bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genome Mining and Evolutionary Analysis Reveal Diverse Type III Polyketide Synthase Pathways in Cyanobacteria
Authors: Larsen Joachim Steen , Pearson Leanne Andrea , Neilan Brett Anthony 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCyanobacteria are prolific producers of natural products, including polyketides and hybrid compounds thereof. Type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) are of particular interest, due to their wide substrate specificity and simple reaction mechanism, compared with both type I and type II PKSs. Surprisingly, only two type III PKS products, hierridins, and (7.7)paracyclophanes, have been isolated from cyanobacteria. Here, we report the mining of 517 cyanobacterial genomes for type III PKS biosynthesis gene clusters. Approximately 17% of the genomes analyzed encoded one or more type III PKSs. Together with already characterized type III PKSs, the phylogeny of this group of enzymes was investigated. Our analysis showed that type III PKSs in cyanobacteria evolved into three major lineages, including enzymes associated with 1) (7.7)paracyclophane-like biosynthesis gene clusters, 2) hierridin-like biosynthesis gene clusters, and 3) cytochrome b5 genes. The evolutionary history of these enzymes is complex, with some sequences partitioning primarily according to speciation and others putatively according to their reaction type. Protein modeling showed that cyanobacterial type III PKSs generally have a smaller active site cavity (mean = 109.035 Å3) compared with enzymes from other organisms. The size of the active site did not correlate well with substrate size, however, the “Gatekeeper” amino acid residues within the active site were strongly correlated to enzyme phylogeny. Our study provides unprecedented insight into the distribution, diversity, and molecular evolution of cyanobacterial type III PKSs, which could facilitate the discovery, characterization, and exploitation of novel enzymes, biochemical pathways, and specialized metabolites from this biosynthetically talented clade of microorganisms.
Pain Characteristics, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Rodríguez-Sánchez Isabel , Ortolá Rosario , Graciani Auxiliadora , Martínez-Gómez David , Banegas Jose R , Rodríguez-Artalejo Fernando , García-Esquinas Esther 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
There is unclear evidence that chronic pain may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality. This work evaluated the association between chronic pain, incidence of CVD, and changes in CVD risk factors.

Methods
Cohort of 1091 community-dwelling individuals of at least 60 years, free from CVD at baseline, followed up for 6 years. Data on psychosocial factors and CVD risk factors were obtained through validated questionnaires and laboratory measurements. A pain scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 6 (worst pain) was created according to pain frequency, location, and intensity.

Results
The cumulative incidence of CVD was 4.2% at 3 years and 7.7% at 5 years of follow-up. Compared to individuals without pain in the first 3 years (2012–2015), those with maintained scores of at least 2 showed a mean reduction of 3.57 (−5.77 to −1.37) METs-h/week in recreational physical activity, a 0.38-point (0.04–0.73) increase in psychological distress, and a 1.79 (1.03–3.11) higher odds of poor sleep. These associations held in the second follow-up period, when individuals with maintained pain also worsened their diet quality. A 1-point increase in the pain scale in 2012 was associated with a 1.21 (1.03–1.42) and 1.18 (0.97–1.44) increased CVD incidence in 2015 and 2017, respectively; none of the studied factors mediated this relationship.

Conclusions
Older adults with chronic pain show important reductions in recreational physical activity and deterioration in mental health, sleep, and diet quality, which may well aggravate pain. Future studies should evaluate whether these factors mediate the increased risk of CVD observed in older adults with chronic pain.
Social Cognitive Abilities Predict Unique Aspects of Older Adults’ Personal Social Networks
Authors: Krendl Anne C , Kennedy Daniel P , Hugenberg Kurt , Perry Brea L 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objectives
The current study explores whether personal social network characteristics are associated with older adults’ memory and/or social cognitive function (e.g., ability to infer other’s mental states—theory of mind).

Method
120 older adults completed a social network interview, a memory measure, and 2 core measures of social cognitive functions: emotion recognition and theory of mind.

Results
Variation in memory and social cognitive abilities predicted distinct aspects of older adults’ social networks. Having better memory predicted having larger, less-dense social networks, but better theory of mind was associated with having at least one acquaintance in the network, and having more heterogeneous social relationships within the network.

