bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Successful heart transplantation in patients with active Staphylococcus bloodstream infection and suspected mechanical circulatory support device infection
Authors: Sullivan Timothy , Taimur Sarah , Rana Meenakshi , Patel Gopi , Pinney Sean , Anyanwu Anelechi , Huprikar Shirish 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBackgroundAn active bloodstream infection (BSI) is typically considered a contraindication to heart transplantation (HT). However, in some patients with Staphylococcus bacteremia and mechanical circulatory support device infection, positive blood cultures may persist until removal of the infected device, and eradicating the infection prior to HT may not be possible. We report the outcomes of six patients with active Staphylococcus BSI at the time of HT.MethodsAll cases of HT performed at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 2009 through 2015 were reviewed. All patients with a mechanical circulatory support device and an active Staphylococcus BSI at the time of HT were included.ResultsSix patients with active Staphylococcus bacteremia and suspected mechanical circulatory support device infection underwent HT. All patients were bacteremic with Staphylococcus species at the time of HT. All were managed with antimicrobial therapy, radical debridement at the time of HT, and limited use of immunosuppression, and all survived until hospital discharge with no evidence of relapsed Staphylococcus infection.ConclusionThese results suggest that some carefully selected patients with active Staphylococcus bacteremia and suspected mechanical circulatory support device infection may safely undergo HT, and that HT may effectively eliminate the underlying infection.
Direct antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C in heart transplant recipients
Authors: Vitrone Martina , Andini Roberto , Mattucci Irene , Maiello Ciro , Atripaldi Luigi , Durante‐Mangoni Emanuele , Zampino Rosa 
Published: November 2017

AbstractDirect‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are a safe and effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). This may be particularly valuable for patients with severe comorbidities or baseline conditions, including non‐liver solid organ transplant. We report cases of two heart transplant recipients with CHC treated with DAAs (sofosbuvir and daclatasvir) achieving sustained virological response. Treatment was well tolerated and no relevant side effects were observed. The drug‐drug interactions and graft function were carefully monitored.
Relationship Between Physical Therapy Characteristics, Surgical Procedure, and Clinical Outcomes in Patients After ACL Reconstruction
Authors: Dempsey Ian J. , Norte Grant E. , Hall Matthew , Goetschius John , Slater Lindsay V. , Cancienne Jourdan M. , Werner Brian C. , Diduch David R. , Hart Joseph M. 
Published: November 2017

Context: Postoperative rehabilitation is critical to optimize outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). However, the relationship between physical therapy (PT) and clinical outcomes is unclear. Objective: To describe PT characteristics following ACLR and to assess the relationships between PT characteristics, surgical procedure, and clinical outcomes. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Laboratory. Patients (or Other Participants): A total of 60 patients (31 females/29 males, age = 22.4 [9.2] y, height = 171.7 [9.9] cm, and mass = 70.2 [14.7] kg) with a history of primary unilateral ACLR (53.6% patellar tendon and 46.4% hamstring) participated. Intervention(s): Patients completed a performance assessment and rated subjective knee function prior to physician clearance (mean = 6.3 [1.3] mo postoperatively) and were contacted within 6 months of clearance to complete a PT questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures: PT questionnaire item response, knee extension maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque, peak isokinetic knee extension torque, single leg hop distance, and International Knee Documentation Committee were measured. Correlations assessed relationships between PT quantity and clinical outcomes. Independent t tests compared PT quantity and clinical outcomes based on return-to-sport status, readiness to return to sport, and surgical procedure. Results: Patients completed regular PT (2 d/wk, 25 wk, 58 visits) and were most likely to conclude when discharged by the therapist (68.3%). More than half (56.7%) returned to sport, yet most (73.3%) felt unready at discharge. Isokinetic torque was correlated with days of PT/week (r = .29, P = .03). Isokinetic torque and hop symmetry were reduced in patients who returned to sport (P < .05). Patients who felt ready to return completed fewer weeks of PT (P < .05). Patients with a patellar tendon graft completed more days of PT/week and total visits, but demonstrated lower MVIC torque, MVIC symmetry, and isokinetic symmetry (P < .05). Conclusions: Many patients felt unready to return to sport at PT discharge. PT frequency was associated with isokinetic torque, yet this relationship was small. Outcomes were reduced in patients who returned to sport, suggesting premature resumption of preinjury activity.
