bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3-hydroxydecanedioic acid and related homologues: urinary metabolites in ketoacidosis.
Authors: Greter J , Lindstedt S , Seeman H , Steen G
Published: February 2020

Urine from patients with ketoacidosis was found to contain a number of aliphatic 3-hydroxy dicarboxylic acids. The acids were purified by silicic acid chromatography and their structures determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of different derivatives. The major compound was 3-hydroxydecanedioic acid. Minor compounds were 3-hydroxyoctanedioic acid, 3-hydroxyoctenedioic acid, 3-hydroxydecenedioic acid, 3-hydroxydodecanedioic acid, 3-hydroxydodecenedioic acid, 3-hydroxytetradecenedioic acid, and 3-hydroxytetradecadienedioic acid. The excretion of 3-hydroxydecanedioic acid correlated positively with the excretion of hexanedioic acid, another metabolite constantly found in ketoacidosis (Pettersen et al., Clin. Chim. Acta 38: 17-24, 1972). We suggest that the 3-hydroxy dicarboxylic acids are formed from fatty acids by a combination of omega-oxidation and incomplete beta-oxidation.
Adaptation of the enzyme-multiplied immunoassay for methotrexate to the centrifugal analyzer.
Authors: Finley P R , Williams R J , Griffith F , Lichti D A
Published: February 2020

We adapted the homogeneous enzyme-multiplied immunoassay for methotrexate to the centrifugal analyzer. The sensitivity of the assay has been extended from 200 nmol/L down to 12.5 nmol/L. Several protocols may be followed, depending on whether the samples to be tested are from patients on low- or high-dose methotrexate regimens. Precision, accuracy, and sensitivity were satisfactory. Comparison with the enzymic-inhibition method (x) gave the following least-squares regression: y = 1.002 x - 0.013 mumol/L; r2 = 0.9721; Sy/x = 0.014 mumol/L.
Two agarose electrophoretic systems for demonstration of oligoclonal bands in cerebrospinal fluid compared.
Authors: Gerson B , Krolikowski F J , Gerson I M
Published: February 2020

Demonstration of oligoclonal bands by electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid is an important aid in establishing the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Electrophoretic systems vary in their effectiveness in doing so. We compared two systems in this respect. For a thin-layer agarose system, sensitivity was less (47%) than for a high-resolution agarose system (87%). Each system had good specificity (92 and 85%, respectively). Interpretation of electrophoretic patterns for cerebrospinal fluid should be available in clinical laboratories. Further, the best available system should be used for demonstration of oligoclonal bands.
Acid phosphatase in Gaucher's disease.
Authors: Robinson D B , Glew R H
Published: February 2020

Increased acid phosphatase activity in the serum and tissues of patients with Gaucher's disease has now been recognized for two decades, but as yet no relation has been established between the enzyme and the etiology and progress of the disease. Here, we review results obtained by various investigators, ranging from a consideration of the methods used for the evaluation of serum acid phosphatase in Gaucher's disease to the most recent findings regarding the purification and characterization of two acid phosphatase isoenzymes from the spleen from patients with Gaucher's disease. We also discuss the intracellular location of tissue acid phosphatase in patients with Gaucher's disease and its contribution to the increased activity in serum.
Prostate-specific acid phosphatase: re-evaluation of radioimmunoassay in diagnosing prostatic disease.
Authors: Griffiths J C
Published: February 2020

The availability of a radioimmunoassay for prostate-specific acid phosphatase has allowed a correlative study between this technique and conventional colorimetric assays in the four clinical stages of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Results of such a study show an increased diagnostic sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay in all stages, but in 14% of Stage IV adenocarcinomas there was no increase in prostatic acid phosphatase above the ranges ordinarily expected for all methods. In cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia, there was an increase associated with in vivo tissue cytolysis, comparable to Stage II and III adenocarcinoma. The sensitivity of the test in Stage I is still low, but testing for combinations of tumor markers might increase the diagnostic yield. Conversely, a different clinical approach might be to establish baseline values in the "at-risk" patient, followed by regular determinations of prostate-specific acid phosphatase activity. Increases in activity within the normal expected range may be interpreted by the clinician as a herald of disease.
Further heterogeneity demonstrated for serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MM.
Authors: Chapelle J P , Heusghem C
Published: February 2020

Serum creatine kinase (EC 2.1.3.2) isoenzyme MM was resolved by isoelectric focusing into a five-band pattern, a pattern that gradually changed after the onset of myocardial infarction. Similar changes were also demonstrated in patients undergoing coronary-bypass surgery. The evolution of two CK-MB sub-bands was studied in both cases. We found that three electrophoretic bands (CK-MM, pI 7.10; MM1, pI 6.88; MB1, pI 5.61) were predominant in patterns for sera collected during the early phase of myocardial infarction, but rapidly disappeared during the following hours, whereas bands of increased electrophoretic mobility (MM2, pI 6.70; MM3, pI 6.45; MM4, pI 6.25; MB2, pI 5.34) gradually increased. MM3 was always the major band at the end of the observation period in acute myocardial infarction (mean, 61.4% of total creatine kinase activity 36 h after the peak value for total creatine kinase in serum). The CK-MM bands were also present in the serum of patients without heart disease. Changes in the electrophoretic pattern were induced by a thermolabile factor in normal human serum, which transformed the muscular or myocardial MM and MM1 bands after their release into the blood stream.
Accuracy, precision, and stability in measurement of hemoglobin A1C by "high-performance" cation-exchange chromatography.
Authors: Schifreen R S , Hickingbotham J M , Bowers G N
Published: February 2020