Discussion
Together our findings suggest that disparate social cognitive abilities may serve unique functions, facilitating maintenance of beneficial social connections.
The influence of fluids in the unusually high-rate seismicity in the Ometepec segment of the Mexican subduction zone
Authors: Legrand D , Iglesias A , Singh S K , Cruz-Atienza V , Yoon C , Dominguez L A , Valenzuela R W , Suárez G , Castro-Artola O 
Published: March 2021

SUMMARYThe rate of earthquakes with magnitudes Mw ≤ 7.5 in the Ometepec segment of the Mexican subduction zone is relatively high as compared to the neighbouring regions of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Although the reason is not well understood, it has been reported that these earthquakes give rise to a large number of aftershocks. Our study of the aftershock sequence of the 2012 Mw7.4 Ometepec thrust earthquake suggests that it is most likely due to two dominant factors: (1) the presence of an anomalously high quantity of overpressured fluids near the plate interface and (2) the roughness of the plate interface. More than 5400 aftershocks were manually detected during the first 10 d following the 2012 earthquake. Locations were obtained for 2419 events (with duration magnitudes Md ≥ 1.5). This is clearly an unusually high number of aftershocks for an earthquake of this magnitude. Furthermore, we generated a more complete catalogue, using an unsupervised fingerprint technique, to detect more smaller events (15 593 within 1 month following the main shock). For this catalogue, a high b-value of 1.50 ± 0.10 suggests the presence of fluid release during the aftershock sequence. A low p-value (0.37 ± 0.12) of the Omori law reveals a slow decaying aftershock sequence. The temporal distribution of aftershocks shows peaks of activity with two dominant periods of 12 and 24 hr that correlate with the Earth tides. To explain these observations, we suggest that the 2012 aftershock sequence is associated with the presence of overpressured fluids and/or a heterogeneous and irregular plate interface related to the subduction of the neighbouring seamounts. High fluid content has independently been inferred by magnetotelluric surveys and deduced from heat-flow measurements in the region. The presence of fluids in the region has also been proposed to explain the occurrence of slow-slip events, low-frequency earthquakes and tectonic tremors.
3-D attenuation image of fluid storage and tectonic interactions across the Pollino fault network
Authors: Sketsiou P , De Siena L , Gabrielli S , Napolitano F 
Published: March 2021

SUMMARYThe Pollino range is a region of slow deformation where earthquakes generally nucleate on low-angle normal faults. Recent studies have mapped fault structures and identified fluid-related dynamics responsible for historical and recent seismicity in the area. Here, we apply the coda-normalization method at multiple frequencies and scales to image the 3-D P-wave attenuation (QP) properties of its slowly deforming fault network. The wide-scale average attenuation properties of the Pollino range are typical for a stable continental block, with a dependence of QP on frequency of $Q_\mathrm{ P}^{-1}=(0.0011\pm 0.0008) f^{(0.36\pm 0.32)}$. Using only waveforms comprised in the area of seismic swarms, the dependence of attenuation on frequency increases [$Q_\mathrm{ P}^{-1}=(0.0373\pm 0.0011) f^{(-0.59\pm 0.01)}$], as expected when targeting seismically active faults. A shallow very-low-attenuation anomaly (max depth of 4–5 km) caps the seismicity recorded within the western cluster 1 of the Pollino seismic sequence (2012, maximum magnitude Mw = 5.1). High-attenuation volumes below this anomaly are likely related to fluid storage and comprise the western and northern portions of cluster 1 and the Mercure basin. These anomalies are constrained to the NW by a sharp low-attenuation interface, corresponding to the transition towards the eastern unit of the Apennine Platform under the Lauria mountains. The low-seismicity volume between cluster 1 and cluster 2 (maximum magnitude Mw = 4.3, east of the primary) shows diffuse low-to-average attenuation features. There is no clear indication of fluid-filled pathways between the two clusters resolvable at our resolution. In this volume, the attenuation values are anyway lower than in recognized low-attenuation blocks, like the Lauria Mountain and Pollino Range. As the volume develops in a region marked at surface by small-scale cross-faulting, it suggests no actual barrier between clusters, more likely a system of small locked fault patches that can break in the future. Our model loses resolution at depth, but it can still resolve a 5-to-15-km-deep high-attenuation anomaly that underlies the Castrovillari basin. This anomaly is an ideal deep source for the SE-to-NW migration of historical seismicity. Our novel deep structural maps support the hypothesis that the Pollino sequence has been caused by a mechanism of deep and lateral fluid-induced migration.
Population intervention effects in observational studies to emulate target trial results: reconciling the effects of improved sanitation on child growth
Authors: Rogawski McQuade Elizabeth T , Benjamin-Chung Jade , Westreich Daniel , Arnold Benjamin F 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
Improved sanitation has been associated with improved child growth in observational studies, but multiple randomized trials that delivered improved sanitation found no effect on child growth. We assessed to what extent differences in the effect estimated in the two study designs (the effect of treatment in observational studies and the effect of treatment assignment in trials) could explain the contradictory results.

