: February 2017

We report here the draft genome sequence of the type strain
Mycobacterium chimaera
Fl-0169, a member of the
Mycobacterium avium
complex (MAC).
M. chimaera
Fl-0169
T
was isolated from a patient in Italy and is highly similar to strains of
M. chimaera
isolated in Ireland, although Fl-0169
T
possesses unique virulence genes.
Genome Sequence of the Basidiomycete White-Rot Fungus
Trametes pubescens
FBCC735
Authors: Granchi Zoraide , Peng Mao , Chi-A-Woeng Thomas , de Vries Ronald P. , Hildén Kristiina , Mäkelä Miia R.
Published: February 2017

Here, we report the genome sequence of the basidiomycete white-rot fungus
Trametes pubescens
FBCC735, isolated from Finland. The 39.67-Mb genome containing 14,451 gene models is typical among saprobic wood-rotting species.
Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma pullorum Isolated from Domestic Chickens
Authors: Beylefeld Amanda , Abolnik Celia
Published: February 2017

The 1,007,172-bp complete genome of
Mycoplasma pullorum
strain B359_6, isolated from domestic chickens, has been sequenced, assembled, and annotated.
Complete Genome Sequence of Flavobacterium psychrophilum Strain OSU THCO2-90, Used for Functional Genetic Analysis
Authors: Rochat Tatiana , Barbier Paul , Nicolas Pierre , Loux Valentin , Pérez-Pascual David , Guijarro José A. , Bernardet Jean-François , Duchaud Eric
Published: February 2017

We report here the complete annotated genome sequence of
Flavobacterium psychrophilum
OSU THCO2-90, isolated from Coho salmon (
Oncorhynchus kisutch
) in Oregon. The genome consists of a circular chromosome with 2,343 predicted open reading frames. This strain has proved to be a valuable tool for functional genomics.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Herpesvirus anguillae
Strain HVA980811 Isolated in Chiayi, Taiwan
Authors: Wen Chiu-Ming , Liu Ping-Chung , Nan Fan-Hua
Published: February 2017

Herpesvirus anguillae
(HVA), also known as anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV1), is one of the relevant viruses in wild and cultured anguillid eels. Here, the complete genome sequence of strain HVA980811, isolated in Chiayi, Taiwan, is reported. The genotype of the eel herpesviruses in Taiwan is supposed to be identical to the Japanese AngHV1.
Genome Sequences of Three Brucella canis Strains Isolated from Humans and a Dog
Authors: Viana Marcus Vinicius Canário , Wattam Alice Rebecca , Govil Batra Dhwani , Boisvert Sébastien , Brettin Thomas Scott , Frace Michael , Xia Fangfang , Azevedo Vasco , Tiller Rebekah , Hoffmaster Alex R.
Published: February 2017

Brucella canis
is a facultative intracellular pathogen that preferentially infects members of the Canidae family. Here, we report the genome sequencing of two
Brucella canis
strains isolated from humans and one isolated from a dog host.
High-Quality Genome Sequence of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines Strain 12609 Isolated in Taiwan
Authors: Weng Shu-Fen , Luo An-Chi , Lin Che-Jui , Tseng Tsai-Tien
Published: February 2017

The genomic sequence was determined for
Xanthomonas axonopodis
pv. glycines strain 12609, isolated in Taiwan. Based on the genome sequence, we predicted the encoded genes, rRNA, tRNA, a plasmid sequence, secretion systems, cyclic GMP- and cyclic di-GMP-mediated pathways, and the gene cluster
rpfABCHGDE
(regulation of pathogenicity factor).
Targeting Phenotypically TolerantMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Gold Ben , Nathan Carl
Published: February 2017

