bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional outcomes of dogs undergoing shoulder arthrodesis with 2 locking compression plates
Authors: Phipps William Bertram , Solano Miguel Angel
Published: September 2022

Objective

To report the outcomes of dogs undergoing shoulder arthrodesis with the application of 2 locking compression plates (LCPs).

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Animals

Twelve client owned dogs undergoing shoulder arthrodesis using 2 LCPs as the principal method of fixation.

Methods

Medical records were searched for dogs who had undergone shoulder arthrodesis at a hospital between 2014‐2021. Inclusion criteria required at least 6 months postoperative follow up and the use of 2 LCPs as the principal method of arthrodesis. Outcomes recorded include clinical assessment, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) scoring, force plate analysis, and a client visual‐analogue scale with at least 6 months follow up.

Results

All shoulders were immobilized with 2 LCPs and no postoperative external coaptation. The duration of follow up was 855.9 days (174‐2135). Minor complications were recorded in 2/12 dogs, neither requiring surgical revision. Preoperative to postoperative mean lameness scores reduced from 2.9 to 0.8 (0‐5), with 11/12 dogs making a full functional recovery, with a mean long‐term LOAD score of 12.9 (4‐23). Gait analysis was available in 5/12 dogs, placing a mean of 31.9% of their bodyweight on the operated limb, with a mean symmetry index of 8.7%. Owners scores (n = 11/12) were consistent with a high level of satisfaction (9.6/10).

Conclusion

Shoulder arthrodesis with 2 LCPs was associated with low morbidity and good outcomes in our clinical setting.

Clinical significance

Canine shoulder arthrodesis performed with 2 LCPs should be considered as a suitable alternative in dogs with severe shoulder joint pathology.
Genome‐wide SNPs confirm plumage polymorphism and hybridisation within a Cyornis flycatcher species complex
Authors: Ng Elize Y. X. , Li Siqi , Zhang Dezhi , Garg Kritika M. , Song Gang , Martinez Jonathan , Hung Le Manh , Tu Vuong Tan , Fuchs Jérôme , Dong Lu , Olsson Urban , Huang Yuan , Alström Per , Rheindt Frank E. , Lei Fumin
Published: September 2022

Morphology has been a leading taxonomic guiding light to systematists for the last couple of hundred years. However, the genetic and – more recently – genomic revolution have produced numerous demonstrations of erroneous classifications that were based on labile morphological traits. We used thousands of genome‐wide markers to shed light on evolutionary dynamics in a confusing and taxonomically obscure group of Asian Cyornis flycatchers. Using genomic data, we corroborated recent findings based on three mitochrondrial and five nuclear genes that the two taxa hainanus and klossi which were previously treated as separate species (Cyornis hainanus and Cyornis rubeculoides klossi, respectively) are genomically homogeneous and form a single species, C. hainanus. We also uncovered a novel case of interbreeding between C. hainanus and a non‐sister species, C. glaucicomans, illustrating these flycatchers' ability to hybridise in marginal situations even after substantial times of divergence. Our study illustrates how genome‐wide loci can shed light on complicated taxonomic problems, resulting in a better integration of phenotypic and genotypic data.
The Bleeding Wound
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

By the mid-1980s, public opinion in the USSR had begun to turn against Soviet involvement in Afghanistan: the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) had become a long, painful, and unwinnable conflict, one that Mikhail Gorbachev referred to as a “bleeding wound” in a 1986 speech. The eventual decision to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan created a devastating ripple effect within Soviet society that, this book argues, became a major factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In this comprehensive survey of the effects of the war on Soviet society and politics, Yaacov Ro'i analyzes the opinions of Soviet citizens on a host of issues connected with the war and documents the systemic change that would occur when Soviet leadership took public opinion into account. The war and the difficulties that the returning veterans faced undermined the self-esteem and prestige of the Soviet armed forces and provided ample ammunition for media correspondents who sought to challenge the norms of the Soviet system. Through extensive analysis of Soviet newspapers and interviews conducted with Soviet war veterans and regular citizens in the early 1990s, Ro'i argues that the effects of the war precipitated processes that would reveal the inbuilt limitations of the Soviet body politic and contribute to the dissolution of the USSR by 1991.
The Course of the War
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The chapter views the war from the point of view of the Fortieth Army – the Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan. It discusses the war's conduct and how the Soviet military effort was stymied by its inefficient handling by the Soviet political leadership. This in turn resulted from a combination of systemic restrictions, a lack of strategic planning and conception, and the infighting within the Afghan government that spilled over to its military which the Soviet side intended to bear the brunt of the fighting. The senior Soviet generals in Kabul were soon trying to convince the Kremlin to withdraw its troops but their arguments fell on deaf ears and the war dragged on for over nine years without at any point having any chance of achieving success.
The Fortieth Army
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The chapter looks at the Limited Contingent – its composition, size and living conditions. It looks at the senior command, the officer corps and the soldiery and the failed attempt to create an esprit de corps that would boost morale. It was foiled by the irrelevance of Soviet military tradition to conditions in the field; by the need to maintain a large portion of the army in remote outposts and security of communication routes and supplies; by the desperate living conditions – a hard climate; persistent hunger; the prevalence of disease; inadequate medical treatment; by frustration with the manifest pointlessness and hopelessness of the war; the elusiveness of the enemy; and by the constant and apparently inevitable friction with the local population that led to acts of cruelty and savagery.
Coverage of the War in the Soviet Media
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The Soviet regime made every effort to conceal the war from the public eye. Censorship was applied at every turn. Yet, times were changing and the war could not be hermetically sealed off. Pressure on newspaper offices mounted as citizens demanded to know what was happening in Afghanistan, where their sons and husbands were serving. Foreign broadcasting also took its toll. Well before Gorbachev came to power, the lid was finally lifted. Attempts to implement “glasnost from below” did not, however, spell the end of censorship that was retained even after Gorbachev announced that glasnost was becoming official policy The media only published details regarding casualties and touched on the issue of PoWs toward the war's end, and in its immediate aftermath it finally reported public discussion of the intervention and of the war's conduct. In just over nine years, the press had gone full cycle.
Central Asia and the Soviet “Muslim” Peoples
Authors: Ro'i Yaacov
Published: September 2022