Methods
We used parametric g-computation in five prospective studies (n = 21 524) and 59 cross-sectional Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS; n = 158 439). We compared the average treatment effect (ATE) for improved sanitation on mean length-for-age z-score (LAZ) among children aged &lt;2 years to population intervention effects (PIEs), which are the observational analogue of the effect estimated in trials in which some participants are already exposed.

Results
The ATE was &gt;0.15 z-scores, a clinically meaningful difference, in most prospective studies but in &lt;20% of DHS surveys. The PIE was always smaller than the ATE, and the magnitude of difference depended on the baseline prevalence of the improved sanitation. Interventions with suboptimal coverage and interventions delivered in populations with higher mean LAZ had a smaller effect on population-level LAZ.

Conclusions
Estimates of PIEs corresponding to anticipated trial results were often smaller than clinically meaningful effects. Incongruence between observational associations and null trial results may in part be explained by expected differences between the effects estimated. Using observational ATEs to set expectations for trials may overestimate the impact that sanitation interventions can achieve. PIEs predict realistic effects and should be more routinely estimated.
Multinational Banks and IMF Conditionality
Authors: Dang Trung A , Stone Randall W 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe find firm-level evidence that US banks receive preferential treatment in countries under IMF conditionality. We rely on investment location decisions to infer firms’ expectations about future profits and find that US firms are approximately 53 percent more likely to acquire financial firms in countries under financial conditionality. IMF programs without financial conditionality and FDI in other sectors serve as placebo tests. Financial conditionality has weak effects on investment decisions by non-US firms, which implies a political-economy interpretation. Firm-level data indicate that the distinctive behavior of US firms is not due to advantages of scale or to a US-firm fixed effect, but to US influence in the IMF. Firms from other major IMF shareholders benefit as well, but the effects are much weaker. The effects are concentrated in the politically relevant firms that have local affiliates, which is consistent with the interpretation that firms lobby for preferential treatment.
Saving National IR from Exceptionalism: The Dialogic Spirit and Self-Reflection in Chinese IR Theory
Authors: Li Xiaoting 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This study proposes an analytical framework for explaining how national IR (international relations) can keep exceptionalism at bay and join global IR in promoting common understanding. Building on the premise that dialogue is key to bridging the self–other divide, it stresses that self-reflection lies at the heart of a true “dialogic spirit,” which urges the self to recognize its own shortcomings by learning from the other's point of view. By embracing the dialogic spirit and self-reflection, therefore, national IR can distance itself from exceptionalist claims that the “national self” is intrinsically superior to others and so its preferences and interests must outweigh those of the latter. Applying this framework to the nascent Chinese IR theory, this study finds that its leading exponents do try to avoid identifying with such exceptionalist claims, though the complications of their work further illustrate the promise and difficulty of self-reflection in the shadow of rising power.
Validation of PhageDx™Salmonella Assay in Raw Ground Turkey and Powdered Infant Formula: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 121904
Authors: Erickson Stephen , Gil Jose , Stach Jessica , Nguyen Minh M 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
The PhageDx™Salmonella Assay is based on the infection of Salmonella spp. by specific bacteriophages and expression of a luciferase reporter gene. Results are generated in as little as 9.5 h for raw ground turkey and 18.5 h for milk-based powdered infant formula (PIF).