While the immune system is credited with averting tuberculosis in billions of individuals exposed toMycobacterium tuberculosis, the immune system is also culpable for tempering the ability of antibiotics to deliver swift and durable cure of disease. In individuals afflicted with tuberculosis, host immunity produces diverse microenvironmental niches that support suboptimal growth, or complete growth arrest, ofM. tuberculosis. The physiological state of nonreplication in bacteria is associated with phenotypic drug tolerance. Many of these host microenvironments, when modeled in vitro by carbon starvation, complete nutrient starvation, stationary phase, acidic pH, reactive nitrogen intermediates, hypoxia, biofilms, and withholding streptomycin from the streptomycin-addicted strain SS18b, renderM. tuberculosisprofoundly tolerant to many of the antibiotics that are given to tuberculosis patients in clinical settings. Targeting nonreplicating persisters is anticipated to reduce the duration of antibiotic treatment and rate of posttreatment relapse. Some promising drugs to treat tuberculosis, such as rifampin and bedaquiline, only kill nonreplicatingM. tuberculosisin vitroat concentrations far greater than their minimal inhibitory concentrations against replicating bacilli. There is an urgent demand to identify which of the currently used antibiotics, and which of the molecules in academic and corporate screening collections, have potent bactericidal action on nonreplicatingM. tuberculosis. With this goal, we review methods of high-throughput screening to target nonreplicatingM. tuberculosisand methods to progress candidate molecules. A classification based on structures and putative targets of molecules that have been reported to kill nonreplicatingM. tuberculosisrevealed a rich diversity in pharmacophores.
Cutaneous Tuberculosis
Authors: Hill Michael K. , Sanders Charles V.
Published: February 2017

Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) may present in various clinical manifestations. Skin involvement may occur as a result of exogenous inoculation, contiguous spread from a nearby focus of infection, or by hematogenous spread from a distant focus. Because the clinical presentation of cutaneous TB can vary widely, it is important to have a high index of suspicion in appropriate clinical settings. In this chapter, the various clinical manifestations of clinical TB are classified by source of infection (exogenous, endogenous, and hematogenous spread). These are linked to the clinical appearance and histology of the skin lesions. Hopefully, this will resolve the confusion created by the myriad of terms previously used in the medical literature. Once a diagnosis of cutaneous TB is entertained, a biopsy for both culture and histopathology should be submitted. In some cases histopathology may show nonspecific inflammation without classic granuloma formation. In these cases, monoclonal antibodies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing may be useful. In fact, in recent years, PCR amplification has proven to be invaluable in assisting identification of
M. tuberculosis
from skin biopsies in patients with negative TB cultures. In most instances, treatment of cutaneous TB requires combination chemotherapy. This is especially important in patients with extra cutaneous disease, multiple skin lesions, and those with profound immunosuppression. Surgery also may play both a diagnostic and therapeutic role.
Tuberculosis of the Liver, Biliary Tract, and Pancreas
Authors: McMullan G. Shelton , Lewis James H.
Published: February 2017

Tuberculosis of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas is discussed. In addition, tuberculosis in the setting of HIV-AIDS and liver transplantation is explored. Drug-induced liver injury secondary to antituberculosis medication and monitoring and prophylactic treatment for such injury is also considered.
Fluorocycline TP-271 Is Potent against Complicated Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Pathogens
Authors: Grossman Trudy H. , Fyfe Corey , O’Brien William , Hackel Meredith , Minyard Mary Beth , Waites Ken B. , Dubois Jacques , Murphy Timothy M. , Slee Andrew M. , Weiss William J. , Sutcliffe Joyce A.
Published: February 2017

Rising resistance rates for macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and β-lactams in the most common pathogens associated with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) are of concern, especially for cases of moderate to severe infections in vulnerable populations such as the very young and the elderly. New antibiotics that are active against multidrug-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and
Staphylococcus aureus
are needed for use in the empirical treatment of the most severe forms of this disease. TP-271 is a promising new fluorocycline antibiotic demonstrating
in vitro
potency and nonclinical efficacy by intravenous and oral administration against the major pathogens associated with moderate to severe CABP.
Maternal Immunoreactivity to Herpes Simplex Virus 2 and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Male Offspring
Authors: Mahic Milada , Mjaaland Siri , Bøvelstad Hege Marie , Gunnes Nina , Susser Ezra , Bresnahan Michaeline , Øyen Anne-Siri , Levin Bruce , Che Xiaoyu , Hirtz Deborah , Reichborn-Kjennerud Ted , Schjølberg Synnve , Roth Christine , Magnus Per , Stoltenberg Camilla , Surén Pål , Hornig Mady , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: February 2017

