bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Repeated Doses of Ivermectin Versus Ivermectin Plus Albendazole for the Treatment of Onchocerciasis: A Randomized, Open-label, Clinical Trial
Authors: Batsa Debrah Linda , Klarmann-Schulz Ute , Osei-Mensah Jubin , Dubben Bettina , Fischer Kerstin , Mubarik Yusif , Ayisi-Boateng Nana Kwame , Ricchiuto Arcangelo , Fimmers Rolf , Konadu Peter , Nadal Jennifer , Gruetzmacher Barbara , Weil Gary , Kazura James W , King Christopher L , Debrah Alexander Y , Hoerauf Achim 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Improved treatment for onchocerciasis is needed to accelerate onchocerciasis elimination in Africa. Aiming to better exploit registered drugs, this study was undertaken to determine whether annual or semiannual treatment with ivermectin (IVM; 200 µg/kg) plus albendazole (ALB; 800 mg single dose) is superior to IVM alone.

Methods
This trial was performed in Ghana and included 272 participants with microfilariae (MF), who were randomly assigned to 4 treatment arms: (1) IVM annually at 0, 12, and 24 months; (2) IVM semiannually at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months; (3) IVM+ALB annually; or (4) IVM+ALB semiannually. Microfiladermia was determined pretreatment and at 6, 18, and 36 months. The primary outcome was the proportion of fertile and viable female worms in onchocercomata excised at 36 months.

Results
Posttreatment nodule histology showed that 15/135 (11.1%), 22/155 (14.2%), 35/154 (22.7%), and 20/125 (16.0%) living female worms had normal embryogenesis in the IVM annual, IVM semiannual, IVM+ALB annual, and IVM+ALB semiannual groups, respectively (P = .1229). Proportions of dead worms also did not differ between the 4 groups (P = .9198). Proportions of patients without MF at 36 months (1 year after the last treatment) were 35/56 (63%) after annual IVM, 42/59 (71%) after semiannual IVM, 39/64 (61%) after annual IVM+ALB, and 43/53 (81%) after semiannual IVM+ALB.

Conclusions
The combination treatment of IVM plus ALB was no better than IVM alone for sterilizing, killing adult worms, or achieving sustained MF clearance. However, semiannual treatment was superior to annual treatment for achieving sustained clearance of Onchocerca volvulus MF from the skin (P = .024).

Clinical Trials Registration
ISRCTN50035143
Imatinib in Refractory Crohn Disease: A Series of 6 Cases
Authors: Boctor Anna , Hugot Jean-Pierre , Leblanc Thierry , Martinez-Vinson Christine , Allez Matthieu , Bellaïche Marc 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Biologics have revolutionized Crohn disease (CD) treatment. Nevertheless, absence or loss of response is frequent and alternative therapeutic options may be necessary. Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is used in chronic myeloid leukemia. A positive impact on CD in 2 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib led us to propose the drug in 4 additional patients with refractory CD. Four out of these 6 patients reached clinical and endoscopic remission at a median time of 3 months. Remission was maintained for 9 months to 7 years. Imatinib may thus be considered as new therapeutic options for refractory CD.
We report 6 CD patients treated with imatinib. Two of them because of a leukemia and 4 because of a disease refractory to all medical options. Four patients experienced full and sometimes prolonged remission of their digestive disease.
Revival of Krebs–Ringer balanced salt solution for the investigation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes andPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilm interaction
Authors: Bjarnsholt Thomas , Jensen Peter Østrup , Alhede Maria 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACTTo study the interaction between aggregating bacteria and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in vitro, the chosen medium must favor both the isolated PMNs and the bacteria. To investigate the best-suited medium for the in vitro survival of isolated unactivated human PMNs, we compared three different mammalian cell media: Krebs–Ringer balanced salt solution (BSS), Hanks’ BSS (HBSS) and Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640. The death of PMNs was estimated by the release of lactate dehydrogenase activity. Furthermore, two types of serum, human (HS) and fetal bovine (FBS), were compared at different concentrations (0%, 2%, 5%, 10%) and at three different time points (2, 4, 20 h). We show that Krebs–Ringer BSS prolonged the survival of PMNs compared to HBSS and RPMI 1640 and that the addition of 10% FBS significantly enhanced the long-term survival (20 h) compared to HS. Furthermore, we observed aggregation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa when grown in the presence of either a mixture of histones, histone H3, arginine or lysine. In this study, we show that the use of Krebs–Ringer BSS is highly relevant for the study of the interaction of bacteria and PMNs in relation to novel treatment strategies of biofilm infections due to the reproduction of bacterial aggregation as seen in chronic bacterial infections.
Deep electrical resistivity tomography for the prospection of low- to medium-enthalpy geothermal resources
Authors: Carrier A , Fischanger F , Gance J , Cocchiararo G , Morelli G , Lupi M 
Published: September 2019

