Virulence of the emerging pathogen, , depends upon the -linked oligosaccharyltransferase, PglL.

We sought to characterize the contribution of the -OTase, PglL, to virulence in two spp. by comparing isogenic mutants in with the related species, . We utilized an array of assays in addition to and murine models to assess virulence of the mutant and wild-type strains in each species.

Comparison of Metal Adhesion Layers for Au Films in Thermoplasmonic Applications.

If thermoplasmonic applications such as heat-assisted magnetic recording are to be commercially viable, it is necessary to optimize both thermal stability and plasmonic performance of the devices involved. In this work, a variety of different adhesion layers were investigated for their ability to reduce dewetting of sputtered 50 nm Au films on SiO substrates. Traditional adhesion layer metals Ti and Cr were compared with alternative materials of Al, Ta, and W.

Predicting Mortality and Adverse Outcomes: Comparing the Frailty Index to General Prognostic Indices.

Background: Mortality prediction models are useful to guide clinical decision-making based on prognosis. The frailty index, which allows prognostication and personalized care planning, has not been directly compared with validated prognostic models.

Objective: To compare the discrimination of mortality, disability, falls, and hospitalization between a frailty index and validated prognostic indices.

Relationship Between Hospital Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Volume and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether hospital surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) volume was associated with corresponding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated a volume-outcome relationship for TAVR.

Methods: In total, 208,400 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed for all aortic valve replacement procedures from 2012 to 2015.

Hospital Transfer Rates Among US Nursing Home Residents With Advanced Illness Before and After Initiatives to Reduce Hospitalizations.

Importance: Hospital transfers among nursing home residents in the United States who have been diagnosed with advanced illnesses and have limited life expectancy are often burdensome, costly, and of little clinical benefit. National initiatives, introduced since 2012, have focused on reducing such hospitalizations, but little is known about the consequences of these initiatives in this population.

Objective: To investigate the change in hospital transfer rates among nursing home residents with advanced illnesses, such as dementia, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), from 2011 to 2017-before and after the introduction of national initiatives to reduce hospitalizations.

Urinary prostaglandin E is a biomarker of early adaptive hyperfiltration in solitary functioning kidney.

Introduction: Hyperfiltration is a major contributor to progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes, obesity and in individuals with solitary functioning kidney (SFK). We have proposed hyperfiltration-induced injury as a continuum of overlapping glomerular changes caused by increased biomechanical forces namely, fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) and tensile stress. We have shown that FFSS is elevated in animals with SFK and, it upregulates prostaglandin E (PGE), cyclooxygenase-2 and PGE receptor EP2 in cultured podocytes and in uninephrectomized mice.

Cost and Effectiveness of Using Facebook Advertising to Recruit Young Women for Research: PREFER (Contraceptive Preferences Study) Experience.

Background: Social media is a popular and convenient method for communicating on the Web. The most commonly used social networking website, Facebook, is increasingly being used as a tool for recruiting research participants because of its large user base and its ability to target advertisements on the basis of Facebook users' information.

Objective: We evaluated the cost and effectiveness of using Facebook to recruit young women into a Web-based intervention study (PREFER).

Movement and Performance Explain Widespread Cortical Activity in a Visual Detection Task.

Recent studies in mice reveal widespread cortical signals during task performance; however, the various task-related and task-independent processes underlying this activity are incompletely understood. Here, we recorded wide-field neural activity, as revealed by GCaMP6s, from dorsal cortex while simultaneously monitoring orofacial movements, walking, and arousal (pupil diameter) of head-fixed mice performing a Go/NoGo visual detection task and examined the ability of task performance and spontaneous or task-related movements to predict cortical activity. A linear model was able to explain a significant fraction (33-55% of variance) of widefield dorsal cortical activity, with the largest factors being movements (facial, walk, eye), response choice (hit, miss, false alarm), and arousal and indicate that a significant fraction of trial-to-trial variability arises from both spontaneous and task-related changes in state (e.

The effect of breastfeeding on postpartum glucose tolerance and lipid profiles in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: We aimed to investigate the association of breastfeeding on postpartum glucose levels and lipid profiles in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and women without GDM.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a cohort study of 243 women, 159 women with GDM and 84 normally glucose tolerant women between 2012 and 2017. At approximately 6-10 weeks postpartum, we measured fasting blood glucose and plasma lipid levels.

Effects of Social Disparities on Management and Surgical Outcomes for Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.

