bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematic revision reveals underestimated diversity of the South African endemic fishfly genus Taeniochauliodes Esben‐Petersen (Megaloptera: Corydalidae)
Authors: LIU XINGYUE , PRICE BENJAMIN , HAYASHI FUMIO , DE MOOR FERDINAND , YANG DING 
Published: April 2013

AbstractTaeniochauliodes is the most common and widely distributed fishfly genus in South Africa, with one historically recognized valid species Taeniochauliodes ochraceopennis Esben‐Petersen. The present systematic revision of Taeniochauliodes has found that this genus consists of at least eight species: T. angustus sp.n., T. attenuatus sp.n., T. barnardi sp.n., T. fuscus sp.n., T. minutus sp.n., and T. natalensis sp.n. Description of all new species and a redescription of T. esbenpeterseni comb.n. & stat.rev. and T. ochraceopennis are made. These species all have relatively narrowly confined distributions. An interspecific phylogeny of Taeniochauliodes is estimated based on adult morphological data. The historical biogeography of this genus is discussed based on the phylogenetic results and the present distribution of each species, suggesting that the origin of Taeniochauliodes likely dates back to the Late Cretaceous. The earliest branch, which separates T. natalensis sp.n. from the remaining South African species, suggests an early vicariance event occurred between KwaZulu‐Natal and more western parts of South Africa. Furthermore, speciation within Taeniochauliodes is hypothesized to be correlated with fragmentation of its forest habitat during the Plio‐Pleistocene.
A two‐dimensional matrix correction for off‐axis portal dose prediction errors
Authors: Bailey Daniel W. , Kumaraswamy Lalith , Bakhtiari Mohammad , Podgorsak Matthew B. 
Published: April 2013

Purpose:This study presents a follow‐up to a modified calibration procedure for portal dosimetry published by Bailey et al. [“An effective correction algorithm for off‐axis portal dosimetry errors,” Med. Phys. 36, – (2009) 10.1118/1.3187785]. A commercial portal dose prediction system exhibits disagreement of up to 15% (calibrated units) between measured and predicted images as off‐axis distance increases. The previous modified calibration procedure accounts for these off‐axis effects in most regions of the detecting surface, but is limited by the simplistic assumption of radial symmetry.Methods:We find that a two‐dimensional (2D) matrix correction, applied to each calibrated image, accounts for off‐axis prediction errors in all regions of the detecting surface, including those still problematic after the radial correction is performed. The correction matrix is calculated by quantitative comparison of predicted and measured images that span the entire detecting surface. The correction matrix was verified for dose‐linearity, and its effectiveness was verified on a number of test fields. The 2D correction was employed to retrospectively examine 22 off‐axis, asymmetric electronic‐compensation breast fields, five intensity‐modulated brain fields (moderate‐high modulation) manipulated for far off‐axis delivery, and 29 intensity‐modulated clinical fields of varying complexity in the central portion of the detecting surface.Results:Employing the matrix correction to the off‐axis test fields and clinical fields, predicted vs measured portal dose agreement improves by up to 15%, producing up to 10% better agreement than the radial correction in some areas of the detecting surface. Gamma evaluation analyses (3 mm, 3% global, 10% dose threshold) of predicted vs measured portal dose images demonstrate pass rate improvement of up to 75% with the matrix correction, producing pass rates that are up to 30% higher than those resulting from the radial correction technique alone. As in the 1D correction case, the 2D algorithm leaves the portal dosimetry process virtually unchanged in the central portion of the detector, and thus these correction algorithms are not needed for centrally located fields of moderate size (at least, in the case of 6 MV beam energy).Conclusion:The 2D correction improves the portal dosimetry results for those fields for which the 1D correction proves insufficient, especially in the inplane, off‐axis regions of the detector. This 2D correction neglects the relatively smaller discrepancies that may be caused by backscatter from nonuniform machine components downstream from the detecting layer.
Nonrandomized Controlled Trial of Artesunate plus Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine with or without Primaquine for Preventing Posttreatment Circulation of Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes
Authors: Shah Naman K. , Schapira Allan , Juliano Jonathan J. , Srivastava Bina , MacDonald Pia D. M. , Poole Charles , Anvikar Anup , Meshnick Steven R. , Valecha Neena , Mishra Neelima 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