We present a "high-performance" liquid-chromatographic method for determination of HbA1c with use of a carboxylate cation-exchange column, ethanolic mobile phases, and a hemolysate-storage reagent that stabilizes a sample for up to five weeks at 4 degrees C. Temperature control and the addition of ethanol to the phosphate step-gradient increase precision by stabilizing peak shape and column activity. Lengthy equilibration of the column between samples is not necessary, because the pKa of the cation-exchange resin is decreased from 6.10 in aqueous media to 5.59 in ethanol/water (5/95 by vol) at 25 degrees C. We identified interfering heme compounds, distinct from HbA1d or HbA1e, that elute with the glycosylated hemoglobins and developed a method of correcting for their presence. The day-to-day coefficient of variation was 3.5%, and the reference interval for a mixed group of 20 healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 56 was 3.2—5.2% HbA1c.
Conditions affecting the colorimetry of orotic acid and orotidine in urine.
Authors: Harris M L , Oberholzer V G
Published: February 2020

We studied conditions affecting a colorimetric assay of total orotic acid (orotic acid plus orotidine) in urine. Most interfering substances can be conveniently removed on a small column of cation-exchange resin, and an improved control reaction corrects for residual background color. Analytical recovery from urine is nearly complete (greater than 95%) and the absorption spectrum for analyte eluted from the column closely resembles that for an orotic acid standard. We determined reference intervals for total orotic acid, expressed as a molar ratio to creatinine, for neonates, children, and adults, and assessed the effect of age, protein intake, and pregnancy. The method is simple enough to use as a reliable and accurate urine-screening test.
Binding of IgG and other proteins to microfilters.
Authors: Walsh R L , Coles M E
Published: February 2020

We evaluated 10 microfilters for their ability to filter diluted sera without removing immunoglobulins (Ig) G, A, and M, albumin, and transferrin. In general, filters containing cellulose nitrate remove IgG from solution, the amount adsorbed being proportional to the IgG concentration in the solution. With some sera we noted IgA and IgM adsorption to cellulose-nitrate-containing filters, but there was no significant adsorption of albumin or transferrin to any of the filters. We also found that cellulose-nitrate filters adsorbed IgG from antiserum, with consequent loss of titre as seen in a nephelometric assay. Adsorption of IgG was not seen if the filters were prewashed with polyethylene glycol or if the antisera contained polyethylene glycol. With a sufficiently large antibody excess in the nephelometric assay, this loss of titre through filtration becomes undetectable.
Commercially-supplied binders for plasma cobalamin (vitamin B12), analysis--"purified" intrinsic factor, “cobinamide"-blocked R-protein binder, and non-purified intrinsic factor-R-protein binder--compared to microbiological assay.
Authors: Kubasik N P , Ricotta M , Sine H E
Published: February 2020

Recent evidence (Kolhouse et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 299: 785–792, 1978) demonstrates that commercial cobalamin (Vitamin B12) radioassay kits contain nonspecific R-protein binding agents that can give falsely normal results in patients who are actually cobalamin deficient. We tested three kits: with “purified” intrinsic factor as the binder, with intrinsic factor and the nonspecific R-protein sites blocked with “cobinamide,” and non-purified intrinsic factor-R-protein binder. Results with use of the first two compared well with those by a microbiological assay (Lactobacillus leichmannii) and are in harmony with clinical impressions.
Ion effects in measurement of ionized calcium with a calcium-selective electrode.
Authors: Kaufman R A , Tietz N W
Published: February 2020

We examined the performance characteristics of an improved electrode for measurement of ionized calcium (Orion Research, Inc.) with respect to interferences by Na+, K+, Li+, Mg2+, and H+, as well as the effect of changes in ionic strength and osmolality. At physiologically observed concentrations, all ions except Na+ insignificantly affected ionized-calcium measurements. The decrease in ionized Ca2+ with increased Na+ concentration is caused by the increase in ionic strength and the associated decrease in Ca2+ activity. Sodium had no significant direct effect in concentrations below 250 mmol/L. A previously published (Clin. Chem. 23: 690, 1977) equation for the Na+ correction is invalid for this improved electrode. Changes in osmotic pressure negligibly affect electrode response. Significant changes in ionic strength, as would be observed in severe hypo- and hypernatremic sera, increase or decrease, respectively, values for ionized calcium by changing Ca2+ activity. With aqueous Ca2+ solutions, changes of less than or equal to 3% were observed for Na+ concentrations that deviate from 140 mmol/L by not more than 20 mmol/L. Because the calcium ion activity is considered to be the physiologically important variable, we suggest that no correlation be made for ionic strength effects.
Albumin-bound fluorescence in serum of patients with chronic renal failure.
Authors: Schwertner H A , Hawthorne S B
Published: February 2020

