bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Convergence is Only Skin Deep: Craniofacial Evolution in Electric Fishes from South America and Africa (Apteronotidae and Mormyridae)
Authors: Ford Kassandra L , Peterson Rose , Bernt Maxwell , Albert James S 
Published: June 2022

Synopsis
Apteronotidae and Mormyridae are species-rich clades of weakly electric fishes from Neotropical and Afrotropical freshwaters, respectively, known for their high morphological disparity and often regarded as a classic example of convergent evolution. Here, we use CT-imaging and 3D geometric morphometrics to quantify disparity in craniofacial morphologies, and to test the hypothesis of convergent skull-shape evolution in a phylogenetic context. For this study, we examined 391 specimens representing 78 species of Apteronotidae and Mormyridae including 30 of 37 (81%) of all valid genera with the goal to sample most of the craniofacial disparity known in these clades. We found no overlap between Apteronotidae and Mormyridae in the skull-shape morphospace using PCA and a common landmark scheme, and therefore no instances of complete phenotypic convergence. Instead, we found multiple potential instances of incomplete convergence, and at least one parallel shift among electric fish clades. The greatest components of shape variance in both families are the same as observed for most vertebrate clades: heterocephaly (i.e., opposite changes in relative sizes of the snout and braincase regions of the skull), and heterorhynchy (i.e., dorsoventral changes in relative snout flexion and mouth position). Mormyrid species examined here exhibit less craniofacial disparity than do apteronotids, potentially due to constraints associated with a larger brain size, ecological constraints related to food-type availability. Patterns of craniofacial evolution in these two clades depict a complex story of phenotypic divergence and convergence in which certain superficial similarities of external morphology obscure deeper osteological and presumably developmental differences of skull form and function. Among apteronotid and mormyrid electric fishes, craniofacial convergence is only skin deep.
Physical Symptoms, Distress, and Functional Disability in Youth With Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance
Authors: Tsai Owens Michele S , Biggs Bridget K , Fahrenkamp Amy C , Geske Jennifer , Hofschulte Deanna R , Harbeck-Weber Cynthia , Fischer Philip R 
Published: June 2022

AbstractObjectiveYouth with chronic orthostatic intolerance (OI) can experience significant physical, social, and academic functional debilitation. Previous studies have indicated associations among symptom severity, psychosocial factors, and functional disability. However, empirically tested models explaining how different medical and psychosocial factors may contribute to functional disability are lacking. The current cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate mediation, moderation, and additive models of the effect of physical symptoms and psychological distress on functional disability.MethodsOne hundred and sixty-five youth (13–22 years old) undergoing medical evaluation of chronic OI symptoms completed measures of autonomic dysfunction symptom severity, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and functional disability. Models were evaluated using tests of indirect effects and linear and logistic regression analyses.ResultsResults supported the mediation and additive effects models for depressive symptoms. Mediation, moderation, and additive models for hypothesized effects of anxiety symptoms were not supported.ConclusionsResults provide preliminary support for models in which OI symptoms affect functional debility via their effects on mood and in which depressive symptoms have unique and additive effects on functioning. Findings lay the foundation for longitudinal and experimental evaluation of biopsychosocial models of functional disability in youth with chronic OI and related conditions. Implications include the importance of a biopsychosocial conceptualization of OI symptoms and debility as a complex interplay of factors rather than as a purely physiological or psychological process.
#20 Bloodstream Infection is Associated with Prior Gut Microbiome Colonization of the Same Strain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Schwartz Drew 
Published: June 2022

Abstract

Background
Infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have high incidence of bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) leading to up to 15% mortality and substantial morbidity. Common etiologies of BSI in the NICU are pathogens also capable of colonizing the preterm infant gut. However, differentiating susceptible neonates from those in the same environment remains challenging. We hypothesized that the same strains causing BSI increase in abundance in the gut of affected neonates prior to bacteremia and increased above controls in the same environment.

