bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genome sequencing of gut symbiotic Bacillus velezensis LC1 for bioethanol production from bamboo shoots
Authors: Li Yuanqiu , Lei Lu , Zheng Li , Xiao Ximeng , Tang Hao , Luo Chaobing 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Bamboo, a lignocellulosic feedstock, is considered as a potentially excellent raw material and evaluated for lignocellulose degradation and bioethanol production, with a focus on using physical and chemical pre-treatment. However, studies reporting the biodegradation of bamboo lignocellulose using microbes such as bacteria and fungi are scarce.

Results
In the present study, Bacillus velezensis LC1 was isolated from Cyrtotrachelus buqueti, in which the symbiotic bacteria exhibited lignocellulose degradation ability and cellulase activities. We performed genome sequencing of B. velezensis LC1, which has a 3929,782-bp ring chromosome and 46.5% GC content. The total gene length was 3,502,596 bp using gene prediction, and the GC contents were 47.29% and 40.04% in the gene and intergene regions, respectively. The genome contains 4018 coding DNA sequences, and all have been assigned predicted functions. Carbohydrate-active enzyme annotation identified 136 genes annotated to CAZy families, including GH, GTs, CEs, PLs, AAs and CBMs. Genes involved in lignocellulose degradation were identified. After a 6-day treatment, the bamboo shoot cellulose degradation efficiency reached 39.32%, and the hydrolysate was subjected to ethanol fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli KO11, yielding 7.2 g/L of ethanol at 96 h.

Conclusions
These findings provide an insight for B. velezensis strains in converting lignocellulose into ethanol. B. velezensis LC1, a symbiotic bacteria, can potentially degrade bamboo lignocellulose components and further transformation to ethanol, and expand the bamboo lignocellulosic bioethanol production.
Ticks and associated pathogens in camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alanazi Abdullah D. , Nguyen Viet Linh , Alyousif Mohamed S. , Manoj Ranju R. S. , Alouffi Abdulaziz S. , Donato Ridolfi , Sazmand Alireza , Mendoza-Roldan Jairo A. , Dantas-Torres Filipe , Otranto Domenico 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Camel production in Saudi Arabia is severely affected by various diseases and by inadequate veterinary services. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) affect the health and wellbeing of camels consequently diminishing their productivity and performances. In addition, camels may act as hosts for TBPs (e.g. Anaplasma phagocytophilum) causing diseases in humans. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of ixodid ticks and molecularly investigate the associated pathogens in camels from Saudi Arabia.

Methods
Blood and tick samples were collected from camels (n = 170) in Riyad Province of Saudi Arabia. Ticks were morphologically identified, and blood of camels were molecularly screened for apicomplexan (i.e. Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Hepatozoon spp.) and rickettsial parasites (i.e. Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp.).

Results
Of the 170 camels examined, 116 (68.2%; 95% CI: 60.9–75.1%) were infested by ticks with a mean intensity of 2.53 (95% CI: 2.4–2.6). In total of 296 ticks collected, Hyalomma dromedarii was the most prevalent (76.4%), followed by Hyalomma impeltatum (23.3%) and Hyalomma excavatum (0.3%). Of the tested animals, 13 (7.6%; 95% CI: 4.3–12.8%) scored positive to at least one TBP, with Anaplasma platys (5.3%; 95% CI: 2.7–9.9%) being the most prevalent species, followed by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma sp., Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis (0.6% each; 95% CI: 0.04–3.4%). None of the camels were found to be co-infected with more than one pathogen. All samples tested negative for Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.

Conclusions
The present study reveals the occurrence of different tick species and TBPs in camels from Saudi Arabia. Importantly, these camels may carry A. phagocytophilum and A. platys, representing a potential risk to humans.
Probe-based multiplex qPCR identifies blood-meal hosts in Anopheles mosquitoes from Papua New Guinea
Authors: Keven John B. , Artzberger Georgia , Gillies Mary L. , Mbewe Rex B. , Walker Edward D. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Determination of blood-meal hosts in blood-fed female Anopheles mosquitoes is important for evaluating vectorial capacity of vector populations and assessing effectiveness of vector control measures. Sensitive molecular methods are needed to detect traces of host blood in mosquito samples, to differentiate hosts, and to detect mixed host blood meals. This paper describes a molecular probe-based quantitative PCR for identifying blood-meal hosts in Anopheles malaria vectors from Papua New Guinea.

