bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exponentially Increased Thermal Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus faecium at Reduced Water Activity
Authors: Liu Shuxiang , Tang Juming , Tadapaneni Ravi Kiran , Yang Ren , Zhu Mei-Jun 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Salmonella
spp. exhibit prolonged survivability and high tolerance to heat in low-moisture foods. The reported thermal resistance parameters of
Salmonella
spp. in low-moisture foods appear to be unpredictable due to various unknown factors. We report here that temperature-dependent water activity (a
w, treatment temperature
) plays an important role in the sharply increased thermal resistance of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis PT 30 and its potential surrogate
Enterococcus faecium
NRRL B-2354. In our study, silicon dioxide granules, as carriers, were separately inoculated with these two microorganisms and were heated at 80°C with controlled relative humidity between 18 and 72% (resulting in corresponding a
w,80°C
values for bacteria between 0.18 and 0.72) in custom-designed test cells. The inactivation kinetics of both microorganisms fitted a log-linear model (
R
2
, 0.83 to 0.97). Reductions in the a
w,80°C
values of bacterial cells exponentially increased the
D
80°C
(the time needed to achieve a 1-log reduction in a bacterial population at 80°C) values for
S
. Enteritidis and
E. faecium
on silicon dioxide. The log-linear relationship between the
D
80°C
values for each strain in silicon dioxide and its a
w,80°C
values was also verified for organic wheat flour.
E. faecium
showed consistently higher
D
80°C
values than
S
. Enteritidis over the a
w,80°C
range tested. The estimated z
aw
(the change in a
w,80°C
needed to change
D
80°C
by 1 log) values of
S
. Enteritidis and
E. faecium
were 0.31 and 0.28, respectively. This study provides insight into the interpretation of
Salmonella
thermal resistance that could guide the development and validation of thermal processing of low-moisture foods.

IMPORTANCE
In this paper, we established that the thermal resistance of the pathogen
S
. Enteritidis and its surrogate
Enterococcus faecium
, as reflected by
D
values at 80°C, increases sharply with decreasing relative humidity in the environment. The log-linear relationship between the
D
80°C
values of each strain in silicon dioxide and its a
w,80°C
values was also verified for organic wheat flour. The results provide new quantitative insight into the way in which the thermal resistance of microorganisms changes in low-moisture systems, and they should aid in the development of effective thermal treatment strategies for pathogen control in low-moisture foods.
Near-Complete Genome Sequences of Several New Norovirus Genogroup II Genotypes
Authors: Chhabra Preeti , Aswath Kshama , Collins Nikail , Ahmed Tahmeed , Olórtegui Maribel Paredes , Kosek Margaret , Cebelinski Elizabeth , Cooper Phil J. , Bucardo Filemon , Lopez Maria Renee , Castro Christina J. , Marine Rachel L. , Ng Terry Fei Fan , Vinjé Jan 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT
We report here the near-complete genome sequences of 13 norovirus strains detected in stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis from Bangladesh, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Nicaragua, and the United States that are classified into one existing (genotype II.22 [GII.22]), 3 novel (GII.23, GII.24 and GII.25), and 3 tentative novel (GII.NA1, GII.NA2, and GII.NA3) genotypes.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Endophyte
Paenibacillus
sp. Strain GM2FR Isolated from
Festuca rubra
Authors: Wemheuer Franziska , Wemheuer Bernd , Hollensteiner Jacqueline , Daniel Rolf , Poehlein Anja 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Here, we report the 7.4-Mb draft genome sequence of
Paenibacillus
sp. strain GM2FR, an endophytic bacterium isolated from aerial plant tissues of
Festuca rubra
L. Genome analysis revealed 6,652 coding gene sequences and several gene clusters involved in plant growth promotion, such as that for the siderophore bacillibactin.
Genome Sequence of
Serratia marcescens
subsp.
sakuensis
Strain K27, a Marine Bacterium Isolated from Sponge (
Haliclona amboinensis
)
Authors: Cheng Tzi Him , Saidin Jasnizat , Danish-Daniel Muhd , Gan Han Ming , Mat Isa Mohd Noor , Abu Bakar Mohd Faizal , Ismail Noraznawati 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Serratia marcescens
subsp.
sakuensis
strain K27 was isolated from sponge (
Haliclona amboinensis
). The genome of this strain consists of 5,325,727 bp, with 5,140 open reading frames (ORFs), 3 rRNAs, and 67 tRNAs. It contains genes for the production of amylases, lipases, and proteases. Gene clusters for the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides and thiopeptide were also identified.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Rhodococcus
sp. Strain M8, Which Can Degrade a Broad Range of Nitriles
Authors: Novikov Andrey D. , Lavrov Konstantin V. , Kasianov Artem S. , Gerasimova Tatyana V. , Yanenko Alexander S. 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Rhodococcus
sp. strain M8 is a nitrile-degrading bacterium isolated from acrylonitrile-contaminated sites. This strain produces the enzymes for sequential nitrile degradation, cobalt-type nitrile hydratase, and amidase in large amounts. Its draft genome sequence, announced here, has an estimated size of 6.3 Mbp.
Draft Whole-Genome Sequences of
Zhihengliuella halotolerans
La12 and
Microbacterium kitamiense
Sa12, Strains with Cellulase Activity, Isolated from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Chen Mingming , Qin Na , Pei Wenqin , Li Qianhui , Yang Qing , Chen Yao , Huang Duntao , Xiang Yingying , Lin Ling 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