The five union republics that comprised Soviet Central Asia were undoubtedly the most affected by the Soviet-Afghan War, especially the three that bordered on Afghanistan – Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan – all of which had sizable kindred populations in Northern Afghanistan. In addition to their geographic proximity, their populations were traditionally Muslim peoples and so – like the other Soviet "Muslim” ethnic groups – might conceivably identify with the Islamic opposition in Afghanistan. The chapter examines the war's impact on the Central Asian republics; the tension it created between Moscow and its Central Asian citizens; the role and functioning of Central Asian soldiers in Afghanistan; and the war's impact effect on their fealty to their Soviet mother country. It demonstrates that despite Moscow's apprehensions, most Central Asians retained their belief in the Soviet system, although fringe groups took an opposite line, giving Moscow a pretext to attack "Islamic extremism” inside the Soviet Union.
Solidarity in Conflict
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

Democracy has become disentangled from our ordinary lives. Mere cooperation or ethical consumption now often stand in for a robust concept of solidarity that structures the entirety of sociality and forms the basis of democratic culture.How did democracy become something that is done only at ballot boxes and what role can solidarity play in reviving it? In Solidarity in Conflict, Rochelle DuFord presents a theory of solidarity fit for developing democratic life and a complementary theory of democracy that emerges from a society typified by solidarity.
DuFord argues that solidarity is best understood as a set of relations, one agonistic and one antagonistic: the solidarity groups' internal organization and its interactions with the broader world. Such a picture of solidarity develops through careful consideration of the conflicts endemic to social relations and solidarity organizations. Examining Men's Rights groups, labor organizing's role in recognitional protections for LGBTQ members of society, and the debate over trans inclusion in feminist praxis, DuFord explores how conflict, in these contexts, becomes the locus of solidarity's democratic functions and thereby critiques democratic theorizing for having become either overly idealized or overly focused on building and maintaining stability. Working in the tradition of the Frankfurt school, DuFord makes a provocative case that the conflict generated by solidarity organizations can address a variety of forms of domination, oppression, and exploitation while building a democratic society.
Solidarity in Neoliberal Times
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

This chapter begins with a rumination on the possibility of solidarity today. While solidarity was once a normative concept that structured much of social life from religious practice to marriage to labor, it has since been reduced to the barest of ideas. Mere cooperation and ethical consumption stand in for a robust solidarity that would structure the entirety of sociality. I develop a critical genealogy of the marginalization and reduction of solidarity in democratic life, beginning with Reagan- and Thatcher-era individualism, and trace the contours of political thought that take such individualism as granted. The chapter concludes by arguing that many contemporary theories of solidarity are lacking in social elements and focus solely on moralistic or individualistic elements of the concept.
Two Models of Nonexclusion
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

I argue that solidarity is two relations: a relation of individuals within the group to the whole group, and a relation of the group to the outside. In each case, solidarity functions nonexclusively. A formative value of the group is to exclude as few people as possible. The nonexclusive nature of solidarity is at once the source of conflict and the source of its democratic character. This chapter uses concrete examples of democratic and feminist solidarity to develop a theory that attends to solidarity as a set of two relations, as well as attending to the differing character of those relations. It does so by explicating the oppositional-emancipatory and unifying-democratic aspects of solidary groups.
Antisocial Solidarities
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

This chapter develops a systematic distinction between solidarity organizations aimed at domination and those aimed at building a more democratic and liberated world. It argues that melancholia is the basis of a psychic life of domination; as such, it serves as the foundational basis of solidarity organizations that fail to fulfill the democratic possibilities of solidarity. The chapter contends that dominative groups function by virtue of a socially imbricated psychic solidarity. They tend to be poor at developing material forms of solidarity, due to the aim of domination: antisocial solidarity requires that eventually the group begins to dominate its own members, thus excluding them and undermining the social features necessary to maintain solidarity.
Burdened Action
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