Methods
TaqMan oligonucleotide probes targeting specific regions of mitochondrial or nuclear DNA of the three primary Anopheles blood-meal hosts, humans, pigs and dogs, were incorporated into a multiplex, quantitative PCR which was optimized for sensitivity and specificity.

Results
Amplification of serially diluted DNA showed that the quantitative PCR detected as low as 10−5 ng/μl of host DNA. Application to field-collected, blood-fed Anopheles showed that the quantitative PCR identified the vertebrate hosts for 89% (335/375) of mosquitoes whereas only 55% (104/188) of blood-meal samples tested in a conventional PCR were identified. Of the 104 blood-fed Anopheles that were positive in both PCR methods, 16 (15.4%) were identified as mixed blood meals by the quantitative PCR whereas only 3 (2.9%) were mixed blood meals by the conventional PCR.

Conclusions
The multiplex quantitative PCR described here is sensitive at detecting low DNA concentration and mixed host DNA in samples and useful for blood-meal analysis of field mosquitoes, in particular mixed-host blood meals.
Object contour tracking via adaptive data-driven kernel
Authors: Sun Xin , Wang Wei , Li Dong , Zou Bin , Yao Hongxun 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe present a novel approach to non-rigid object tracking in this paper by deriving an adaptive data-driven kernel. In contrast with conventional kernel-based trackers which suffer from the constancy of kernel shape as well as scale and orientation selection problem when the tracking targets are changing in size, the adaptive kernel can robustly achieve the adaptation to target variation and act toward the actual target contour simultaneously with the mean shift iterations. Level set technique is novelly introduced to the mean shift sample space to both cope with insufficient low-level information and implement the adaptive kernel evolution and update. Since the active contour model is designed to drive the kernel constantly to the direction that maximizes the appearance similarity, this adaptive kernel can continually seize the target shape to give a better estimation bias and produce accurate shift of the mean. Finally, accurate target region can successfully avoid the performance loss stemmed from pollution of background pixels hiding inside the kernel and qualify the samples fed the next time step. Experimental results on a numer of challenging sequences validate the effectiveness of the technique.
K-g-fusion frames in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Huang Yongdong , Yang Yuanyuan 
Published: February 2020

AbstractK-g-fusion frames are generalizations of fusion frames, K-fusion frames and g-fusion frames. In this paper, we present some new characterizations of K-g-fusion frames and tight K-g-fusion frames, and give several properties of K-g-fusion frames by means of the methods and techniques in frame and operator theories. Then, we discuss the redundancy of K-g-fusion frames. Finally, we discuss the stability of K-g-fusion frames.
Stieltjes differential systems with nonmonotonic derivators
Authors: Frigon Marlène , Tojo F. Adrián F. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn this work we study Stieltjes differential systems of which the derivators are allowed to change sign. This leads to the definition of the notion of a function of controlled variation, a characterization of precompact sets of g-continuous functions, and an explicit expression of g-exponential maps. Finally, we prove a Peano-type existence result and apply it to a model of fluid stratification on buoyant miscible jets and plumes.
Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical strains from the endotracheal tubes of patients with nosocomial pneumonia
Authors: Cabrera Roberto , Fernández-Barat Laia , Motos Anna , López-Aladid Rubén , Vázquez Nil , Panigada Mauro , Álvarez-Lerma Francisco , López Yuly , Muñoz Laura , Castro Pedro , Vila Jordi , Torres Antoni 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Among all cases of nosocomial pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus is the second most prevalent pathogen (17.8%). In Europe, 29.9% of the isolates are oxacillin-resistant. The changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nosocomial infections and the decreasing susceptibility to first-line antibiotics leave clinicians with few therapeutic options. The objective of our study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility, the associated molecular mechanisms of resistance and the epidemiological relatedness of MRSA strains isolated from the endotracheal tubes (ETT) of intubated critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with nosocomial pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Methods
The antimicrobial susceptibility to vancomycin, linezolid, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, fusidic acid, gentamicin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampicin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and tetracycline were measured. Resistance mechanisms were then analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Molecular epidemiology was carried out by multi-locus sequence typing.