Artemisinin combination therapies eliminate immature
Plasmodium falciparum
gametocytes but not mature gametocytes, which may persist for up to 1 month posttreatment. A single dose of primaquine, which is inexpensive and effective against mature gametocytes, could be added to further reduce the potential for posttreatment parasite transmission. Currently, we have few data regarding the effectiveness or safety of doing so. We collected data from 21 therapeutic efficacy trials of the National Antimalarial Drug Resistance Monitoring System of India conducted during 2009 to 2010, wherein 9 sites used single-dose primaquine (0.75 mg/kg of body weight) administered on day 2 along with artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS+SP) while 12 did not. We estimated the effect of primaquine on posttreatment gametocyte clearance and the total number of gametocyte-weeks as determined by microscopy. We compared the median area under the curve for gametocyte density and reported adverse events. One thousand three hundred thirty-five patients completed the antimalarial drug treatment. Adjusting for region, primaquine increased the rate of gametocyte clearance (hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 3.3), prevented 45% (95% CI, 19 to 62) of posttreatment gametocyte-weeks, and decreased the area under the gametocyte density curve over the 28-day follow-up compared to AS+SP alone (
P
value = 0.01). The results were robust to other adjustment sets, and the estimated effect of primaquine increased during sensitivity analysis on the measurement of exposure time. No serious adverse events were detected. In conclusion, the addition of primaquine to AS+SP was effective in reducing the posttreatment presence of
P. falciparum
gametocytes. Primaquine was well tolerated and could be administered along with an artemisinin combination therapy as the first-line therapy.
Distribution of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases, AmpC β-Lactamases, and Carbapenemases among Enterobacteriaceae Isolates Causing Intra-Abdominal Infections in the Asia-Pacific Region: Results of the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART)
Authors: Sheng Wang-Huei , Badal Robert E. , Hsueh Po-Ren 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

The increasing trend of β-lactam resistance among
Enterobacteriaceae
is a worldwide threat.
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates causing intra-abdominal infections (IAI) from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) collected in 2008 and 2009 from the Asia-Pacific region were investigated. Detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC β-lactamases, and carbapenemases was performed by multiplex PCR. A total of 699
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates with positive genotypic results, included
Escherichia coli
(
n
= 443),
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(
n
= 187),
Enterobacter cloacae
(
n
= 45),
Klebsiella oxytoca
(
n
= 9),
Citrobacter freundii
(
n
= 5),
Proteus mirabilis
(
n
= 3),
Enterobacter aerogenes
(
n
= 2),
Morganella morganii
(
n
= 2), and one each of
Enterobacter asburiae
,
Proteus vulgaris
, and
Providencia rettgeri
were analyzed. Nearly 20% of these β-lactamase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates were from community-associated IAI. CTX-M (588 isolates, including 428 [72.8%] with CTX-M-15) was the most common ESBL, followed by SHV (
n
= 59) and TEM (
n
= 4). CMY (
n
= 110, including 102 [92.7%] with CMY-2) was the most common AmpC β-lactamase, followed by DHA (
n
= 46) and ACT/MIR (
n
= 40). NDM (
n
= 65, including 62 [95.4%] with NDM-1) was the most common carbapenemase, followed by IMP (
n
= 7) and OXA (
n
= 7). Isolates from hospital-associated IAI had more complicated β-lactamase combinations than isolates from the community. Carbapenemases were all exclusively detected in
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates from India, except that IMP β-lactamases were also detected in Philippines and Australia. CTX-M β-lactamases were the predominant ESBLs produced by
Enterobacteriaceae
causing IAI in the Asia-Pacific region. Emergence of CTX-M-15-, CMY-2-, and NDM-1-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates is of major concern and highlights the need for further surveillance in this area.
Assessment of Efficacy of Antifungals against Aspergillus fumigatus: Value of Real-Time Bioluminescence Imaging
Authors: Galiger Célimène , Brock Matthias , Jouvion Grégory , Savers Amélie , Parlato Marianna , Ibrahim-Granet Oumaïma 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTAspergillus fumigatuscauses life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Common drugs for therapy of aspergillosis are polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins. However, despitein vitroefficacy of these antifungals, treatment failure is frequently observed. In this study, we established bioluminescence imaging to monitor drug efficacy underin vitroandin vivoconditions.In vitroassays confirmed the effectiveness of liposomal amphotericin B, voriconazole, and anidulafungin. Liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole were fungicidal, whereas anidulafungin allowed initial germination of conidia that stopped elongation but allowed the conidia to remain viable.In vivostudies were performed with a leukopenic murine model. Mice were challenged by intranasal instillation with a bioluminescent reporter strain (5 × 105and 2.5 × 105conidia), and therapy efficacies of liposomal amphotericin B, voriconazole, and anidulafungin were monitored. For monotherapy, the highest treatment efficacy was observed with liposomal amphotericin B, whereas the efficacies of voriconazole and anidulafungin were strongly dependent on the infectious dose. When therapy efficacy was studied with different drug combinations, all combinations improved the rate of treatment success compared to that with monotherapy. One hundred percent survival was obtained for treatment with a combination of liposomal amphotericin B and anidulafungin, which prevented not only pulmonary infections but also infections of the sinus. In conclusion, combination therapy increases treatment success, at least in the murine infection model. In addition, our novel approach based on real-time imaging enablesin vivomonitoring of drug efficacy in different organs during therapy of invasive aspergillosis.
Prevalence of β-Lactamase-Encoding Genes among Enterobacteriaceae Bacteremia Isolates Collected in 26 U.S. Hospitals: Report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (2010)
Authors: Castanheira Mariana , Farrell Sarah E. , Deshpande Lalitagauri M. , Mendes Rodrigo E. , Jones Ronald N. 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

