bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methane Detectors Challenge: Low-Cost Continuous Emissions Monitoring
Authors: Siebenaler Shane P. , Janka Adam M. , Lyon David , Edlebeck John P. , Nowlan Aileen E. 
Published: November 2016

Natural gas leakage from unmanned facilities, such as compressor stations, gathering sites, and block valve locations, can pose significant economic and safety impacts. Additionally, methane, the primary constituent of natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas with 84 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide on a mass basis over a 20-year period (IPCC 2013). Due to the remote location of many of these facilities, fluid leaks can persist for extended periods of time. Continuous leak detection systems would facilitate rapid identification and repair of leaks. However, existing technologies, such as infrared cameras, are cost-prohibitive to be installed at a high number of sites and are instead used in periodic monitoring as part of leak detection and repair programs. Such periodic monitoring does not provide for quick detection of “fat tail” leaks that dominate the emissions from gathering and transportation systems (Mitchell et al. 2015, Subramanian et al. 2015).
A unique and innovative arrangement of various stakeholders was utilized to initiate a technology development and testing program aimed at expedited deployment of low-cost technologies at high numbers of sites. The technologies targeted for this work were low enough in cost to economically justify the installation of such sensors at every gas gathering and transportation site. This work was driven by an environmental advocacy organization under a partnership with eight different oil and gas companies and technical oversight from various universities, non-profits, and government agencies to give a wide perspective on the needs of such technology.
Four different technologies were developed and tested in realistic release environments. The technologies ranged from sensors modified from automobile-based technology to laser-based systems used for monitoring gases in coal mines. The systems were treated as “end-to-end” units whereby all components (e.g., sensor, data acquisition, enclosures, etc.) needed to perform according to the provided specifications. The testing involved controlled releases under numerous environmental conditions and with different gas compositions. The largest focus of the testing was on outdoor releases where the systems had to detect the transient nature of gas plumes.
The primary objectives of the testing were to determine the readiness of the technologies for pilot testing in the field and identify continuous improvement opportunities. The project demonstrated that there are newly-developed technologies that could be deployed as low-cost continuous monitoring solutions for the gas industry.
Serum Bactericidal Antibody Responses of Adults Immunized with the MenB-4C Vaccine against Genetically Diverse Serogroup B Meningococci
Authors: Giuntini Serena , Lujan Eduardo , Gibani Malick M. , Dold Christina , Rollier Christine S. , Pollard Andrew J. , Granoff Dan M. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT
MenB-4C is a meningococcal vaccine for the prevention of serogroup B disease. The vaccine contains factor H binding protein (FHbp) and three other antigens that can elicit serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA). For vaccine licensure, efficacy was inferred from the SBA responses against three antigen-specific indicator strains. The relation between those results and broad protection against circulating genetically diverse strains is not known. Twenty adults were immunized with two doses of MenB-4C given 1 to 2 months apart. SBA activity against 3 reference strains and 15 serogroup B test strains (6 from college outbreaks) was measured. Compared to the preimmunization titers, 70%, 95%, and 95% of subjects had ≥4-fold increases in the titers of anti-PorA P1.4, anti-NadA, and anti-FHbp antibodies against the reference strains, respectively. In contrast, only 25 to 45% of the subjects had ≥4-fold increases in responses to 10 of the 15 test strains, including 8 that expressed one to three of the antigens in the vaccine. At 1 month, the majority of subjects with <4-fold titer increases had serum titers of ≥1:4, which are considered sufficient for protection. However, the titers against four strains declined to <1:4 by 4 to 6 months in one-third to greater than 50% of the subjects tested. Clinically relevant isolates are often more resistant to SBA than the indicator strains used to measure antigen-specific SBA. A working model is that the percentage of subjects with titers of ≥1:4 at 1 month postimmunization correlates with short-term protection against that strain, whereas the percentage of subjects with ≥4-fold titer increases represents a more robust response. (The protocol used at the Oxford Vaccine Group has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT02398396.)
Sensitive Detection of Francisella tularensis Directly from Whole Blood by Use of the GeneXpert System
Authors: Banada Padmapriya P. , Deshpande Srinidhi , Chakravorty Soumitesh , Russo Riccardo , Occi James , Meister Gabriel , Jones Kelly J. , Gelhaus Carl H. , Valderas Michelle W. , Jones Martin , Connell Nancy , Alland David 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

Francisella tularensis
is a potential bioterrorism agent that is highly infectious at very low doses. Diagnosis of tularemia by blood culture and nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests is insufficiently sensitive. Here, we demonstrate a highly sensitive
F. tularensis
assay that incorporates sample processing and detection into a single cartridge suitable for point-of-care detection. The assay limit of detection (LOD) and dynamic range were determined in a filter-based cartridge run on the GeneXpert system.