SUMMARY
The growth of the geothermal industry sector requires innovative methods to reduce exploration costs whilst minimizing uncertainty during subsurface exploration. Until now geoelectrical prospection had to trade between logistically complex cabled technologies reaching a few hundreds meters deep versus shallow-reaching prospecting methods commonly used in hydro-geophysical studies. We present a recent technology for geoelectrical prospection, and show how geoelectrical methods may allow the investigation of medium-enthalpy geothermal resources until about 1 km depth. The use of the new acquisition system, which is made of a distributed set of independent electrical potential recorders, enabled us to tackle logistics and noise data issues typical of urbanized areas. We acquired a 4.5-km-long 2-D geoelectrical survey in an industrial area to investigate the subsurface structure of a sedimentary sequence that was the target of a ∼700 m geothermal exploration well (Geo-01, Satigny) in the Greater Geneva Basin, Western Switzerland. To show the reliability of this new method we compared the acquired resistivity data against reflection seismic and gravimetric data and well logs. The processed resistivity model is consistent with the interpretation of the active-seismic data and density variations computed from the inversion of the residual Bouguer anomaly. The combination of the resistivity and gravity models suggest the presence of a low resistivity and low density body crossing Mesozoic geological units up to Palaeogene–Neogene units that can be used for medium-enthalpy geothermal exploitation. Our work points out how new geoelectrical methods may be used to identify thermal groundwater at depth. This new cost-efficient technology may become an effective and reliable exploration method for the imaging of shallow geothermal resources.
The relationships between quality management systems, safety culture and leadership and patient outcomes in Australian Emergency Departments
Authors: Clay-Williams Robyn , Taylor Natalie , Ting Hsuen P , Winata Teresa , Arnolda Gaston , Austin Elizabeth , Braithwaite Jeffrey 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Objective
We aimed to examine whether Emergency Department (ED) quality strategies, safety culture and leadership were associated with patient-level outcomes, after controlling for other organization-level factors, in 32 large Australian hospitals.

Design
Quantitative observational study, using linear and multi-level modelling to identify relationships between quality management systems at organization level; quality strategies at ED level for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), hip fracture and stroke; clinician safety culture and leadership and patient-level outcomes of waiting time and length of stay.

Setting
Thirty-two large Australian public hospitals.

Participants
Audit of quality management processes at organization and ED levels, senior quality manager at each of the 32 participating hospitals, 394 ED clinicians (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals).

Main Outcome Measure(s)
Within the multi-level model, associations were assessed between organization-level quality measures and ED quality strategies; organization-level quality measures and ED quality strategies and ward-level clinician measures of teamwork climate (TC), safety climate (SC) and leadership for AMI, hip fracture and stroke treatment conditions; and organization-level quality measures and ED quality strategies and ward-level clinician measures of TC, SC and leadership, and ED waiting time and length of stay (performance).

Results
We found seven statistically significant associations between organization-level quality systems and ED-level quality strategies; four statistically significant associations between quality systems and strategies and ED safety culture and leadership; and nine statistically significant associations between quality systems and strategies and ED safety culture and leadership, and ED waiting time and length of stay.