This chapter argues that solidarity has largely been ignored in contemporary political thought due to the rending of political philosophy from social theory. I trace the idea of solidarity as conflict back through to Enlightenment thinkers via the idea of an unsocial sociability. I then read the idea forward to the Frankfurt School, in the work of Georg Simmel. I argue that given our current social context, conflict is a constituent feature of democratic social life and organization. To provide an exemplar, I discuss the history of LGBT rights in Canada as they were historically advanced by labor organizations, even when those organizations were largely composed of homophobic members.
Conclusion
Authors: DuFord Rochelle
Published: September 2022

This conclusion applies the theory developed in this book to the wave of unrest in the summer of 2020. It shows how solidarity groups can form on the basis of a desire for liberation as well as for a desire for domination. It concludes with final thoughts on the “infighting” in solidarity movements.
“ImageMed HUSI”: Una aplicación móvil para la captura segura de imágenes clínicas integrada a la historia clínica electrónica en un Hospital Universitario de alta complejidad.
Authors: Galvis Navarrete Silvia Helena , Grueso Angulo Reinaldo , Torregrosa Almonacid Lilian , Pachón Ramírez Hernán Augusto
Published: September 2022

El acceso a equipos móviles con capacidad para tomar fotografías y videos de alta calidad ha facilitado la documentación de imágenes clínicas dentro de la práctica médica cotidiana. Sin embargo, el uso indiscriminado de algunos canales de comunicación podría comprometer la confidencialidad de los pacientes. El propósito de este artículo es describir el uso de la aplicación móvil ImageMed HUSI, la cual fue diseñada para la captura segura de imágenes clínicas en un hospital universitario de alta complejidad. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo prospectivo. Se incluyeron a todos los médicos con vinculación al Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI) quienes hubiesen descargado y usado la aplicación ImageMed HUSI entre marzo de 2021 y el 31 de diciembre de 2021.Para el 31 de diciembre de 2021 se habían cargado 1015 imágenes clínicas a la aplicación móvil por diferentes especialidades médico-quirúrgicas. Conclusiones: ImageMed HUSI es una aplicación móvil desarrollada para la captura segura de imágenes clínicas integrada a la historia clínica en un hospital universitario de alta complejidad. Se encuentra disponible para el personal asistencial del HUSI. El uso de esta herramienta garantiza la captura segura de imágenes clínicas, pues salvaguarda la confidencialidad de los pacientes.
An Equation for the Bulk Modulus of Composites Derived From the Effective Medium Theory
Authors: Nwonodi Roland Ifeanyi , Dosunmu Adewale , Okoro Emmanuel Emeka
Published: September 2022

Bulk modulus has wide applications in well engineering, seismic exploration, waste reinjection, and predicting pore pressure in carbonate reservoirs. However, there is no easy way to obtain accurate values for the effective bulk modulus of rocks. Practically, researchers use rigorous, costly, and time-consuming experiments on core samples. But, stress release and changing rock’s environment have affected the accuracy of results. Also, it is impossible to get accurate values of the effective bulk modulus from theory without accounting for the deformation of microcracks in the rock. Existing models do not consider the presence of microcracks because of the inability to define the positions of cracks relative to one another. Thus, earlier studies introduced approximations to define the upper and lower bounds of values. This study aims to overcome this limitation by accounting for the fluids in the microcracks, apart from those in stiff pores. From the product of the surface area and thickness of the fluid in the microcracks, the authors generated proportionality between the volume of fluid and that of the grain and obtained expression for the crack porosity. Then analytical and numerical techniques were applied to obtain models for the effective bulk modulus. The results show that the presence and magnitude of inclusions reduce the effective bulk modulus significantly. This was validated by a finite element analysis (FEA) using the FEATool run in matlab. In addition, higher volume of fluids in the microcracks makes the rate of change of the bulk modulus with the porosity to be higher.
Sound Generation in Multicomponent Nozzle Flows With Dissipation
Authors: Jain Animesh , Magri Luca
Published: September 2022

Low emission aircraft engines burn in a lean regime, which makes the combustor susceptible to unsteady combustion. Along with improper mixing and air cooling, the unsteady combustion process gives rise to flow inhomogeneities. The acceleration of these inhomogeneities in the nozzle downstream of the combustor generates indirect combustion noise. If the acoustic waves that are reflected off the nozzle are sufficiently in phase with the heat released by the flame, thermoacoustic instabilities can occur. The generation and transmission of sound through the nozzle guide vane are typically modeled with a compact and isentropic nozzle model. Because the flow is non-isentropic due to losses from wall friction and recirculation zones, in the literature, a mismatch is observed between experimental and theoretical predictions in subsonic-choked regimes. In this work, we propose a low-order physical model to predict indirect noise in a multicomponent nozzle flow with dissipation using conservation laws whilst modeling non-isentropicity using a friction factor. The model is generalized for finite-length (non-compact) arbitrary geometry nozzles. We show that the friction factor can account for wall friction and two (or three) dimensional effects, such as flow recirculation in a cross-averaged sense. We analyze the model numerically for both subsonic and supersonic nozzles, emphasizing the importance of non-isentropic and non-compact assumptions with compositional inhomogeneities. Further, we show the effect of the nozzle geometry. The results are validated with existing experimental data from the literature.
Efficient and Consistent Two Key-Frame Visual-Inertial Navigation Using Matrix Lie Groups
Authors: Thalagala Ravindu G. , De Silva Oscar , Mann George K. I. , Gosine Raymond G.
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the design of a two key-frame visual-inertial navigation system (2KF-VINS) using a combined Lie group SE2(3) extended Kalman filter (EKF) design framework. The conventional 2KF-VINS filter is unobservable for translations along all three axes and rotation about the gravity direction. As a result, the filter suffers from estimation inconsistencies related to unobservable transformations of the estimation problem. The proposed combined Lie group SE2(3) framework remedies this issue by implicitly preserving the observability consistency property of the filter. Monte Carlo numerical simulations are used to validate the theoretical performance of the right−SE2(3) 2KF-VINS, along with experimental validation using the EuRoC micro aerial vehicle (MAV) dataset to evaluate the performance in real-world scenarios. Additionally, the proposed algorithm is compared with state-of-the-art MSCKF, RI-MSCKF, left−SO(3), and right−SO(3) 2KF-VINS versions with identical and realistic tuning parameters to validate the performance related to the accuracy, consistency, and computational speed of the method.
The Mechanism of Slip System Activation With Grain Rotation During Superplastic Forming
Authors: Yang Junzhou , Wu Jianjun , Li Zhiguo , Xie Hainan , Zhang Zongcai , Wang Mengyuan
Published: September 2022

