bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Urinary Quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli from Selected Patients Admitted at General Hospitals in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria
Authors: M. O Eghieye, , Y.B Ngwai , I.H Nkene , S.C Tama , O.F Bolarinwa, , R. H. Abimiku, 
Published: December 2024

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, of urinary quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli from selected General Hospitals in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria.
Study Design: Cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, between November 2023 and October 2024.
Methodology: A total of 200 samples were collected from urine of patients. Escherichia coli was isolated from the samples using standard cultural and microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and minimum inhibitory concentrations were evaluated as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).
Results: 50 out of 200 (25.0%) of the samples collected had E.coli. 10 isolates out of the 50 were quinolone resistant. Antibiotic resistance in the isolates in decreasing order were as follows: Ciprofloxacin (100.0%), Streptomycin (100.0%), Ampicillin (100.0%), Cefoxitin (80.0%), Cotrimoxazole (80.0%), Ceftazidime (70.0%), Gentamicin (50.0%), Gentamicin (50.8%), Naladixic Acid (40.0%), Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid (40.0%), and Ofloxacin; (40.0%). All isolates were resistant to AMP and CIP. All the E. coli isolated were MAR isolates. All the MAR isolates had MAR indices of ≥ 0.2. Most isolates were MDR isolates. There was also a PDR and XDR isolates among the selected tested E coli isolates.
Conclusion: The E. coli isolates showed high resistance to Ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and streptomycin, and all isolates were MAR, and had MAR indices of ≥ 0.2. The presence of MDR isolates is a public concern and urgent steps must be taken to address its spread. There is also a need to strengthen strategies and programmes to reduce AMR in Nigeria.
Effect of Different IBA Levels on Growth and Rooting of Semi- Hardwood Cuttings in Pomegranate cv. Kandhari
Authors: K. Harika , C. L. Sharma , B.S. Dilta , P. Verma , N. Kumari 
Published: December 2024

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a highly valued fruit crop known for its nutritional and medicinal properties belonging to family Punicaceae. This study aims to investigate the effect of Indole-3- butyric acid on growth rooting of semi hardwood cuttings in Pomegranate cv. Kandhari, conducted at the Experimental Farm of Department of Seed Science & Technology, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan, HP, India during 2022-2023. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (Factorial) with twelve treatment combinations replicated thrice, comprising of four IBA levels (0, 1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm) and three cutting segments (top, middle and basal). Among different levels of IBA, the treatment IBA @ 2000 ppm exhibited significantly higher per cent sprouting (60.00 %), number of shoot per cutting (5.21), shoot length (22.16 cm), shoot diameter (4.56 mm), number of leaves per cutting (14.78), leaf area (7.32 cm2), leaf chlorophyll content (6.03 mg g-1), fresh weight of shoots (7.24 g), dry weight of shoots (4.93 g), per cent rooting (58.89 %), number of roots per cutting (12.02), maximum root length (14.14 cm), fresh weight of roots (3.35 g), dry weight of roots (1.59 g) and biomass of cuttings (6.51 g). Among cutting segments, basal segment resulted in significantly increased per cent sprouting (56.67 %), number of shoots per cuttings (5.54), shoot length ( 21.86 cm), shoot diameter (4.46 mm), number of leaves per cutting (16.30), leaf area (8.68 cm2), leaf chlorophyll content (6.22), fresh (8.04 g) and dry weight of shoots (4.85 g), per cent rooting (60.42 %), number of roots per cutting (13.89), maximum root length (14.54 cm), fresh (3.63 g) and dry weight of roots (1.79 g) and biomass of cuttings (6.64 g). Therefore, it is concluded that the application of IBA-2000 ppm and basal segment of semi hardwood cutting of Pomegranate cv. Kandhari; shows the best result for all parameters like, per cent sprouting, number of shoot per cuttings, shoot diameter and length, numbers of leaves par cutting, fresh and dry weight of shoot, number of leaves per cuttings, leaf area, rooting percentage of cutting, length of roots, fresh and dry weight of roots, number of roots per cutting, biomass of cuttings. This research has been recognized as practical application by nursery man of pomegranate for preparation of better quality planting materials along with better survivability.
Prenatal diagnosis of Desbuquois dysplasia Type 1: Utilization of high‐density SNP array to map homozygosity and identify the gene
Authors: Forster Katherine R. , Hooper Jody E. , Blakemore Karin J. , Baschat Ahmet A. , Hoover‐Fong Julie 
Published: October 2019