Enterobacteriaceae
bacteremia isolates (
n
= 195; 6.4% overall) collected from 26 U.S. hospitals located in 20 states were screened for various β-lactamase classes. A total of 175 isolates carried one to eight acquired β-lactamase genes of 44 types that were detected in 55 combinations. Eighty-five (43.6%) strains carried
bla
CTX-M
, and
bla
CTX-M-15
was the most prevalent (33.8%). Genes encoding OXA-1/30 (often associated with
bla
CTX-M-15
), CMY-2, SHV extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs), and TEM-1 were also prevalent. Among 33 carbapenem-resistant strains, 28 carried
bla
KPC-2
or
bla
KPC-3
(17 and 11 strains, respectively), and those were recovered mostly in the New York City area (16 strains) and Houston, TX (9 strains). Fourteen new SHV variants were identified among
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates carrying one or multiple SHV alleles, three carrying G238S and/or E240K amino acid alterations that confer ESBL activity. Only two of eight
K. oxytoca
isolates carried acquired β-lactamases, but most had mutations on the
bla
OXY
promoter region, and three new OXY-encoding genes were characterized. Concordance between a commercial nucleic acid-based microarray (Check-MDR CT101) and reference methods was noted for 105/109 (97.2%) strains. Thirty-two strains having genes that are not targeted by the commercial system were detected (OXA ESBLs, PER, PSE, or intrinsic genes). Overall, a great variety of enzymes were observed, with numerous strains carrying multiple genes. Rates of CTX-M-producing strains appear to be increasing in U.S. hospitals (26.6% in 2007 to 43.8% for 2010) participating in the SENTRY Program. Furthermore, the Check-Points system seems to be a reliable, robust, and user-friendly assay for detection of enzyme-mediated resistance.
RND-Type Efflux Pumps in Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii: Major Role for AdeABC Overexpression and AdeRS Mutations
Authors: Yoon Eun-Jeong , Courvalin Patrice , Grillot-Courvalin Catherine 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

