bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complete Genome Sequence of a VIM-1-Producing Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Infantis Isolate Derived from Minced Pork Meat
Authors: Borowiak Maria , Fischer Jennie , Baumann Beatrice , Hammerl Jens A. , Szabo Istvan , Malorny Burkhard 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACT

Carbapenems are considered last-resort antibiotics used to treat human infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. In 2011, VIM-1 carbapenemase-producing
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Infantis strains were isolated from livestock for the first time in Germany. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of the first German
bla
VIM-1
-harboring
Salmonella
Infantis isolate (15-SA01028) originating from food.
First Insights into the Genome Sequence of Clostridium thermopalmarium DSM 5974, a Butyrate-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Palm Wine
Authors: Poehlein Anja , Hettwer Eva , Mohnike Lennart , Daniel Rolf 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACT

Clostridium thermopalmarium
is a moderate thermophilic, rod-shaped, and endospore-forming bacterium, which was isolated from palm wine in Senegal. Butyrate is produced from a broad variety of sugar substrates. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of
C. thermopalmarium
DSM 5974 (2.822 Mb) containing 2,665 predicted protein-encoding genes.
The Human Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 Promotes the Growth of the Pulmonary Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Sheehan Gerard , Bergsson Gudmundur , McElvaney Noel G. , Reeves Emer P. , Kavanagh Kevin 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACT

The pulmonary mucus of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients displays elevated levels of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37, and the aim of this work was to assess the effect of LL-37 on the growth of
Aspergillus fumigatus
, a common pathogen of CF patients. Exposure of
A. fumigatus
to LL-37 and its derived fragment RK-31 (1.95 μg/ml) for 24 h had a positive effect on growth (199.94% ± 6.172% [
P
< 0.05] and 218.20% ± 4.63% [
P
< 0.05], respectively), whereas scrambled LL-37 peptide did not (85.12% ± 2.92%). Exposure of mycelium (preformed for 24 h) to 5 μg/ml intact LL-37 for 48 h increased hyphal wet weight (4.37 ± 0.23 g,
P
< 0.001) compared to the control (2.67 ± 0.05 g) and scrambled LL-37 (2.23 ± 0.09 g) treatments. Gliotoxin secretion from LL-37 exposed hyphae (169.1 ± 6.36 ng/mg hyphae,
P
< 0.05) was increased at 24 h compared to the results seen with the control treatment (102 ± 18.81 ng/mg hyphae) and the scrambled LL-37 treatment (96.09 ± 15.15 ng/mg hyphae). Shotgun proteomic analysis of 24-h LL-37-treated hyphae revealed an increase in the abundance of proteins associated with growth (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A [eIF-5A] [16.3-fold increased]), tissue degradation (aspartic endopeptidase [4.7-fold increased]), and allergic reactions (Asp F13 [10-fold increased]). By 48 h, there was an increase in protein levels indicative of cellular stress (glutathione peroxidase [9-fold increased]), growth (eIF-5A [6-fold increased]), and virulence (RNase mitogillin [3.7-fold increased]). These results indicate that LL-37 stimulates
A. fumigatus
growth and that this stimulation can result in increased fungal growth and secretion of toxins in the lungs of CF patients.
How does light-intensity physical activity associate with adult cardiometabolic health and mortality? Systematic review with meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies
Authors: Chastin Sebastien F M , De Craemer Marieke , De Cocker Katrien , Powell Lauren , Van Cauwenberg Jelle , Dall Philippa , Hamer Mark , Stamatakis Emmanuel 
Published: April 2018