AbstractDesbuquois dysplasia (DBQD1 [MIM 251450]) is an autosomal recessive chondrodysplasia with micromelia, severe joint laxity and dislocations, and a characteristic radiographic “monkey wrench” appearance at the proximal femur. Type 1 Desbuquois dysplasia is caused by mutations in CANT1 and is distinct from Type 2, caused by mutations in XYLT1, in that the former has unique hand anomalies including accessory phalangeal ossification centers, advanced carpal bone maturation, and/or axial phalangeal deviation. Severe prenatal presentations have been rarely reported. We report a Pakistani female in a consanguineous relationship with a diagnosis of Type 1 Desbuquois dysplasia in three consecutive pregnancies. Multiple similar severe fetal limb anomalies were detected by ultrasound in Pregnancy 1 and 2. Regions of homozygosity within the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐microarray from both terminated fetuses were compared, revealing CANT1 as a likely disease‐causing candidate gene. Insufficient fetal DNA precluded confirmatory testing, therefore parents were tested; both had a previously reported heterozygous CANT1 mutation (c.643G>T; Glu215Term). The patient presented with a third pregnancy revealing similarly abnormal limb position and probable polysyndactyly by ultrasound. Targeted testing of CANT1 revealed homozygous c.643G>T CANT1 mutations and this pregnancy was terminated. In clinical situations in which ample DNA is not available or more expensive testing (e.g., whole exome sequencing) with a longer turnaround time is not feasible, utilization of SNP‐microarray in consanguineous families at risk for rare autosomal recessive disorders may dramatically narrow the list of candidate genes.
Wild bonobo and chimpanzee females exhibit broadly similar patterns of behavioral maturation but some evidence for divergence
Authors: Lee Sean M. , Murray Carson M. , Lonsdorf Elizabeth V. , Fruth Barbara , Stanton Margaret A. , Nichols Jennifer , Hohmann Gottfried 
Published: October 2019

AbstractObjectivesPrimates exhibit variation in rates of growth and development. Variation in female growth and development across ape species appears to be explained by the Ecological Risk Aversion Hypothesis (ERAH). Indeed, existing data on variation in somatic growth and reproductive maturation between humans' closest living ape relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, appear to be consistent with this hypothesis. However, existing data on behavioral maturation between the two species appear to contradict this hypothesis. We present novel behavioral data on infant and juvenile females from wild populations of both species in order to further evaluate predictions of the ERAH as it relates to the speed of behavioral maturation.Materials and methodsWe analyzed 3 years of behavioral data on 17 female bonobos (<8 years of age) from LuiKotale, Democratic Republic of the Congo and 40 years of behavioral data on 30 age‐matched female chimpanzees from Gombe, Tanzania. We compared the timing of (a) the attainment of independence from mothers and (b) the development of social skills using the following proxies: proximity between females and their mothers and the time that females spent engaged in eating, suckling, social play, social grooming, and riding on their mothers.ResultsWe did not find species differences in the proportion of time that females spent in contact with their mothers or engaged in eating, suckling, social play, or social grooming. Female bonobos spent more time riding on their mothers than did female chimpanzees. Female bonobos spent more time at distances greater than 5 m from their mothers during the ages of 3–8 years, but females did not differ during the ages of 0–3 years.DiscussionBehavioral maturation is largely similar between females of the two species based on the ages and proxies considered herein. We propose alternative explanations for the differences that we found in proximity and riding that do not invoke differences in underlying rates of maturation.
Comparative morphology, histology, and cytology of odontocete cetaceans prostates
Authors: Suárez‐Santana Cristian M. , Fernández Antonio , Sierra Eva , Arbelo Manuel , Bernaldo de Quirós Yara , Andrada Marisa , Mompeo Blanca , Pérez Lilian , Blanco Alfonso , Méndez Aniceto , Espinosa de los Monteros Antonio , Rivero Miguel A. 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTThe prostate is the only male accessory gland in cetaceans. However, little is known about this organ in these species. Anatomical and histological characteristics of the prostate have been described in only a few cetacean species, further, one study reported a high incidence of prostatic pathologies in cetaceans that may impair reproduction. The objective of this work was to describe and compare the morphological, histological, and cytological characteristics of the prostate in different odontocete cetaceans. To this end, the prostate glands of 47 animals from nine different species of cetaceans were macroscopically and microscopically studied. Members of the families Delphinidae, Ziphiidae, and Physeteridae were included. In general, the prostate appeared as a musculo‐glandular organ with two distinct parts—the Corpus prostatae and the Pars disseminata prostatae. In the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) and the Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), the prostate was a discrete gland with a small Corpus prostatae. Microscopically, the prostates of different delphinids species shared similarities; however, the prostate of the pygmy sperm whale revealed significant histological differences compared to those of the delphinids. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using low‐ and high‐molecular‐weight cytokeratin, vimentin, and prostatic specific antigen commercial antibodies. Electron microscopy analysis was performed on the prostate of a bottlenose dolphin and the cytomorphological differences among the major epithelial components of the prostatic epithelium were described. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:2036–2053, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy
Comprehensive analysis of metabolic sensitivity of 1,4‐butanediol producing Escherichia coli toward substrate and oxygen availability
Authors: Pooth Viola , van Gaalen Kathrin , Trenkamp Sandra , Wiechert Wolfgang , Oldiges Marco 
Published: October 2019