The cause (or causes) of most cases of autism spectrum disorder is unknown. Evidence from epidemiological studies and work in animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders suggest that both genetic and environmental factors may be implicated. The latter include gestational infection and immune activation. In our cohort, high levels of antibodies to herpes simplex virus 2 at midpregnancy were associated with an elevated risk of autism spectrum disorder in male offspring. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that gestational infection may contribute to the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder and have the potential to drive new efforts to monitor women more closely for cryptic gestational infection and to implement suppressive therapy during pregnancy.
Characteristics and prognoses of patients treated by an anaesthesiologist-manned prehospital emergency care unit. A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Mikkelsen Søren , Lossius Hans Morten , Toft Palle , Lassen Annmarie Touborg
Published: February 2017

Objective

When planning and dimensioning an emergency medical system, knowledge of the population serviced is vital. The amount of literature concerning the prehospital population is sparse. In order to add to the current body of literature regarding prehospital treatment, thus aiding future public health planning, we describe the workload of a prehospital anaesthesiologist-manned mobile emergency care unit (MECU) and the total population it services in terms of factors associated with mortality.

Participants

The study is a register-based study investigating all missions carried out by a MECU operating in a mixed urban/rural area in Denmark from 1 May 2006 to 31 December 2014. Information on missions was extracted from the local MECU registry and linked at the individual level to the Danish population-based databases, the National Patient Registry and the Civil Registration System.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measures were number of missions and number of patient contacts. Secondary patient variables were mortality and association between mortality and age, sex, comorbidity, prior admission to hospital and response time.

Results

The MECU completed 41 513 missions (mean 13.1 missions/day) having 32 873 patient contacts, corresponding to 19.2 missions and 15.2 patient encounters per 1000 patient years. Patient variables: the median age was 57 years (range 0–108 years), 42.8% (42.3% to 43.4%) were women. For patients admitted to hospital alive, 30-day mortality was 5.7% (5.4% to 6.0%); 90-day mortality was 8.1% (7.8% to 8.5%) while 2-year mortality was 16.4% (16.0% to 16.8%). Increasing age, male sex, comorbidity and prior admission to hospital but not response time were associated with mortality.

Conclusions

Mortality following an incident requiring the assistance of a MECU was high in the first 2 years following the incident. MECU response time assessed as a continuous parameter was not associated with patient outcome.
Statistical process control charts for monitoring military injuries
Authors: Schuh Anna , Canham-Chervak Michelle , Jones Bruce H
Published: February 2017

Background

An essential aspect of an injury prevention process is surveillance, which quantifies and documents injury rates in populations of interest and enables monitoring of injury frequencies, rates and trends. To drive progress towards injury reduction goals, additional tools are needed. Statistical process control charts, a methodology that has not been previously applied to Army injury monitoring, capitalise on existing medical surveillance data to provide information to leadership about injury trends necessary for prevention planning and evaluation.

Methods

Statistical process control Shewhart u-charts were created for 49 US Army installations using quarterly injury medical encounter rates, 2007–2015, for active duty soldiers obtained from the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Injuries were defined according to established military injury surveillance recommendations. Charts display control limits three standard deviations (SDs) above and below an installation-specific historical average rate determined using 28 data points, 2007–2013. Charts are available in Army strategic management dashboards.

Results

From 2007 to 2015, Army injury rates ranged from 1254 to 1494 unique injuries per 1000 person-years. Installation injury rates ranged from 610 to 2312 injuries per 1000 person-years. Control charts identified four installations with injury rates exceeding the upper control limits at least once during 2014–2015, rates at three installations exceeded the lower control limit at least once and 42 installations had rates that fluctuated around the historical mean.

