bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Imipenem/relebactam activity compared to other antimicrobials against non-MBL-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from an academic medical center
Authors: Kulengowski Brandon , Burgess David S 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT

Background
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) cause significant mortality and are resistant to most antimicrobial agents. Imipenem/relebactam, a novel beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, and 16 other antimicrobials were evaluated against non-metallo-beta-lactamase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates from a United States tertiary academic medical center.

Objectives
To evaluate imipenem/relebactam and other commonly utilised antimicrobial agents against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Methods: Clinical isolates (n = 96) resistant to ertapenem or meropenem by BD Phoenix (Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) and negative for metallo-beta-lactamase-production by an EDTA (Sigma-Aldrich Corp., St. Louis, MO, USA)/phenylboronic acid (Sigma-Aldrich Corp., St. Louis, MO, USA) disk diffusion assay were identified and collected from January 2012 to January 2017. In vitro susceptibility by broth microdilution was performed according to CLSI guidelines using CLSI susceptibility breakpoints for 17 antimicrobials (Sigma-Aldrich Corp., St. Louis, MO, USA).

Results
CRE primarily produced Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and consisted primarily of K. pneumoniae (55%) and Enterobacter spp. (25%), followed by Citrobacter spp. (10%), Escherichia coli (5%), and others (5%). CRE were most susceptible to imipenem/relebactam (100%), followed by amikacin (85%), tigecycline (82%), and polymyxin B/colistin (65%). The median reduction of imipenem minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of non-MBL-producing CRE was 16-fold but ranged from 0.5 to &gt;512-fold. The MIC50, MIC90 and MIC range of imipenem/relebactam was 0.5/4, 1/4 and 0.06/4–1/4 mg/L, respectively.

Conclusions
Imipenem/relebactam exhibits excellent activity against CRE that produce KPC.
Vedolizumab use in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases undergoing surgery: clinical trials and post-marketing experience
Authors: Shen Bo , Blake Aimee , Lasch Karen , Smyth Michael , Bhayat Fatima 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Background
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases frequently require surgery, but immunotherapies used in disease management may increase the risk of post-operative complications. We investigated frequencies of post-operative complications in patients who received vedolizumab—a gut-selective antibody approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease—in clinical-trial and post-marketing settings.

Methods
This post hoc analysis of safety data from GEMINI 1, GEMINI 2, and long-term safety studies included patients who had had colectomy or bowel surgery/resection. Data from the post-marketing Vedolizumab Global Safety Database were also analysed (data cutoff point: 19 May 2016). Adverse events relating to post-operative complications were identified using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities preferred terms.

Results
Of 58 total surgeries in patients included in GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2, post-operative complications were reported for 3/51 vedolizumab-treated patients (5.9%) and 1/7 placebo-treated patients (14.3%). In the long-term safety study, 157/2,243 patients (7%) had colectomy or bowel surgery/resection; of these 157 patients who underwent surgery, 11 (7%) experienced a post-operative complication. Median time between last pre-operative vedolizumab dose and surgery was 23 days in GEMINI 1, 20 days in GEMINI 2, and 39‒40 days in the long-term safety study. In the post-marketing setting, based on data covering approximately 46,978 patient-years of vedolizumab exposure, post-operative complications were reported in 19 patients.