Conclusions
Organization-level quality structures influence ED-level quality strategies, clinician safety culture and leadership and, ultimately, waiting time and length of stay for patients. By focusing only on time-based measures of ED performance we risk punishing EDs that perform well on patient safety measures. We need to better understand the trade-offs between implementing safety culture and quality strategies and improving patient flow in the ED, and to place more emphasis on other ED performance measures in addition to time.
The clinician safety culture and leadership questionnaire: refinement and validation in Australian public hospitals
Authors: Clay-Williams Robyn , Taylor Natalie , Ting Hsuen P , Winata Teresa , Arnolda Gaston , Braithwaite Jeffrey 
Published: September 2019

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to refine and validate a tool to measure safety culture and leadership in Australian hospitals.DesignThe clinician safety culture and leadership questionnaire was constructed by combining and refining the following two previously validated scales: Safety Attitudes Questionnaire and the Leadership Effectiveness Survey. Statistical processes were used to explore the factor structure, reliability, validity and descriptive statistics of the new instrument.SettingThirty-two large Australian public hospitals.Participants1382 clinicians (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals).Main Outcome Measure(s)Descriptive statistics, structure and validity of clinician safety culture and leadership scale.ResultsWe received 1334 valid responses from participants. The distribution of ratings was left-skewed, with a small ceiling effect, meaning that scores were clustered toward the high end of the scale. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we confirmed the structure of the three scales as a combined measure of safety culture and leadership. The data were divided into equal calibration and validation datasets. For the calibration dataset, the Chi-square: df ratio was 4.4, the root mean square error of approximation RMSEA (a measure of spread of the data) was 0.071, the standardized root mean square residual SRMR (an absolute measure of the fit of the data) was 0.058 and the Confirmatory Fit Index (CFI) (another test confirming the fit of the data) was 0.82; while none of the indices suggested good fit, all but CFI fell within acceptable thresholds. All factors demonstrated adequate internal consistency and construct reliability, as desired. All three domains achieved discriminant validity through cross-loadings, meaning that the three domains were determined to be independent constructs. Results for the validation dataset were effectively identical to those found in the calibration dataset.ConclusionsWhile the model may benefit from additional refinement, we have validated the tool for measuring clinician safety culture and leadership in our Australian sample. The DUQuA safety culture and leadership scale can be used by Australian hospitals to assess clinician safety culture and leadership, and is readily modifiable for other health systems depending on their needs.
Do quality management systems influence clinical safety culture and leadership? A study in 32 Australian hospitals
Authors: Clay-Williams Robyn , Taylor Natalie , Ting Hsuen P , Arnolda Gaston , Winata Teresa , Braithwaite Jeffrey 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to explore the associations between the organization-level quality arrangements, improvement and implementation and department-level safety culture and leadership measures across 32 large Australian hospitals.

Design
Quantitative observational study, using linear and multi-level modelling to identify relationships between quality management systems and clinician safety culture and leadership.

Setting
Thirty-two large Australian public hospitals.

Participants
Quality audit at organization level, senior quality manager at each participating hospital, 1382 clinicians (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals).

Main outcome measures
Associations between organization-level quality measures and department-level clinician measures of teamwork climate, safety climate and leadership for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), hip fracture and stroke treatment conditions.

Results
We received 1332 valid responses from participants. The quality management systems index (QMSI, a questionnaire-based measure of the hospitals’ quality management structures) was ‘positively’ associated with all three department-level scales in the stroke department, with safety culture and leadership in the emergency department, but with none of the three scales in the AMI and hip fracture departments. The quality management compliance index (QMCI, an external audit-based measure of the quality improvement activities) was ‘negatively’ associated with teamwork climate and safety climate in AMI departments, after controlling for QMSI, but not in other departments. There was no association between QMCI and leadership in any department, after controlling for QMSI, and there was no association between the clinical quality implementation index (CQII, an external audit-based measure of the level of implementation of quality activities) and any of the three department-level scales in any of the four departments, after controlling for both QMSI and QMCI.