Initiation, Elongation, and Realignment during Influenza Virus mRNA Synthesis
Authors: te Velthuis Aartjan J. W. , Oymans Judith 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of the influenza A virus replicates and transcribes the viral genome segments in the nucleus of the host cell. To transcribe these viral genome segments, the RdRp “snatches” capped RNA oligonucleotides from nascent host cell mRNAs and aligns these primers to the ultimate or penultimate nucleotide of the segments for the initiation of viral mRNA synthesis. It has been proposed that this initiation process is not processive and that the RdRp uses a prime-realign mechanism during transcription. Here we provide
in vitro
evidence for the existence of this transcriptional prime-realign mechanism but show that it functions efficiently only for primers that are short or cannot stably base pair with the template. In addition, we demonstrate that transcriptional elongation is dependent on the priming loop of the PB1 subunit of the RdRp. We propose that the prime-realign mechanism may be used to rescue abortive transcription initiation events or cope with sequence variation among primers. Overall, these observations advance our mechanistic understanding of how influenza A virus initiates transcription correctly and efficiently.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza A virus causes severe disease in humans and is considered a major global health threat. The virus replicates and transcribes its genome by using an enzyme called the RNA polymerase. To ensure that the genome is amplified faithfully and abundant viral mRNAs are made for viral protein synthesis, the viral RNA polymerase must transcribe the viral genome efficiently. In this report, we characterize a structure inside the polymerase that contributes to the efficiency of viral mRNA synthesis.
Genomic Variation and Evolution ofVibrio parahaemolyticusST36 over the Course of a Transcontinental Epidemic Expansion
Authors: Martinez-Urtaza Jaime , van Aerle Ronny , Abanto Michel , Haendiges Julie , Myers Robert A. , Trinanes Joaquin , Baker-Austin Craig , Gonzalez-Escalona Narjol 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTVibrio parahaemolyticusis the leading cause of seafood-related infections with illnesses undergoing a geographic expansion. In this process of expansion, the most fundamental change has been the transition from infections caused by local strains to the surge of pandemic clonal types. Pandemic clone sequence type 3 (ST3) was the only example of transcontinental spreading until 2012, when ST36 was detected outside the region where it is endemic in the U.S. Pacific Northwest causing infections along the U.S. northeast coast and Spain. Here, we used genome-wide analyses to reconstruct the evolutionary history of theV. parahaemolyticusST36 clone over the course of its geographic expansion during the previous 25 years. The origin of this lineage was estimated to be in ~1985. By 1995, a new variant emerged in the region and quickly replaced the old clone, which has not been detected since 2000. The new Pacific Northwest (PNW) lineage was responsible for the first cases associated with this clone outside the Pacific Northwest region. After several introductions into the northeast coast, the new PNW clone differentiated into a highly dynamic group that continues to cause illness on the northeast coast of the United States. Surprisingly, the strains detected in Europe in 2012 diverged from this ancestral group around 2000 and have conserved genetic features present only in the old PNW lineage. Recombination was identified as the major driver of diversification, with some preliminary observations suggesting a trend toward a more specialized lifestyle, which may represent a critical element in the expansion of epidemics under scenarios of coastal warming.IMPORTANCEVibrio parahaemolyticusandVibrio choleraerepresent the only two instances of pandemic expansions of human pathogens originating in the marine environment. However, while the current pandemic ofV. choleraeemerged more than 50 years ago, the global expansion ofV. parahaemolyticusis a recent phenomenon. These modern expansions provide an exceptional opportunity to study the evolutionary process of these pathogens at first hand and gain an understanding of the mechanisms shaping the epidemic dynamics of these diseases, in particular, the emergence, dispersal, and successful introduction in new regions facilitating global spreading of infections. In this study, we used genomic analysis to examine the evolutionary divergence that has occurred over the course of the most recent transcontinental expansion of a pathogenicVibrio, the spreading of theV. parahaemolyticussequence type 36 clone from the region where it is endemic on the Pacific coast of North America to the east coast of the United States and finally to the west coast of Europe.