Method
We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on 462 fecal samples from 19 infants with BSI and 37 controls in the same NICUs paired for gestational age, days of life, antibiotic exposure, delivery mode, and sex. We whole genome sequenced the BSI isolate from 19 cases (6 Staphylococcus aureus, 3 Streptococcus agalactiae, 3 Serratia marcescens, 2 Enterococcus faecalis, 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 2 Escherichia coli, and 1 Enterobacter cloacae). We utilized MetaPhLan3 to infer taxonomy and InStrain to track the whole genome sequence of the BSI pathogen within the fecal metagenomes longitudinally. We performed generalized linear mixed effect models with MaAsLin2 to determine significant associations between the microbiome and metadata with subject as a random effect.

Results
We found no differences in gut microbiome diversity or richness between cases and controls relative to bacteremia day of life. However, infants who experience a BSI possess significantly higher median relative abundances of the causative species in their gut relative to paired controls in the 2 weeks prior to bacteremia (Figure 1A, median 21.4% IQR 0.33-52 vs. 0.4% IQR 0.23-10.5, p&lt;0.05 Wilcoxon). 10/19 infants produced at least 1 stool before bacteremia containing an organism with 0-1 genomic substitutions from the BSI isolate, establishing isogenicity between gut residing and invasive pathogen. The coverage (abundance) of the BSI isolate increased in the stool of affected neonates in the 10 days before infection to an average maximum of 0.48/1.0 (Figure 1B, linear mixed effect model p&lt;0.05). We observed the strongest associations between high gut microbiome abundance of E. faecalis, Klebsiella spp., E. coli, and S. marcescens in the gut microbiome of cases whose BSI was caused by that organism compared to all other samples (p&lt;0.01).

Conclusion
We show high relative abundance of the same strain in stool prior to bacteremia in hospitalized neonates. The relative abundance of the causative species is higher in cases versus paired controls. These data suggest the potential of gut microbial surveillance and management to identify blooms of gut pathogens to limit the incidence of bacteremia.
#55 Neonatal Outcome Amongst Infants Born to Mothers with Chorioamnionitis
Authors: Chang Vivian 
Published: June 2022

Abstract

Background
Chorioamnionitis (CA) is an acute infection/inflammation of amnion, chorion membrane of placenta and amniotic fluid associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Intrauterine inflammation or infection or both (Triple I) was recommended by National Institutes of Health to help in the diagnosis of CA. There are no studies correlating maternal intrapartum fever and/or Triple I and neonatal outcomes. Objective: To explore the association between maternal intrapartum fever and/or Triple I and neonatal outcomes.

Method
This was a retrospective chart review of neonates born at Flushing Hospital Medical Center from Nov 2012 to Jan 2020 with maternal intrapartum fever and gestational age (GA) &gt;35 wks. Maternal data extracted from EHR include age, parity, ethnicity, comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity), mode of delivery, duration of ruptured membranes (ROM), Group B streptococcus (GBS) status, Triple I, placenta pathology, first antibiotic dose to time of delivery, time interval from fever to delivery, and highest fever (Tmax). Newborn data extracted from EHR include gender, GA, birth weight (BW), Apgar score &lt;5 at 1 minute, need for resuscitation, hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy, and cultures. Sepsis ruled in (SRI) group included neonates treated with antibiotics for ≥ 7 days and sepsis ruled out (SRO) group included neonates if antibiotics discontinued after 48 hours of negative cultures. Data were analyzed using SPSS, p&lt;0.05 was considered significant.

Results
Of 275 charts reviewed, 49 (18%) were in SRI and 226 (82%) in SRO. SRI and SRO for maternal age, parity, ethnicity, maternal comorbidities, mode of delivery, duration of ruptured membranes, GBS status, Triple I, placenta pathology, time of first dose of antibiotic to time of delivery, and time from fever to delivery were not significant. Maternal Tmax was significantly higher in SRI group, Table 1. Neonates in SRI and SRO for gender, GA, Apgar score ≤5 at one minute, BW, and hyperbilirubinemia were not significant. Need for resuscitation was significant for SRI neonates, Table 2. No neonate was readmitted or died due to early onset sepsis.