AbstractNowadays, chemical production of 1,4‐butanediol is supplemented by biotechnological processes using a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain, which is an industrial showcase of successful application of metabolic engineering. However, large scale bioprocess performance can be affected by presence of physical and chemical gradients in bioreactors which are a consequence of imperfect mixing and limited oxygen transfer. Hence, upscaling comes along with local and time dependent fluctuations of cultivation conditions. This study emphasizes on scale‐up related effects of microbial 1,4‐butanediol production by comprehensive bioprocess characterization in lab scale. Due to metabolic network constraints 1,4‐butanediol formation takes place under oxygen limited microaerobic conditions, which can be hardly realized in large scale bioreactor. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which substrate and oxygen availability influence the productivity. It was found, that the substrate specific product yield and the production rate are higher under substrate excess than under substrate limitation. Furthermore, the level of oxygen supply within microaerobic conditions revealed strong effects on product and by‐product formation. Under strong oxygen deprivation nearly 30% of the consumed carbon is converted into 1,4‐butanediol, whereas an increase in oxygen supply results in 1,4‐butanediol reduction of 77%. Strikingly, increasing oxygen availability leads to strong increase of main by‐product acetate as well as doubled carbon dioxide formation. The study provides clear evidence that scale‐up of microaerobic bioprocesses constitute a substantial challenge. Although oxygen is strictly required for product formation, the data give clear evidence that terms of anaerobic and especially aerobic conditions strongly interfere with 1,4‐butanediol production.
Clearance of solvents and small molecule impurities in antibody drug conjugates via ultrafiltration and diafiltration operation
Authors: Gates Travis J. , Lyu Yaqi F. , Fang Xin , Liao Xiaoli 
Published: October 2019

AbstractUltrafiltration and diafiltration (UF/DF) processes by tangential flow filtration (TFF) are frequently used for removal of solvents and small molecule impurities and for buffer exchange for biopharmaceutical products. Antibody‐drug conjugates (ADCs) as an important class of biological therapeutics, carry unique solvents and small molecule impurities into the final UF/DF step as compared to standard antibody preparation. The production process of ADCs involves multiple chemical steps, for example, reduction and conjugation. The clearance of these solvents and small molecules by UF/DF, specifically the DF step, has been assessed and described herein. The rates of clearance for all the impurities in this study are close to the ideal clearance with no apparent interaction with either the protein or the TFF membrane and system. The effect of process variables during DF, such as pH, temperature, membrane loading, transmembrane pressure, and cross flow rate, has also been evaluated and found to have minimal impact on the clearance rate. These results demonstrate efficient clearance of solvents and small molecule impurities related to the ADC process by the DF process and provide a general data package to facilitate risk assessments based on the sieving factors and program specific needs.
Matrices (re)loaded: Durability, viability, and fermentative capacity of yeast encapsulated in beads of different composition during long‐term fed‐batch culture
Authors: Gulli Jordan , Yunker Peter , Rosenzweig Frank 
Published: October 2019