AimTo assess the relationship between time spent in light physical activity and cardiometabolic health and mortality in adults.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesSearches in Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL and three rounds of hand searches.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesExperimental (including acute mechanistic studies and physical activity intervention programme) and observational studies (excluding case and case–control studies) conducted in adults (aged ≥18 years) published in English before February 2018 and reporting on the relationship between light physical activity (<3 metabolic equivalents) and cardiometabolic health outcomes or all-cause mortality.Study appraisal and synthesisStudy quality appraisal with QUALSYST tool and random effects inverse variance meta-analysis.ResultsSeventy-two studies were eligible including 27 experimental studies (and 45 observational studies). Mechanistic experimental studies showed that short but frequent bouts of light-intensity activity throughout the day reduced postprandial glucose (−17.5%; 95% CI −26.2 to −8.7) and insulin (−25.1%; 95% CI −31.8 to –18.3) levels compared with continuous sitting, but there was very limited evidence for it affecting other cardiometabolic markers. Three light physical activity programme intervention studies (n ranging from 12 to 58) reduced adiposity, improved blood pressure and lipidaemia; the programmes consisted of activity of >150 min/week for at least 12 weeks. Six out of eight prospective observational studies that were entered in the meta-analysis reported that more time spent in daily light activity reduced risk of all-cause mortality (pooled HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.83).ConclusionsLight-intensity physical activity could play a role in improving adult cardiometabolic health and reducing mortality risk. Frequent short bouts of light activity improve glycaemic control. Nevertheless, the modest volume of the prospective epidemiological evidence base and the moderate consistency between observational and laboratory evidence inhibits definitive conclusions.
Assessment of ergot (Claviceps purpurea) exposure in pregnant and postpartum beef cows
Authors: Grusie T. , Cowan V. , Singh J. , McKinnon J. , Blakley B. 
Published: April 2018

Cows were fed ration for 9 wk containing 5, 48, 201, and 822 μg kg−1 ergot alkaloids. The objective was to evaluate the impact of ergot consumption in beef cow–calf operations. Ergot alkaloids up to 822 μg kg−1 did not alter the weight of peripartum and postpartum beef cows (P = 0.93) or nursing calves (P = 0.08), rectal temperature (P = 0.16), or plasma prolactin concentrations (P = 0.30) at moderate ambient temperatures. Ergot did not influence the time (>1 ng mL−1; P = 0.79) or the progesterone concentration (P = 0.38) at the time of first postpartum rise or the size of the first (14 ± 0.6 mm; P = 0.40) and second (13 ± 0.5 mm; P = 0.41) follicles to ovulate. The maximum size of the first postpartum corpus luteum (CL) was 4 mm larger in the 822 μg kg−1 ergot group compared with the control (P = 0.03) for the first ovulation post partum, but not for the second (P = 0.11). There was no effect of ergot exposure on the number of days until the appearance of the first (43 ± 4 d; P = 0.95) or second (52 ± 4 d; P = 0.98) CL post partum. Ergot alkaloid concentrations up to 822 μg kg−1 did not affect pregnancy rates (X2 = 0.36). In conclusion, ergot alkaloid exposure for 9 wk to concentrations as high as 822 μg kg−1 did not alter performance in pregnant and postpartum beef cattle at moderate ambient temperatures.
Distinct frequency bands in the local field potential are differently tuned to stimulus drift rate
Authors: Salelkar Siddhesh , Somasekhar Gowri Manohari , Ray Supratim 
Published: April 2018

Local field potential (LFP) recorded with a microelectrode reflects the activity of several neural processes, including afferent synaptic inputs, microcircuit-level computations, and spiking activity. Objectively probing their contribution requires a design that allows dissociation between these potential contributors. Earlier reports have shown that the primate lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) has a higher temporal frequency (drift rate) cutoff than the primary visual cortex (V1), such that at higher drift rates inputs into V1 from the LGN continue to persist, whereas output ceases, permitting partial dissociation. Using chronic microelectrode arrays, we recorded spikes and LFP from V1 of passively fixating macaques while presenting sinusoidal gratings drifting over a wide range. We further optimized the gratings to produce strong gamma oscillations, since recent studies in rodent V1 have reported LGN-dependent narrow-band gamma oscillations. Consistent with earlier reports, power in higher LFP frequencies (above ~140 Hz) tracked the population firing rate and were tuned to preferred drift rates similar to those for spikes. Significantly, power in the lower (up to ~40 Hz) frequencies increased transiently in the early epoch after stimulus onset, even at high drift rates, and had preferred drift rates higher than for spikes/high gamma. Narrow-band gamma (50–80 Hz) power was not strongly correlated with power in high or low frequencies and had much lower preferred temporal frequencies. Our results demonstrate that distinct frequency bands of the V1 LFP show diverse tuning profiles, which may potentially convey different attributes of the underlying neural activity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In recent years the local field potential (LFP) has been increasingly studied, but interpreting its rich frequency content has been difficult. We use a stimulus manipulation that generates different tuning profiles for low, gamma, and high frequencies of the LFP, suggesting contributions from potentially different sources. Our results have possible implications for design of better neural prosthesis systems and brain-machine interfacing applications.
Perimesencephalic Hemorrhage
Authors: Mensing Liselore A. , Vergouwen Mervyn D.I. , Laban Kamil G. , Ruigrok Ynte M. , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Algra Ale , Rinkel Gabriel J.E. 
Published: April 2018