F. tularensis
DNA in buffer or CFU of
F. tularensis
was spiked into human or macaque blood. To simulate detection in human disease, the assay was tested on blood drawn from macaques infected with
F. tularensis
Schu S4 at daily intervals. Assay detection was compared to that with a conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay and blood culture. The assay LOD was 0.1 genome equivalents (GE) per reaction and 10 CFU/ml
F. tularensis
in both human and macaque blood. In infected macaques, the assay detected
F. tularensis
on days 1 to 4 postinfection in 21%, 17%, 60%, and 83% of macaques, respectively, compared to conventional qPCR positivity rates of 0%, 0%, 30%, and 100% and CFU detection of blood culture at 0%, 0%, 0%, and 10% positive, respectively. Assay specificity was 100%. The new cartridge-based assay can rapidly detect
F. tularensis
in bloodstream infections directly in whole blood at the early stages of infection with a sensitivity that is superior to that of other methods. The simplicity of the automated testing procedures may make this test suitable for rapid point-of-care detection.
Multiplex Urinary Antigen Detection for 13 Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Improves Diagnosis of Pneumococcal Pneumonia in South African HIV-Infected Adults
Authors: Albrich Werner C. , Pride Michael W. , Madhi Shabir A. , Callahan Jan , Adrian Peter V. , French Roger , van Niekerk Nadia , Sebastian Shite , Souza Victor , Telles Jean-Noel , Paranhos-Baccalà Glaucia , Jansen Kathrin U. , Klugman Keith P. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

A serotype-specific urinary antigen detection (UAD) assay for 13 serotypes included in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was recently reported as a useful diagnostic tool for pneumococcal pneumonia. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the UAD in HIV-infected South African adults. Urine specimens from a well-defined cohort of HIV-infected South African adults with pneumonia were evaluated retrospectively in the UAD assay. Pneumonia was considered pneumococcal if either sputum Gram stain, sputum culture, blood culture, or the immunochromatographic (ICT) BinaxNow
S. pneumoniae
test (composite diagnostic) was positive. Among 235 enrolled pneumonia patients, the UAD assay was more frequently positive (104 [44.3%]) than the composite diagnostic (71 [30.2%];
P
< 0.001) and increased the pneumococcal etiology from 30.2% by an additional 22.6% to 52.8%. The UAD assay detected more pneumococcal etiologies (45.0%) than the serotype-independent ICT (23.4%,
P
< 0.001). UAD identified 6/7 patients with PCV13 serotype bacteremia without misclassification of bacteremia episodes due to non-PCV13 serotypes. UAD was positive for 5.1% of asymptomatic HIV-infected persons, with higher rates among those with nasopharyngeal carriage. Concordance between serotypes identified by UAD and by Quellung reaction and PCR serotyping was 70/86 (81.4%). UAD identified the dominant serotype in multiple serotype carriage. This study confirms the utility of the UAD assay for HIV-infected adults comparing favorably with other diagnostic tests. A highly valent UAD may become a new standard for detection of pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. Prior to PCV introduction, at least 53% of pneumonia cases were due to pneumococci in HIV-infected South African adults.
Evaluation of Veterinary-Specific Interpretive Criteria for Susceptibility Testing of Streptococcus equi Subspecies with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim-Sulfadiazine
Authors: Sadaka Carmen , Kanellos Theo , Guardabassi Luca , Boucher Joseph , Watts Jeffrey L. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTAntimicrobial susceptibility test results for trimethoprim-sulfadiazine withStreptococcus equisubspecies are interpreted based on human data for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The veterinary-specific data generated in this study support a single breakpoint for testing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and/or trimethoprim-sulfadiazine withS. equi. This study indicates trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole as an acceptable surrogate for trimethoprim-sulfadiazine withS. equi.
Relative Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Elizabethkingia Species Based on 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Authors: Han Mi-Soon , Kim Hyunsoo , Lee Yangsoon , Kim Myungsook , Ku Nam Su , Choi Jun Yong , Yong Dongeun , Jeong Seok Hoon , Lee Kyungwon , Chong Yunsop 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

Some of the previously reported clinical isolates of
Elizabethkingia meningoseptica
may be later named species of
Elizabethkingia
. We determined the accuracy of species identification (with two matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry [MALDI-TOF MS] systems and the Vitek 2 GN card), relative prevalence of three
Elizabethkingia
spp. in clinical specimens, and antimicrobial susceptibility of the species identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Specimens for culture were collected from patients in a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea, between 2009 and 2015. All 3
Elizabethkingia
spp. were detected in patients; among the 86 isolates identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, 17 (19.8%) were
E. meningoseptica
, 18 (20.9%) were
Elizabethkingia
miricola
, and 51 (59.3%) were
Elizabethkingia
anophelis
. Only the MALDI-TOF Vitek MS system with an amended database correctly identified all of the isolates. The majority (76.7%) of the isolates were from the lower respiratory tract, and 8 (9.3%) were from blood. Over 90% of
E. meningoseptica
and
E. anophelis
isolates were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam and rifampin. In contrast, all
E. miricola
isolates were susceptible to fluoroquinolones except ciprofloxacin. Further studies are urgently needed to determine the optimal antimicrobial agents for the treatment of infections due to each individual
Elizabethkingia
species.