Conclusion
In our small sample, higher maternal Tmax correlated with SRI and SRI neonates were significantly more likely to require resuscitation. No neonate in either group was readmitted or died within seven days.
#16 Chasing the Small Tail of Infectious Diseases: The Rapid, Non-invasive, Culture-independent Detection Of Rat-Bite Fever With A Plasma-based Microbial Cell-free DNA Next-generation Sequencing Test (The Karius Test)
Authors: Arun Aparna 
Published: June 2022

Abstract

Background
Rat-bite fever (RBF) is a rare, systemic illness caused by infection with Streptobacillus moniliformis. RBF has a case-fatality risk of 7%-10% among untreated patients. Over 200 cases of RBF have been documented in the United States, but this is likely a significant under-representation because RBF is not a reportable disease. The diagnosis of these infections can be limited by: (1) Streptobacillus moniliformis fastidious nature and difficulty to culture; (2) the nonspecific manifestations of the infections and clinical overlap with a broad differential diagnosis; and (3) the unreliability of rat exposure history. We demonstrate use of unbiased microbial cell free DNA (mcfDNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) to overcome these diagnostic limitations.

Method
The Karius Test (KT) was developed and validated in Karius’s CLIA certified/CAP accredited lab (Redwood City, CA) to detect and interpret mcfDNA in plasma. After mcfDNA is extracted and NGS performed, mcfDNA sequences are aligned to a curated database of &gt; 1000 organisms. McfDNA from organisms observed above background at statistical significance are reported and quantified in molecules/µL (MPM). KT detections of Streptobacillus moniliformis were reviewed from January 2017 - June 2021; clinical information was obtained with test requisition or consultation upon result reporting.

Results
KT detected 7 cases of Streptobacillus moniliformis at an average of 673 MPM (35-3078; SD 1185) with an average turnaround time of 28.5 hours (SD 8.4) from sample receipt from 6 unique institutions (Table 1). Six patients were children; all were immunocompetent. Fever and rash were the most common presentation in the majority of the cases. Five of seven patients had arthritis or osteomyelitis while the remaining two patients had arthralgia. A history of rat exposure was elicited in all cases (some after microbiological diagnosis). In all patients blood cultures were negative and mcfDNA NGS was the only means of microbiological diagnosis.

Conclusion
Unbiased plasma-based mcfDNA NGS provides a rapid, non-invasive test to diagnose diverse clinical infections by Streptobacillus moniliformis. These cases highlight the potential of the KT to effectively identify infections caused by fastidious/unculturable pathogens with non-specific clinical manifestations and broad differential diagnoses.
#57 COVID-19 related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in a Neonate Presenting as Supraventricular Tachycardia. A Case Report
Authors: Hussain Wajid 
Published: June 2022

Abstract

Background
The increasing trend in COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children MIS-C has been reported as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 continues to spread worldwide. Impact of covid 19 on newborns remains uncertain, while low, but the risk of neonatal infection does exist. A study from China reported 3% of neonates had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Postnatal infection is considered through horizontal transmission, as SARS-CoV-2 testing on placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, vaginal secretions, and breast milk samples has been negative. Diagnosis of MIS-C is based on 6 criteria: pediatric age, persistence fever, raised inflammatory markers, signs of organ dysfunction, lack of an alternative diagnosis, and temporal relation to COVID-19 infection or exposure