A band that is strongly fluorescent and migrates electrophoretically with serum albumin is commonly found in electrophoretograms of sera from patients with chronic renal failure. We sought to determine whether the fluorescence originates from binding of certain still-unidentified metabolites or drugs, from an abnormal albumin species, or from some other protein entity. Molecular-exclusion column chromatography, polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing, and cellulose acetate electrophoresis, along with results of charcoal treatment and alcohol extraction, provided evidence that the fluorescence comes from fluorescent ligands tightly bound to albumin. The fluorescent intensity of the albumin fraction, isolated by molecular-exclusion chromatography, coincides with the albumin-associated fluorescence determined electrophoretically and with the intensities of the fluorescence emission spectrum for serum. A fluorescent species with an emission maximum of 415 ± 5 nm, separated by thin-layer chromatography, appears to account for the increased serum fluorescence.
High-purity 4-nitrophenol: purification, characterization, and specifications for use as a spectrophotometric reference material.
Authors: Bowers G N , McComb R B , Christensen R G , Schaffer R
Published: February 2020

We describe specifications for high-purity 4-nitrophenol, which is suitable for spectrophotometric standardization. Such a reference material is needed in clinical enzymology to establish the proper molar absorptivity of 4-nitrophenol under final reaction conditions, particularly for measuring alkaline phosphatase activity in human serum. Some lots of 4-nitrophenol available commercially met these specifications, but several did not. The latter can be purified to meet our specifications by recrystallization or sublimation. The molar absorptivity of 4-nitrophenol (35 μmol/L) IN 10 mmol/L NaOH at 25 °C at 401 nm is 18380 +/− 90 L.mol−1.cm−1.
Plasma methotrexate as determined by liquid chromatography, enzyme-inhibition assay, and radioimmunoassay after high-dose infusion.
Authors: Howell S K , Wang Y M , Hosoya R , Sutow W W
Published: February 2020

Three techniques for measuring methotrexate show various cross reactivities with methotrexate-related compounds: “high-pressure” liquid chromatography, by principle, is virtually specific for methotrexate; the enzyme-inhibition assay quantitates methotrexate, methotrexate diglutamate, and methotrexate triglutamate equally well, but has a 10% cross reactivity with 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid and 1% with 7-hydroxymethotrexate; radioimmunoassay shows an equal cross reactivity with methotrexate, 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid, methotrexate diglutamate and triglutamate, and a 5 to 10% cross reactivity with 7-hydroxymethotrexate. Radioimmunoassay almost always yielded the highest values for methotrexate, followed by enzyme-inhibition assay then liquid chromatography. The presence of two methotrexate-related compounds, 7-hydroxymethotrexate and 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid, was confirmed in human urine samples and quantitated in patients’ plasma by liquid chromatography, the respective maximum plasma concentrations being 250 and 16 mumol/L. Materials cross reacting with methotrexate in radioimmunoassay of chromatographic fractions from plasma were also noted in fractions corresponding to methotrexate diglutamate and triglutamate peaks, in quantities estimated to be 47 and 30 nmol/L methotrexate equivalents, respectively. 7-Hydroxymethotrexate is eliminated more slowly than methotrexate and its production increases with dosages of methotrexate.
Bilirubin binding capacity of albumin isolated from cord-blood serum is less than that from serum of adults.
Authors: Alayoff A , Kapitulnik J , Konijn A , Kaufmann N A , Blondheim S H
Published: February 2020

As estimated by Sephadex gel filtration, the bilirubin binding capacity of albumin isolated from cord-blood serum by ion-exchange chromatography is less than that of albumin isolated from serum of adults. Albumin isolated from cord-blood serum showed increased bilirubin binding as compared with the albumin in the native serum. These findings suggest that the lower bilirubin binding capacity of serum from newborns as compared with serum from adults is a result of both an intrinsic deficiency in binding capacity of neonatal albumin and the presence of substances in neonatal serum that interfere with bilirubin binding.
Isoenzymes of creatine kinase in extracts of various parts and regions of the human central nervous system.
Authors: Petronia R R , Maas A H , van Veelen C W , Staal G E
Published: February 2020

The distribution of isoenzymes of creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2.) was investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis of extracts of selected parts and regions of the human central nervous system. Besides the major brain isoenzyme BB, we demonstrated the presence of three other creatine kinase isoenzyme forms. The distribution of creatine kinase isoenzymes depending strongly on the region from which the biopsy was taken. We found substantial amounts of the MB isoenzyme in extracts of the dura from the cauda equina of the two adults examined.
Simplified approach to confidence limited in radioimmunassay.
Authors: Baxter R C
Published: February 2020

