Susceptibility testing of ceftobiprole and comparators against 12,240 isolates was performed following CLSI/EUCAST guidelines. The percentage of susceptible MRSA isolates was higher for ceftobiprole ...(96.5% susceptible) than for ceftaroline (86.2% susceptible). Both ceftobiprole (MIC50/90, 0.5/2 mg/L) and ceftaroline (MIC50/90, 0.25/1 mg/L) demonstrated potent activity against coagulase-negative staphylococci. Ceftobiprole demonstrated good potency against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC50/90 values of 0.5/2 mg/L); ceftaroline (MIC50/90, 2/8 mg/L) was 4-fold less active against these strains. Ceftobiprole activity was comparable to that of the other β-lactam agents tested against S. pneumoniae (MIC90, 0.5 mg/L vs 0.12-2 mg/L other β-lactams), viridans-group streptococci (MIC90,0.25 mg/L vs 0.006-1 mg/L other β-lactams), and β-hemolytic streptococci (MIC90,0.03 mg/L vs 0.015–0.06 mg/L other β-lactams). Overall, 73.8% of Enterobacteriaceae isolates tested were susceptible to ceftobiprole. Ceftobiprole inhibited 70.4% of P. aeruginosa at ≤4 mg/L and all isolates of Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis at ≤ 0.5 mg/L. Ceftobiprole was active in vitro against a broad range of clinically-relevant contemporary Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates.
•A total of 12,240 surveillance isolates collected at 37 European centers (2015) were included.•Ceftobiprole (MIC50/90: 2/2 mg/L; 96.5% susceptible) was highly active against MRSA.•Gram-positive streptococci were very susceptible (99.3%) to ceftobiprole.•Ceftobiprole (MIC50/90: 0.03/0.06 mg/L) showed potent MIC values against ESBL MIC-negative E. coli and K. pneumoniae.
Despite the importance of grain yield potential to plant breeders and society in general, it has been difficult to identify grain yield quantitative trait loci (QTL) effective for marker-assisted ...selection (MAS) across a wide range of genetic and/or environmental contexts. However, as genotyping becomes more cost effective, it might be feasible to use preliminary yield trials to model a target genotype within each context and immediately select the progeny that approach that target genotype in real time. In the present study, elite soybean cultivars with residual heterogeneity were leveraged as populations (the genetic context) to detect yield QTL within a limited set of environments (the environmental context), to model a target genotype, and to select subline haplotypes that comprised the target genotype. The yield potential of the selected subline haplotypes were then compared to their respective mother lines in highly replicated yield trials across multiple environments and years. Statistically significant yield gains of up to 5.8% were confirmed in some of the selected sublines, and two of the improved sublines were released as improved cultivars. This context-specific MAS (CSM) approach might also be applicable to the more typical biparental and backcross populations commonly used in plant breeding programs. Factors that can affect the efficiency and applicability of CSM are discussed.
Febuxostat, a novel nonpurine selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, is a potential alternative to allopurinol for patients with hyperuricemia and gout.
We randomly assigned 762 patients with gout ...and with serum urate concentrations of at least 8.0 mg per deciliter (480 micromol per liter) to receive either febuxostat (80 mg or 120 mg) or allopurinol (300 mg) once daily for 52 weeks; 760 received the study drug. Prophylaxis against gout flares with naproxen or colchicine was provided during weeks 1 through 8. The primary end point was a serum urate concentration of less than 6.0 mg per deciliter (360 micromol per liter) at the last three monthly measurements. The secondary end points included reduction in the incidence of gout flares and in tophus area.
The primary end point was reached in 53 percent of patients receiving 80 mg of febuxostat, 62 percent of those receiving 120 mg of febuxostat, and 21 percent of those receiving allopurinol (P<0.001 for the comparison of each febuxostat group with the allopurinol group). Although the incidence of gout flares diminished with continued treatment, the overall incidence during weeks 9 through 52 was similar in all groups: 64 percent of patients receiving 80 mg of febuxostat, 70 percent of those receiving 120 mg of febuxostat, and 64 percent of those receiving allopurinol (P=0.99 for 80 mg of febuxostat vs. allopurinol; P=0.23 for 120 mg of febuxostat vs. allopurinol). The median reduction in tophus area was 83 percent in patients receiving 80 mg of febuxostat and 66 percent in those receiving 120 mg of febuxostat, as compared with 50 percent in those receiving allopurinol (P=0.08 for 80 mg of febuxostat vs. allopurinol; P=0.16 for 120 mg of febuxostat vs. allopurinol). More patients in the high-dose febuxostat group than in the allopurinol group (P=0.003) or the low-dose febuxostat group discontinued the study. Four of the 507 patients in the two febuxostat groups (0.8 percent) and none of the 253 patients in the allopurinol group died; all deaths were from causes that the investigators (while still blinded to treatment) judged to be unrelated to the study drugs (P=0.31 for the comparison between the combined febuxostat groups and the allopurinol group).
Febuxostat, at a daily dose of 80 mg or 120 mg, was more effective than allopurinol at the commonly used fixed daily dose of 300 mg in lowering serum urate. Similar reductions in gout flares and tophus area occurred in all treatment groups.
The study aimed to analyze the Colossoma macropomum reproductive behavior and quality of the female gametes throughout the reproductive season. The experiment was carried out in Pimenta Bueno - ...Rondônia State (Northern Brazil) during the reproductive season (2010-2011) using 36 females. Each sampling was performed on a 15 ± 5 days interval. Female gametes were collected by stripping and the following analyses were performed: weight of oocytes released (g); productivity index, fertilization and hatching rate. During the sampling period was verified effect (p < 0.05) of collecting time into the season for oocytes weight, productivity index and fertilization rate. Although the period 3 (December) did not differ significantly from other periods, it showed better parameters for the quality of C. macropomum oocytes.