Lipid profiles and determinants of total cholesterol and hypercholesterolaemia among 25–74 year-old urban and rural citizens of the Yangon Region, Myanmar: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Htet Aung Soe , Kjøllesdal Marte Karoline , Aung Wai Phyo , Moe Myint Aye Nyein , Aye Win Thuzar , Wai Myint Myint , Nu Than Than , Hla Ei Mon , Soe Pyone Pyone , Tun Nan Wut Yi , Angela Naw , Khaing Mya Mya , Htoo Aung Kyaw , Tun Soe , Thitsar Pai , Lwin Theeoo , Wai San San , Aung Thi Thi , Thant Khin Aye , Aung Po Wai Wai , Gauzam Seng Taung , Naing Tun Tun , Tun Thet Min , Myint Khin San , Oo Kyi Kyi , Mang Nang Kee Myu , Naing Soe Moe , Zaw Ko Ko , Bjertness Marius Bergsmark , Sherpa Lhamo Yangchen , Oo Win Myint , Stigum Hein , Bjertness Espen 
Published: November 2017

ObjectiveThe first is to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia (hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level), as well as the mean levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL, in the urban and rural Yangon Region, Myanmar. The second is to investigate the association between urban-rural location and total cholesterol.DesignTwo cross-sectional studies using the WHO STEPS methodology.SettingBoth the urban and rural areas of the Yangon Region, Myanmar.ParticipantsA total of 1370 men and women aged 25–74 years participated based on a multistage cluster sampling. Physically and mentally ill people, monks, nuns, soldiers and institutionalised people were excluded.ResultsCompared with rural counterparts, urban dwellers had a significantly higher age-standardised prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia (50.7% vs 41.6%; p=0.042) and a low HDL level (60.6% vs 44.4%; p=0.001). No urban-rural differences were found in the prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia and high LDL. Men had a higher age-standardised prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia than women (25.1% vs 14.8%; p<0.001), while the opposite pattern was found in the prevalence of a high LDL (11.3% vs 16.3%; p=0.018) and low HDL level (35.3% vs 70.1%; p<0.001).Compared with rural inhabitants, urban dwellers had higher age-standardised mean levels of total cholesterol (5.31 mmol/L, SE: 0.044 vs 5.05 mmol/L, 0.068; p=0.009), triglyceride (1.65 mmol/L, 0.049 vs 1.38 mmol/L, 0.078; p=0.017), LDL (3.44 mmol/L, 0.019 vs 3.16 mmol/L, 0.058; p=0.001) and lower age-standardised mean levels of HDL (1.11 mmol/L, 0.010 vs 1.25 mmol/L, 0.012; p<0.001). In linear regression, the total cholesterol was significantly associated with an urban location among men, but not among women.ConclusionThe mean level of total cholesterol and the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia were alarmingly high in men and women in both the urban and rural areas of Yangon Region, Myanmar. Preventive measures to reduce cholesterol levels in the population are therefore needed.
Imaging and CSF analyses effectively distinguish CJD from its mimics
Authors: Rudge Peter , Hyare Harpreet , Green Alison , Collinge John , Mead Simon 
Published: November 2017

ObjectiveTo review clinical and investigation findings in patients referred to a specialist prion clinic who were suspected to have sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) and yet were found to have an alternative final diagnosis.MethodsReview the clinical findings and investigations in 214 patients enrolled into the UK National Prion Monitoring Cohort Study between October 2008 and November 2015 who had postmortem confirmed sCJD and compare these features with 50 patients referred over the same period who had an alternative final diagnosis (CJD mimics).ResultsPatients with an alternative diagnosis and those with sCJD were of similar age, sex and frequency of dementia but CJD mimics had a longer clinical history. Myoclonus, rigidity and hallucinations were more frequent in patients with sCJD but these features were not helpful in classifying individual patients. Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and genetic neurodegenerative disorders were alternative diagnoses in more than half of the CJD mimic cases, and 10% had an immune-mediated encephalopathy; lymphoma, hepatic encephalopathy and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy were seen more than once. Diffusion-weighted MRI was the most useful readily available test to classify cases correctly (92% CJD, 2% CJD mimics). The CSF cell count, 14-3-3 protein detection and S100B were of limited value. A positive CSF RT-QuIC test, introduced during the course of the study, was found in 89% of tested CJD cases and 0% CJD mimics.ConclusionThe combination of diffusion-weighted MRI analysis and CSF RT-QuIC allowed a perfect classification of sCJD versus its mimics in this study.
Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) is increased in microglia and macrophages in spinal cord of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cerebrospinal fluid levels correlate with disease severity and progression
Authors: Steinacker Petra , Verde Federico , Fang Lubin , Feneberg Emily , Oeckl Patrick , Roeber Sigrun , Anderl-Straub Sarah , Danek Adrian , Diehl-Schmid Janine , Fassbender Klaus , Fliessbach Klaus , Foerstl Hans , Giese Armin , Jahn Holger , Kassubek Jan , Kornhuber Johannes , Landwehrmeyer G Bernhard , Lauer Martin , Pinkhardt Elmar Hans , Prudlo Johannes , Rosenbohm Angela , Schneider Anja , Schroeter Matthias L , Tumani Hayrettin , von Arnim Christine A F , Weishaupt Jochen , Weydt Patrick , Ludolph Albert C , Yilmazer Hanke Deniz , Otto Markus 
Published: November 2017

ObjectivesNeurochemical markers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that reflect underlying disease mechanisms might help in diagnosis, staging and prediction of outcome. We aimed at determining the origin and differential diagnostic and prognostic potential of the putative marker of microglial activation chitotriosidase (CHIT1).MethodsAltogether 316 patients were included, comprising patients with sporadic ALS, ALS mimics (disease controls (DCo)), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy controls (Con). CHIT1 and neurofilament levels were determined in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood and analysed with regard to diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and prognostic performance. Additionally, postmortem tissue was analysed for CHIT1 expression.ResultsIn ALS, CHIT1 CSF levels were higher compared with Con (p<0.0001), DCo (p<0.05) and neurodegenerative diseases (AD p<0.05, PD p<0.01, FTLD p<0.0001) except CJD. CHIT1 concentrations were correlated with ALS disease progression and severity but not with the survival time, as did neurofilaments. Serum CHIT1 levels were not different in ALS compared with any other study group. In the spinal cord of patients with ALS, but not Con, AD or CJD cases, CHIT1 was expressed in the corticospinal tract and CHIT1 staining colocalised with markers of microglia (IBA1) and macrophages (CD68).ConclusionsCHIT1 concentrations in the CSF of patients with ALS may reflect the extent of microglia/macrophage activation in the white matter of the spinal cord. CHIT1 could be a potentially useful marker for differential diagnosis and prediction of disease progression in ALS and, therefore, seems suitable as a supplemental marker for patient stratification in therapeutic trials.
Increase in branched‐chain amino acids due to acidemia in neonatal calves with diarrhoea
Authors: Tsukano Kenji , Inoue Hiroki , Suzuki Kazuyuki 
Published: November 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between acid‐base status and plasma branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA) concentration in calves with diarrhoea for intravenous nutrition, especially with amino acid solution in calves with diarrhoea. Thirty‐four Holstein calves aged 11.0±5.9 days old were enrolled in this study. In 10 of 34 calves exhibiting clinical signs of diarrhoea, severe dehydration and acidemia were observed (severe group: pH: 7.04±0.11, base excess (BE): −17.4±4.5) based on blood gas analysis. In 7 of 34 calves exhibiting clinical signs of diarrhoea, mild dehydration and acidemia were observed (mild group: pH: 7.29±0.06, BE: 0.0±5.2). The other 17 calves did not exhibit dehydration or acidemia (pH: 7.41±0.02, BE: 11.2±3.5) based on clinical signs and blood gas analysis. The plasma concentration of BCAA was significantly higher in the severe group than in the other groups. In addition, the blood pH and plasma concentrations of BCAA (r=−0.41, P<0.05) were significantly and negatively correlated. As calves with metabolic acidosis have increased plasma BCAA concentrations due to hypermetabolic states of proteolysis, amino acid solutions containing low concentrations of BCAA may be useful to gradually correct the negative nitrogen balance.
“Were the Jews of Qumran Hellenistic Jews?”