A simple method of calculating confidence limits for radioimmunoassay data is presented. The method involves the use of the within-assay variation in dose estimate of three routine quality-control specimens, measured in repeated assays, to estimate the confidence limits for results on unknown samples. Results for control specimens are combined by calculating the unique quadratic curve fitting a graph of within-assay standard deviation vs mean value for each control. This method requires no special data accumulation or advanced computing equipment. For cortisol, lutropin, and thyroxine radioimmunoassays, confidence limits calculated in this way have been compared with those calculated from the variance of the response variable “B/B0” in repeated standard curves. Both methods agree well with actual limits observed when plasma pools containing a wide range of hormone concentrations are assayed repeatedly.
Influence of Posture on Free Calcium and Related Variables
Authors: Renoe Brian W , McDonald Jay M , Ladenson Jack H
Published: February 2020

Vol. 25

p 1766: Second paragraph, line four, the reference numbers cited should be (5-11); numbers of all subsequent citations above 10 in text should be increased by one, to correspond with the list of references.

p 1828: In Figure 2, the label on the ordinate is not clear. It reads “counts/10 s × 10−3.”

p 1930: Under “Determination of Concentrations in Human Plasma,” the injection of dihydroergotamine should be 0.5 mL of a 1 g/L solution.

p 1931: Nine to 12 determinations of binding in the absence of nonradioactive standard were also used to construct the standard curves.

p 1932: In the paragraph preceding Results and in the caption to Figure 3, the amount of compound 2 is 0.5 mg, not 1 mg.

p 2020: In the preparation of phosphate buffer, the second sentence should read: “Dissolve 2.84 g of sodium diphosphate in 100 mL of de-ionized water (solution 2).”

p 2021: In the section on extraction of serum under Procedures, the 10 µL of internal standard and 200 µL of sample should be added to 200 µL of phosphate buffer.

Vol. 26

p99: In the caption for Figure 3A, read “r = 0.99,” not “r = 0.09.”

p. 176: The sample volume referred to in the fourth paragraph of column three should be 0.15 µL, not “150 mL.”

p 193: Add to reference list:

8. Goutte-Coussieu, C., Habrioux, G., Eichenberger, D., and Jayle, M. F., Rapid fluorometry of estrogens in nonpregnancy urine, with use of chloroform extraction and purification by anion-exchange chromatography. Clin. Chem. 25, 230 (1979).

9. Jarrige, P., Purification et propriétés des sulfatases du suc d’Helix pomatia. Bull. Soc. Chim. Biol. (Paris) 7-8,761 (1963).

10. Ittrich, G., Untersuchungen über Extraktion des roten Kober-Farbstoffs durch organische Lösungsmittel zur Ostrogenbestimmung im Harn. Acta Endocrinol. (Copenhagen) 35, 34 (1960).

11. Adessi, G., Lallier, J. C., Goutte-Coussieu, C., and Jayle, M. F., Méthode de dosage automatique par spectrofluorimétrie des estrogénes urinaires au cours et en dehors de la grossesse. Ann. Biol. Clin. 37, 89 (1979).

12. Schöller, R., Contrôle de Qualité en Hormonologie. I.-Stéroides Urinaires. Editions Sepe, Paris-Fresnes, 1976, p 51.

p. 354: In Table 1, last line, columns 2 and 4, substitute “0.12” for “0.16.”
Spectrophotometric determination of urinary oxalate with oxalate oxidase prepared from moss.
Authors: Laker M F , Hofmann A F , Meeuse B J
Published: February 2020

A novel spectrophotometric enzymic procedure for estimating oxalic acid in urine is described. Oxalate oxidase, prepared from moss species, converts oxalic acid to hydrogen peroxide and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen peroxide is determined enzymatically with horseradish peroxidase, by oxidative coupling of 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone with N,N-dimethylaniline; the resulting indamine due is determined spectrophotometrically at 595 nm. Interfering substances are removed by adsorption to ion-exchange resins and oxidation with charcoal, thus avoiding oxalate recovery problems accompanying oxalate isolation. The procedure is rapid, sensitive, linear, and precise. Results agreed well with those obtained with a widely used chemical technique.
Predicting recurrent atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: a systematic review of prognostic models
Authors: Dretzke Janine , Chuchu Naomi , Agarwal Ridhi , Herd Clare , Chua Winnie , Fabritz Larissa , Bayliss Susan , Kotecha Dipak , Deeks Jonathan J , Kirchhof Paulus , Takwoingi Yemisi
Published: February 2020

Aims

We assessed the performance of modelsf (risk scores) for predicting recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients who have undergone catheter ablation.

Methods and results

Systematic searches of bibliographic databases were conducted (November 2018). Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported the development, validation, or impact assessment of a model for predicting AF recurrence after ablation. Model performance (discrimination and calibration) measures were extracted. The Prediction Study Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) was used to assess risk of bias. Meta-analysis was not feasible due to clinical and methodological differences between studies, but c-statistics were presented in forest plots. Thirty-three studies developing or validating 13 models were included; eight studies compared two or more models. Common model variables were left atrial parameters, type of AF, and age. Model discriminatory ability was highly variable and no model had consistently poor or good performance. Most studies did not assess model calibration. The main risk of bias concern was the lack of internal validation which may have resulted in overly optimistic and/or biased model performance estimates. No model impact studies were identified.