Background and Purpose—
We systematically reviewed the literature on epidemiology, risk factors, presumed cause, clinical course, and outcome of perimesencephalic hemorrhage.

Methods—
PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched until March 2016. Quality assessment was done by 2 authors independently. Pooled prevalence ratios and pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for data extracted from case–control studies.

Results—
We included 208 papers. The incidence of perimesencephalic hemorrhage is ≈0.5 per 100.000 person-years, men are more often affected, and no risk factors were confirmed. Two decision analyses both found that a single, high-quality computed tomography angiography is the preferred diagnostic approach. Short-term complications, such as hydrocephalus or cranial nerve palsies, are rare, and usually transient, with the exception of acute symptomatic hydrocephalus necessitating treatment in 3% of patients. Lacunar infarcts in the brain stem were convincingly described in 4 patients only. Fatal rebleeding after installment of anticoagulation in the initial days after the hemorrhage was described in 1 patient. At long-term follow-up, death related to the hemorrhage has not been reported, disability is found in 0% to 6%, and neuropsychological sequelae are suggested.

Conclusions—
A single, high-quality computed tomography angiography is the preferred diagnostic strategy. Short-term complications are rare and often transient. Long-term outcome is excellent with respect to disability and death, but high-quality studies focused at neuropsychological sequelae are needed.
Population-Based Assessment of the Long-Term Risk of Seizures in Survivors of Stroke
Authors: Merkler Alexander E. , Gialdini Gino , Lerario Michael P. , Parikh Neal S. , Morris Nicholas A. , Kummer Benjamin , Dunn Lauren , Reznik Michael E. , Murthy Santosh B. , Navi Babak B. , Grinspan Zachary M. , Iadecola Costantino , Kamel Hooman 
Published: April 2018

Background and Purpose—
We sought to determine the long-term risk of seizures after stroke according to age, sex, race, and stroke subtype.

Methods—
We performed a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims from 2 complementary patient data sets. First, we analyzed data from all emergency department visits and hospitalizations in California, Florida, and New York from 2005 to 2013. Second, we evaluated inpatient and outpatient claims from a nationally representative 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Our cohort consisted of all adults at the time of acute stroke hospitalization without a prior history of seizures. Our outcome was seizure occurring after hospital discharge for stroke. Poisson regression and demographic data were used to calculate age-, sex-, and race-standardized incidence rate ratios (IRR).

Results—
Among 777 276 patients in the multistate cohort, the annual incidence of seizures was 1.68% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67%–1.70%) after stroke versus 0.15% (95% CI, 0.15%–0.15%) among the general population (IRR, 7.3; 95% CI, 7.3–7.4). By 8 years, the cumulative rate of any emergency department visit or hospitalization for seizure was 9.27% (95% CI, 9.16%–9.38%) after stroke versus 1.21% (95% CI, 1.21%–1.22%) in the general population. Stroke was more strongly associated with a subsequent seizure among patients <65 years of age (IRR, 12.0; 95% CI, 11.9–12.2) than in patients ≥65 years of age (IRR, 5.5; 95% CI, 5.4–5.5) and in the multistate analysis, the association between stroke and seizure was stronger among nonwhite patients (IRR, 11.0; 95% CI, 10.8–11.2) than among white patients (IRR, 7.3; 95% CI, 7.2–7.4). Risks were especially elevated after intracerebral hemorrhage (IRR, 13.3; 95% CI, 13.0–13.6) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (IRR, 13.2; 95% CI, 12.8–13.7). Our study of Medicare beneficiaries confirmed these findings.

