bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resilience Analysis of Countries under Disasters Based on Multisource Data
Authors: Zhang Nan , Huang Hong 
Published: April 2017

AbstractDisasters occur almost daily in the world. Because emergencies frequently have no precedent, are highly uncertain, and can be very destructive, improving a country's resilience is an efficient way to reduce risk. In this article, we collected more than 20,000 historical data points from disasters from 207 countries to enable us to calculate the severity of disasters and the danger they pose to countries. In addition, 6 primary indices (disaster, personal attribute, infrastructure, economics, education, and occupation) including 38 secondary influencing factors are considered in analyzing the resilience of countries. Using these data, we obtained the danger, expected number of deaths, and resilience of all 207 countries. We found that a country covering a large area is more likely to have a low resilience score. Through sensitivity analysis of all secondary indices, we found that population density, frequency of disasters, and GDP are the three most critical factors affecting resilience. Based on broad‐spectrum resilience analysis of the different continents, Oceania and South America have the highest resilience, while Asia has the lowest. Over the past 50 years, the resilience of many countries has been improved sharply, especially in developing countries. Based on our results, we analyze the comprehensive resilience and provide some optimal suggestions to efficiently improve resilience.
Symmetries, Conservation Laws, and Noether's Theorem for Differential‐Difference Equations
Authors: Peng Linyu 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis paper mainly contributes to the extension of Noether's theorem to differential‐difference equations. For this purpose, we first investigate the prolongation formula for continuous symmetries, which makes a characteristic representation possible. The relations of symmetries, conservation laws, and the Fréchet derivative are also investigated. For nonvariational equations, because Noether's theorem is now available, the self‐adjointness method is adapted to the computation of conservation laws for differential‐difference equations. Several differential‐difference equations are investigated as illustrative examples, including the Toda lattice and semidiscretizations of the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. In particular, the Volterra equation is taken as a running example.
Vessel Mapping for Dialysis Access Planning
Authors: Niyyar Vandana Dua , Wasse Haimanot 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe population of patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States is progressively increasing, with hemodialysis (HD) as the major mode of renal replacement therapy. National guidelines recommend increasing the use of arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) in both incident and prevalent hemodialysis patients. Pre‐operative vascular mapping prior to the surgical creation of an AVF is now considered standard of care and may be helpful in achieving these goals. This manuscript focuses on the advantages and limitations of the various imaging techniques currently available for vessel mapping including physical examination, ultrasonography, angiography (iodinated contrast vs. CO2), and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), with specific suggestions for clinical use.
Angiography of Hemodialysis Fistulas and Grafts
Authors: Beathard Gerald A. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAngiography of the dialysis access is an important procedure in dealing with dialysis arteriovenous access (AVA) dysfunction. It is an integral part and the initiating procedure for all the interventional procedures performed for the management and salvage of dialysis AVA. The performance of this procedure and normal dialysis access‐related anatomy including anatomical variants are discussed. In addition, pathology commonly encountered in association with the anatomy is reviewed.
Target-Specific Assay for Rapid and Quantitative Detection of Mycobacterium chimaera DNA
Authors: Zozaya-Valdés Enrique , Porter Jessica L. , Coventry John , Fyfe Janet A. M. , Carter Glen P. , Gonçalves da Silva Anders , Schultz Mark B. , Seemann Torsten , Johnson Paul D. R. , Stewardson Andrew J. , Bastian Ivan , Roberts Sally A. , Howden Benjamin P. , Williamson Deborah A. , Stinear Timothy P. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTMycobacterium chimaerais an opportunistic environmental mycobacterium belonging to theMycobacterium avium-M. intracellularecomplex. Although most commonly associated with pulmonary disease, there has been growing awareness of invasiveM. chimaerainfections following cardiac surgery. Investigations suggest worldwide spread of a specificM. chimaeraclone, associated with contaminated hospital heater-cooler units used during the surgery. Given the global dissemination of this clone, its potential to cause invasive disease, and the laboriousness of current culture-based diagnostic methods, there is a pressing need to develop rapid and accurate diagnostic assays specific forM. chimaera. Here, we assessed 354 mycobacterial genome sequences and confirmed thatM. chimaerais a phylogenetically coherent group.In silicocomparisons indicated six DNA regions present only inM. chimaera. We targeted one of these regions and developed a TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay forM. chimaerawith a detection limit of 100 CFU/ml in whole blood spiked with bacteria.In vitroscreening against DNA extracted from 40 other mycobacterial species and 22 bacterial species from 21 diverse genera confirmed thein silico-predicted specificity forM. chimaera. Screening 33 water samples from heater-cooler units with this assay highlighted the increased sensitivity of PCR compared to culture, with 15 of 23 culture-negative samples positive byM. chimaeraqPCR. We have thus developed a robust molecular assay that can be readily and rapidly deployed to screen clinical and environmental specimens forM. chimaera.