Conclusion

Our systematic review suggests that clinical risk prediction of AF after ablation has potential, but there remains a need for robust evaluation of risk factors and development of risk scores.
Authorship and citation gender trends in immunology and microbiology
Authors: Thelwall Mike A
Published: February 2020

Immunology and microbiology research are essential for human and animal health. Unlike many other health fields, they do not usually centre around the curing or helping individual patients but focus on the microscopic scale instead. These fields are interesting from a gender perspective because two theories seeking to explain gender differences in career choices in the USA (people/things and communal/agentic goals) might produce conflicting expectations about their gender balances. This article assesses the gender shares of journal articles and gendered citation rates of five subfields of the Scopus Immunology and Microbiology broad category 1996–2014/18, for research with solely US author affiliations. Only Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (38% female) had not reached gender parity in publishing by 2018. There was a female first author citation advantage in Parasitology but a disadvantage in Immunology. Immunology, Parasitology and Virology, had female last author citation disadvantages, but all gender effects were much smaller (<5%) than that of an extra author (10%-56%). Citation differences cannot therefore account for the current underrepresentation of women in senior roles.
Zombie Catholicism Meets Zombie Islam: Reading Michel Houellebecq's Soumission with Emmanuel Todd
Authors: McQueen Fraser
Published: February 2020

Following the publication of Michel Houellebecq’s novel Soumission (2015), which depicts the French public electing an Islamist government in 2022, some critics accused Houellebecq of Islamophobia; others defended his novel as primarily an attack on the French intellectual class rather than Islam or Muslims. Reading Houellebecq’s novel alongside the work of French historian and anthropologist Emmanuel Todd, this article suggests that Soumission attacks all three. Furthermore, Houellebecq’s depiction of France being ‘Islamized’ does not represent a break from his earlier insistence that religion is becoming obsolete; the Islam of Soumission is devoid of the positive values that Houellebecq associates with religion elsewhere. In the novel, religion has died, as Houllebecq previously claimed it would, with Islam portrayed as a political system compatible with contemporary materialism. The apparent nostalgia for Catholicism in Soumission and elsewhere in Houellebecq’s oeuvre does not express Houellebecq’s desire to convert to Catholicism but his wish for a strong Catholic church to provide an opponent for French anti-clericalism; he portrays Islam as an unsatisfactory alternative.
The N-glycans of Chlorella sorokiniana and a related strain contain arabinose but have strikingly different structures
Authors: Mócsai Réka , Blaukopf Markus , Svehla Elisabeth , Kosma Paul , Altmann Friedrich
Published: February 2020

The many emerging applications of microalgae such as Chlorella also instigate interest in their ability to conduct protein modifications such as N-glycosylation. Chlorella vulgaris has recently been shown to equip its proteins with highly O-methylated oligomannosidic N-glycans. Two other frequently occurring species names are Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlorella pyrenoidosa—even though the latter is taxonomically ill defined. We analyzed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy the N-glycans of type culture collection strains of C. sorokiniana and of a commercial product labeled C. pyrenoidosa. Both samples contained arabinose, which has hitherto not been found in N-glycans. Apart from this only commonality, the structures differed fundamentally from each other and from that of N-glycans of land plants. Despite these differences, the two algae lines exhibited considerable homology in their ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequences. These drastic differences of N-glycan structures between species belonging to the very same genus provoke questions as to the biological function on a unicellular organism.
Impact of a Plan of Care Protocol on Patient Outcomes in People Who Inject Drugs With Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Cooksey Grace E , Epps Jerry L , Moye Robert A , Patel Nimish , Shorman Mahmoud A , Veve Michael P
Published: February 2020

Background

People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk of deleterious sequelae due to infective endocarditis (IE). A standardized, hospital-wide drug use–associated infection protocol targeting medication safety, pain management, and limiting external risk factors was implemented at an academic medical center to improve outcomes in PWID with IE.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study included patients with active injection drug use and definite IE from January 2013 to July 2017 (preintervention group) and from September 2017 to January 2019 (intervention group). The primary outcome of interest was the 90-day all-cause readmission rate. Secondary outcomes included infection-related readmission rates, in-hospital and all-cause mortality rates, and the frequency of patients leaving against medical advice.

Results

A total of 168 patients were included, in the 100 preintervention and 68 in the intervention group. Patients in the intervention group had reduced odds of 90-day all-cause readmission (adjusted odds ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.6) after adjustment for confounding variables. The 12-month all-cause mortality rate was also significantly reduced in the intervention group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, .07–.89). The intervention group had a higher proportion of patients leaving against medical advice (6% for the preintervention group vs 35% for the intervention group, P < .001).

Conclusions

A drug use–associated infection protocol demonstrated reduced 90-day all-cause readmission and 12-month all-cause mortality rates in PWID with IE. This study highlights the importance of standardized care processes for improving care in this specialized patient population.
Using Safety-II and resilient healthcare principles to learn from Never Events
Authors: Anderson Janet E , Watt Alison J
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Conduct a secondary analysis of root cause analysis (RCA) reports of Never Events to determine whether and how Safety-II/resilient healthcare principles could contribute to improving the quality of investigation reports and therefore preventing future Never Events.