Conclusions

Control charts can be used to drive progress towards injury reduction goals by indicating statistically significant increases and decreases in injury rates. Future applications to military subpopulations, other health outcome metrics and chart enhancements are suggested.
No impact of concomitant methotrexate use on serious adverse event and serious infection risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with bDMARDs: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Authors: Baradat Claire , Degboé Yannick , Constantin Arnaud , Cantagrel Alain , Ruyssen-Witrand Adeline
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To compare the risk of serious adverse events, serious infections and death caused by methotrexate and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) combination therapy versus a bDMARD prescribed as monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted until February 2016 in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases by selecting randomised controlled trials comparing methotrexate and bDMARD combination therapy to bDMARD monotherapy in RA. The meta-analysis compared the occurrence of (1) serious adverse events, (2) serious infections and (3) death among these groups by the Mantel-Haenszel method.

Results

The literature review selected 16 controlled trials comparing methotrexate and bDMARD combination therapy to bDMARD monotherapy. After meta-analysis comparing patients under monotherapy to those under combination therapy: (1) the risk of occurrence of serious adverse events was comparable in 12 trials: RR (95% CI) 0.92 (0.78 to 1.08). (2) No significant difference was observed in the risk of occurrence of serious infections in 13 trials: RR (95% CI) 1.15 (0.84 to 1.58). We noted a trend, although insignificant, towards a high risk of the occurrence of tuberculosis in 10 studies: RR (95% CI) 1.78 (0.63 to 4.99). (3) The risk of death was comparable in 12 trials: RR (95% CI) 0.73 (0.40 to 1.35).

Conclusions

The results showed no significant difference between the two groups, confirming that the use of methotrexate and bDMARD combination therapy in RA does not cause an increased risk of serious adverse events or serious infections or death compared with bDMARD monotherapy.
Scholarships for European vet students
Authors: Egan Jordon , Takacs Daniella
Published: February 2017

Every year, students from European vet schools can apply for $5000 scholarships, which aim to ‘enhance the academic experience of students’. Among last year's recipients were Jordon Egan, from the Royal Veterinary College, and Daniella Takács, from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest
Diclofenac pretreatment modulates exercise-induced inflammation in skeletal muscle of rats through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway
Authors: Barcelos Rômulo Pillon , Bresciani Guilherme , Cuevas Maria José , Martínez-Flórez Susana , Soares Félix Alexandre Antunes , González-Gallego Javier
Published: February 2017

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as diclofenac, are widely used to treat inflammation and pain in several conditions, including sports injuries. This study analyzes the influence of diclofenac on the toll-like receptor-nuclear factor kappa B (TLR-NF-κB) pathway in skeletal muscle of rats submitted to acute eccentric exercise. Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: control-saline, control-diclofenac, exercise-saline, and exercise-diclofenac. Diclofenac or saline were administered for 7 days prior to an acute eccentric exercise bout. The inflammatory status was evaluated through mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and protein content of COX-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in vastus lateralis muscle. Data obtained showed that a single bout of eccentric exercise significantly increased COX-2 gene expression. Similarly, mRNA expression and protein content of other inflammation-related genes also increased after the acute exercise. However, these effects were attenuated in the exercise + diclofenac group. TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), and p65 were also upregulated after the acute eccentric bout and the effect was blunted by the anti-inflammatory drug. These findings suggest that pretreatment with diclofenac may represent an effective tool to ameliorate the pro-inflammatory status induced by acute exercise in rat skeletal muscle possibly through an attenuation of the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway.
Aloe-Emodin Enhances Tamoxifen Cytotoxicity by Suppressing Ras/ERK and PI3K/mTOR in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Tseng Hsin-Shun , Wang Yu-Fen , Tzeng Yew-Min , Chen Dar-Ren , Liao Ya-Fan , Chiu Hui-Yu , Hsieh Wen-Tsong
Published: February 2017