The activated slip system of Ti-6Al-4V alloy during the superplastic forming (SPF) was investigated by the in-grain misorientation axes analysis (IGMA), and the mechanisms of slip system activation have been discussed. Depending on the distribution of IGMA, one significant discovery from this study is that all the basal, prismatic, and pyramidal slip systems would be activated. Considering the effective slip systems, Schmid factors, and the Euler angles together, it is suggested that the dominant slip systems not only desired the largest Schmid factors but strongly demand continuous Schmid factors among the adjacent grains. Meanwhile, the estimated critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) on basal  and prismatic  at the temperature of 920 °C with the strain rate of 10−3 s is given. An original method of roughly estimating dominant slip systems with Euler angles has been introduced, which predicts that grain rotation may change the slip system. Furthermore, the crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) is employed to simulate the evolution of Euler angles, and the grain orientation presents the largest set of significant clusters around the (1¯100) after deformation. Besides, the continuity of the Schmid factor assumption for the activated slip system has also been verified by CPFEM. In addition, the eigenvector corresponding to the eigenvalue λ1 = 1 of Euler angle rotation matrix is calculated to be aligned with the grain rotation axis, which can be applied to describe the grain rotation.
A Modified F-Factor Approach for Real-Time Performance Monitoring of Fossil Fuel Power Plants
Authors: Staller Joseph , Craven Robert P. M. , Idem Stephen , Munukutla Sastry , Kirkpatrick Keith , Benton Dudley , Eisenstadt Susan , Kopperstad Karsten , Leedy Seth , McHale Joe , Licata Tony , Andrei Dan
Published: September 2022

This paper describes a modified F-factor approach for real-time performance monitoring of heat rate and CO2 emissions for fossil fuel power plants. The calculation protocol introduced in the present investigation is a modification of the F-factor method mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It utilizes Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) data to evaluate an F-factor based on actual conditions prevailing in the combustion process, and therefore is less reliant on the use of empirical correction factors. The proposed method is intended to be used in combination with a real-time output-loss performance monitoring approach described herein. It was shown that when modified F-factors were corrected back to standard conditions of stack pressure and temperature, and stoichiometric combustion was assumed, standard EPA F-factors were comparable in magnitude to the values generated by the real-time algorithm. The modified F-factor method was used to evaluate the gross heat rate. The resulting heat rate values were identical to those obtained by a real-time performance monitoring algorithm for the same input data. The modified F-factor method was likewise used to calculate the mass flow rate of CO2 as a function of gross plant generation. Those resulting values were compared to similar data reported to EPA. The real-time CO2 mass flow rate data obtained using the modified F-factor method agreed more closely with the EPA F-factor values as the plant load increased.
Using Temperature Variations to Demonstrate Analogous Carnot Heat Engines for Salinity Gradient Energy via Capacitive Mixing
Authors: Moreno Daniel A.
Published: September 2022

A proof-of-concept electrochemical analog for a Carnot cycle is developed using a capacitive mixing (CapMix) engine to extract electrical energy from a salinity gradient. Here, temperature is allowed to vary to assist in the development of such a cycle. The Gouy-Chapman-Stern model for the electrochemical double layer (EDL) reveals theoretically that approximately a 50 mM concentration difference can be used if the initial concentration is 100 mM. Under transient conditions, this range was further limited to lower than 10 mM, but revealed some interesting trends in the current, flow rate, and heat input control: Flow should nearly be stopped when the cell is not charged or discharged, heat transfer should account for variations in the surrounding air temperature, and additional discharging is necessary to return to the initial concentration. Approximately 0.25 kJ of electrical work was extracted from the cycle, accounting for approximately 10% of the available energy from the mixing process. However, while the cycle operates as a Carnot analog electrochemically, thermodynamically over 800 kJ of heat is required to drive the temperature differences, so this heat needs to be managed carefully when realistic time and geometric parameters are introduced.
Effect of Fin Shape on Constrained Melting Heat Transfer of Phase Change Material in a Spherical Capsule: A Numerical Study
Authors: Sharma Akhalesh , Saxena Vivek , Sahu Santosh K.
Published: September 2022