Conclusions
The influence of organization-level quality management systems on clinician safety culture and leadership varied depending on the hospital department, suggesting that whilst there was some consistency on patient safety attitudes and behaviours throughout the organizations, there were also other factors at play.
Pandrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: a systematic review of current epidemiology, prognosis and treatment options
Authors: Karakonstantis Stamatis , Kritsotakis Evangelos I , Gikas Achilleas 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe literature on the epidemiology, mortality and treatment of pandrug-resistant (PDR) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is scarce, scattered and controversial.ObjectivesTo consolidate the relevant literature and identify treatment options for PDR GNB infections.MethodsA systematic search in MEDLINE, Scopus and clinical trial registries was conducted. Studies reporting PDR clinical isolates were eligible for review if susceptibility testing for all major antimicrobials had been performed. Characteristics and findings of retrieved studies were qualitatively synthesized.ResultsOf 81 studies reviewed, 47 (58%) were published in the last 5 years. The reports reflected a worldwide dissemination of PDR GNB in 25 countries in 5 continents. Of 526 PDR isolates reported, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=175), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=172) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=125) were most common. PDR GNB were typically isolated in ICUs, but several studies demonstrated wider outbreak potential, including dissemination to long-term care facilities and international spread. All-cause mortality was high (range 20%–71%), but appeared to be substantially reduced in studies reporting treatment regimens active in vitro. No controlled trial has been performed to date, but several case reports and series noted successful use of various regimens, predominantly synergistic combinations, and in selected patients increased exposure regimens and newer antibiotics.ConclusionsPDR GNB are increasingly being reported worldwide and are associated with high mortality. Several treatment regimens have been successfully used, of which synergistic combinations appear to be most promising and often the only available option. More pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and outcome studies are needed to guide the use of synergistic combinations.
Leiomyosarcoma arising from the right ovarian vein
Authors: Suzuki Kazuomi , Taniguchi Kiyoaki , Ito Shunichi , Serizawa Akiko , Yamamoto Masakazu 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) of the ovarian vein are extremely rare and have a poor prognosis. Only 10 cases have been reported since 1977. The patient is a 69-year-old woman presented with right abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed a regularly shaped tumor, 80 mm in diameter in the retroperitoneum, adjacent to the descending part of the duodenum. Intraoperatively, the right ovarian vein was found to run through the tumor and was, therefore, resected together with the tumor. Pathological examination revealed a LMS of the right ovarian vein. Nine months postoperatively, multiple lung metastases were detected and chemotherapy was initiated. Delayed diagnosis is associated with high mortality. It is important that the diagnosis of LMS should be made preoperatively when you have already diagnosed a tumor to better direct the surgical approach. Multimodal therapy may improve prognosis.
Love is in the air: ethylene and sex determination in Cucurbita pepo
Authors: Schilling Susanne , McCabe Paul F , Melzer Rainer 
Published: September 2019

