Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of acute and chronic infections and is frequently associated with healthcare-associated infections. Because of its ability ...to rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics, P. aeruginosa infections are difficult to treat. Alternative strategies, such as a vaccine, are needed to prevent infections. We collected a total of 413 P. aeruginosa isolates from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients from 10 countries located on 4 continents during 2005-2017 and characterized these isolates to inform vaccine development efforts. We determined the diversity and distribution of O antigen and flagellin types and antibiotic susceptibility of the invasive P. aeruginosa. We used an antibody-based agglutination assay and PCR for O antigen typing and PCR for flagellin typing. We determined antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.
Of the 413 isolates, 314 (95%) were typed by an antibody-based agglutination assay or PCR (n = 99). Among the 20 serotypes of P. aeruginosa, the most common serotypes were O1, O2, O3, O4, O5, O6, O8, O9, O10 and O11; a vaccine that targets these 10 serotypes would confer protection against more than 80% of invasive P. aeruginosa infections. The most common flagellin type among 386 isolates was FlaB (41%). Resistance to aztreonam (56%) was most common, followed by levofloxacin (42%). We also found that 22% of strains were non-susceptible to meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam. Ninety-nine (27%) of our collected isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Isolates with FlaA2 flagellin were more commonly multidrug resistant (p = 0.04).
Vaccines targeting common O antigens and two flagellin antigens, FlaB and FlaA2, would offer an excellent strategy to prevent P. aeruginosa invasive infections.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
There have been no worldwide standardised surveys of prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in school children for 15 years. The present study aims to provide this ...information.Following the exact International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) methodology (cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey) the Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I was carried out between 2015 and 2020 in many centres worldwide.The study included 157 784 adolescents (13-14 years of age) in 63 centres, in 25 countries; and 101 777 children (6-7 years of age) in 44 centres, in 16 countries. The current prevalence of symptoms, respectively, was: 11.0% and 9.1% for asthma; 13.3% and 7.7% for rhinoconjunctivitis; and 6.4% and 5.9% for eczema. For asthma ever, hay fever ever and eczema ever prevalence was 10.5% and 7.6%; 15.2% and 11.1%; and 10.6% and 13.4%. Centres in countries with low- or lower-middle- gross national income (LICs or L-MICs) had significantly lower prevalence of the three disease symptoms and diagnoses (except for hay fever). In children, the prevalence of asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms were higher in males, while the reverse occurred among adolescents. For eczema, while the prevalence among female adolescents was double that of males, there was no sex difference among children. Centre accounted for a non-negligible variability of all disease symptoms (10% to 20%).The burden of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema vary widely among the limited number of countries studied. Although symptom prevalence is lower in LICs and L-MICs, it represents a considerable burden everywhere studied.
Regularly updated data on stroke and its pathological types, including data on their incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability, risk factors, and epidemiological trends, are important for ...evidence-based stroke care planning and resource allocation. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) aims to provide a standardised and comprehensive measurement of these metrics at global, regional, and national levels.
We applied GBD 2019 analytical tools to calculate stroke incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of DALYs (with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals UIs) associated with 19 risk factors, for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. These estimates were provided for ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and all strokes combined, and stratified by sex, age group, and World Bank country income level.
In 2019, there were 12·2 million (95% UI 11·0–13·6) incident cases of stroke, 101 million (93·2–111) prevalent cases of stroke, 143 million (133–153) DALYs due to stroke, and 6·55 million (6·00–7·02) deaths from stroke. Globally, stroke remained the second-leading cause of death (11·6% 10·8–12·2 of total deaths) and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined (5·7% 5·1–6·2 of total DALYs) in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, the absolute number of incident strokes increased by 70·0% (67·0–73·0), prevalent strokes increased by 85·0% (83·0–88·0), deaths from stroke increased by 43·0% (31·0–55·0), and DALYs due to stroke increased by 32·0% (22·0–42·0). During the same period, age-standardised rates of stroke incidence decreased by 17·0% (15·0–18·0), mortality decreased by 36·0% (31·0–42·0), prevalence decreased by 6·0% (5·0–7·0), and DALYs decreased by 36·0% (31·0–42·0). However, among people younger than 70 years, prevalence rates increased by 22·0% (21·0–24·0) and incidence rates increased by 15·0% (12·0–18·0). In 2019, the age-standardised stroke-related mortality rate was 3·6 (3·5–3·8) times higher in the World Bank low-income group than in the World Bank high-income group, and the age-standardised stroke-related DALY rate was 3·7 (3·5–3·9) times higher in the low-income group than the high-income group. Ischaemic stroke constituted 62·4% of all incident strokes in 2019 (7·63 million 6·57–8·96), while intracerebral haemorrhage constituted 27·9% (3·41 million 2·97–3·91) and subarachnoid haemorrhage constituted 9·7% (1·18 million 1·01–1·39). In 2019, the five leading risk factors for stroke were high systolic blood pressure (contributing to 79·6 million 67·7–90·8 DALYs or 55·5% 48·2–62·0 of total stroke DALYs), high body-mass index (34·9 million 22·3–48·6 DALYs or 24·3% 15·7–33·2), high fasting plasma glucose (28·9 million 19·8–41·5 DALYs or 20·2% 13·8–29·1), ambient particulate matter pollution (28·7 million 23·4–33·4 DALYs or 20·1% 16·6–23·0), and smoking (25·3 million 22·6–28·2 DALYs or 17·6% 16·4–19·0).