We report the complete genome sequences of cellulolytic strains
Zhihengliuella halotolerans
La12 and
Microbacterium kitamiense
Sa12, which were isolated from soil samples collected from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Western China. The final assemblies of La12 and Sa12 comprise 3,712,694 bp, with over 111 contigs, and 3,830,439 bp, with over 39 contigs, respectively.
Draft Genome Sequences of
Acinetobacter
and
Bacillus
Strains Isolated from Spacecraft-Associated Surfaces
Authors: Seuylemezian Arman , Vaishampayan Parag , Cooper Kerry , Venkateswaran Kasthuri 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

We report here the draft genome sequences of four strains isolated from spacecraft-associated surfaces exhibiting increased resistance to stressors such as UV radiation and exposure to H
2
O
2
. The draft genomes of strains 1P01SC
T
, FO-92
T
, 50v1, and 2P01AA had sizes of 5,500,894 bp, 4,699,376 bp, 3,174,402 bp, and 4,328,804 bp, respectively.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Recombinant Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Strain, CH/JXJA/2017, Isolated in Jiangxi, China, in 2017
Authors: Li Kai , Song Deping , Zhang Fanfan , Gong Wang , Guo Nannan , Li Anqi , Zhou Xingrong , Huang Dongyan , Ye Yu , Tang Yuxin 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT
The full-length genome sequence of a variant of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), that of strain CH/JXJA/2017, was highly homologous to CH/ZMDZY/11, a highly virulent Chinese PEDV strain. CH/JXJA/2017 had a distant relationship with the attenuated CV777 vaccine strain, but the insertion sites of the S1 gene were similar to those of the recombinant strain of CH/ZMDZY/11.
Complete Genome Sequence and Methylome Analysis of
Bacillus caldolyticus
NEB414
Authors: Fomenkov Alexey , Vincze Tamas , Mersha Fana , Roberts Richard J. 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT

Bacillus caldolyticus
NEB414 is the original source strain for the restriction enzyme BclI. Its complete sequence and full methylome were determined using single-molecule real-time sequencing.
HAVCR1 (CD365) and Its Mouse Ortholog Are Functional Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Cellular Receptors That Mediate HAV Infection
Authors: Costafreda Maria Isabel , Kaplan Gerardo 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) cellular receptor 1 (HAVCR1), classified as CD365, was initially discovered as an HAV cellular receptor using an expression cloning strategy. Due to the lack of HAV receptor-negative replication-competent cells, it was not possible to fully prove that HAVCR1 was a functional HAV receptor. However, biochemistry, classical virology, and epidemiology studies further supported the functional role of HAVCR1 as an HAV receptor. Here, we show that an anti-HAVCR1 monoclonal antibody that protected African green monkey kidney (AGMK) cells against HAV infection only partially protected monkey Vero E6 cells and human hepatoma Huh7 cells, indicating that these two cell lines express alternative yet unidentified HAV receptors. Therefore, we focused our work on AGMK cells to further characterize the function of HAVCR1 as an HAV receptor. Advances in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 technology allowed us to knock out the monkey ortholog of HAVCR1 in AGMK cells. The resulting AGMK HAVCR1 knockout (KO) cells lost susceptibility to HAV infection, including HAV-free viral particles (vpHAV) and exosomes purified from HAV-infected cells (exo-HAV). Transfection of HAVCR1 cDNA into AGMK HAVCR1 KO cells restored susceptibility to vpHAV and exo-HAV infection. Furthermore, transfection of the mouse ortholog of HAVCR1, mHavcr1, also restored the susceptibility of AGMK HAVCR1 KO cells to HAV infection. Taken together, our data clearly show that HAVCR1 and mHavcr1 are functional HAV receptors that mediate HAV infection. This work paves the way for the identification of alternative HAV receptors to gain a complete understanding of their interplay with HAVCR1 in the cell entry and pathogenic processes of HAV.