The present work is focussed on numerical investigation of the constrained melting of phase change material (n-octadecane) in a circumferentially finned spherical capsule keeping the base and volume of the fins equal in all cases. Four different fin shapes, namely straight, trapezoidal converging, stepped, stepped inverse, located at the center of the spherical capsule are considered for the study A series of two-dimensional transient numerical simulations are carried out. Present numerical results are validated with the existing experimental results of Fan et al. [5]. Various thermal performance parameters is used for comparative analysis. Baseline comparison of fin and no fin case have also been discussed. The least melting time of PCM is 114 min for the stepped fin, while the maximum melting time is 120 min and is reported for the straight fin. The surface area to volume ratio (S/V) of fins has been calculated for every case. Irrespective of the lower S/V ratio, the melting time of inverse stepped fin is lower than straight fin because of the excellent melting performance of inverse stepped fin in weak convection region. From the results, it has been concluded that changing the shape of fin from the base case of straight fin does not change the melting time significantly for fin volume considered in the present study. This research could be used as a reference for LHTES unit fin design optimization in the industrial setting.
Project-based learning through sensor characterization in a musical acoustics course
Authors: Rennoll Valerie , McLane Ian , Eisape Adebayo , Grant Drew , Betz Claudius , Chen Xinyao , Gebhart Michael , Hahn Helena , Kartub Samuel , Lehr Brenden , Suárez Cuauhtémoc Méndez , Smith Randall , Tingen Noah , Tyra Thomas , Yang Fengji , E. West James
Published: September 2022

Project-based learning engages students in practical activities related to course content and has been demonstrated to improve academic performance. Due to its reported benefits, this form of active learning was incorporated with an ongoing research project into an introductory, graduate-level Musical Acoustics course at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Students applied concepts from the course to characterize a contact sensor with a polymer diaphragm for musical instrument recording. Assignments throughout the semester introduced students to completing a literature review, planning an experiment, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results. While students were given broad goals to understand the performance of the contact sensor compared to traditional microphones, they were allowed independence in determining the specific methods used. The efficacy of the course framework and research project was assessed with student feedback provided through open-ended prompts and Likert-type survey questions. Overall, the students responded positively to the project-based learning and demonstrated mastery of the course learning objectives. The work provides a possible framework for instructors considering using project-based learning through research in their own course designs.
Insect Gut Isolate Pseudomonas sp. Strain Nvir Degrades the Toxic Plant Metabolite Nitropropionic Acid
Authors: Rogowska-van der Molen Magda A. , Nagornîi Dmitrii , Coolen Silvia , de Graaf Rob M. , Berben Tom , van Alen Theo , Janssen Mathilde A. C. H. , Rutjes Floris P. J. T. , Jansen Robert S. , Welte Cornelia U.
Published: September 2022

Plants have evolved sophisticated chemical defense mechanisms, such as the production of plant toxins in order to deter herbivores. One example of such a plant toxin is nitropropionic acid (NPA), which is produced by leguminous plants and also by certain fungi.
Synergy between c-di-GMP and Quorum-Sensing Signaling in Vibrio cholerae Biofilm Morphogenesis
Authors: Prentice Jojo A. , Bridges Andrew A. , Bassler Bonnie L.
Published: September 2022

The development of multicellular communities, known as biofilms, facilitates beneficial functions of gut microbiome bacteria and makes bacterial pathogens recalcitrant to treatment. Understanding how bacteria regulate the biofilm life cycle is fundamental to biofilm control in industrial processes and in medicine.
Bacterial Membrane Vesicles as a Novel Strategy for Extrusion of Antimicrobial Bismuth Drug in Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Kumar Sumith , Schmitt Christine , Gorgette Olivier , Marbouty Martial , Duchateau Magalie , Giai Gianetto Quentin , Matondo Mariette , Guigner Jean-Michel , De Reuse Hilde
Published: September 2022

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major threat to human health. Treatments combining antibiotics with metals were proposed to circumvent this hurdle.
Full-Length 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon and Metagenome Taxonomic Profiling of Beneficial Microbes in Poultry and Swine Probiotic Product
Authors: Khongchatee Adison , Wongsurawat Thidathip , Suriye Kantgamon , Jenjaroenpun Piroon , Leekitcharoenphon Pimlapas , Kruasuwan Worarat , Foongladda Suporn
Published: September 2022

Analysis of feed supplements can highlight microbial diversity and the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), allowing users to monitor the safety of their animals. The 16S amplicon and metagenomic data generated by nanopore sequencing revealed that
Bacillus
was the dominant prokaryote, and AMR genes were detected in the animal probiotic products.
Draft Genome Sequences of 10 Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Piglets in Peru
Authors: Alvarez Luis , Carhuaricra Denis , Palomino-Farfan Joel , Calle Sonia , Maturrano Lenin , Siuce Juan
Published: September 2022