The annual number of strokes and deaths due to stroke increased substantially from 1990 to 2019, despite substantial reductions in age-standardised rates, particularly among people older than 70 years. The highest age-standardised stroke-related mortality and DALY rates were in the World Bank low-income group. The fastest-growing risk factor for stroke between 1990 and 2019 was high body-mass index. Without urgent implementation of effective primary prevention strategies, the stroke burden will probably continue to grow across the world, particularly in low-income countries.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
•A large custom cryogen-free cryostat has been designed and built in order to operate the CUORE detector.•The CUORE cryostat has a 1 m3 experimental volume and is able to host a tonne-scale ...bolometric detector.•The CUORE cryostat guarantees a low noise and low radioactivity environment, needed to search for 0nbb.•The CUORE detector has been cooled down to 8.3 mK and steadily operated at 15 mK, proving the success of the cryostat.
The CUORE experiment is the world’s largest bolometric experiment. The detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals, for a total mass of 742 kg. CUORE is presently taking data at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. A large custom cryogen-free cryostat allows reaching and maintaining a base temperature of ∼10 mK, required for the optimal operation of the detector. This apparatus has been designed in order to achieve a low noise environment, with minimal contribution to the radioactive background for the experiment. In this paper, we present an overview of the CUORE cryostat, together with a description of all its sub-systems, focusing on the solutions identified to satisfy the stringent requirements. We briefly illustrate the various phases of the cryostat commissioning and highlight the relevant steps and milestones achieved each time. Finally, we describe the successful cooldown of CUORE.
This paper describes the first implementation of the Δx = 3.25 km version of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) global atmosphere model and its behavior in a 40‐day ...prescribed‐sea‐surface‐temperature simulation (January 20 through February 28, 2020). This simulation was performed as part of the DYnamics of the Atmospheric general circulation Modeled On Non‐hydrostatic Domains (DYAMOND) Phase 2 model intercomparison. Effective resolution is found to be ∼6× the horizontal dynamics grid resolution despite using a coarser grid for physical parameterizations. Despite this new model being in an immature and untuned state, moving to 3.25 km grid spacing solves several long‐standing problems with the E3SM model. In particular, Amazon precipitation is much more realistic, the frequency of light and heavy precipitation is improved, agreement between the simulated and observed diurnal cycle of tropical precipitation is excellent, and the vertical structure of tropical convection and coastal stratocumulus look good. In addition, the new model is able to capture the frequency and structure of important weather events (e.g., tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones including atmospheric rivers, and cold air outbreaks). Interestingly, this model does not get rid of the erroneous southern branch of the intertropical convergence zone nor the tendency for strongest convection to occur over the Maritime Continent rather than the West Pacific, both of which are classic climate model biases. Several other problems with the simulation are identified, underscoring the fact that this model is a work in progress.
Plain Language Summary
This paper describes the new global 3.25 km version of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) atmosphere model and its behavior in a 40‐day northern‐hemisphere wintertime simulation. In exchange for huge computational expense, this high‐resolution model avoids many but not all biases common in lower‐resolution models. It also captures several types of extreme weather that would simply not be resolved in lower‐resolution models. Several opportunities for further development are identified.