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Malassezia spp. with an Optimized Colorimetric Broth Microdilution Method
Authors: Leong Cheryl , Buttafuoco Antonino , Glatz Martin , Bosshard Philipp P. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT

Malassezia
is a genus of lipid-dependent yeasts. It is associated with common skin diseases such as pityriasis versicolor and atopic dermatitis and can cause systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Owing to the slow growth and lipid requirements of these fastidious yeasts, convenient and reliable antifungal drug susceptibility testing assays for
Malassezia
spp. are not widely available. Therefore, we optimized a broth microdilution assay for the testing of
Malassezia
that is based on the CLSI and EUCAST assays for
Candida
and other yeasts. The addition of ingredients such as lipids and esculin provided a broth medium formulation that enabled the growth of all
Malassezia
spp. and could be read, with the colorimetric indicator resazurin, by visual and fluorescence readings. We tested the susceptibility of 52 strains of 13
Malassezia
species to 11 commonly used antifungals. MIC values determined by visual readings were in good agreement with MIC values determined by fluorescence readings. The lowest MICs were found for the azoles itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole, with MIC
90
values of 0.03 to 1.0 μg/ml, 0.06 to 0.5 μg/ml, and 0.03 to 2.0 μg/ml, respectively. All
Malassezia
spp. were resistant to echinocandins and griseofulvin. Some
Malassezia
spp. also showed high MIC values for ketoconazole, which is the most widely recommended topical antifungal to treat
Malassezia
skin infections. In summary, our assay enables the fast and reliable susceptibility testing of
Malassezia
spp. with a large panel of different antifungals.
Prospective Evaluation of ResistancePlus MG, a New Multiplex Quantitative PCR Assay for Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium and Macrolide Resistance
Authors: Tabrizi S. N. , Su J. , Bradshaw C. S. , Fairley C. K. , Walker S. , Tan L. Y. , Mokany E. , Garland S. M. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma genitalium
is a significant pathogen for which first-line treatment is becoming less effective due to increased resistance to macrolides. As conventional culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing is not feasible for routine detection of this pathogen, molecular markers such as detection of mutations in the 23S rRNA gene have been described to predict resistance. Recently, a novel multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, ResistancePlus MG, has been described for the simultaneous detection of
Mycoplasma genitalium
and macrolide resistance. In the current study, the clinical performance of the assay was evaluated on 1,089 consecutive urine and anogenital swab samples in symptomatic and asymptomatic male and female patients. Overall, 6.0% were positive for
M. genitalium
, with 63.1% having macrolide resistance-associated mutations. Compared to the laboratory-validated qPCR method targeting the 16S rRNA gene and Sanger sequencing to determine 23S rRNA mutations, the sensitivity and specificity of
M. genitalium
detection were 98.5% and 100% and for detection of macrolide resistance mutations were 100.0% and 96.2%, respectively. This assay offers a considerable advantage in clinical settings for
M. genitalium
testing by making the results of macrolide resistance and mutation analyses simultaneously available, which is increasingly important with escalating macrolide resistance.