Design

Qualitative and quantitative retrospective analysis of RCA reports.

Setting

A large acute healthcare Trust in London.

Participants

None.

Interventions

None.

Main outcome measure

Quality of RCA reports, robustness of actions proposed.

Results

RCA reports had low-to-moderate effectiveness ratings and low resilience ratings. Reports identified many system vulnerabilities that were not addressed in the actions proposed. Using a Safety-II/resilient healthcare lens to examine work-as-done and misalignments between demand and capacity would strengthen analysis of Never Events.

Conclusion

Safety-II/Resilient Healthcare concepts can increase the quality of RCA reports and focus attention on prospectively strengthening systems. Recommendations for incorporating Safety-II concepts into RCA processes are provided.
Repeat Molecular Testing for Respiratory Pathogens: Diagnostic Gain or Diminishing Returns?
Authors: Qavi Abraham J , McMullen Allison , Burnham Carey-Ann D , Anderson Neil W
Published: February 2020

Background

Upper respiratory tract infections are common, and the ability to accurately and rapidly diagnose the causative pathogen has important implications for patient management.

Methods

We evaluated the test-ordering practices for 2 commonly utilized nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for the detection of respiratory pathogens: the Xpert Flu Assay for influenza A/B (Flu assay) and the Biofire FilmArray respiratory panel assay (RP assay), which detects 20 different targets. Our study examined repeat testing; that is, testing within 7 days from an initial test.

Results

Our study found that repeat testing is common for each of the individual assays: 3.0% of all Flu assays and 10.0% of all RP assays were repeat testing. Of repeat testing, 8/293 (2.7%) of repeat Flu assays and 75/1257 (6.0%) of RP assays resulted diagnostic gains, i.e., new detections. However, for the RP assay, these new detections were not always clinically actionable. The most frequently discrepant organisms were rhinovirus/enterovirus (28/102, 27.5%), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (12/102, 11.8%) and coronavirus OC43 (11/102, 10.8%). Furthermore, there were 3,336 instances in which a patient was tested using both a Flu assay and RP assay, of which only 44 (1.3%) had discrepant influenza results.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest opportunities exist to better guide ordering practices for respiratory pathogen testing, including limiting repeat testing, with the goal of optimization of clinical yield, and diagnostic stewardship.
Relative Tolerance of Three Morphotypes of the Anastrepha fraterculus Complex (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Cold Phytosanitary Treatment
Authors: Dias Vanessa S , Hallman Guy J , Cardoso Amanda A S , Hurtado Nick V , Rivera Camilo , Maxwell Florence , Cáceres-Barrios Carlos E , Vreysen Marc J B , Myers Scott W
Published: February 2020

The Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) complex is currently comprised of at least eight morphotypes, including several that are likely to be described as new species. It is critical to evaluate whether the morphotypes differ in tolerance to phytosanitary treatments. Temperatures from 0 to 3°C are used as a phytosanitary treatment for some commodities exported from the region and at risk of infestation by the A. fraterculus complex. Description of A. fraterculus morphotypes as new species could result in the annulation of phytosanitary treatment schedules for the new species. This study compared the relative cold tolerance of five populations from three morphotypes of the A. fraterculus complex: Andean, Peruvian, and Brazilian-1. Both a laboratory and wild strain of the Brazilian-1 morphotype were studied. Differences in mortality of third instars of the five A. fraterculus populations reared on nectarines were observed only with short treatment durations at temperatures ranging from 1.38 ± 0.04°C to 1.51 ± 0.08°C (mean ± SEM). Estimated times to achieve the LT99.99682 (probit 9) showed that Brazilian-1 wild, Brazilian-1 laboratory, and Cusco population were the most cold tolerant, followed by Andean and Peruvian, the least cold tolerant morphotype (i.e., Brazilian-1 wild = Brazilian-1 laboratory = Cusco population > Andean > Peruvian). These findings suggest that the current cold treatment schedules of 15 d at ≤ 1.11°C and 17 d at ≤ 1.67°C can be applied as cold treatments to any potential new species that may arise from the A. fraterculus complex.
Genomic Footprints of Recovery in the European Bison
Authors: Druet Tom , Oleński Kamil , Flori Laurence , Bertrand Amandine R , Olech Wanda , Tokarska Malgorzata , Kaminski Stanislaw , Gautier Mathieu
Published: February 2020