Results
S. aureus isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, clindamycin, and fusidic acid. The most frequent mutations in quinolone-resistant S. aureus strains were S84L in the gyrA gene, V511A in the gyrB gene, S144P in the grlA gene, and K401R/E in the grlB gene. Strains resistant to erythromycin carried the ermC, ermA, and msrA genes; the same ermC and ermA genes were detected in strains resistant to clindamycin. The aac(6′)-aph(2″) gene was related to gentamicin resistance, while resistance to tetracycline was related to tetK (efflux pump). The fusB gene was detected in the strain resistant to fusidic acid. The most frequent sequence types were ST22, ST8, and ST217, which were distributed in four clonal complexes (CC5, CC22, CC45, and CC59).

Conclusions
High levels of resistance to second-line antimicrobials threatens the treatment of nosocomial respiratory infections due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus with decreased susceptibility to linezolid and vancomycin. The wide genotypic diversity found reinforces the central role of ICU infection control in preventing nosocomial transmission.
Community-based behavioral health administrator perspectives on sustainability of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: a qualitative evaluation
Authors: Quetsch Lauren B. , Herschell Amy D. , Kogan Jane N. , Gavin James G. , Hale Gaven , Stein Bradley D. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Substantial resources have been invested in evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation in community settings; however, research suggests that EBPs do not always sustain over time.

Method
This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 13 community behavioral health agency leaders regarding the sustainability of an EBP 25 to 28 months following the original training period. Administrators from 10 agencies were interviewed to understand the complexities of the implementation process, sustainability of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and their recommendations to enhance implementation and sustainability.

Results
A content analysis revealed five emergent themes: treatment model opinions, resource concerns, staff selection/ turnover, population characteristics, and recommendations for future implementation.

Conclusions
These themes likely would be helpful in informing the design of future implementation and sustainability initiatives sensitive to the challenges of integrating EBPs in community settings.
Are large surveys of adult literacy skills as comparable over time as we think?
Authors: Vézina Samuel , Bélanger Alain 
Published: February 2020