Pathogenic
Escherichia coli
frequently causes diarrhea on pig farms. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 10 strains of multidrug-resistant
E. coli
isolated from piglets.
Genome Sequences of the Human-Skin-Originated Brevundimonas albigilva TT17 and the Soil-Originated B. albigilva KEME 9005-016
T
Authors: Son Haelim , Oh Seung-Yoon , Lee Kyoung
Published: September 2022

Brevundimonas albigilva
TT17 was isolated from human skin. This strain can grow on Triton X-100. Here, we present the whole-genome sequences of this strain and
B. albigilva
KEME 9005-016
T
. This result demonstrates the first information on the genome sequences of the species of
B. albigilva
.
Macrolide Resistance and
In Vitro
Potentiation by Peptidomimetics in Porcine Clinical Escherichia coli
Authors: Ma Yibing , Pirolo Mattia , Subramani Prabha , Gehring Ronette , Damborg Peter , Franzyk Henrik , Guardabassi Luca
Published: September 2022

Acquired macrolide resistance is poorly studied in
Escherichia coli
because of intrinsic resistance and limited antimicrobial activity in Gram-negative bacteria. This study reveals new information on the prevalence and distribution of macrolide resistance determinants in a comprehensive collection of porcine clinical
E. coli
from Denmark.
Regionalization and Shaping Factors for Microbiomes and Core Resistomes in Atmospheric Particulate Matters
Authors: Li Ziyun , Li Mei , Tong Shuhui , Fang Meng , Li Weiwei , Li Ling , Li Xiang , Xu Hai , Sun Xiaomin , Wang Mingyu
Published: September 2022

Bacteria associated with atmospheric particulate matter (APMs) can transmit over long distances. A large portion of these bacteria can potentially threaten human health.
Establishment of an Immunological Method for Detection of Bluetongue Virus by Fluorescence-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Authors: Yin Jiajia , Wang Aiping , Zhou Jingming , Chen Yumei , Liang Chao , Zhu Xifang , Zhang Ying , Liu Yankai , Jia Rui , Zhang Gaiping
Published: September 2022

Bluetongue virus causes the severe infectious disease BT. BTV has many serotypes, and there is no cross-protection among different serotypes.
Impact of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Therapy on the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbial Metagenome
Authors: Pallenberg Sophia T. , Pust Marie-Madlen , Rosenboom Ilona , Hansen Gesine , Wiehlmann Lutz , Dittrich Anna-Maria , Tümmler Burkhard
Published: September 2022

Shotgun metagenome sequencing of respiratory secretions with spike-in controls for normalization demonstrated that 1 year of high-efficient CFTR modulation with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor extensively reduced the bacterial load. Longer observation periods will be necessary to resolve whether the partial reversion of the basic defect that is achieved with ELX/TEZ/IVA is sufficient in the long run to render the CF lungs robust against the recolonization with common opportunistic pathogens.
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Throat Spray with Selected Lactobacilli in COVID-19 Outpatients
Authors: De Boeck Ilke , Cauwenberghs Eline , Spacova Irina , Gehrmann Thies , Eilers Tom , Delanghe Lize , Wittouck Stijn , Bron Peter A. , Henkens Tim , Gamgami Imane , Simons Alix , Claes Ingmar , Mariën Joachim , Ariën Kevin K. , Bakokimi Diana , Loens Katherine , Jacobs Kevin , Ieven Margareta , Bruijning-Verhagen Patricia , Delputte Peter , Coenen Samuel , Verhoeven Veronique , Lebeer Sarah
Published: September 2022

Viral respiratory tract infections result in significant health and economic burdens, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary care patients represent 90% of those infected with SARS-CoV-2, yet their treatment options are limited to analgesics and antiphlogistics, and few broadly acting antiviral strategies are available.
Genomic Analysis of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains Recovered from Chilean Hospitals Reveals Lineages Specific to South America and Multiple Routes for Acquisition of Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Authors: Brito Barbara P. , Koong Jonathan , Wozniak Aniela , Opazo-Capurro Andres , To Joyce , Garcia Patricia , Hamidian Mehrad
Published: September 2022

Treating infections caused by carbapenem-resistant
A. baumannii
(CR
Ab
) has become a global challenge given that CR
Ab
strains are also often resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. Analysis of whole-genome sequence data is now a standard approach for studying the genomic context of antibiotic resistance genes; however, genome sequence data from South American countries are scarce.
Development of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid and Visual Detection of Monkeypox Virus
Authors: Feng Junxia , Xue Guanhua , Cui Xiaohu , Du Bing , Feng Yanling , Cui Jinghua , Zhao Hanqing , Gan Lin , Fan Zheng , Fu Tongtong , Xu Ziying , Du Shuheng , Zhou Yao , Zhang Rui , Fu Hanyu , Tian Ziyan , Zhang Qun , Yan Chao , Yuan Jing
Published: September 2022

MPXV outbreaks rapidly grew in the first half of 2022, and this virus has been recognized as an increasing public health threat, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, developing reliable and fast detection methods for MPXV is necessary.
Intra- and Interspecies Spread of a Novel Conjugative Multidrug Resistance IncC Plasmid Coharboring
bla
OXA-181
and
armA
in a Cystic Fibrosis Patient
Authors: Fernandez Javier E. , Seth-Smith Helena M. B. , Nordmann Patrice , Egli Adrian , Endimiani Andrea , Perreten Vincent
Published: September 2022