Novel Multiplex PCR Assay for Detection of Chlorhexidine-Quaternary Ammonium, Mupirocin, and Methicillin Resistance Genes, with Simultaneous Discrimination of Staphylococcus aureus from Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
Authors: McClure Jo-Ann , Zaal DeLongchamp Johanna , Conly John M. , Zhang Kunyan 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT

Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) is a clinically significant pathogen that is resistant to a wide variety of antibiotics and responsible for a large number of nosocomial infections worldwide. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended the adoption of universal mupirocin-chlorhexidine decolonization of all admitted intensive care unit patients rather than MRSA screening with targeted treatments, which raises a serious concern about the selection of resistance to mupirocin and chlorhexidine in strains of staphylococci. Thus, a simple, rapid, and reliable approach is paramount in monitoring the prevalence of resistance to these agents. We developed a simple multiplex PCR assay capable of screening
Staphylococcus
isolates for the presence of antiseptic resistance genes for chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium compounds, as well as mupirocin and methicillin resistance genes, while simultaneously discriminating
S. aureus
from coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). The assay incorporates 7 PCR targets, including the
Staphylococcus
16S rRNA gene (specifically detecting
Staphylococcus
spp.),
nuc
(distinguishing
S. aureus
from CoNS),
mecA
(distinguishing MRSA from methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
),
mupA
and
mupB
(identifying high-level mupirocin resistance), and
qac
and
smr
(identifying chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium resistance). Our assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in a total of 23 variant antiseptic- and/or antibiotic-resistant control strains. Further validation of our assay using 378 randomly selected and previously well-characterized local clinical isolates confirmed its feasibility and practicality. This may prove to be a useful tool for multidrug-resistant
Staphylococcus
monitoring in clinical laboratories, particularly in the wake of increased chlorhexidine and mupirocin treatments.
Development of an Alternative Modified Live Influenza B Virus Vaccine
Authors: Santos Jefferson J. S. , Finch Courtney , Sutton Troy , Obadan Adebimpe , Aguirre Isabel , Wan Zhimin , Lopez Diego , Geiger Ginger , Gonzalez-Reiche Ana Silvia , Ferreri Lucas , Perez Daniel R. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTInfluenza B virus (IBV) is considered a major human pathogen, responsible for seasonal epidemics of acute respiratory illness. Two antigenically distinct IBV hemagglutinin (HA) lineages cocirculate worldwide with little cross-reactivity. Live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccines have been shown to provide better cross-protective immune responses than inactivated vaccines by eliciting local mucosal immunity and systemic B cell- and T cell-mediated memory responses. We have shown previously that incorporation of temperature-sensitive (ts) mutations into the PB1 and PB2 subunits along with a modified HA epitope tag in the C terminus of PB1 resulted in influenza A viruses (IAV) that are safe and effective as modified live attenuated (att) virus vaccines (IAVatt). We explored whether analogous mutations in the IBV polymerase subunits would result in a stable virus with anattphenotype. The PB1 subunit of the influenza B/Brisbane/60/2008 strain was used to incorporatetsmutations and a C-terminal HA tag. Such modifications resulted in a B/Brisattstrain withtscharacteristicsin vitroand anattphenotypein vivo. Vaccination studies in mice showed that a single dose of the B/Brisattcandidate stimulated sterilizing immunity against lethal homologous challenge and complete protection against heterologous challenge. These studies show the potential of an alternative LAIV platform for the development of IBV vaccines.IMPORTANCEA number of issues with regard to the effectiveness of the LAIV vaccine licensed in the United States (FluMist) have arisen over the past three seasons (2013–2014, 2014–2015, and 2015–2016). While the reasons for the limited robustness of the vaccine-elicited immune response remain controversial, this problem highlights the critical importance of continued investment in LAIV development and creates an opportunity to improve current strategies so as to develop more efficacious vaccines. Our laboratory has developed an alternative strategy, the incorporation of 2 amino acid mutations and a modified HA tag at the C terminus of PB1, which is sufficient to attenuate the IBV. As a LAIV, this novel vaccine provides complete protection against IBV strains. The availability of attenuated IAV and IBV backbones based on contemporary strains offers alternative platforms for the development of LAIVs that may overcome current limitations.