AbstractRecent literature shows that younger cohorts have lower levels of literacy ceteris paribus in Canada, the United States, Norway and other developed countries. Very few explanations are provided to justify the existence of this negative cohort effect. Yet this decline has serious implications for the economy, education system and society. In this paper, we focus on Canada and replicate the results published in the literature using the same methodology (synthetic cohorts). We use the same data from surveys of adult skills, namely the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) and the Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Second, we conduct further analyses to better understand the effect of time on adults’ literacy skills. We then show that age has a negative effect on the literacy score, but also that a significant “period” effect (or rather a “survey” effect) can only be explained by a change in the instrument used to measure literacy skills from one survey to another. This article reveals that the negative cohort effect mentioned in the literature may be fallacious as it is exacerbated when the control for measuring instrument distortions is omitted. This paper contributes to advancing knowledge about the effect that age and cohort has on adult literacy levels in Canada. The results weaken the idea of a clear negative cohort effect; much of this effect would in fact be caused by a non-comparable methodology that systematically assigned individuals lower scores in the most recent survey cycles. These findings are important because they highlight the limitations of analyses that can be done with the synthetic cohort method using cross-sectional surveys on adult literacy skills not only in Canada, but also in all other countries where these surveys have been conducted.
(Swiss) GraphoLearn: an app-based tool to support beginning readers
Authors: Mehringer Hannah , Fraga-González Gorka , Pleisch Georgette , Röthlisberger Martina , Aepli Franziska , Keller Vera , Karipidis Iliana I. , Brem Silvia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe assessed the Swiss-German version of GraphoLearn, a computer game designed to support reading by training grapheme-phoneme correspondences. A group of 34 children at risk for dyslexia trained three times a week during 14 weeks, on top of their standard school instruction. The sample was divided into two groups of 18 and 16 children, who started training at either the middle or the end of first grade. We found beneficial training effects in pseudoword reading in both training groups and for rapid automatized naming skills in the group that trained earlier. Our results suggest that both the efficiency in phonological decoding and rapid access to verbal representations are susceptible to facilitation by GraphoLearn. These findings confirm the utility of the training software as a tool to support school instruction and reading-related abilities in beginning readers. We discuss ideas to improve the content and outcomes of future versions of the training software.
Influence of Pseudomonas fluorescens mutants produced by transposon mutagenesis on in vitro and in vivo biocontrol and plant growth promotion
Authors: Alsohim Abdullah S. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe fitness of microbes and their colonization efficiency in plants is significant for promotion of plant growth, but the mechanism between plants and bacteria in rhizospheric region is not clearly explained. This study focused on identification and characterization of some plant growth promoting biocontrol bacteria. A total of 94 bacteria strains were isolated and tested for different plant growth promotion activities and their antagonistic behaviors towards different pathogenic fungi. The isolated bacteria were categorized into 23 bacterial genera, using 16S rRNA. The most predominant genera of bacterial isolates were Pseudomonas (4 species) and Bacillus (6 species). The isolates (Qassim University Saudi Arabia (QUSA) 52 and 45) and their transposon mutagenesis mutants inhibited mycelium growth of Rhizoctonia solani, Alternria sp., and Colletotrichum sp. Isolates 52 and 45 of P. fluorescens and their mutants’ 52-M12, 45-M19, and 45-M20 yielded the highest dry weight and shoot, and root length in alfalfa plants. Furthermore, the efficiency of these bacterial isolates and mutants against R. solani was considerably higher than the control treatment.Therefore, application of biocontrol agents can significantly control the soil-born fungal pathogen in alfalfa plants.
The distribution of Ohio’s Certificates to Recommend: who will “prescribe” medical marijuana?
Authors: Leeds Frederic Stuart , Levinthal Ryan K. , Alexander Morgan T. , Crawford Timothy N. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Background
Under Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program rules, Ohio physicians that recommend medical marijuana (MMJ) to patients must possess a Certificate to Recommend (CTR) from the State Medical Board. Although a pre-program state survey indicated that more than a quarter of Ohio physicians were likely to recommend MMJ, only 473 physicians obtained CTRs in the first year of the program, amounting to just 1.39% of the physician workforce. The purpose of this study is to evaluate demographic factors that influence a physician’s decision to obtain the CTR.

Method
Using physician demographic data extracted from Ohio’s databases of medical licensees and CTR holders, as well as the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, prevalence ratios for CTR holders were calculated for specialty, medical degree (Doctor of Medicine, MD, vs. Doctor of Osteopathy, DO), age and gender. A multivariate model was implemented to generate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) reflecting the independent effects of specialty, degree, and age. To assess temporal variations in CTR acquisition, per-specialty CTR counts were also plotted as a function of program month.

Results
The best-represented specialties among CTR holders were Family Medicine (29.11%), Internal Medicine and its subspecialties (22.57%), and Anesthesiology (9.07%). Expressed as an adjusted per-specialty prevalence ratio in reference to Family Medicine, the dominant specialty was Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (aPR 2.08, 95% CI 1.34–3.24), with the lowest measurable prevalence ratios found in Pediatrics (aPR 0.17, 95% CI 0.10–0.30) and Surgery (aPR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22–0.50). DOs were more likely to obtain CTRs than MDs (aPR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39–2.15). The mean age of CTR holders was 54.03 +/− 11.43, vs. 51.13 +/− 13.38 for non-CTR holders (p < .0001). Although gender could not be included in the multivariate model, males were more likely than females to obtain a CTR (PR 1.54, 95%CI 1.26–1.89). A plot of per-month CTR acquisition by specialty demonstrated a fairly consistent specialty distribution of CTRs in the first year, as well as variations in overall CTR acquisition that may correspond to program-operational events.