Colocalization of carbapenemases and aminoglycoside resistance 16S rRNA methylases on a multidrug resistance conjugative plasmid poses a serious threat to public health. Here, we describe the novel IncC plasmid pJEF1-OXA-181 cocarrying
bla
OXA-181
and
armA
as well as several other antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in different Enterobacterales isolates of the sputum and gut microbiota of a cystic fibrosis patient.
Process evaluation of a pragmatic implementation trial to support self-management for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in Uganda, South Africa and Sweden in the SMART2D project
Authors: van Olmen Josefien , Absetz Pilvikki , Mayega Roy William , Timm Linda , Delobelle Peter , Alvesson Helle Mölsted , Naggayi Glorai , Kasujja Francis , Hassen Mariam , de Man Jeroen , Sidney Annerstedt Kristi , Puoane Thandi , Östenson Claes-Göran , Tomson Goran , Guwatudde David , Daivadanam Meena
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications are increasing rapidly. Support for healthy lifestyle and self-management is paramount, but not adequately implemented in health systems. Process evaluations facilitate understanding why and how interventions work through analyzing the interaction between intervention theory, implementation and context. The Self-Management and Reciprocal Learning for Type 2 Diabetes project implemented and evaluated community-based interventions (peer support program; care companion; and link between facility care and community support) for persons at high risk of or having T2D in a rural community in Uganda, an urban township in South Africa, and socioeconomically disadvantaged urban communities in Sweden.

Research design and methods

This paper reports implementation process outcomes across the three sites, guided by the Medical Research Council framework for complex intervention process evaluations. Data were collected through observations of peer support group meetings using a structured guide, and semistructured interviews with project managers, implementers, and participants.

Results

The countries aligned implementation in accordance with the feasibility and relevance in the local context. In Uganda and Sweden, the implementation focused on peer support; in South Africa, it focused on the care companion part. The community–facility link received the least attention. Continuous capacity building received a lot of attention, but intervention reach, dose delivered, and fidelity varied substantially. Intervention-related and context-related barriers affected participation.

Conclusions

Identification of the key uncertainties and conditions facilitates focus and efficient use of resources in process evaluations, and context relevant findings. The use of an overarching framework allows to collect cross-contextual evidence and flexibility in evaluation design to adapt to the complex nature of the intervention. When designing interventions, it is crucial to consider aspects of the implementing organization or structure, its absorptive capacity, and to thoroughly assess and discuss implementation feasibility, capacity and organizational context with the implementation team and recipients. These recommendations are important for implementation and scale-up of complex interventions.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN11913581.
3* Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to augment clinical risk prediction of Trauma Induced Coagulopathy in the pre-hospital setting: a prospective observational study
Authors: Marsden Max , Perkins Zane , Marsh William , Christian Michael , Lyon Richard , Davenport Ross , Tai Nigel
Published: September 2022

Background

The potential of AI systems to support pre-hospital clinical decision-making in both military and civilian settings is significant. However, whilst such algorithms are increasingly available, far less attention has been paid to understanding the impact of such systems on clinical performance. This study had two aims; first, to compare the performance of expert clinicians against an AI system in a real-world clinical setting and second, to assess the impact of augmenting expert clinical prediction with an AI system.

Methods

Two civilian UK Air Ambulances were selected as surrogate settings relevant to military practice. We performed a prospective study over a six-month period where expert pre-hospital clinicians’ judgement of the risk of Trauma Induced Coagulopathy (TIC) in injured patients was assessed and compared to the performance of an AI system. Two TIC risk predictions were generated for every patient: an AI prediction and a human prediction. Measures of predictive performance included discrimination, calibration, and overall accuracy.

Results

Overall, 51 expert clinicians were enrolled in the study providing 184 patient interactions for analysis. The studied patients had a median age of 31 (range 16, 89), median injury severity score of 17 (IQR 9, 34), 75% were male, and 19% developed TIC.

Aim 1: The AI system performed better than clinicians; higher discrimination [AUROC 0.87 (0.79, 0.95) versus 0.83 (0.74, 0.92)] better calibration [0.37 (-0.14, 0.89) versus -1.19 (-1.73, -0.65)] and more accurate [Brier Skill Score 0.34 (0.19, 0.48) versus 0.00 (-0.41, 0.30)].

Aim 2: Risk prediction was better in all performance metrics when clinicians were assisted with the AI system [AUROC 0.88 (0.80, 0.95) versus 0.83 (0.74, 0.92)]

Conclusions

AI systems can improve human risk prediction in the pre-hospital setting. In the military environment, where austerity and lack of senior clinical expertise may affect outcomes, the benefit of implementing predictive AI should be substantial.