Discovery of Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitors of LIM Domain Kinase for Inhibiting HIV-1
Authors: Yi Fei , Guo Jia , Dabbagh Deemah , Spear Mark , He Sijia , Kehn-Hall Kylene , Fontenot Jacque , Yin Yan , Bibian Mathieu , Park Chul Min , Zheng Ke , Park Ha Jeung , Soloveva Veronica , Gharaibeh Dima , Retterer Cary , Zamani Rouzbeh , Pitt Margaret L. , Naughton John , Jiang Yongjun , Shang Hong , Hakami Ramin M. , Ling Binhua , Young John A. T. , Bavari Sina , Xu Xuehua , Feng Yangbo , Wu Yuntao 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT
A dynamic actin cytoskeleton is necessary for viral entry, intracellular migration, and virion release. For HIV-1 infection, during entry, the virus triggers early actin activity by hijacking chemokine coreceptor signaling, which activates a host dependency factor, cofilin, and its kinase, the LIM domain kinase (LIMK). Although knockdown of human LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) inhibits HIV infection, no specific small-molecule inhibitor of LIMK has been available. Here, we describe the design and discovery of novel classes of small-molecule inhibitors of LIMK for inhibiting HIV infection. We identified R10015 as a lead compound that blocks LIMK activity by binding to the ATP-binding pocket. R10015 specifically blocks viral DNA synthesis, nuclear migration, and virion release. In addition, R10015 inhibits multiple viruses, including Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), suggesting that LIMK inhibitors could be developed as a new class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.

IMPORTANCE
The actin cytoskeleton is a structure that gives the cell shape and the ability to migrate. Viruses frequently rely on actin dynamics for entry and intracellular migration. In cells, actin dynamics are regulated by kinases, such as the LIM domain kinase (LIMK), which regulates actin activity through phosphorylation of cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing factor. Recent studies have found that LIMK/cofilin are targeted by viruses such as HIV-1 for propelling viral intracellular migration. Although inhibiting LIMK1 expression blocks HIV-1 infection, no highly specific LIMK inhibitor is available. This study describes the design, medicinal synthesis, and discovery of small-molecule LIMK inhibitors for blocking HIV-1 and several other viruses and emphasizes the feasibility of developing LIMK inhibitors as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.
DNA-Binding Properties of African Swine Fever Virus pA104R, a Histone-Like Protein Involved in Viral Replication and Transcription
Authors: Frouco Gonçalo , Freitas Ferdinando B. , Coelho João , Leitão Alexandre , Martins Carlos , Ferreira Fernando 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT
African swine fever virus (ASFV) codes for a putative histone-like protein (pA104R) with extensive sequence homology to bacterial proteins that are implicated in genome replication and packaging. Functional characterization of purified recombinant pA104R revealed that it binds to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) over a wide range of temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations and in an ATP-independent manner, with an estimated binding site size of about 14 to 16 nucleotides. Using site-directed mutagenesis, the arginine located in pA104R's DNA-binding domain, at position 69, was found to be relevant for efficient DNA-binding activity. Together, pA104R and ASFV topoisomerase II (pP1192R) display DNA-supercoiling activity, although none of the proteins by themselves do, indicating that the two cooperate in this process. In ASFV-infected cells, A104R transcripts were detected from 2 h postinfection (hpi) onward, reaching a maximum concentration around 16 hpi. pA104R was detected from 12 hpi onward, localizing with viral DNA replication sites and being found exclusively in the Triton-insoluble fraction. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown experiments revealed that pA104R plays a critical role in viral DNA replication and gene expression, with transfected cells showing lower viral progeny numbers (up to a reduction of 82.0%), lower copy numbers of viral genomes (−78.3%), and reduced transcription of a late viral gene (−47.6%). Taken together, our results strongly suggest that pA104R participates in the modulation of viral DNA topology, probably being involved in viral DNA replication, transcription, and packaging, emphasizing that ASFV mutants lacking the A104R gene could be used as a strategy to develop a vaccine against ASFV.