Background Non‐healing leg ulcers represent a treatment problem.
Objective Investigate grafting of autologous suction blister roofs as treatment.
Methods Twenty‐nine chronic, non‐healing leg ...ulcers of various aetiologies in 18 inpatients were treated by autologous epidermal grafting using the roofs of suction blisters.
Results 55% of ulcers completely healed 2 to 6 weeks after grafting. A 50–90% reduction in size was documented in 34% and no change was observed in 11% of ulcers. Twelve weeks after grafting, 89% of ulcers were healed completely. In most ulcers, we observed a stimulation of reepithelialization from the wound edge (‘edge effect’) and an accelerated formation of healthy granulation tissue. During a follow‐up period of 12 months, 90% of the ulcers remained healed.
Conclusion Grafting of autologous suction blister roofs is an effective treatment option for non‐healing leg ulcers. The advantages of the method are its lack of pain, low costs and immediate availability.
The graph polynomial for the number of independent sets of size \(k\) in a general undirected graph is shown to be equal to an elementary symmetric polynomial of the vertex monomials, which are ...determined by the edges incident at the vertices. The edge variables that comprise the vertex monomials are shown to be nilpotent of degree two. The index of nilpotency of the algebra generated by the graph's vertex monomials is the order of a maximum independent set of the graph. Graph polynomials for the number of cliques and vertex covers are derived from the graph polynomial for independent sets. The graph polynomial for the number of bipartite cuts is given as a coefficient of a multivariate Laurent polynomial.
Objective
To compare the urate‐lowering efficacy and safety of febuxostat, allopurinol, and placebo in a large group of subjects with hyperuricemia and gout, including persons with impaired renal ...function.
Methods
Subjects (n = 1,072) with hyperuricemia (serum urate level ≥8.0 mg/dl) and gout with normal or impaired (serum creatinine level >1.5 to ≤2.0 mg/dl) renal function were randomized to receive once‐daily febuxostat (80 mg, 120 mg, or 240 mg), allopurinol (300 or 100 mg, based on renal function), or placebo for 28 weeks.
Results
Significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher percentages of subjects treated with febuxostat 80 mg (48%), 120 mg (65%), and 240 mg (69%) attained the primary end point of last 3 monthly serum urate levels <6.0 mg/dl compared with allopurinol (22%) and placebo (0%). A significantly (P < 0.05) higher percentage of subjects with impaired renal function treated with febuxostat 80 mg (4 44% of 9), 120 mg (5 45% of 11), and 240 mg (3 60% of 5) achieved the primary end point compared with those treated with 100 mg of allopurinol (0 0% of 10). Proportions of subjects experiencing any adverse event or serious adverse event were similar across groups, although diarrhea and dizziness were more frequent in the febuxostat 240 mg group. The primary reasons for withdrawal were similar across groups except for gout flares, which were more frequent with febuxostat than with allopurinol.
Conclusion
At all doses studied, febuxostat more effectively lowered and maintained serum urate levels <6.0 mg/dl than did allopurinol (300 or 100 mg) or placebo in subjects with hyperuricemia and gout, including those with mild to moderately impaired renal function.
We propose a new approach to forming an estimate of a target track in a distributed sensor system using very limited sensor information. This approach uses a central fusion system that collects only ...the peak energy information from each sensor and assumes that the energy attenuates as a power law in range from the source. A geometrical invariance property of the proximity of the distributed sensors relative to a target track is used to generate potential target track paths. Numerical simulation examples are presented to illustrate the practicality of the technique.
Continuous-state hidden Markov models (CS-HMMs) are developed as a tool for signal classification. Analogs of the Baum (1972), Viterbi (1962), and Baum-Welch algorithms are formulated for this class ...of models. The CS-HMM algorithms are then specialized to hidden Gauss-Markov models (HGMMs) with linear Gaussian state-transition and output densities. A new Gaussian refactorization lemma is used to show that the Baum and Viterbi algorithms for HGMMs are implemented by two different formulations of the fixed-interval Kalman smoother. The measurement likelihoods obtained from the forward pass of the HGMM Baum algorithm and from the Kalman-filter innovation sequence are shown to be equal. A direct link between the Baum-Welch training algorithm and an existing expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for Gaussian models is demonstrated. A new expression for the cross covariance between time-adjacent states in HGMMs is derived from the off-diagonal block of the conditional joint covariance matrix. A parameter invariance structure is noted for the HGMM likelihood function. CS-HMMs and HGMMs are extended to incorporate mixture densities for the a priori density of the initial state. Application of HGMMs to signal classification is demonstrated with a three-class test simulation.
This study aimed to evaluate muscle organization in tambaqui in order to describe the muscle growth process. We analyzed the morphometric pattern of fibers from white muscle of young-adults (300 ...days) by smaller diameter. The organization of white muscle exhibited a typical morphological pattern found in other fish species. Heavier animals showed higher frequency of larger diameter fibers (>50µm ) and smaller animals had higher frequency of smaller diameter fibers (<20µm) (P =0.005). However, both animals showed the same frequency of intermediate diameter fibers (20-50µm ). Body weight showed a positive correlation with muscle diameter fiber (r=0.45), being 20-50µm the diameters that contributed the most to animal weight (P <0.0001). A weak correlation between fiber diameter and animal sex was observed (r=0.2). Females showed higher frequency of large fiber diameters (>50µm ) than males. However, there was no difference between body weight and sex (P =0.8). Our results suggest that muscle growth is by hypertrophy and hyperplasia due to a mosaic appearance from different diameters fibers, which is characteristic of large size fish species.
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