Conclusions
In clinical trials, complications of colectomy and bowel surgery/resection appeared infrequent, with minimal difference between vedolizumab and placebo. The frequency of post-operative complications in the post-marketing setting appears low.
Comprehensive N-glycosylation analysis of immunoglobulin G from dried blood spots
Authors: Simunovic Jelena , Vilaj Marija , Trbojevic-Akmacic Irena , Momcilovic Ana , Vuckovic Frano , Gudelj Ivan , Juric Julija , Nakic Natali , Lauc Gordan , Pezer Marija 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycans are emerging as a new putative biomarker for biological age and different diseases, requiring a robust workflow for IgG glycome analysis, ideally beginning with a simple and undemanding sampling procedure. Here, we report the first comprehensive study on total N-glycans of IgG isolated from dried blood spots (DBSs), which was performed in a high-throughput mode. We compared the IgG N-glycan profiles originating from DBS with those originating from plasma, compared different media for DBS collection, evaluated analytical variation and assessed IgG N-glycan profile stability for different storage conditions. In conclusion, we show that DBSs are a good and stable source material for a robust IgG N-glycan analysis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography, suitable for blood sampling in conditions where no trained personnel and necessary laboratory equipment are available.
Assessing causal links between metabolic traits, inflammation and schizophrenia: a univariable and multivariable, bidirectional Mendelian-randomization study
Authors: Lin Bochao D , Alkema Anne , Peters Triinu , Zinkstok Janneke , Libuda Lars , Hebebrand Johannes , Antel Jochen , Hinney Anke , Cahn Wiepke , Adan Roger , Luykx Jurjen J 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Background
Blood immunoreactive biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), and metabolic abnormalities have been associated with schizophrenia. Studies comprehensively and bidirectionally probing possible causal links between such blood constituents and liability to schizophrenia are lacking.

Methods
To disentangle putative causal links between CRP blood levels and schizophrenia in both directions, we conducted multiple univariable Mendelian-randomization (MR) analyses, ranging from fixed-effect to inverse variance-weighted (IVW), weighted-median, MR Egger and generalized summary-data-based Mendelian-randomization (GSMR) models. To prioritize metabolic risk factors for schizophrenia, a novel multivariable approach was applied: multivariable Mendelian-randomization–Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA).

Results
All forward univariable MR analyses consistently showed that CRP has a protective effect on schizophrenia, whereas reverse MR analyses consistently suggested absent causal effects of schizophrenia liability on CRP blood levels. Using MR-BMA, as the top protective factors for schizophrenia we prioritized leucine and as the prime risk-factor triglycerides in medium very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). The five best-performing MR-BMA models provided one additional risk factor: triglycerides in large VLDL; and two additional protective factors: citrate and lactate.

Conclusions
Our results add to a growing body of literature hinting at metabolic changes—in particular of triglycerides—independently of medication status in schizophrenia. We also highlight the absent effects of genetic liability to schizophrenia on CRP levels.
Advances in spatiotemporal models for non-communicable disease surveillance
Authors: Blangiardo Marta , Boulieri Areti , Diggle Peter , Piel Frédéric B , Shaddick Gavin , Elliott Paul 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSurveillance systems are commonly used to provide early warning detection or to assess an impact of an intervention/policy. Traditionally, the methodological and conceptual frameworks for surveillance have been designed for infectious diseases, but the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide suggests a pressing need for surveillance strategies to detect unusual patterns in the data and to help unveil important risk factors in this setting. Surveillance methods need to be able to detect meaningful departures from expectation and exploit dependencies within such data to produce unbiased estimates of risk as well as future forecasts. This has led to the increasing development of a range of space-time methods specifically designed for NCD surveillance. We present an overview of recent advances in spatiotemporal disease surveillance for NCDs, using hierarchically specified models. This provides a coherent framework for modelling complex data structures, dealing with data sparsity, exploiting dependencies between data sources and propagating the inherent uncertainties present in both the data and the modelling process. We then focus on three commonly used models within the Bayesian Hierarchical Model (BHM) framework and, through a simulation study, we compare their performance. We also discuss some challenges faced by researchers when dealing with NCD surveillance, including how to account for false detection and the modifiable areal unit problem. Finally, we consider how to use and interpret the complex models, how model selection may vary depending on the intended user group and how best to communicate results to stakeholders and the general public.
Transketolase of Staphylococcus aureus in the Control of Master Regulators of Stress Response During Infection
Authors: Tan Xin , Ramond Elodie , Jamet Anne , Barnier Jean-Philippe , Decaux-Tramoni Baptiste , Dupuis Marion , Euphrasie Daniel , Tros Fabiola , Nemazanyy Ivan , Ziveri Jason , Nassif Xavier , Charbit Alain , Coureuil Mathieu 
Published: August 2019

AbstractStaphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both acute and chronic infections in humans. The importance of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) during S. aureus infection is currently largely unexplored. In the current study, we focused on one key PPP enzyme, transketolase (TKT). We showed that inactivation of the unique gene encoding TKT activity in S. aureus USA300 (∆tkt) led to drastic metabolomic changes. Using time-lapse video imaging and mice infection, we observed a major defect of the ∆tkt strain compared with wild-type strain in early intracellular proliferation and in the ability to colonize kidneys. Transcriptional activity of the 2 master regulators sigma B and RpiRc was drastically reduced in the ∆tkt mutant during host cells invasion. The concomitant increased RNAIII transcription suggests that TKT—or a functional PPP—strongly influences the ability of S. aureus to proliferate within host cells by modulating key transcriptional regulators.
Performance of the Fecal Immunochemical Test in Patients With a Family History of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Moosavi Sarvee , Gentile Laura , Gondara Lovedeep , Mcgahan Colleen , Enns Robert Alan , Telford Jennifer 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Objective
To assess the performance of a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) among participants of a population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program with one or more first-degree relatives (FDR) with CRC.

Methods
Asymptomatic 50 to 74 years olds with a FDR diagnosed with CRC, enrolled in a colon screening program completed FIT (two samples, cut-off 20 µg Hemoglobin/gram feces) and underwent colonoscopy. FIT-interval CRCs were identified from the British Columbia cancer registry. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with the detection of CRC and high-risk polyps (nonmalignant findings that required a 3-year surveillance colonoscopy) in those patients undergoing FIT and colonoscopy.

Results
Of the 1387 participants with a FDR with CRC, 1244 completed FIT with a positivity rate of 10.8%, 52 declined FIT but underwent colonoscopy and 90 declined screening. Seven CRCs were identified: six in patients with a positive FIT, one in a patient who only had colonoscopy. No CRCs were found in patients with a negative FIT. The positive and negative predictive values of FIT in the detection of CRC were 4.8% and 100%, respectively. On multivariate logistic regression, positive FIT, and not type of family history, was the only variable associated with detection of CRC or high-risk polyps. At 2-year follow-up, there was no FIT interval cancer detected in the study cohort.