IMPORTANCE
HAVCR1, an HAV receptor, is expressed in different cell types, including regulatory immune cells and antigen-presenting cells. How HAV evades the immune response during a long incubation period of up to 4 weeks and the mechanism by which the subsequent necroinflammatory process clears the infection remain a puzzle that most likely involves the HAV-HAVCR1 interaction. Based on negative data, a recent paper from the S. M. Lemon and W. Maury laboratories (A. Das, A. Hirai-Yuki, O. Gonzalez-Lopez, B. Rhein, S. Moller-Tank, R. Brouillette, L. Hensley, I. Misumi, W. Lovell, J. M. Cullen, J. K. Whitmire, W. Maury, and S. M. Lemon, mBio 8:e00969-17, 2017,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00969-17
) suggested that HAVCR1 is not a functional HAV receptor, nor it is it required for HAV infection. However, our data, based on regain of the HAV receptor function in HAVCR1 knockout cells transfected with HAVCR1 cDNA, disagree with their findings. Our positive data show conclusively that HAVCR1 is indeed a functional HAV receptor and lays the ground for the identification of alternative HAV receptors and how they interact with HAVCR1 in cell entry and the pathogenesis of HAV.
Sexual inequality in incident tuberculosis: a cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Yen Yung-Feng , Hu Hsiao-Yun , Lee Ya-Ling , Ku Po-Wen , Ko Ming-Chung , Chuang Pei-Hung , Lai Yun-ju , Chu Dachen 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveAnimal studies showed that male subjects had lower activity of immune response to infections than female subjects, which may increase the risk of the development of tuberculosis in male population. This study intended to investigate the risk of incident tuberculosis in male and female adults in Taiwan.DesignThis is a retrospective cohort study.SettingThe present analyses used data of Taiwan National Health Interview Survey 2001, 2005 and 2009, National Register of Deaths Dataset, and National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2013.ParticipantsA total of 43 424 subjects with a mean age of 43.04 years were analysed.Primary outcome measuresIncidence of tuberculosis.ResultsDuring 381 561 person-years of follow-up period, incident tuberculosis was recognised in 268 individuals. The incidence rates of tuberculosis were 97.56 and 43.24 per 100 000 person-years among male and female participants, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves comparing male and female subjects showed statistical significance (log-rank test, P value<0.01). After adjusting for subjects’ demographics and comorbidities, men showed increased risks of incident tuberculosis (adjusted HR, 1.68; 95% CI 1.21 to 2.34; P value<0.01) compared with women. On subgroup analysis, after stratifying by age, smoking and alcohol use, men had a higher risk of incident tuberculosis than women in all patient subgroups, except those who were current smokers.ConclusionsThis study suggests that men had a higher risk of incident tuberculosis than women. Future tuberculosis control programmes should particularly target the male population.
Subcutaneous treprostinil in congenital heart disease-related pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Skoro-Sajer Nika , Gerges Christian , Balint Olga Hajnalka , Kohalmi Dora , Kaldararova Monika , Simkova Iveta , Jakowitsch Johannes , Gabriel Harald , Baumgartner Helmut , Gerges Mario , Sadushi-Kolici Roela , Celermajer David S , Lang Irene Marthe 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous treprostinil in adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD)-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) after 12 months of treatment.MethodsConsecutive adult patients with CHD–PAH received subcutaneous treprostinil to maximum tolerated doses in an observational study.ResultsAdvanced CHD–PAH patients with WHO class III or IV disease (n=32, age 40±10 years, 20 females) received treprostinil for suboptimal response to bosentan (n=12), WHO functional class IV disease (FC, n=7) or prior to bosentan approval (n=13). In the multivariate mixed model, mean increase in 6 min walk distance (6-MWD) from baseline to 12 months was 114 m (76; 152) (P<0.001). WHO FC improved significantly (P=0.001) and B-type brain natriuretic peptide decreased from 1259 (375; 2368) pg/mL to 380 (144; 1468) pg/mL (P=0.02). In those 14 patients who had haemodynamic data before and after initiation of treprostinil, pulmonary vascular resistance decreased significantly (from 18.4±11.1 to 12.6±7.9 Wood units, P=0.003). The most common adverse events were infusion-site erythema and pain. One patient stopped treatment because of intolerable infusion-site pain after 8 months of treatment. No other major treatment-related complications were observed. Five patients died during early follow-up, having experienced a decrease in their 6-MWD prior.ConclusionsSubcutaneous treprostinil therapy is generally safe and effective for at least 12 months and may be used in CHD-related PAH class III and IV.
Beam dynamics pre-study for the RFQ of SPPC p-Linac
Authors: Liu Jing , Lu Yuanrong , Li Haipeng , Su Jiancang , Liu Xiaolong 
Published: February 2018