Method
A CASE REPORT 24 days old neonate presented with fever, Reluctance to feed and Respiratory distress for 1 day. He was born to a mother G2P1 + 0 with no Co-morbid at 38 weeks gestation with APGAR scores of 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. Clinically he was febrile with heart rate of 270 beats per minute and respiratory rate of 70 breaths per minute. First and 2nd heart sounds were audible along with gallop rhythm. ECG showed rate of 270 & absent p wave suggestive of supraventricular tachycardia. INVESTIGATIONS His pro BNP 152772 pg/ml and trop I were significantly raised. Echocardiography was consistent with severe biventricular dysfunction and ejection fraction of 20 %. COVID antibodies were sent which were reactive. His inflammatory markers ferritin, LDH and D Dimer were strikingly raised. Two blood cultures and bio fire were negative, fulfilling the MIS-C criteria Adenosine was given twice with no improvement, IV amiodarone was added, which reverted SVT. IVIG was given.

Results
Improved echocardiographic led to extubation on day seven AND DISCHARGED

Conclusion
MIS-C in a neonate highlights the importance of considering the increasing spectrum of clinical manifestations, associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further research is needed to make neonatal MISC guidelines
#74 PROGNOSTIC ROLE OF EOSINOPENIA IN CHILDHOOD SEPSIS
Authors: Rustam Nurlyanti 
Published: June 2022

Abstract

Background
Sepsis constitutes one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in children. To improve the survival of childhood sepsis, while reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance, it is obligatory to perform disease risk stratification and risk-adapted antimicrobial treatment. Recently, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used as markers in tertiary health facilities. Due to financial constraints, however, it is not possible to determine procalcitonin and CRP levels in the majority of health facilities in developing countries. A number of studies described that the absolute number of eosinophils decreases in the acute phase of bacterial infection.

Method
This medical record-based cross-sectional study involved children 1 – 18 years of age with the clinical suspicion of sepsis, who were admitted to Dr. Sardjito General Hospital during the period of 2017 – 2021. Children, who received immunosuppressive agents and had no complete medical record data, were excluded from this study.

Results
A total of 149 children were included in which 7.4% (11) cases with eosinopenia and 52.3% (78) cases with sepsis. Septic patients with eosinopenia had a mortality rate 33.3% less than patients without eosinopenia at 43.2%. There was no significant difference, p= 0.731. This means that there was no effect of eosinopenia on mortality. Out of 78 proven sepsis cases with microbial culture 7.69% (6) with eosinopenia and 94.73% without eosinopenia. There was not a significant difference (p = 0.880) between eosinopenia and sepsis.