Conclusions—
Almost 10% of patients with stroke will develop seizures within a decade. Hemorrhagic stroke, nonwhite race, and younger age seem to confer the greatest risk of developing seizures.
On the Margins of Ghana and Kawkaw: Four Seasons of Excavation at Tongo Maaré Diabal (AD 500-1150), Mali
Authors: Gestrich Nikolas , MacDonald Kevin C. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis article summarises the results of four seasons of excavation at Tongo Maaré Diabal (AD500-1150), near Douentza, Mali. Deep stratigraphic excavations were directed by MacDonald and Togola in 1993, 1995 and by MacDonald in 1996. Complementary, large exposure excavations of the abandonment layer were undertaken by Gestrich in 2010. The combined excavation results speak to topics of craft specialisation, trade, and social organisation. They provide evidence of a specialised blacksmithing community situated at the margins of early Middle Niger and Niger Bend statehood and urbanisation.
Synoptic-Scale Zonal Available Potential Energy Increases in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Bowley Kevin A. , Atallah Eyad H. , Gyakum John R. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAvailable potential energy (APE), a measure of the energy available for conversion to kinetic energy, has been previously applied to examine changes in baroclinic instability and seasonal changes in the general circulation. Here, pathways in which the troposphere can build the reservoir of zonal available potential energy AZ on synoptic (3–10 day) time scales are explored. A climatology of AZ and its generation GZ and conversion terms are calculated from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 dataset from 1979 to 2011 for 20°–85°N. A standardized anomaly-based identification technique identifies 183 AZ buildup events, which are grouped into two event types based upon their final AZ standardized anomaly (σ) value: 1) buildup anomalous (BA) events, which exceed 1.5σ, and 2) buildup neutral (BN) events, which do not exceed 1.5σ. Increases in GZ and reductions in baroclinic conversion CA, source and sink terms for AZ, are shown to equally contribute toward increasing AZ in most seasons. A synoptic analysis of composited mass fields for winter BA events (n = 18 events) and winter BN events (n = 28 events) is performed to identify contributions to anomalously low CA and high GZ. A process of high-latitude cooling near 160°E–120°W is found for both composite event types. The cooling processes are characterized by a period of poleward moisture flux and ascent followed by an isolation of the Arctic from the midlatitude flow, resulting in enhanced GZ. Negative anomalies in CA are also diagnosed, which generally occur in regions with northerly dynamic tropopause wind anomalies and neutral to positive thickness anomalies.
Dependence of Simulation Biases at AHI Surface-Sensitive Channels on Land Surface Emissivity over China
Authors: Zhuge X. , Zou X. , Weng F. , Sun M. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis study compares the simulation biases of Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) brightness temperature to observations made at night over China through the use of three land surface emissivity (LSE) datasets. The University of Wisconsin–Madison High Spectral Resolution Emissivity dataset, the Combined Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Emissivity database over Land High Spectral Resolution Emissivity dataset, and the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP) infrared LSE module, as well as land skin temperature observations from the National Basic Meteorological Observing stations in China are used as inputs to the Community Radiative Transfer Model. The results suggest that the standard deviations of AHI observations minus background simulations (OMBs) are largely consistent for the three LSE datasets. Also, negative biases of the OMBs of brightness temperature uniformly occur for each of the three datasets. There are no significant differences in OMB biases estimated with the three LSE datasets over cropland and forest surface types for all five AHI surface-sensitive channels. Over the grassland surface type, significant differences (~0.8 K) are found at the 10.4-, 11.2-, and 12.4-μm channels if using the IGBP dataset. Over nonvegetated surface types (e.g., sandy land, gobi, and bare rock), the lack of a monthly variation in IGBP LSE introduces large negative biases for the 3.9- and 8.6-μm channels, which are greater than those from the two other LSE datasets. Thus, improvements in simulating AHI infrared surface-sensitive channels can be made when using spatially and temporally varying LSE estimates.
Impact of Adaptively Thinned AIRS Cloud-Cleared Radiances on Tropical Cyclone Representation in a Global Data Assimilation and Forecast System
Authors: Reale Oreste , McGrath-Spangler Erica L. , McCarty Will , Holdaway Daniel , Gelaro Ronald 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
A simple adaptive thinning methodology for Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) radiances is evaluated through a combination of observing system experiments (OSEs) and adjoint methodologies. The OSEs are performed with the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS, version 5) data assimilation and forecast model. In addition, the adjoint-based forecast sensitivity observation impact technique is applied to assess fractional contributions of sensors in different thinning configurations. The adaptive strategy uses a denser AIRS coverage in a moving domain centered around tropical cyclones (TCs) but sparser everywhere else. The OSEs consist of two sets of data assimilation runs that cover the period from 1 September to 10 November 2014, with the first 20 days discarded for spinup. Both sets assimilate all conventional and satellite observations used operationally. In addition, one ingests clear-sky AIRS radiances, the other cloud-cleared radiances, each comprising multiple thinning strategies. Daily 7-day forecasts are initialized from all these analyses and evaluated with a focus on TCs over the Atlantic and Pacific. Evidence is provided on the effectiveness of this simple TC-centered adaptive radiance thinning strategy, in full agreement with previous theoretical studies. Specifically, global skill increases, and tropical cyclone representation is substantially improved. The improvement is particularly strong when cloud-cleared radiances are assimilated. Finally, the article suggests that cloud-cleared radiances, if thinned more aggressively than the currently used clear-sky radiances, could successfully replace them with large improvements in TC forecasting and no loss of global skill.
Influence of Contraception Use on the Reproductive Health of Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Fehring Richard J. , Bouchard Thomas , Meyers Maria 
Published: April 2018