Increased expression of chromosomal genes for resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux systems plays a major role in the multidrug resistance (MDR) of
Acinetobacter baumannii
. However, the relative contributions of the three most prevalent pumps, AdeABC, AdeFGH, and AdeIJK, have not been evaluated in clinical settings. We have screened 14 MDR clinical isolates shown to be distinct on the basis of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for the presence and overexpression of the three Ade efflux systems and analyzed the sequences of the regulators AdeRS, a two-component system, for AdeABC and AdeL, a LysR-type regulator, for AdeFGH. Gene
adeB
was detected in 13 of 14 isolates, and
adeG
and the intrinsic
adeJ
gene were detected in all strains. Significant overexpression of
adeB
was observed in 10 strains, whereas only 7 had moderately increased levels of expression of AdeFGH, and none overexpressed AdeIJK. Thirteen strains had reduced susceptibility to tigecycline, but there was no correlation between tigecycline MICs and the levels of AdeABC expression, suggesting the presence of other mechanisms for tigecycline resistance. No mutations were found in the highly conserved LysR regulator of the nine strains expressing AdeFGH. In contrast, functional mutations were found in conserved domains of AdeRS in all the strains that overexpressed AdeABC with two mutational hot spots, one in AdeS near histidine 149 suggesting convergent evolution and the other in the DNA binding domain of AdeR compatible with horizontal gene transfer. This report outlines the high incidence of AdeABC efflux pump overexpression in MDR
A. baumannii
as a result of a variety of single mutations in the corresponding two-component regulatory system.
Changes in Macrophage Phenotype after Infection of Pigs with Haemophilus parasuis Strains with Different Levels of Virulence
Authors: Costa-Hurtado Mar , Olvera Alexandre , Martinez-Moliner Verónica , Galofré-Milà Nuria , Martínez Paloma , Dominguez Javier , Aragon Virginia 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTHaemophilus parasuisis a colonizer of healthy piglets and the etiological agent of Glässer's disease. Differences in virulence among strains ofH. parasuishave been widely observed. In order to explore the host-pathogen interaction, snatch-farrowed colostrum-deprived piglets were intranasally infected with 4 strains ofH. parasuis: reference virulent strain Nagasaki, reference nonvirulent strain SW114, field strain IT29205 (from a systemic lesion and virulent in a previous challenge), and field strain F9 (from the nasal cavity of a healthy piglet). At different times after infection, two animals of each group were euthanized and alveolar macrophages were analyzed for the expression of CD163, CD172a, SLA I (swine histocompatibility leukocyte antigen I), SLA II, sialoadhesin (or CD169), and CD14. At 1 day postinfection (dpi), virulent strains induced reduced expression of CD163, SLA II, and CD172a on the surfaces of the macrophages, while nonvirulent strains induced increased expression of CD163, both compared to noninfected controls. At 2 dpi, the pattern switched into a strong expression of CD172a, CD163, and sialoadhesin by the virulent strains, which was followed by a steep increase in interleukin 8 (IL-8) and soluble CD163 in serum at 3 to 4 dpi. The early increase in surface expression of CD163 induced by nonvirulent strains went along with higher levels of IL-8 in serum than those induced by virulent strains in the first 2 days of infection. Alpha interferon (IFN-α) induction was observed only in animals infected with nonvirulent strains. Overall, these results are compatible with a delay in macrophage activation by virulent strains, which may be critical for disease production.
Demarcating SurA Activities Required for Outer Membrane Targeting of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Adhesins
Authors: Obi Ikenna R. , Francis Matthew S. 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

SurA is a periplasmic protein folding factor involved in chaperoning and trafficking of outer membrane proteins across the Gram-negative bacterial periplasm. In addition, SurA also possesses peptidyl-prolyl
cis/trans
isomerase activity. We have previously reported that in enteropathogenic
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
, SurA is needed for bacterial virulence and envelope integrity. In this study, we investigated the role of SurA in the assembly of important
Yersinia
adhesins. Using genetic mutation, biochemical characterization, and an
in vitro
-based bacterial host cell association assay, we confirmed that surface localization of the invasin adhesin is dependent on SurA. As a
surA
deletion also has some impact on the levels of individual components of the BAM complex in the
Yersinia
outer membrane, abolished invasin surface assembly could reflect both a direct loss of SurA-dependent periplasmic targeting and a potentially compromised BAM complex assembly platform in the outer membrane. To various degrees, the assembly of two other adhesins, Ail and the pH 6 antigen fibrillum PsaA, also depends on SurA. Consequently, loss of SurA leads to a dramatic reduction in
Yersinia
attachment to eukaryotic host cells. Genetic complementation of
surA
deletion mutants indicated a prominent role for SurA chaperone function in outer membrane protein assembly. Significantly, the N terminus of SurA contributed most of this SurA chaperone function. Despite a dominant chaperoning role, it was also evident that SurA isomerization activity did make a modest contribution to this assembly process.
Socioeconomic patterning of excess alcohol consumption and binge drinking: a cross-sectional study of multilevel associations with neighbourhood deprivation
Authors: Fone David L , Farewell Daniel M , White James , Lyons Ronan A , Dunstan Frank D 
Published: April 2013