Parvovirus Capsid Structures Required for Infection: Mutations Controlling Receptor Recognition and Protease Cleavages
Authors: Callaway Heather M. , Feng Kurtis H. , Lee Donald W. , Allison Andrew B. , Pinard Melissa , McKenna Robert , Agbandje-McKenna Mavis , Hafenstein Susan , Parrish Colin R. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT
Parvovirus capsids are small but complex molecular machines responsible for undertaking many of the steps of cell infection, genome packing, and cell-to-cell as well as host-to-host transfer. The details of parvovirus infection of cells are still not fully understood, but the processes must involve small changes in the capsid structure that allow the endocytosed virus to escape from the endosome, pass through the cell cytoplasm, and deliver the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome to the nucleus, where viral replication occurs. Here, we examine capsid substitutions that eliminate canine parvovirus (CPV) infectivity and identify how those mutations changed the capsid structure or altered interactions with the infectious pathway. Amino acid substitutions on the exterior surface of the capsid (Gly299Lys/Ala300Lys) altered the binding of the capsid to transferrin receptor type 1 (TfR), particularly during virus dissociation from the receptor, but still allowed efficient entry into both feline and canine cells without successful infection. These substitutions likely control specific capsid structural changes resulting from TfR binding required for infection. A second set of changes on the interior surface of the capsid reduced viral infectivity by >100-fold and included two cysteine residues and neighboring residues. One of these substitutions, Cys270Ser, modulates a VP2 cleavage event found in ∼10% of the capsid proteins that also was shown to alter capsid stability. A neighboring substitution, Pro272Lys, significantly reduced capsid assembly, while a Cys273Ser change appeared to alter capsid transport from the nucleus. These mutants reveal additional structural details that explain cell infection processes of parvovirus capsids.

IMPORTANCE
Parvoviruses are commonly found in both vertebrate and invertebrate animals and cause widespread disease. They are also being developed as oncolytic therapeutics and as gene therapy vectors. Most functions involved in infection or transduction are mediated by the viral capsid, but the structure-function correlates of the capsids and their constituent proteins are still incompletely understood, especially in relation to identifying capsid processes responsible for infection and release from the cell. Here, we characterize the functional effects of capsid protein mutations that result in the loss of virus infectivity, giving a better understanding of the portions of the capsid that mediate essential steps in successful infection pathways and how they contribute to viral infectivity.
Symptomatic adrenal suppression among children in Canada
Authors: Goldbloom Ellen B , Mokashi Arati , Cummings Elizabeth A , Abish Sharon , Benseler Susanne M , Huynh Hien Q , Watson Wade , Ahmet Alexandra 
Published: November 2016

BackgroundAdrenal suppression (AS) is an under-recognised side effect of glucocorticoid (GC) use. AS may go undetected until a physiological stress precipitates an adrenal crisis. The incidence of AS has not been established. We sought to estimate the minimum national incidence and presenting features of paediatricsymptomaticAS.MethodsThrough the established methodology of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, over 2500 paediatricians were surveyed monthly for 2 years (April 2010–March 2012) to report new cases of symptomatic AS.ResultsForty-six cases of symptomatic AS were confirmed. The estimated annual incidence is 0.35/100 000 children aged 0–18 years (95% CI 0.26 to 0.47). The most common presentations were growth failure (35%), non-specific symptoms (28%) or both (13%). Adrenal crisis occurred in six cases (13%). Thirty-seven children (80%) had received inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) alone or in combination with other GC forms. Many children received high but commonly prescribed doses of ICS.ConclusionsAS is responsible for significant morbidity in children, including susceptibility to adrenal crisis. The minimal estimated incidence reported is for the entire paediatric population and would be much higher in the at-risk group (ie, children treated with GCs). Close monitoring of growth and possible symptoms of AS, which may be non-specific, are important in children on all forms of GC therapy including ICS. To reduce the risk of AS, physicians must be aware of the risk of AS, revisit GC doses frequently and use the lowest effective dose.