A proton–proton collider at center-of-mass energy of more than 70 TeV is the second stage of the CEPC-SPPC program. As proposed, the SPPC injector chain will use a 1.2 GeV p-Linac and three synchrotrons of 10 GeV p-RCS, 180 GeV MSS and 2.1 TeV SS. Peking University is responsible for the preliminary conceptual design of the room temperature part of SPPC p-Linac. This paper is focusing on the beam dynamics studies performed with respect to the 325 MHz RFQ. As the first accelerator structure after the ion source and the front-end of the whole SPPC, RFQ plays an important role in the beam initial transverse focusing and longitudinal bunching. Based on the New Four Section Procedure strategy, as well as the matched and Equipartitioning design method, a 3 MeV RFQ designed by Parmteq code will be introduced. The cavity length of RFQ is 3.6 m and the transmission efficiency is 98%. In this design scheme, the 40 mA proton beam from the 50 keV ion source is accelerated to 3 MeV in 3.8 m length, which achieves a sixty times energy gain. The results of the analyses show that the RFQ design is reliable and meets all the SPPC p-Linac requirements well.
Are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Regional Degenerative Osteoarthritis Linked? Results of a Case-Control Study
Authors: Bacle Guillaume , Marteau Emilie , Corcia Philippe , Garaud Pascal , Laulan Jacky 
Published: February 2018

Background: Causality has not been formally demonstrated between carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis of the wrist or at the base of the thumb. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome and concomitant degenerative osteoarthritis of the wrist or basal thumb joint. We hypothesised that wrist osteoarthritis by reducing the free volume of the carpal tunnel would be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, while basal thumb osteoarthritis would show no direct correlation with carpal tunnel syndrome.Methods: A case-control study including 95 cases and 99 control subjects, has been carried out. Sixty-eight per group were matched for age and sex. Posterior-anterior and lateral plain wrist radiographs for the two matched groups were analysed.Results: Except for scaphotrapeziotrapezoid location, degenerative osteoarthritis of the wrist was significantly linked with carpal tunnel syndrome, whereas there was no significant difference between case and control groups for prevalence of basal osteoarthritis of the thumb.Conclusions: These results suggest that basal osteoarthritis of the thumb is not a causal factor in carpal tunnel syndrome. In contrast, degenerative osteoarthritis of the wrist was strongly associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, suggesting a causal relation.
Outcomes of Ulnar Shortening for Ulnar Impaction Syndrome Using the 2.7 mm AO Ulna Shortening Osteotomy System
Authors: Finnigan T. , Makaram N. , Baumann A. , Ramesh K. , Mohil R. , Srinivasan M. 
Published: February 2018