Key Points
Describes the Simple Cloud‐Resolving E3SM Atmosphere Model (SCREAM)
SCREAM performs well in a 40‐day boreal winter simulation at 3.25 km Δx
Resolving deep convection solves many long‐standing climate model biases
A comprehensive germplasm evaluation study of wheat accessions conserved in the Indian National Genebank was conducted to identify sources of rust and spot blotch resistance. Genebank accessions ...comprising three species of wheat-Triticum aestivum, T. durum and T. dicoccum were screened sequentially at multiple disease hotspots, during the 2011-14 crop seasons, carrying only resistant accessions to the next step of evaluation. Wheat accessions which were found to be resistant in the field were then assayed for seedling resistance and profiled using molecular markers. In the primary evaluation, 19,460 accessions were screened at Wellington (Tamil Nadu), a hotspot for wheat rusts. We identified 4925 accessions to be resistant and these were further evaluated at Gurdaspur (Punjab), a hotspot for stripe rust and at Cooch Behar (West Bengal), a hotspot for spot blotch. The second round evaluation identified 498 accessions potentially resistant to multiple rusts and 868 accessions potentially resistant to spot blotch. Evaluation of rust resistant accessions for seedling resistance against seven virulent pathotypes of three rusts under artificial epiphytotic conditions identified 137 accessions potentially resistant to multiple rusts. Molecular analysis to identify different combinations of genetic loci imparting resistance to leaf rust, stem rust, stripe rust and spot blotch using linked molecular markers, identified 45 wheat accessions containing known resistance genes against all three rusts as well as a QTL for spot blotch resistance. The resistant germplasm accessions, particularly against stripe rust, identified in this study can be excellent potential candidates to be employed for breeding resistance into the background of high yielding wheat cultivars through conventional or molecular breeding approaches, and are expected to contribute toward food security at national and global levels.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The emissivity estimated at different moisture content and at different frequencies is reported for a typical loamy sand soil. It is observed that the emissivity of soil pack depends on frequency as ...well as on moisture content and the depth of the layer at which moisture is present. The estimated emissivity also exhibits a dependence on look angle and polarization. The estimated values of the emissivity can be used for designing passive remote sensing instruments. (Author)
IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the commonest global cause of glomerulonephritis. Extent of fibrosis, tubular atrophy and glomerulosclerosis predict renal function decline. Extent of renal fibrosis is ...assessed with renal biopsy which is invasive and prone to sampling error. We assessed the utility of non-contrast native T1 mapping of the kidney in patients with IgAN for assessment of renal fibrosis.
Renal native T1 mapping was undertaken in 20 patients with IgAN and 10 healthy subjects. Ten IgAN patients had a second scan to assess test-retest reproducibility of the technique. Native T1 times were compared to markers of disease severity including degree of fibrosis, eGFR, rate of eGFR decline and proteinuria.
All patients tolerated the MRI scan and analysable quality T1 maps were acquired in at least one kidney in all subjects. Cortical T1 times were significantly longer in patients with IgAN than healthy subjects (1540 ms ± 110 ms versus 1446 ± 88 ms, p = 0.038). There was excellent test-retest reproducibility of the technique, with Coefficient-of-variability of axial and coronal T1 mapping analysis being 2.9 and 3.7% respectively. T1 correlated with eGFR and proteinuria (r = - 0.444, p = 0.016; r = 0.533, p = 0.003 respectively). Patients with an eGFR decline > 2 ml/min/year had increased T1 times compared to those with a decline < 2 ml/min/year (1615 ± 135 ms versus 1516 ± 87 ms, p = 0.068), and T1 time was also higher in patients with a histological 'T'-score of > 0, compared to those with a 'T'-score of 0 (1575 ± 106 ms versus 1496 ± 105 ms, p = 0.131), though not to significance.
Cortical native T1 time is significantly increased in patients with IgAN compared to healthy subjects and correlates with markers of renal disease. Reproducibility of renal T1 mapping is excellent. This study highlights the potential utility of native T1 mapping in IgAN and other progressive nephropathies, and larger prospective studies are warranted.
We substantiated the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) activation in the protective effect of apigenin against the myocardial infarction (MI) in diabetic rats. Diabetes ...was induced by intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). The study groups included diabetic rats receiving vehicle, apigenin (75 mg/kg/day, orally), GW9662 (1 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally), and a combination of apigenin and GW9662 for 14 days. The MI was induced in all the study groups except the diabetic control group by subcutaneous injection of 100 mg/kg/day of isoproterenol on the two terminal days. The diabetes and isoproterenol-induced MI was evident as a reduction in the maximal positive and negative rate of developed left ventricular pressure and an increase in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. The activities of creatine kinase on myocardial bundle (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also reduced. Apigenin treatment prevented the hemodynamic perturbations, restored the left ventricular function and reinstated a balanced redox status. It protected rats against an MI by attenuating myonecrosis, edema, cell death, and oxidative stress. GW9662, a PPAR-γ antagonist reversed the myocardial protection conferred by apigenin. Further, an increase in the PPAR-γ expression in the myocardium of the rats receiving apigenin reinforces the role of PPAR-γ pathway activation in the cardioprotective effects of apigenin.
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