Aloe-emodin (AE) is derived from Aloe vera and rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) and exhibits anticancer activities via multiple regulatory mechanisms in various cancers. AE can also enhance the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin, doxorubicin, docetaxel, and 5-fluorouracil; however, its effects remain poorly characterized. MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, BT-474, and HCC-1954 breast cancer cell lines were treated with the indicated conditions of AE, and cell viability assays were performed. The expression levels of signaling proteins were determined by western blot analysis, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell cycle distributions, and rates of apoptosis as estimated by flow cytometry. In comparison with other cells, MCF-7 cells were more sensitive to AE treatment; AE enhanced the cytotoxicity of 9[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/ml tamoxifen by reducing EGFR, ER[Formula: see text], Ras, ERK, c-Myc, and mTOR protein expression and blocking PI3K and mTOR activation. Finally, although co-treatment of AE with tamoxifen increased intracellular ROS, there were no effects on cell cycle progression. Besides facilitating tamoxifen-induced cell death, AE also enhanced the antiproliferative activity of tamoxifen by blocking Ras/ERK and PI3K/mTOR pathways in breast cancer cells, thus demonstrating the chemosensitizing potential of AE.
Impact of Emergency Order in Price-Dependent Newsvendor Problems
Authors: Zhang Wensi , Li Jinlin , Zhang Ran , Chen Yahong
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates the impact of emergency order in a price-dependent newsvendor setting. To this end, we compare two ways handling the excess demand: the excess demand is lost and a penalty cost is incurred, or the excess demand can be satisfied by an emergency order. Which way is better depends on the emergency purchase cost [Formula: see text] in emergency-order way and the price [Formula: see text] plus penalty cost [Formula: see text] in lost-sales way. For a risk-neutral newsvendor, our results indicate that, when [Formula: see text] is not larger than [Formula: see text], the emergency order way can lead to smaller order quantity and higher expected profit. We continue to discuss the impact of newsvendor’s risk aversion and demand uncertainty on the optimal decisions of the two ways. Theoretical analysis and numerical examples indicate that when the emergency purchase cost is not high, the differentials of the optimal order quantities and expected profits will be larger as the degree of risk aversion/demand uncertainty increases. What is more, we prove that there exists a threshold value of the emergency purchase cost so that the two ways handling excess demand can obtain the same expected profit, and this threshold value increases as the degree of risk aversion decreases.
Research on Innovation Efficiency and Technology Gap in China Economic Development
Authors: Fang Jian-Wen , Chiu Yung-ho
Published: February 2017

In this paper, we use the meta-frontier network DEA approach to evaluate the innovation efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2011. These provinces have been classified into two groups based on their levels of economic development. The first group comprises provinces in the Eastern region, while the second group comprises provinces in the Central and Western regions. First, we use the meta-frontier network DEA method to estimate the technology gaps of innovation efficiency between different operating types. Second, the quadrant analysis method explores the reasons for efficiency losses. Finally, we take the fixed effect model to examine whether industry–university–research cooperation influences technology efficiency. The empirical results indicate (i) the Eastern region has significantly higher innovation efficiency than the Central and Western regions. (ii) Some Eastern provinces have a high technology level, yet their resource allocation capabilities still need to be improved. (iii) Industry–university–research cooperation is an effective way to improve innovation performance.
Fundamental classes of 3-manifold groups representations in SL(4,R)
Authors: Kuessner Thilo
Published: February 2017

We compute the fundamental class (in the extended Bloch group) for representations of fundamental groups of [Formula: see text]-manifolds to [Formula: see text] that factor over [Formula: see text], in particular for those factoring over the isomorphism [Formula: see text]. We also discuss consequences for the number of connected components of [Formula: see text]-character varieties, and we show that there are knots with arbitrarily many components of vanishing Chern–Simons invariant in their [Formula: see text]-character varieties.