Conclusion
Specialty, type of medical degree, and age all correlate independently with the likelihood of registering to recommend medical marijuana in Ohio. Specialty distribution of CTRs remained fairly consistent in the program’s first year, although overall CTR acquisition may be sensitive to program-operational events such as delays in dispensary opening or product availability.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy With Etoposide Plus Cisplatin for Patients With Pathologic Stage II Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumors
Authors: McHugh Deaglan J. , Funt Samuel A. , Silber Deborah , Knezevic Andrea , Patil Sujata , O’Donnell Devon , Tsai Stephanie , Reuter Victor E. , Sheinfeld Joel , Carver Brett S. , Motzer Robert J. , Bajorin Dean F. , Bosl George J. , Feldman Darren R. 
Published: February 2020

PURPOSE The relapse rate after primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for patients with pathologic stage (PS) IIA nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs) is 10%-20% but increases to ≥ 50% for PS IIB disease. We report our experience with 2 cycles of adjuvant etoposide plus cisplatin (EP×2) after therapeutic primary RPLND. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients with PS II NSGCT seen at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from March 1989 to April 2016 and who were planned to receive EP×2 were included. Each cycle consisted of cisplatin 20 mg/m2 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5 at 21-day intervals. Demographic characteristics, histopathologic features, therapeutic and survival outcomes were recorded. RESULTS Of 156 patients, 30 (19%) had pathologic N1, 122 (78%) had pathologic N2 (pN2), and 4 (3%) had pathologic N3 (pN3) disease. The median number of involved lymph nodes was 3 (range, 1-37 nodes), and the median size of the largest involved node was 2.0 cm (range, 0.4-7.0 cm); extranodal extension was present in 69 patients (45%). Embryonal carcinoma was the most frequent RPLND histology, present in 143 patients (92%). One hundred fifty patients (96%) received EP×2, five received EP×1 and one received EP×4. With a median follow-up of 9 years, 2 patients (1.3%; 1 patient each with pN2 and pN3 disease) experienced relapse; both patients remain continuously disease free at more than 5 and 22 years after salvage chemotherapy. Three patients died, all unrelated to NSGCT, yielding 10-year disease-specific, relapse-free, and overall survival rates of 100%, 98%, and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Adjuvant EP×2 for PS II NSGCT is highly effective, has acceptable toxicity, and incurs less drug cost than 2 cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. Inclusion of bleomycin in this setting is not necessary.
Surprising simplicities and syntheses in limbless self-propulsion in sand
Authors: Astley Henry C. , Mendelson Joseph R. , Dai Jin , Gong Chaohui , Chong Baxi , Rieser Jennifer M. , Schiebel Perrin E. , Sharpe Sarah S. , Hatton Ross L. , Choset Howie , Goldman Daniel I. 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACT
Animals moving on and in fluids and solids move their bodies in diverse ways to generate propulsion and lift forces. In fluids, animals can wiggle, stroke, paddle or slap, whereas on hard frictional terrain, animals largely engage their appendages with the substrate to avoid slip. Granular substrates, such as desert sand, can display complex responses to animal interactions. This complexity has led to locomotor strategies that make use of fluid-like or solid-like features of this substrate, or combinations of the two. Here, we use examples from our work to demonstrate the diverse array of methods used and insights gained in the study of both surface and subsurface limbless locomotion in these habitats. Counterintuitively, these seemingly complex granular environments offer certain experimental, theoretical, robotic and computational advantages for studying terrestrial movement, with the potential for providing broad insights into morphology and locomotor control in fluids and solids, including neuromechanical control templates and morphological and behavioral evolution. In particular, granular media provide an excellent testbed for a locomotion framework called geometric mechanics, which was introduced by particle physicists and control engineers in the last century, and which allows quantitative analysis of alternative locomotor patterns and morphology to test for control templates, optimality and evolutionary alternatives. Thus, we posit that insights gained from movement in granular environments can be translated into principles that have broader applications across taxa, habitats and movement patterns, including those at microscopic scales.