After extinction in the wild in the beginning of the 20th century, the European bison has been successfully recovered in 2 distinct genetic lines from only 12 and 7 captive founders. We here aimed at characterizing the levels of realized inbreeding in these 2 restored lines to provide empirical insights into the genomic footprints left by population recovery from a small number of founders. To that end, we genotyped 183 European bison born over the last 40 years with the Illumina BovineHD beadchip that contained 22 602 informative autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms after data filtering. We then identified homozygous-by-descent (HBD) segments and classified them into different age-related classes relying on a model-based approach. As expected, we observed that the strong and recent founder effect experienced by the 2 lines resulted in very high levels of recent inbreeding and in the presence of long HBD tracks (up to 120 Mb). These long HBD tracks were associated with ancestors living approximately from 4 to 32 generations in the past, suggesting that inbreeding accumulated over multiple generations after the bottleneck. The contribution to inbreeding of the most recent groups of ancestors was however found to be decreasing in both lines. In addition, comparison of Lowland individuals born at different time periods showed that the levels of inbreeding tended to stabilize, HBD segments being shorter in animals born more recently which indicates efficient control of inbreeding. Monitoring HBD segment lengths over generations may thus be viewed as a valuable genomic diagnostic tool for populations in conservation or recovery programs.
Positivity and Negativity Dominance in Citizen Assessments of Intergovernmental Sustainability Performance
Authors: Deslatte Aaron
Published: February 2020

Understanding how the public assesses the performance of complex, intergovernmental efforts such as sustainability is critical for understanding both managerial decision-making and institutional design. Drawing from the performance and federalism literature, this study investigates the role that distinctive elements of negativity bias play in citizen assessments of intergovernmental performance. In three survey experiments, this study exploits a well-known intergovernmental initiative to explore the effects of episodic performance information on citizen support for varying sustainability-related activities. Two inter-related research questions are addressed. First, does the positive or negative valence of citizen performance assessments vary with the type and scope of activity? Second, does positive or negative performance information tend to dominate in more realistic scenarios in which both types of stimuli interact? The results advance theoretical understanding of public performance with evidence that the type of activity can influence citizen assessments both positively and negatively. Additionally, partisan cues can overwhelm otherwise positive views of performance in some contexts, a concept described in the psychology literature as negativity dominance. The findings add important insights by showing that biased reasoning of citizens is not just a blanket affective association with constant treatment effects across any type of governmental effort, but is contingent on both the activity and political context.
The ‘refugee crisis’ in Europe: Shortening Distances, Containment and Asymmetry of Rights—a Tentative Interpretation of the 2015–16 Events
Authors: Piguet Etienne
Published: February 2020

This article analyses the recent growth in asylum applications both in and at the borders of Europe. It enriches the scholarship on the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ with an emphasis on structural transformations and geographical processes. While an increase in regional violence near Europe in 2015 played a key role in triggering displacements, we suggest three longer-term factors that may have facilitated access to European borders but led to urgent and often dangerous migratory situations for asylum seekers: the ‘shortening’ of distances, the crisis of containment policies and the geographic asymmetry of rights. On this basis, we interpret the EU policy of closing borders as an attempt to (re)create a geographic buffer separating refugees from their destinations in the context of the globalization of asylum-related issues.
The Etymology of Lwāt: A Tale of Two Prepositions
Authors: Pat-El Na'ama
Published: February 2020

The Aramaic preposition lwāt has two distinct meanings: kinetic (‘towards’) and stative (‘with’). In this paper, I discuss the origin and etymology of this preposition, previous attempts to account for its form and other examples of similar polysemy in Semitic. I suggest that it is a derivation from two separate roots that have fallen together in Northwest Semitic: √lwy1 ‘to be with, accompany’ and √lwy2 ‘to encircle’.
The intersection of nitrogen nutrition and water use in plants: new paths toward improved crop productivity
Authors: Plett Darren C , Ranathunge Kosala , Melino Vanessa J , Kuya Noriyuki , Uga Yusaku , Kronzucker Herbert J
Published: February 2020

Water and nitrogen availability limit crop productivity globally more than most other environmental factors. Plant availability of macronutrients such as nitrate is, to a large extent, regulated by the amount of water available in the soil, and, during drought episodes, crops can become simultaneously water and nitrogen limited. In this review, we explore the intricate relationship between water and nitrogen transport in plants, from transpiration-driven mass flow in the soil to uptake by roots via membrane transporters and channels and transport to aerial organs. We discuss the roles of root architecture and of suberized hydrophobic root barriers governing apoplastic water and nitrogen movement into the vascular system. We also highlight the need to identify the signalling cascades regulating water and nitrogen transport, as well as the need for targeted physiological analyses of plant traits influencing water and nitrogen uptake. We further advocate for incorporation of new phenotyping technologies, breeding strategies, and agronomic practices to improve crop yield in water- and nitrogen-limited production systems.
Machine learning for determining accurate outcomes in criminal trials
Authors: Mitchell Jane , Mitchell Simon , Mitchell Cliff
Published: February 2020