Objective
An AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) study was conducted to validate the PhageDx Salmonella Assay for the detection of Salmonella in 25 g raw ground turkey and 100 g PIF test portions.

Method
The performance of the PhageDx Salmonella Assay was compared to that of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) 4.10 for raw ground turkey and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Chapter 5 for PIF. Inclusivity/exclusivity, product consistency and stability, and robustness testing were conducted.

Results
There was no significant difference between the 25 g raw ground turkey and 100 g PIF PhageDx Salmonella Assay and the USDA/FSIS MLG 4.10 and FDA/BAM Chapter 5, respectively. The reporter bacteriophages were specific for Salmonella and infected 108 strains in inclusivity testing. They did not infect 30 non-Salmonella bacteria in exclusivity testing. Robustness testing showed that the method performed well with specific deviations from the standard protocol. Consistency and stability testing demonstrated that the recombinant phage gave consistent results across three production lots and was stable when stored under appropriate conditions for at least eight months.

Conclusions
The data collected in the validation study demonstrate that the PhageDx Salmonella Assay meets the qualifications for PTM status.

Highlights
The PhageDx Salmonella Assay is a rapid, specific, sensitive assay capable of detecting a wide range of Salmonella spp. with a significantly shorter turn around time than the USDA/FSIS and FDA reference methods.
The Impact of the First Professional Police Forces on Crime
Authors: Bindler Anna , Hjalmarsson Randi 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This paper evaluates the effect on crime of creating a fundamental modern-day institution: centralized professional police forces tasked with preventing crime. We study the 1829 formation of the London Metropolitan Police—the first professional force worldwide. Using newly digitized and geocoded crime and police data together with difference-in-differences and pre–post designs, we find evidence of a significant reduction in violent crimes (despite the possibility of offsetting increases in clearance and reporting rates). In contrast, a reduction in property crime is not visible.
Benefit of surgical resection of distant metastasis in soft tissue sarcoma: a systematic review
Authors: Hayashi Katsuhiro , Hiraoka Koji , Akiyama Toru , Iwata Shintaro , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki , Kawai Akira 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objective
The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of metastasectomy for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma and to develop a recommendation outlining clinical guidelines for soft tissue sarcoma.

Methods
We searched the pertinent literature from January 1985 to December 2017. Two reviewers evaluated and screened the literature independently for eligibility and extracted data. We evaluated the quality of body of evidence and made a recommendation according to the Grading of Recommendations Development and Evaluation methodology.

Results
Among 244 identified studies, only 10 were finally included in this review and no randomized controlled trial reports were present. The median survival period after metastasectomy ranged from 9.6 to 39.6 months, and the 5-year survival rate ranged from 8 to 52%. The complication rate ranged from 7.3 to 25%, and the perioperative mortality rate was 0–1%. The guidelines committee proposed ‘Metastasectomy can be offered for malignant soft tissue tumours with distant metastases’. This recommendation gained 100% consensus among the members of the guidelines group.

Conclusions
Although the level of evidence is very low, many retrospective studies support a clinical advantage for metastasectomy, and surgical indications should be carefully considered for patients with metastasis from soft tissue sarcoma. Metastasectomy is an option for patients with metastasis and should be done only if it can be performed safely and if potential advantages outweigh disadvantages.
Are tissue samples obtained via remote biopsy useful for fatty acid-based diet analyses in a free-ranging carnivore?
Authors: Galicia Melissa P , Thiemann Gregory W , Dyck Markus G , Ferguson Steven H 
Published: March 2021