Background: Ulnar shortening osteotomy is a well-established treatment for ulnar impaction syndrome. Controversy remains regarding the most effective system to achieve efficient bony union, whilst minimising incidence of complications, particularly hardware irritation. We present outcomes at 2 years using the recently released low profile AO osteotomy system.Methods: 32 consecutive patients with significant pain from ulnar impaction syndrome (idiopathic or post-traumatic), without degenerative changes of the distal radio-ulnar joint, were included. Time to union, range of motion, grip strength, pain and complications were recorded.Results: Median time to union was 10.14 weeks (9.27–11.01, 95%CI), with one nonunion. Visual Analogue Pain score, grip strength and range of motion improved significantly. No patient experienced hardware irritation. No plate required removal. Positive ulnar variance was reduced by 3.8 mm (mean).Conclusions: The low profile AO system appears effective in achieving bony union whilst minimising incidence of hardware irritation, at a follow up of 2 years
Cardiac modulation of alpha motoneuron discharges
Authors: Ford T. W. , Kirkwood P. A. 
Published: February 2018

Recordings of alpha motoneuron discharges from branches of the intercostal and abdominal nerves in anesthetized cats were analyzed for modulation during the cardiac cycle. Cardiac modulation was assessed by the construction of cross-correlation histograms between the R-wave of the ECG and the largest amplitude efferent spikes. In all but two recordings (which were believed to have either no or few alpha spikes), the histograms showed relatively short duration peaks and/or troughs (widths at half amplitude 4–50 ms) at lags of 10–150 ms. These observations were deduced to result from activity in oligosynaptic pathways, probably from muscle spindle afferents, whose discharges are known to be synchronized to the cardiac pulse. The results suggest that onward transmission of the cardiac signal from thoracic muscle afferents (and possibly from other dynamically sensitive afferents) to other parts of the central nervous system is highly likely and that therefore these afferents could contribute to cardiac interoception. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It has been recognized since 1933 that muscle spindles respond to the cardiac pulse, but it is unknown whether this cardiac signal is transmitted to other levels in the nervous system. Here we show that a cardiac signal, likely arising from muscle spindles, is present in the efferent activities of thoracic and abdominal muscle nerves, suggesting probable onward transmission of this signal to higher levels and therefore that muscle spindles could contribute to cardiac interoception.
Synoptic Environments and Characteristics of Convection Reaching the Tropopause over Northeast China
Authors: Liu Nana , Liu Chuntao 
Published: February 2018

AbstractOvershooting convection that penetrates the lapse rate tropopause is defined globally using 3 years of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) observations and ERA-Interim data. Overshooting convection in the subtropics is mainly found over a few hot spot regions, including central North America and Argentina. A relatively high density of events with overshooting convection is also found over northeast China in the summer months, where 203 events are identified during 2014–16. These convective events extending above the tropopause occur under various synoptic conditions. The synoptic conditions during these events are categorized into three different types, namely, trough, cutoff low, and ridge types, with a subjective analysis based on the wind and pressure fields at 500 hPa. The precipitation systems with overshooting convection ahead of a deep trough have larger sizes than other types. Those in the cutoff low environment are mostly embedded within a large precipitation system. The ridge-type systems have a stable midtroposphere and a high moist instability at low levels and are mostly isolated convective systems, characterized by smaller sizes, higher radar echo top, and larger convective area and precipitation fraction than the other two types.
Comparison of 2 and 4 Intratympanic Steroid Injections in the Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Suzuki Hideaki , Wakasugi Tetsuro , Kitamura Takuro , Koizumi Hiroki , Do Ba Hung , Ohbuchi Toyoaki 
Published: February 2018

Objective: We studied the effect of intratympanic steroid administration with different total injection times on hearing outcomes in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Methods: The subjects were 191 consecutive patients (192 ears) with ISSNHL (hearing level ≥40 dB, interval between onset and treatment ≤30 days). They received systemic prednisolone (100 mg followed by tapered doses) combined with intratympanic injection of dexamethasone (4 mg/ml). Intratympanic injection was performed 4 times (days 1, 2, 4, and 7) in 92 patients (92 ears) or 2 times (days 1 and 2) in 99 patients (100 ears). The hearing outcomes were evaluated at 1 week from the start of treatment and 1 to 2 months after the completion of treatment. Results: There was no significant difference in hearing outcomes between the 4- and 2-injection groups at either time point. Multiple regression analysis also showed that the hearing level after treatment did not depend on the total number of intratympanic steroid injections. Conclusion: These results indicate that a protocol using only 2 intratympanic steroid injections exerts a sufficient effect on the hearing outcomes of ISSNHL. This simplified treatment protocol would be greatly beneficial to relieve the physical and mental stress of patients.