Advances in mathematical and computational technologies have brought unique and ground-breaking benefits to diverse fields throughout society (engineering, medicine, economics, etc.). Within legal systems, however, the potential applications of data science and innovative mathematical tools have yet to be embraced with the same ambition. The complex decision-making that is needed for reaching just verdicts is often seen as out of reach for such approaches and, in the case of criminal trials, this inhibits exploration into whether machine learning could have a positive impact. Here, through assigning numerical scores to prosecution and defence evidence, and employing an approach based on dimensionality reduction, we showed that evidence strands presented at historical murder trials could be used to train effective machine-learning algorithms (or models). We tested the evidence quantification approach with the trained model and showed that, through machine learning, criminal cases could be clearly classified (probability >99.9%) as belonging to either a guilty or a not-guilty category. The classification was found to be as expected for all test cases. All guilty test cases that were not wrongful convictions were correctly assigned to the guilty category by our model and, crucially, test cases that were wrongful convictions were correctly assigned to the not-guilty category. This work demonstrated the potential for machine learning to benefit criminal trial decision-making, and should motivate further testing and development of the model and datasets for assisting the judicial process.
The Evolution of Trauma-Informed Schools
Authors: Simon Kathryn , Compton Sidonia E. , Overstreet Stacy
Published: February 2020

Growing evidence establishing the prevalence and educational consequences of childhood trauma has led to a national focus on equipping schools to support the specific needs of students who have experienced trauma. As the trauma-informed schools movement gains momentum, educators, policymakers, and researchers are collaborating to identify the key components of trauma-informed schools, evaluate the effectiveness of varied approaches, and translate trauma-informed policies into practices that are sustainable within school settings. The first goal of this introductory chapter is to provide an overview of some of the factors fueling the growth of trauma-informed schools. The discussion highlights recent national and state legislation that has led to changes in policy and practices supporting trauma-informed approaches in schools and summarizes key advances in empirical research supporting the development of implementation strategies and evidence-based practices essential to the sustainment of trauma-informed schools. The second goal of the chapter is to summarize the core implementation elements required to establish trauma-informed schools. While describing the variety of frameworks available to establish trauma-informed schools, the authors identify cross-cutting assumptions of the varied approaches as well as key implementation elements critical for the development and sustainment of trauma-informed schools.
A Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach in the Classroom
Authors: Pickens Isaiah
Published: February 2020

Educating students who experience significant challenges outside the classroom can present opportunities for a strengths-based approach when effective tools are employed. Responsiveness to cultural and adverse life experiences sparks renewed pathways for connecting with students of all developmental levels. The trauma-informed, culturally responsive (TICR) approach represents a tool that gives educators insight into the impact of trauma and culture on students’ academic experience. The present chapter defines the TICR approach by outlining key tenets of trauma-informed practice and deconstructing the cultural context that impacts educators and students. Practical strategies for engaging the TICR approach in the classroom are reviewed. Implications for educator and student experiences in the classroom are discussed.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Adjustment Trajectories in School-Age Youth
Authors: Layne Christopher M. , Hobfoll Stevan
Published: February 2020

Children and adolescents experience a wide range of reactions to trauma and loss, which can change over time and across development. Accurately recognizing and describing how youth are responding to life adversities is a key step in creating a trauma-informed school. Drawing on various theories, the authors propose 10 trajectories of post-traumatic adjustment. These consist of four trajectories of positive adjustment (stress resistance, resilient recovery, delayed recovery, and growth) and six trajectories of generally maladaptive adjustment (decline, delayed decline [sleeper effects], distress tolerance, phasic adjustment, severe decline, and chronic maladaptive functioning). The authors then describe key propositions of conservation of resource theory and propose how different resource qualities (e.g., potency, durability, accessibility) can contribute to different adjustment trajectories. They then consider how to use these resource qualities as a problem-solving tool for intervention planning and, more broadly, to help create school environments that steer children and adolescents towards positive post-traumatic adjustment trajectories, including stress resistance, resilient recovery, and growth.
Immigrant Students
Authors: Morland Lyn , Birman Dina
Published: February 2020

In this chapter we offer a social-ecological perspective on educating the most vulnerable immigrant students, emphasizing the interaction between youth and the environment, including the family, school, peer group, community, larger society, and country of origin. Viewing immigrant children and youth through this ecological prism can help educators better understand the complex contexts in which they live and provide them with more tools to address issues that affect learning and behavior in the classroom. By using a strengths-based approach, schools can help support the development of resilience among immigrant students who have faced adversity, whether due to traumatic migration journeys, resettlement stress, academic challenges, or discrimination. By learning about and celebrating the cultures and backgrounds of immigrant students, identifying and focusing on strengths, engaging their families and communities, providing transitional academic support, and protecting civil rights, educators can make a significant difference in immigrant students’ lives.
Students Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Bowman Diana , Popp Patricia A.
Published: February 2020

Children and youth who experience homelessness are among the most vulnerable and invisible of at-risk students. Poor academic performance and low graduation rates result from school mobility, unmet basic needs, poor health, and trauma. Teachers can mitigate the impacts of homelessness on students by making the most of the brief time a homeless student may be in their classroom, being an accessible and caring adult in the child’s or youth’s life, and working with the school district’s homeless liaison to connect the child or youth to supports both in the school and in the community. Teachers should be familiar with the McKinney-Vento Act, which is federal legislation that ensures that schools and school districts remove barriers to the education of students experiencing homelessness. Services may include tutoring, transportation, free meals, and counseling. Schools can be a haven for safety, normalcy, and hope for children and youth who experience homelessness.