IMPORTANCE
Recently reintroduced in Europe, African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a fatal disease in domestic pigs, causing high economic losses in affected countries, as no vaccine or treatment is currently available. Remarkably, ASFV is the only known mammalian virus that putatively codes for a histone-like protein (pA104R) that shares extensive sequence homology with bacterial histone-like proteins. In this study, we characterized the DNA-binding properties of pA104R, analyzed the functional importance of two conserved residues, and showed that pA104R and ASFV topoisomerase II cooperate and display DNA-supercoiling activity. Moreover, pA104R is expressed during the late phase of infection and accumulates in viral DNA replication sites, and its downregulation revealed that pA104R is required for viral DNA replication and transcription. These results suggest that pA104R participates in the modulation of viral DNA topology and genome packaging, indicating that A104R deletion mutants may be a good strategy for vaccine development against ASFV.
Corticosteroid use and mortality risk in patients with perforated colonic diverticular disease: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Broersen L H A , Horváth-Puhó E , Pereira A M , Erichsen R , Dekkers O M , Sørensen H T 
Published: April 2017

BackgroundCorticosteroids are a potential risk factor for mortality in patients with perforated diverticular disease, due to blinding of disease severity, hampered wound healing or adrenal insufficiency. We examined mortality in corticosteroid users and non-users among patients with perforated diverticular disease.MethodsA cohort study based on medical databases including all patients ≥18 years in Denmark (source population 5 289 261 inhabitants) admitted to a hospital with incident perforated diverticular disease between 2005 and 2013. 7-day, 1-month, 3-month and 1-year mortality risks in corticosteroid users and non-users were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and compared with Cox proportional hazard regression adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities.ResultsThe study included 4640 patients with perforated diverticular disease. Of these, 3743 (80.7%) had not used corticosteroids in the year before admission and 725 (15.6%) had been exposed to systemic corticosteroid treatment. The remaining 172 patients had been exposed to either inhaled or intestinal acting corticosteroid therapy. Mortality risk in non-users was 4.4% after 7 days and 15.6% after 1 year. This risk was doubled for corticosteroid users who filled their last prescription during the 90 days before admission, with mortality risks ranging from 14.2% after 7 days to 47.6% after 1 year. 1-year mortality risk was even higher for corticosteroid users with a first filled prescription ≤90 days before admission: 52.5%.ConclusionsCorticosteroid use was associated with clearly increased mortality risk after perforated diverticular disease. Thus, use of corticosteroids should be regarded as an important clinical prognostic factor for mortality in patients with this condition.
Continuum beliefs and stigmatising beliefs about mental illness: results from an Asian community survey
Authors: Subramaniam Mythily , Abdin Edimansyah , Picco Louisa , Shahwan Shazana , Jeyagurunathan Anitha , Vaingankar Janhavi Ajit , Chong Siow Ann 
Published: April 2017

ObjectivesTo establish the prevalence and correlates of continuum beliefs for five mental illnesses in a multiethnic population and to explore its association with stigma.DesignA community-based, cross-sectional study.SettingA national study in a multiethnic Asian country.ParticipantsA comprehensive study of 3006 Singapore residents (Singapore citizens and permanent residents) aged 18–65 years who were living in Singapore at the time of the survey.Outcome measuresParameters assessed included belief in a continuum of symptom experience, stigma dimensions and causal beliefs in mental illness. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression (MLR).ResultsAbout half of the population indicated agreement with a continuum of symptoms for depression (57.9%) and dementia (46.8%), whereas only about one in three respondents agreed with it for alcohol abuse (35.6%), schizophrenia (32.7%) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) (36.8%). MLR analyses revealed that students (β=0.28; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.50; p=0.018) and those who were unemployed (β=0.60; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.95; p=0.001) (vs employed) as well as those who had previous contact with people with mental illness (β = 0.31; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.45; p<0.001) and believed stress, family arguments, difficulties at work or financial difficulties to be a cause for mental illness (β=0.43; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.73; p=0.005) were associated with a higher belief in a continuum of symptom experience. Continuum beliefs were related to lower desire for social distance in alcohol abuse, OCD and schizophrenia; however, they were associated with higher scores on ‘weak-not-sick’ stigma dimension in dementia and schizophrenia.ConclusionsPerceiving that a person with a mental illness is similar to themselves may reduce social distancing by the public. Thus, the approach may lend itself well to public education aimed at reducing stigma.