Conclusion
Eosinopenia cannot be used to prognostic mortality childhood sepsis.
A rare case of small bowel arteriovenous malformation presenting as obscure gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Mirza Muhammad H , Nzewi Emeka 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
Lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (LGIB) is a common surgical condition, which is frequently encountered in the emergency department. The most common origin of LGIB is from the colo-rectal region. However, in majority of cases where no apparent bleeding source is identified, small bowel is the area of concern. Here, we report an uncommon cause of small bowel bleeding that manifested as LGIB. A 63-year-old woman presented to emergency department with 2-day history of dark red rectal bleeding. The upper and lower GI endoscopy did not reveal any source of bleeding. Due to the ongoing blood loss, the hemoglobin level dropped significantly, necessitating blood transfusion. Subsequently, an emergency computed tomography mesenteric angiogram was performed, which showed extravasation of contrast into the distal ileum. She underwent a laparotomy where an arteriovenous malformation of the ileum was noticed. A limited ileal resection was performed, followed by primary anastomosis. She recovered well post-operatively with no further bleeding.
Rossby wave instabilities of protoplanetary discs with cooling
Authors: Huang Shunquan , Yu Cong 
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT
Rossby wave instabilities (RWIs) usually lead to non-axisymmetric vortices in protoplanetary discs and some observed substructures of these discs can be explained well by RWIs. We explore how the cooling influences the growth rate of unstable RWI modes in terms of the linear perturbation analysis. The cooling associated with the energy equation is treated in two different ways. The first approach that we adopt is a simple cooling law. The perturbed thermal state relaxes to the initial thermal state on a prescribed cooling time-scale. In the second approach, we treat the cooling as a thermal diffusion process. The difference in the growth rate between the adiabatic and isothermal modes becomes more pronounced for discs with smaller sound speed. For the simple cooling law, the growth rates of unstable modes monotonically decrease with the shorter cooling time-scale in barotropic discs. However, the dependence of the growth rate with the cooling time-scale becomes non-monotonic in non-baratopic discs. The RWIs might even be enhanced in non-barotropic discs during the transition from the adiabatic state to the isothermal state. When the cooling is treated as thermal diffusion, even in barotropic discs, the variation of the growth rate with thermal diffusivity becomes non-monotonic. Furthermore, a maximum growth rate may appear with an appropriate value of thermal diffusivity. The angular momentum flux is investigated to understand the angular momentum transport by RWIs with cooling.
Duplication of NRAMP3 Gene in Poplars Generated Two Homologous Transporters with Distinct Functions
Authors: Pottier Mathieu , Le Thi Van Anh , Primard-Brisset Catherine , Marion Jessica , Wolf Bianchi Michele , Victor Cindy , Déjardin Annabelle , Pilate Gilles , Thomine Sébastien 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
Transition metals are essential for a wealth of metabolic reactions, but their concentrations need to be tightly controlled across cells and cell compartments, as metal excess or imbalance has deleterious effects. Metal homeostasis is achieved by a combination of metal transport across membranes and metal binding to a variety of molecules. Gene duplication is a key process in evolution, as the emergence of advantageous mutations on one of the copies can confer a new function. Here, we report that the poplar genome contains two paralogues encoding NRAMP3 metal transporters localized in tandem. All Populus species analyzed had two copies of NRAMP3, whereas only one could be identified in Salix species indicating that duplication occurred when the two genera separated. Both copies are under purifying selection and encode functional transporters, as shown by expression in the yeast heterologous expression system. However, genetic complementation revealed that only one of the paralogues has retained the original function in the release of metals stored in the vacuole previously characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana. Confocal imaging showed that the other copy has acquired a distinct localization to the Trans-Golgi Network (TGN). Expression in poplar suggested that the copy of NRAMP3 localized on the TGN has a novel function in the control of cell-to-cell transport of manganese. This work provides a clear case of neofunctionalization through a change in the subcellular localization of a metal transporter as well as evidence for the involvement of the secretory pathway in the cell-to-cell transport of manganese.
A new bacterial tRNA enhances antibiotic production in Streptomyces by circumventing inefficient wobble base-pairing
Authors: Chen Ximing , Li Shuyan , Zhang Binglin , Sun Haili , Wang Jinxiu , Zhang Wei , Meng Wenbo , Chen Tuo , Dyson Paul , Liu Guangxiu 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
We report the discovery and functional characterization of a new bacterial tRNA species. The tRNA-Asp-AUC, from a fast-growing desert streptomycete, decodes GAU codons. In the absence of queuosine tRNA anticodon modification in streptomycetes, the new tRNA circumvents inefficient wobble base-pairing during translation. The tRNA, which is constitutively expressed, greatly enhances synthesis of 4 different antibiotics in the model mesophilic species Streptomyces coelicolor, including the product of a so-called cryptic pathway, and increases yields of medically-important antibiotics in other species. This can be rationalised due to increased expression of both pleiotropic and pathway-specific transcriptional activators of antibiotic biosynthesis whose genes generally possess one or more GAT codons; the frequency of this codon in these gene sets is significantly higher than the average for streptomycete genes. In addition, the tRNA enhances production of cobalamin, a precursor of S-adenosyl methionine, itself an essential cofactor for synthesis of many antibiotics. The results establish a new paradigm of inefficient wobble base-pairing involving GAU codons as an evolved strategy to regulate gene expression and, in particular, antibiotic biosynthesis. Circumventing this by expression of the new cognate tRNA offers a generic strategy to increase antibiotic yields and to expand the repertoire of much-needed new bioactive metabolites produced by these valuable bacteria.