AbstractFundamental knowledge on free-ranging animals has been obtained through capture-based studies; however, these may be logistically intensive, financially expensive, and potentially inconsistent with local cultural values. Genetic mark–recapture using remote tissue sampling has emerged as a less invasive alternative to capture-based population surveys but provides fewer opportunities to collect samples and measurements for broader ecological studies. We compared lipid content, fatty acid (FA) composition, and diet estimates from adipose tissue of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) obtained from two collection methods: remote biopsies (n = 138) sampled from helicopters and hunter-collected tissue (n = 499) from bears harvested in Davis Strait and Gulf of Boothia, Nunavut, 2010 – 2018. Lipid content of adipose tissue was lower in remote biopsies than harvest samples likely because remote biopsies removed only the outermost layer of subcutaneous tissue, rather than the more metabolically dynamic innermost tissue obtained from harvest samples. In contrast, FA composition was similar between the two collection methods with relatively small proportional differences in individual FAs. For diet estimates in Davis Strait, collection method was not a predictor of prey contribution to diet. In Gulf of Boothia, collection method was a predictor for some prey types, but the differences were relatively minor; the rank order of prey types was similar (e.g., ringed seal; Pusa hispida was consistently the primary prey in diets) and prey proportions differed by &lt; 6% between the collection methods. Results from both methods showed that diets varied by geographic area, season, year, age class, and sex. Our study demonstrates that adipose tissue from remote biopsy provides reliable estimates of polar bear diet based on FA analysis and can be used to monitor underlying ecological changes in Arctic marine food webs.
Cost-effectiveness of ceftazidime/avibactam for infections due to carbapenem-resistant bacteria in Peru
Authors: Bolaños-Díaz Rafael , Angles-Yanqui Eddie , Pérez-Lazo Giancarlo , Sanabria-Montañez César 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objectives
The objective of this study was to analyse the cost-effectiveness (C-E) of ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI)-based therapy versus colistin (COL)-based therapy for pneumonia and bacteraemia caused by carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria (CRE) adjusted to Peruvian context.

Methods
A Markov decision model was extrapolated from literature to evaluate the clinical and economic consequences of CAZ/AVI-based therapy compared to COL-based therapy for a hypothetical cohort of patients with CRE pneumonia or bacteraemia according to Peruvian context. It was adopted a 5-year time horizon and a Markov-cycle length of 1 year. All patients in the model were assigned to CRE pneumonia or bacteraemia state and may transit through four different health states: home-care, long-term care without dialysis, long-term care with dialysis or death.

Key findings
Intervention with CAZ/AVI becomes progressively more cost-effective from a threshold of S/ 24,000 or US$ 6666 (equivalent to 1 Gross Domestic Product-per cápita [GDP-pc]). The model simulation allowed to calculate an average total cost of S/ 2’971,582 (US$ 825,440) for CAZ/AVI against S/2’056,488 (US$ 571.247) for COL treatment, yielding an incremental cost of S/ 915,094 (US$ 254,193). The cost/QALY for CAZ/AVI treatment against COL therapy approaches to S/23,154 (US$ 6432), something less than 1 annual GDP-pc. There were additional benefits associated with CAZ/AVI in the 5-year horizon, such as: 21 deaths avoided, 86 hospital days avoided, 1 CRF5 avoided and a NMB of S/6649 (US$ 1847).

Conclusions
The present transferability model demonstrates the C-E of CAZ/AVI over COL for the treatment of bacteraemia and CRE pneumonia according to peruvian payment thresholds.
Small crystals with severe consequences
Authors: Klasen Jennifer M , Peterson Caspar J , Fourie Lana L , Boldanova Tuyana , Terracciano Luigi M , Holbro Andreas , Kollmar Otto 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
We present the case of a 23-year-old patient who developed a severe gastric ischemia after the ingestion of a single dose of sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) orally. Emergency surgery confirmed extensive full thickness gastric necrosis, prompting a total gastrectomy. Histopathology showed kayexalate crystals in the gastric wall, suggesting SPS-related ischemic gastritis. After radical resection of the affected stomach, this young patient was able to fully recover. Although effective, the widespread use of SPS to treat hyperpotassemia remains a debated topic because of rare but serious adverse events like the forming of kayexalate crystal residues in the gastrointestinal tract. These crystal residues are mostly found in the large intestine and can lead to ulceration and necrosis. Physicians need to be aware of this rare but potentially devastating adverse effect of SPS ingestion.