(*awarded First Place)
6 Cortical hypoperfusion on intensive care unit admission identifies the development of acute kidney injury. The microshock renal study
Authors: Watchorn Jim , Huang Dean , Bramham Kate , Hutchings Sam
Published: September 2022

Background

UK Defence has a vested interest in shock resuscitation and has limited access to renal replacement therapy. The aetiology of acute kidney injury (AKI) as a component of multiorgan failure is unclear and experimental data is conflicting. Clinical evidence is equally limited and novel methods of assessing the kidney in critical illness are needed. We assessed renal perfusion in septic shock using a novel method of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods

Longitudinal observational study of 50 patients at four timepoints commenced within 24 hours of admission, two of the groups were defined retrospectively by the occurrence or absence of severe AKI. Contrast ultrasound was administered by infusion with subsequent replenishment kinetics. Renal artery Doppler ultrasonography, transthoracic echocardiography, sublingual video microscopy and biomarkers were measured to determine macro-haemodynamics, the severity of tubular damage and AKI subphenotype. Identical observations were performed in healthy controls, the third group. The primary outcome was the cortical perfusion differences between groups. Secondary outcomes were perfusion differences between subphenotypes, correlation of renal and sublingual microcirculatory perfusion and the differences in renal and global macro-haemodynamics.

Results

Patients with septic shock have reduced cortical perfusion in comparison to healthy controls (average cortical mean transit time (mTT) 13.6s vs 2.2s p<0.0001) and patients who develop severe AKI have reduced perfusion from admission to ICU in comparison to patients without severe AKI (cortical mTT 16.1s vs 7.2s p=0.006). These differences are independent of both cardiac output (6.1l vs 5.7l, p=0.6) and renal artery blood flow (1.56l/min vs 1.81l/min, p=0.4). Biomarker data to identify perfusion abnormalities in AKI subphenotypes are awaited.

Conclusion

Cortical hypoperfusion is detectable on admission to ICU using CEUS and identifies patients who will develop severe AKI. This paves the way for interventional study, individualizing renal resuscitation with vasoactive therapies.
Risk factors for suicide in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological autopsy studies
Authors: Favril Louis , Yu Rongqin , Uyar Abdo , Sharpe Michael , Fazel Seena
Published: September 2022

Question

Effective prevention of suicide requires a comprehensive understanding of risk factors.

Study selection and analysis

Five databases were systematically searched to identify psychological autopsy studies (published up to February 2022) that reported on risk factors for suicide mortality among adults in the general population. Effect sizes were pooled as odds ratios (ORs) using random-effects models for each risk factor examined in at least three independent samples.

Findings

A total of 37 case–control studies from 23 countries were included, providing data on 40 risk factors in 5633 cases and 7101 controls. The magnitude of effect sizes varied substantially both between and within risk factor domains. Clinical factors had the strongest associations with suicide, including any mental disorder (OR=13.1, 95% CI 9.9 to 17.4) and a history of self-harm (OR=10.1, 95% CI 6.6 to 15.6). By comparison, effect sizes were smaller for other domains relating to sociodemographic status, family history, and adverse life events (OR range 2–5).

Conclusions

A wide range of predisposing and precipitating factors are associated with suicide among adults in the general population, but with clear differences in their relative strength.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021232878.
Loss of secreted gelsolin enhances response to anticancer therapies
Authors: Lim Kok Haw Jonathan , Giampazolias Evangelos , Schulz Oliver , Rogers Neil C , Wilkins Anna , Sahai Erik , Strid Jessica , Reis e Sousa Caetano
Published: September 2022

Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) play a critical role in priming anticancer cytotoxic CD8+T cells. DNGR-1 (a.k.a. CLEC9A) is a cDC1 receptor that binds to F-actin exposed on necrotic cancer and normal cells. DNGR-1 signaling enhances cross-presentation of dead-cell associated antigens, including tumor antigens. We have recently shown that secreted gelsolin (sGSN), a plasma protein, competes with DNGR-1 for binding to dead cell-exposed F-actin and dampens anticancer immunity. Here, we investigated the effects of loss of sGSN on various anticancer therapies that are thought to induce cell death and provoke an immune response to cancer. We compared WT (wildtype) withRag1–/–,Batf3–/–,Clec9agfp/gfp,sGsn–/–orsGsn–/–Clec9agfp/gfpmice implanted with transplantable tumor cell lines, including MCA-205 fibrosarcoma, 5555 BrafV600Emelanoma and B16-F10 LifeAct (LA)-ovalbumin (OVA)-mCherry melanoma. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with (1) doxorubicin (intratumoral) chemotherapy for MCA-205, (2) BRAF-inhibitor PLX4720 (oral gavage) targeted therapy for 5555 BrafV600E, and (3) X-ray radiotherapy for B16 LA-OVA-mCherry. We confirmed that efficient tumor control following each therapy requires an immunocompetent host as efficacy was markedly reduced inRag1–/–compared with WT mice. Notably, across all the therapeutic modalities, loss of sGSN significantly enhanced tumor control compared with treated WT controls. This was an on-target effect as mice deficient in both sGSN and DNGR-1 behaved no differently from WT mice following therapy. In sum, we find that mice deficient insGsndisplay enhanced DNGR-1-dependent responsiveness to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiotherapy. Our findings are consistent with the notion some cancer therapies induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), which mobilizes anticancer T cells. Our results point to cDC1 and DNGR-1 as decoders of ICD and to sGSN as a negative regulator of such decoding, highlighting sGSN as a possible target in cancer treatment. Further prospective studies are warranted to identify patients who may benefit most from inhibition of sGSN function.