This article comments on:García A, Aguado E, Martínez C, Loska D, Beltrán S, Valenzuela JL, Garrido D, Jamilena M. 2019. The ethylene receptors CpETR1A and CpETR2B cooperate in the control of sex determination in Cucurbita pepo. Journal of Experimental Botany 70, 154–167.
More connected, more active: galaxy clusters and groups at z ∼ 1 and the connection between their quiescent galaxy fractions and large-scale environments
Authors: Lee Seong-Kook , Im Myungshin , Hyun Minhee , Park Bomi , Kim Jae-Woo , Kim Dohyeong , Kim Yongjung 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT
High-redshift galaxy clusters, unlike local counterparts, show diverse star formation activities. However, it is still unclear what keeps some of the high-redshift clusters active in star formation. To address this issue, we performed a multiobject spectroscopic observation of 226 high-redshift (0.8 < z < 1.3) galaxies in galaxy cluster candidates and the areas surrounding them. Our spectroscopic observation reveals six to eight clusters/groups at z ∼ 0.9 and z ∼ 1.3. The redshift measurements demonstrate the reliability of our photometric redshift measurements, which in turn gives credibility for using photometric redshift members for the analysis of large-scale structures (LSSs). Our investigation of the large-scale environment (∼10 Mpc) surrounding each galaxy cluster reveals LSSs – structures up to ∼10 Mpc scale – around many of, but not all, the confirmed overdensities and the cluster candidates. We investigate the correlation between quiescent galaxy fraction of galaxy overdensities and their surrounding LSSs, with a larger sample of ∼20 overdensities including photometrically selected overdensities at 0.6 < z < 0.9. Interestingly, galaxy overdensities embedded within these extended LSSs show a lower fraction of quiescent galaxies ($\sim 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) than isolated ones at similar redshifts (with a quiescent galaxy fraction of $\sim 50 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). Furthermore, we find a possible indication that clusters/groups with a high quiescent galaxy fraction are more centrally concentrated. Based on these results, we suggest that LSSs are the main reservoirs of gas and star-forming galaxies to keep galaxy clusters fresh and extended in size at z ∼ 1.
Mergers, starbursts, and quenching in the simba simulation
Authors: Rodríguez Montero Francisco , Davé Romeel , Wild Vivienne , Anglés-Alcázar Daniel , Narayanan Desika 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT
We use the simba cosmological galaxy formation simulation to investigate the relationship between major mergers ($\lesssim$4:1), starbursts, and galaxy quenching. Mergers are identified via sudden jumps in stellar mass M* well above that expected from in situ star formation, while quenching is defined as going from specific star formation rate (sSFR) $\gt t_{\rm H}^{-1}$ to $\lt 0.2t_{\rm H}^{-1}$, where tH is the Hubble time. At z ≈ 0–3, mergers show ∼2–3× higher SFR than a mass-matched sample of star-forming galaxies, but globally represent $\lesssim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the cosmic SF budget. At low masses, the increase in SFR in mergers is mostly attributed to an increase in the H2 content, but for $M_*\gtrsim 10^{10.5} \,\mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ mergers also show an elevated star formation efficiency suggesting denser gas within merging galaxies. The merger rate for star-forming galaxies shows a rapid increase with redshift, ∝(1 + z)3.5, but the quenching rate evolves much more slowly, ∝(1 + z)0.9; there are insufficient mergers to explain the quenching rate at $z\lesssim 1.5$. simba first quenches galaxies at $z\gtrsim 3$, with a number density in good agreement with observations. The quenching time-scales τq are strongly bimodal, with ‘slow’ quenchings (τq ∼ 0.1tH) dominating overall, but ‘fast’ quenchings (τq ∼ 0.01tH) dominating in M* ∼ 1010–1010.5 M$\odot$ galaxies, likely induced by simba’s jet-mode black hole feedback. The delay time distribution between mergers and quenching events suggests no physical connection to either fast or slow quenching. Hence, simba predicts that major mergers induce starbursts, but are unrelated to quenching in either fast or slow mode.
Supernovae and their host galaxies – VI. Normal Type Ia and 91bg-like supernovae in ellipticals
Authors: Barkhudaryan L V , Hakobyan A A , Karapetyan A G , Mamon G A , Kunth D , Adibekyan V , Turatto M 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT
We present an analysis of the galactocentric distributions of the ‘normal’ and peculiar ‘91bg-like’ subclasses of 109 supernovae (SNe) Ia, and study the global parameters of their elliptical hosts. The galactocentric distributions of the SN subclasses are consistent with each other and with the radial light distribution of host stellar populations, when excluding bias against central SNe. Among the global parameters, only the distributions of u − r colours and ages are inconsistent significantly between the ellipticals of different SN Ia subclasses: the normal SN hosts are on average bluer/younger than those of 91bg-like SNe. In the colour–mass diagram, the tail of colour distribution of normal SN hosts stretches into the Green Valley – transitional state of galaxy evolution, while the same tail of 91bg-like SN hosts barely reaches that region. Therefore, the bluer/younger ellipticals might have more residual star formation that gives rise to younger ‘prompt’ progenitors, resulting in normal SNe Ia with shorter delay times. The redder and older ellipticals that already exhausted their gas for star formation may produce significantly less normal SNe with shorter delay times, outnumbered by ‘delayed’ 91bg-like events. The host ages (lower age limit of the delay times) of 91bg-like SNe does not extend down to the stellar ages that produce significant u-band fluxes – the 91bg-like events have no prompt progenitors. Our results favour SN Ia progenitor models such as He-ignited violent mergers that have the potential to explain the observed SN/host properties.