Conclusion
FIT is more strongly associated with high-risk findings on colonoscopy than type of family history. FIT may be an alternative screening strategy to colonoscopy in individuals with a single FDR with CRC.
Notes on the behavior and first records of three enigmatic anchialine shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea: Barbouriidae, Palaemonidae) in the Bahamas
Authors: Ditter Robert E , Snyder Alexis P , Schulman Stacie E , Bracken-Grissom Heather D 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Barbouria cubensis von Martens, 1872, Parhippolyte sterreriHart & Manning, 1981 (Barbouriidae) and Macrobrachium lucifugumHolthuis, 1974 (Palaemonidae) are recorded for the first time from anchialine systems on Acklins Island, Bahamas. Seventy-two individuals of B. cubensis, 29 of P. sterreri, and nine of M. lucifugum were collected in July 2017 from five sites across the island. We also report on observations on behavior for all three species during collection and of B. cubensis monitored in a laboratory setting over a two-year period.
The Activation of the Crime of Aggression before the International Criminal Court: Some Overlooked Implications Arising for States Parties and Non-States Parties to the Rome Statute
Authors: de Souza Dias Talita 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
On 17 July 2018, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC, the Court), the jurisdiction of the Court was finally activated for the crime of aggression, following a decision made by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) in December 2017. This resulted from a long and painstaking process which not only furthered the divide between states parties and non-parties but also generated controversy within the ASP itself. In an attempt to reach a minimum common denominator, the ASP decided to exclude from the ICC’s jurisdiction situations involving states parties that have not ratified the amendments in respect of that crime (‘the Kampala Amendments’). Moreover, since the adoption of the Amendments in 2010, it has been agreed that the ICC will not exercise its jurisdiction over the crime of aggression if committed by nationals or on the territory of non-states parties, except when there is a Security Council referral. This combination of jurisdictional hurdles has led many to believe that the crime of aggression will have a limited role to play before the ICC. Nonetheless, a closer look at the Activation Decision, the Kampala Amendments and certain key provisions of the ICC Statute reveals that the activation of the crime of aggression might have a series of overlooked implications for non-parties and parties alike, including those that have not ratified the amendments. In particular, this article will argue that, aside from Security Council referrals, there may still be instances where the Court can apply the crime of aggression to situations involving those states.
Long-Term Outcomes of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Authors: Hung Peiyin , Wang Shi-Yi , Killelea Brigid K , Mougalian Sarah S , Evans Suzanne B , Sedghi Tannaz , Gross Cary P 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is controversial. Using population-cohort data, we examined whether SLNB improves long-term outcomes among patients with DCIS who underwent breast-conserving surgery. We identified 12 776 women aged 67–94 years diagnosed during 2001–2013 with DCIS who underwent breast-conserving surgery from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare dataset, 1992 (15.6%) of whom underwent SLNB (median follow-up: 69 months). Tests of statistical significance are two-sided. Patients with and without SLNB did not differ statistically significantly regarding treated recurrence (3.9% vs 3.7%; P = .62), ipsilateral invasive occurrence (1.4% vs 1.7%, P = .33), or breast cancer mortality (1.0% vs 0.9%, P = .86). With Mahalanobis-matching and competing-risks survival analyses, SLNB was not statistically significantly associated with treated recurrence, ipsilateral invasive occurrence, or breast cancer mortality (P ≥ .27). Our findings do not support the routine performance of SLNB for older patients with DCIS amenable to breast conservation.
Old Concepts Making New History: Refugee Self-reliance, Livelihoods and the ‘Refugee Entrepreneur’
Authors: Skran Claudena , Easton-Calabria Evan 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAlthough not new topics in the field of refugee studies, self-reliance, livelihoods and entrepreneurship have recently taken on a heightened emphasis. However, critical questions remain regarding how and by whom self-reliance is defined and measured, and the intended and unintended outcomes of historical and contemporary efforts to foster it. This introductory article highlights key points arising from the Special Issue and presents a short history of the evolution of the concept of self-reliance in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including its linkage to livelihoods. The article then discusses contemporary connections between self-reliance and entrepreneurship vis-à-vis the promotion of the ‘refugee entrepreneur’. It concludes with a brief overview of the articles and themes in the issue. Overall, the article argues for an expanded definition of refugee self-reliance that promotes social as well as economic components and moves beyond narrowly implemented programmes targeting individual and market-based solutions.
Hemispheric asymmetry in meridional flow and the sunspot cycle
Authors: Lekshmi B , Nandy Dibyendu , Antia H M 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