AbstractEncapsulated microbes have been used for decades to produce commodities ranging from methyl ketone to beer. Encapsulated cells undergo limited replication, which enables them to more efficiently convert substrate to product than planktonic cells and which contributes to their stress resistance. To determine how encapsulated yeast supports long‐term, repeated fed‐batch ethanologenic fermentation, and whether different matrices influence that process, fermentation and indicators of matrix durability and cell viability were monitored in high‐dextrose, fed‐batch culture over 7 weeks. At most timepoints, ethanol yield (g/g) in encapsulated cultures exceeded that in planktonic cultures. And frequently, ethanol yield differed among the four matrices tested: sodium alginate crosslinked with Ca2+ and chitosan, sodium alginate crosslinked with Ca2+, Protanal alginate crosslinked with Ca2+ and chitosan, Protanal alginate crosslinked with Ca2+, with the last of these consistently demonstrating the highest values. Young's modulus and viscosity were higher for matrices crosslinked with chitosan over the first week; thereafter values for both parameters declined and were indistinguishable among treatments. Encapsulated cells exhibited greater heat shock tolerance at 50°C than planktonic cells in either stationary or exponential phase, with similar thermotolerance observed across all four matrix types. Altogether, these data demonstrate the feasibility of re‐using encapsulated yeast to convert dextrose to ethanol over at least 7 weeks.
Soil heterogeneity increases plant diversity after 20 years of manipulation during grassland restoration
Authors: Baer Sara G. , Adams Tianjiao , Scott Drew A. , Blair John M. , Collins Scott L. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe “environmental heterogeneity hypothesis” predicts that variability in resources promotes species coexistence, but few experiments support this hypothesis in plant communities. A previous 15‐yr test of this hypothesis in a prairie restoration experiment demonstrated a weak effect of manipulated soil resource heterogeneity on plant diversity. This response was attributed to a transient increase in richness following a post‐restoration supplemental propagule addition, occasionally higher diversity under nutrient enrichment, and reduced cover of a dominant species in a subset of soil treatments. Here, we report community dynamics under continuous propagule addition in the same experiment, corresponding to 16–20 yr of restoration, in response to altered availability and heterogeneity of soil resources. We also quantified traits of newly added species to determine if heterogeneity increases the amount and variety of niches available for new species to exploit. The heterogeneous treatment contained a factorial combination of altered nutrient availability and soil depth; control plots had no manipulations. Total diversity and richness were higher in the heterogeneous treatment during this 5‐yr study due to higher cover, diversity, and richness of previously established forbs, particularly in the N‐enriched subplots. All new species added to the experiment exhibited unique trait spaces, but there was no evidence that heterogeneous plots contained a greater variety of new species representing a wider range of trait spaces relative to the control treatment. The richness and cover of new species was higher in N‐enriched soil, but the magnitude of this response was small. Communities assembling under long‐term N addition were dominated by different species among subplots receiving added N, leading to greater dispersion of communities among the heterogeneous relative to control plots. Contrary to the deterministic mechanism by which heterogeneity was expected to increase diversity (greater variability in resources for new species to exploit), higher diversity in the heterogeneous plots resulted from destabilization of formerly grass‐dominated communities in N‐enriched subplots. While we do not advocate increasing available soil N at large scales, we conclude that the positive effect of environmental heterogeneity on diversity can take decades to materialize and depend on development of stochastic processes in communities with strong establishment limitation.
Population genetic simulation study of power in association testing across genetic architectures and study designs
Authors: Tong Dominic M. H. , Hernandez Ryan D. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractWhile it is well established that genetics can be a major contributor to population variation of complex traits, the relative contributions of rare and common variants to phenotypic variation remains a matter of considerable debate. Here, we simulate genetic and phenotypic data across different case/control panel sampling strategies, sequencing methods, and genetic architecture models based on evolutionary forces to determine the statistical performance of rare variant association tests (RVATs) widely in use. We find that the highest statistical power of RVATs is achieved by sampling case/control individuals from the extremes of an underlying quantitative trait distribution. We also demonstrate that the use of genotyping arrays, in conjunction with imputation from a whole‐genome sequenced (WGS) reference panel, recovers the vast majority (90%) of the power that could be achieved by sequencing the case/control panel using current tools. Finally, we show that for dichotomous traits, the statistical performance of RVATs decreases as rare variants become more important in the trait architecture. Our results extend previous work to show that RVATs are insufficiently powered to make generalizable conclusions about the role of rare variants in dichotomous complex traits.
Temporal stability of functional brain modules associated with human intelligence
Authors: Hilger Kirsten , Fukushima Makoto , Sporns Olaf , Fiebach Christian J. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIndividual differences in general cognitive ability (i.e., intelligence) have been linked to individual variations in the modular organization of functional brain networks. However, these analyses have been limited to static (time‐averaged) connectivity, and have not yet addressed whether dynamic changes in the configuration of brain networks relate to general intelligence. Here, we used multiband functional MRI resting‐state data (N = 281) and estimated subject‐specific time‐varying functional connectivity networks. Modularity optimization was applied to determine individual time‐variant module partitions and to assess fluctuations in modularity across time. We show that higher intelligence, indexed by an established composite measure, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), is associated with higher temporal stability (lower temporal variability) of brain network modularity. Post‐hoc analyses reveal that subjects with higher intelligence scores engage in fewer periods of extremely high modularity — which are characterized by greater disconnection of task‐positive from task‐negative networks. Further, we show that brain regions of the dorsal attention network contribute most to the observed effect. In sum, our study suggests that investigating the temporal dynamics of functional brain network topology contributes to our understanding of the neural bases of general cognitive abilities.