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often prescribed to adolescents and young adults for the treatment of health problems and to avoid unwanted pregnancies. We hypothesized that the use of OCs, among adolescents and young adults, is associated with a greater likelihood of pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and sexual behaviors that will enhance those problems (i.e., earlier sexual debut and more sexual partners) than adolescents and young adults not using OCs. To test this hypothesis, data from 1,365 adolescents and young adults in the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were used to describe the influence of ever use of OCs on ever having sex, sexual debut, multiple sexual partners, STDs, PID, pregnancy, and abortion. A secondary purpose was to evaluate protective factors from unhealthy sexual practices like religiosity, church attendance, and intact families. We found that the “ever use” of OCs by US adolescents and young adults results in a greater likelihood of ever having sex, STDs, PID, pregnancy, and abortion compared with those adolescents and young adults who never used OCs. Furthermore, those adolescents who ever used OCs had significantly more male sexual partners than those who never used OCs, and they also had an earlier sexual debut by almost two years. Conversely, we found that frequent church attendance, identification of the importance of religion, and having an intact family among adolescents were associated with less likelihood of unsafe sexual practices. We concluded that the use of OCs by adolescents and young adults might be considered a health risk. Further research is recommended to confirm these associations. Summary: The purpose of this article was to show the correlation between contraceptive use in adolescents and negative sexual outcomes. We used data from the 2011–2013 NSFG and demonstrated that never married adolescents who used oral hormonal contraception were three times more likely to have an STD, have PID, and to become pregnant, and, surprisingly, ten times more likely of having an abortion compared to noncontracepting adolescents. These are outcomes that contraception is intended to prevent. These data also showed that the contraceptors had significantly more male partners than their contraceptive counterparts. Protective factors such as church attendance and family cohesiveness were associated with a decreased likelihood of sexual activity.
ClariVein™ – One year results of mechano-chemical ablation for varicose veins in a multi-ethnic Asian population from Singapore
Authors: Khor Shao N , Lei Jiang , Kam Jia W , Kum Steven , Tan Yih K , Tang Tjun Y 
Published: April 2018

Objectives This study assessed the effectiveness and patient experience of ClariVein for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in a multi-ethnic Asian population from Singapore. Methods A total of 121 patients underwent mechano-chemical ablation. Patients were reviewed at an interval of one week, and at 3, 6 and 12 months post procedure and underwent Duplex ultrasound with patient satisfaction assessment. Results At three months of follow-up, the great saphenous vein and short saphenous vein occlusion rates were 90.8% and 96.0%, respectively. At six months of follow–up, the GSV and short saphenous vein occlusion rates were 86.9% and 90.9%, respectively. At one year, great saphenous vein and short saphenous vein occlusion rates were 84.8% and 94.3%, respectively. Conclusions Early results are similar to what is described so far in the mechano-chemical ablation literature but recurrences are more than expected at one year. This is disappointing but is tempered by the fact that the majority of patients were asymptomatic and required no reintervention.