Magnetohydrodynamic dynamo modelling shows that the large-scale solar meridional plasma flow plays an important role in governing the dynamics of the sunspot cycle. Observations indicate that meridional flow velocities at each solar latitude and depth vary over time and are asymmetric across the equator. Here, using helioseismic observations we explore the temporal variation in the hemispherical asymmetry of near-surface residual (time-varying) component of the Sun’s meridional flow velocity. The meridional flow velocities obtained from Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) ring-diagram pipelines are used in this work. Our data set covers the declining phase of cycle 23 and cycle 24 (from July 2001 till December 2018) and the flow velocities are poleward for the observed depth range. We observe a time delayed anticorrelation between the hemispherical asymmetry in near-surface meridional flow velocities and the sunspot cycle quantified in terms of magnetic flux and sunspot number. Interestingly, asymmetry in meridional flow velocity precedes the asymmetry in sunspot cycle by 3.1–3.5 yr. We propose that meridional flow asymmetry is a precursor of asymmetry in hemispherical cycle strength. The symmetric component of meridional flow is observed to be positively correlated with the corresponding symmetric components of the magnetic cycle, also with a time delay. Our analysis sets important constraints on theories for the origin of meridional plasma flow asymmetries and its temporal variations and is relevant for understanding the role of plasma flux transport processes in determining hemispheric asymmetry in the sunspot cycle.
Components of the diffuse ultraviolet radiation at high latitudes
Authors: Akshaya M S , Murthy Jayant , Ravichandran S , Henry R C , Overduin James 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
We have used data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer to study the different components of the diffuse ultraviolet background in the region between the Galactic latitudes 70°–80°. We find an offset at zero dust column density (E(B − V) = 0) of 240 ± 18 photon units in the FUV (1539 Å) and 394 ± 37 photon units in the NUV (2316 Å). This is approximately half of the total observed radiation with the remainder divided between an extragalactic component of 114 ± 18 photon units in the FUV and 194 ± 37 photon units in the NUV and starlight scattered by Galactic dust at high latitudes. The optical constants of the dust grains were found to be a = 0.4 ± 0.1 and g = 0.8 ± 0.1 (FUV) and a = 0.4 ± 0.1 and g = 0.5 ± 0.1 (NUV). We cannot differentiate between a Galactic or extragalactic origin for the zero-offset but can affirm that it is not from any known source.
A parallel and automatically tuned algorithm for multispectral image deconvolution
Authors: Ammanouil R , Ferrari A , Mary D , Ferrari C , Loi F 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
In the era of big data, radio astronomical image reconstruction algorithms are challenged to estimate clean images given limited computing resources and time. This article is driven by the need for large-scale image reconstruction for the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will become in the next decades the largest low and intermediate frequency radio telescope in the world. This work proposes a scalable wide-band deconvolution algorithm called MUFFIN, which stands for ‘MUlti Frequency image reconstruction For radio INterferometry’. MUFFIN estimates the sky images in various frequency bands, given the corresponding dirty images and point spread functions. The reconstruction is achieved by minimizing a data fidelity term and joint spatial and spectral sparse analysis regularization terms. It is consequently non-parametric w.r.t. the spectral behaviour of radio sources. MUFFIN algorithm is endowed with a parallel implementation and an automatic tuning of the regularization parameters, making it scalable and well suited for big data applications such as SKA. Comparisons between MUFFIN and the state-of-the-art wide-band reconstruction algorithm are provided.
Primeval very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs – VII. The discovery of the first wide M + L extreme subdwarf binary
Authors: Zhang (张曾华) ZengHua 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTI present the discovery of the first wide M + L extreme subdwarf binary system Gaia J0452−36AB. The binary is located at a distance of 137.27 $^{+0.68}_{-0.67}$ pc with a projected separation of 15828 ± 78 au. I classified Gaia J0452−36AB as esdM1 and esdL0 subdwarfs, respectively. Gaia J0452−36AB have typical halo kinematics, metallicity of [Fe/H] ≈−1.4, and temperature of ∼ 3550 and 2600 K, respectively. Gaia J0452−36AB is a pair of very low-mass stars with masses of 0.151 $^{+0.029}_{-0.019}$ and 0.0855$^{+0.0014}_{-0.0010}$ M$\odot$, and is a gravitationally bound system. I tested the metallicity consistency of existing M subdwarf classification schemes with Gaia J0452−36AB and a sample of M and L subdwarfs with known metallicity. I found that the metallicity of each M subclass defined by the the metallicity index ζCaH/TiO is not consistent from mid-to-late M subtypes. Because late-type M and L subdwarfs have dusty atmospheres and high surface gravity which have significant impacts on CaH and TiO indices that used in the classification. The metallicity scale of late-type M subdwarfs would be overestimated by the ζCaH/TiO index. I discussed the mass range of M subdwarfs, and explained the lack of late-type M extreme and ultra subdwarfs, and decreasing binary fraction from sdM, to esdM, and usdM subclasses. The four M subclasses have different mass ranges. The comparison between M subclasses is between populations in different mass ranges. I also present the discovery of Ruiz 440-469B, an M8 dwarf wide companion to a cool DA white dwarf, Ruiz 440-469.