Can purchasing information be used to predict adherence to cardiovascular medications? An analysis of linked retail pharmacy and insurance claims data
Authors: Krumme Alexis A , Sanfélix-Gimeno Gabriel , Franklin Jessica M , Isaman Danielle L , Mahesri Mufaddal , Matlin Olga S , Shrank William H , Brennan Troyen A , Brill Gregory , Choudhry Niteesh K 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveThe use of retail purchasing data may improve adherence prediction over approaches using healthcare insurance claims alone.DesignRetrospective.Setting and participantsA cohort of patients who received prescription medication benefits through CVS Caremark, used a CVS Pharmacy ExtraCare Health Care (ECHC) loyalty card, and initiated a statin medication in 2011.OutcomeWe evaluated associations between retail purchasing patterns and optimal adherence to statins in the 12 subsequent months.ResultsAmong 11 010 statin initiators, 43% were optimally adherent at 12 months of follow-up. Greater numbers of store visits per month and dollar amount per visit were positively associated with optimal adherence, as was making a purchase on the same day as filling a prescription (p<0.0001 for all). Models to predict adherence using retail purchase variables had low discriminative ability (C-statistic: 0.563), while models with both clinical and retail purchase variables achieved a C-statistic of 0.617.ConclusionsWhile the use of retail purchases may improve the discriminative ability of claims-based approaches, these data alone appear inadequate for adherence prediction, even with the addition of more complex analytical approaches. Nevertheless, associations between retail purchasing behaviours and adherence could inform the development of quality improvement interventions.
Descriptive analysis of a 1:1 physiotherapy outpatient intervention post primary lumbar discectomy: one arm of a small-scale parallel randomised controlled trial across two UK sites
Authors: Rushton A , Calcutt A , Heneghan N , Heap A , White L , Calvert M , Goodwin P 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveThere is a lack of high-quality evidence for physiotherapy post lumbar discectomy. Substantial heterogeneity in treatment effects may be explained by variation in quality, administration and components of interventions. An optimised physiotherapy intervention may reduce heterogeneity and improve patient benefit. The objective was to describe, analyse and evaluate an optimised 1:1 physiotherapy outpatient intervention for patients following primary lumbar discectomy, to provide preliminary insights.DesignA descriptive analysis of the intervention embedded within an external pilot and feasibility trial.SettingTwo UK spinal centres.ParticipantsParticipants aged ≥18; post primary, single level, lumbar discectomy were recruited.InterventionThe intervention encompassed education, advice, mobility and core stability exercises, progressive exercise, and encouragement of early return to work/activity. Patients received ≤8 sessions for ≤8 weeks, starting 4 weeks post surgery (baseline).OutcomesBlinded outcome assessment at baseline and 12 weeks (post intervention) included the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. STarT Back data were collected at baseline. Statistical analyses summarised participant characteristics and preplanned descriptive analyses. Thematic analysis grouped related data.FindingsTwenty-two of 29 allocated participants received the intervention. STarT Back categorised n=16 (55%) participants ‘not at low risk’. Physiotherapists identified reasons for caution for 8 (36%) participants, commonly risk of overdoing activity (n=4, 18%). There was no relationship between STarT Back and physiotherapists’ evaluation of caution. Physiotherapists identified 154 problems (mean (SD) 5.36 (2.63)). Those ‘not at low risk’, and/or requiring caution presented with more problems, and required more sessions (mean (SD) 3.14 (1.16)).ConclusionsPatients present differently and therefore require tailored interventions. These differences may be identified using clinical reasoning and outcome data.Trial registration numberISRCTN33808269; post results.
An online questionnaire survey of UK general practitioners’ knowledge and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Kwok See , Pang Jing , Adam Safwaan , Watts Gerald F , Soran Handrean 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveEarly diagnosis and treatment of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) is known to be associated with reduced mortality from premature coronary artery disease, but HeFH remains underdiagnosed. This survey aims to determine knowledge and current management of HeFH in general practice.SettingAn online questionnaire was administered to general practitioners’ (GPs’) in the North West of England to assess their knowledge and management of HeFH.ParticipantsPractising GPs in the North West of England were contacted by email and invited to complete an online questionnaire. Recruitment discontinued when the target of 100 was reached.Primary outcomeAn assessment of the knowledge and current management of HeFH in GPs.Results100 GP responses were analysed. Although only 39% considered themselves to have reasonable knowledge of HeFH, 89% knew that HeFH was a genetic disorder and 74% selected the correct lipid profile for diagnosing the condition. More than half (61%) were aware of current guidelines on HeFH. Gaps in knowledge were evident when only 30% correctly identified the prevalence of HeFH and half were not aware of the pattern of inheritance. Increased cardiovascular risk was underestimated by majority. 33% thought that they had HeFH patients in their practice confirming underdiagnosis of the condition. Statin therapy was recognised by 94% to be the right medication for treating HeFH. The majority (82%) regarded GPs to be the most effective healthcare professional for early recognition of HeFH.ConclusionsGPs have an above-average knowledge of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and almost universally consider that they have a key role in the early recognition of undiagnosed HeFH patients in the community. However, there are gaps in awareness that need to be addressed to further enhance the care of FH in the community.