Authors: Wright Benjamin G. 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The people who produced and used the scrolls offer us a particularly fascinating example of the extent to which we might call the people/communities of the scrolls “Hellenistic Jews.” The default concept of antiquity that scholars use, the way the term “sectarian” gets employed, and the geography of the Hellenistic world all separate the yaḥad from the larger Hellenistic world. Yet, the scrolls compare well with Hellenistic discourses and practices of collection, textual scholarship, and scientific knowledge. Moreover, if we read the scrolls alongside of other Jewish texts usually considered Hellenistic, we see similar patterns of thought and common interests. In this sense, then, the yaḥad and the scrolls fit well into their Hellenistic environment.
Does an Islamic Finance Industry Need a Unification of Standards? A Qualitative Discussion
Authors: Mohamad Azhar , Kashi Aghilasse 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The two main problems faced by the Islamic finance industry in Muslim countries are that the markets are fragmented, which gives rise to different governing standards, and that the markets’ growth is very much region-centric. In this article, using a qualitative approach, we identify the obstacles facing the industry in its quest to unify the differences and implement a uniform standard. We argue that if Malaysia’s Islamic finance industry is to become a leader in the global Islamic finance industry, a key policy must be to reduce the gaps in Islamic finance practices between countries by adopting unified standards. Unifying standards could enable Muslim countries to accrue greater benefits from the globalisation of the Islamic financial sector and attract more foreign direct investment and portfolio equity flows. It could also enable greater integration of Islamic financial markets, increase diversification opportunities and expand the set of available financial instruments.
Modern Extremist Groups and the Division of the World: A Critique from an Islamic Perspective
Authors: Badar a Mohamed , Nagata b Masaki 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Modern extremist groups have revived the use of certain concepts of Islamic dogma and wilfully misinterpreted them as a means of achieving their own ends. Dae‘sh (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is the most striking example. They have made declarations of takfir (excommunication) regarding Muslim rulers, maintaining that only Dae‘sh land is a dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and that other lands are dar al-kufr or harb (abodes of unbelief or war), just as the Khawarij sect believed in the 7th century ce. They do not employ the concept of hijra (migration) in its traditional, defensive sense, but rather as a means of strengthening their own power by recruiting from around the world and launching military jihads, all in order to ‘reclaim’ the dar al-kufr and establish an Islamic state. This article examines the evolution of these terms throughout Islamic history, their misinterpretation by extremist groups, and their modern legal status.
Geonic Talmud Commentaries in Transition: A Hand-list by Joseph Rosh ha-Seder
Authors: Dubovick Yosaif Mordechai 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Joseph Rosh ha-Seder was a renowned copyist and Talmud scholar in 12th century Egypt. His personal hand-lists of quotations and notes, found in the Cairo Genizah, serve to reconstruct the outline of many of his literary projects. This article presents an analysis of one such fragment, containing several nonconsecutive Talmud commentaries which may be attributed to the geonic academies in Baghdad. Among the questions raised to guide future research are: To what end did these commentaries serve the compiler? What can be learned from the language of the commentaries (Judeo-Arabic as opposed to Hebrew)? What can this fragment tell us about the proliferation of geonic commentaries over the course of two centuries? What can this fragment tell us of Joseph’s own literary capabilities and plans?
Persecution in Igbo-Nigerian Civil-War Narratives
Authors: Chukwumah Ignatius , Nebeife Cassandra Ifeoma 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Sociopolitical phenomena such as corruption, political instability, (domestic) violence, cultural fragmentation, and the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) have been central themes of Nigerian narratives. Important as these are, they tend to touch on the periphery of the major issue at stake, which is the vector of persecution underlying the Nigerian tradition in general and in modern Igbo Nigerian narratives in particular, novels and short stories written in English which capture, wholly or in part, the Igbo cosmology and experience in their discursive formations. The present study of such modern Igbo Nigerian narratives as Okpewho’s The Last Duty (1976), Iyayi’s Heroes (1986), Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2007), and other novels and short stories applies René Girard’s theory of the pharmakos (Greek for scapegoat) to this background of persecution, particularly as it subtends the condition of the Igbo in postcolonial Nigeria in the early years of independence.