ObjectivesThe influence of neighbourhood deprivation on the risk of harmful alcohol consumption, measured by the separate categories of excess consumption and binge drinking, has not been studied. The study objective was to investigate the effect of neighbourhood deprivation with age, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on (1) excess alcohol consumption and (2) binge drinking, in a representative population survey.DesignCross-sectional study: multilevel analysis.SettingWales, UK, adult population ∼2.2 million.Participants58 282 respondents aged 18 years and over to four successive annual Welsh Health Surveys (2003/2004–2007), nested within 32 692 households, 1839 census lower super output areas and the 22 unitary authority areas in Wales.Primary outcome measureMaximal daily alcohol consumption during the past week was categorised using the UK Department of Health definition of ‘none/never drinks’, ‘within guidelines’, ‘excess consumption but less than binge’ and ‘binge’. The data were analysed using continuation ratio ordinal multilevel models with multiple imputation for missing covariates.ResultsRespondents in the most deprived neighbourhoods were more likely to binge drink than in the least deprived (adjusted estimates: 17.5% vs 10.6%; difference=6.9%, 95% CI 6.0 to 7.8), but were less likely to report excess consumption (17.6% vs 21.3%; difference=3.7%, 95% CI 2.6 to 4.8). The effect of deprivation varied significantly with age and gender, but not with SES. Younger men in deprived neighbourhoods were most likely to binge drink. Men aged 35–64 showed the steepest increase in binge drinking in deprived neighbourhoods, but men aged 18–24 showed a smaller increase with deprivation.ConclusionsThis large-scale population study is the first to show that neighbourhood deprivation acts differentially on the risk of binge drinking between men and women at different age groups. Understanding the socioeconomic patterns of harmful alcohol consumption is important for public health policy development.
SOME COMMON EXPRESSIONS AND NEW BIFURCATION PHENOMENA FOR NONLINEAR WAVES IN A GENERALIZED mKdV EQUATION
Authors: LIU RUI , YAN WEIFANG 
Published: April 2013

Using the bifurcation method of dynamical systems, we study nonlinear waves in the generalized mKdV equation ut+ a(1 + bu2)u2ux+ uxxx= 0.(i) We obtain four types of new expressions. The first type is composed of four common expressions of the symmetric solitary waves, the kink waves and the blow-up waves. The second type includes four common expressions of the anti-symmetric solitary waves, the kink waves and the blow-up waves. The third type is made of two trigonometric expressions of periodic-blow-up waves. The fourth type is composed of two fractional expressions of 1-blow-up waves.(ii) We point out that there are two sets of kink waves which are called tall-kink waves and low-kink waves, respectively.(iii) We reveal two kinds of new bifurcation phenomena. The first phenomenon is that the low-kink waves can be bifurcated from four types of nonlinear waves, the symmetric solitary waves, blow-up waves, tall-kink waves and anti-symmetric solitary waves. The second phenomenon is that the 1-blow-up waves can be bifurcated from the periodic-blow-up waves.We also show that the common expressions include many results given by pioneers.
Contemplating the Future of Collective Security in East Asia
Authors: Shimizu Nanako 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
It is quite often argued in the legal and political literatures that Asian nations tend to be more protective of their national sovereignty and thus are often reluctant to follow universal rules or principles provided in international legal materials and texts. Does this “conservative” image of Asian nations correctly reflect the national practices and academic literature of East Asian nations? How do we East Asians perceive the UN collective security system invented at the price of two catastrophic world wars in the 20th century? And why do East Asians need international law to keep peace and security in this region? By trying to find answers to these questions, this article contemplates what role international law will be able to play for the maintenance of peace and security in East Asia.