Introduction: Nearly 80% of chronic renal failure patients have secondary hyperparathyroidism. Cinacalcet is used to lower parathyroid hormone; however, it is expensive and has side effects. When secondary hyperparathyroidism is resistant to medication or medications are inaccessible, parathyroidectomy is performed.

Iron supplementation in preterm and low-birth-weight infants: a systematic review of intervention studies.

Context: Enteral iron supplementation in preterm infants is recommended to supply sufficient iron for growth and development without increasing the risk of iron overload. However, the current recommendations date from 2010 and are based on limited evidence.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to investigate the effects of enteral iron supplementation on iron status, growth, neurological development, and adverse clinical outcomes in preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) and low-birth-weight (LBW, <2500 g) infants.

Impact of the Umoyo mother-infant pair model on HIV-positive mothers' social support, perceived stigma and 12-month retention of their HIV-exposed infants in PMTCT care: evidence from a cluster randomized controlled trial in Zambia.

Background: Public health systems in resource-constrained settings have a critical role to play in the elimination of HIV transmission but are often financially constrained. This study is an evaluation of a mother-infant-pair model called "Umoyo," which was designed to be low cost and scalable in a public health system. Facilities with the Umoyo model dedicate a clinic day to provide services to only HIV-exposed infants (HEIs) and their mothers.

AID, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B efficiently deaminate deoxycytidines neighboring DNA damage induced by oxidation or alkylation.

Background: AID/APOBEC3 (A3) enzymes instigate genomic mutations that are involved in immunity and cancer. Although they can deaminate any deoxycytidine (dC) to deoxyuridine (dU), each family member has a signature preference determined by nucleotides surrounding the target dC. This WRC (W = A/T, R = A/G) and YC (Y = T/C) hotspot preference is established for AID and A3A/A3B, respectively.

Opt-out bloodborne virus screening: a cross-sectional observational study in an acute medical unit.

Objective: Recent treatment developments for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) have greatly improved prognoses. Current screening practices are mainly risk based and are suboptimal. Improved efforts are critically needed to identify persons with these viruses.

Methamphetamine-Induced Lung Injury.

Unlabelled: Methamphetamine is a substance of abuse that is most commonly smoked. Both regular and non-regular use can cause toxic injury to the lung parenchyma, the signs and symptoms of which are non-specific. Clinical scenarios include non-cardiac pulmonary oedema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, alveolar haemorrhage, pneumonia and pneumoconiosis.

Rituximab or Cyclosporine in the Treatment of Membranous Nephropathy.

Background: B-cell anomalies play a role in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy. B-cell depletion with rituximab may therefore be noninferior to treatment with cyclosporine for inducing and maintaining a complete or partial remission of proteinuria in patients with this condition.

Methods: We randomly assigned patients who had membranous nephropathy, proteinuria of at least 5 g per 24 hours, and a quantified creatinine clearance of at least 40 ml per minute per 1.

Differential Vascularity in Genetic and Nonhereditary Heterotopic Ossification.

Nonhereditary heterotopic ossification (NHO) is a common complication of trauma. Progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) are rare genetic causes of heterotopic bone. In this article, we detail the vascular patterning associated with genetic versus NHO.

Type I interferon in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease is associated with haematological abnormalities and specific autoantibody profiles.

Objectives: To investigate the relationships between interferon alpha (IFNα) and the clinical and serological phenotype of patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARDs) in order to determine whether a distinct subpopulation of patients can be identified.

Methods: We recruited patients with at least 1 SARD clinical feature and at least 1 SARD-related autoantibody from two NHS Trusts in Greater Manchester. A 6-gene interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) score was calculated in all patients, and in a subgroup, a 30-gene ISG score was produced using NanoString.

Perinatal fluoxetine exposure results in social deficits and reduced monoamine oxidase gene expression in mice.

Perinatal antidepressant drug exposure increases risk for autism spectrum disorder, yet the molecular and neurobehavioral effects of maternal antidepressant drug use on offspring remain poorly understood. In this study, we administered the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine non-invasively to female mice throughout gestation and early lactation, and then examined social interaction behaviors in offspring. In addition, we measured whole brain gene expression levels of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), the primary metabolizing enzyme for serotonin.

Subcutaneous and Intravenous Treprostinil Pharmacokinetics in Children With Pulmonary Vascular Disease.

This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) treprostinil in pediatric patients with pulmonary vascular disease, and compared them with existing adult data from a similar cohort. Blood samples were collected from pediatric patients receiving steady-state IV or SC treprostinil and were assessed for plasma treprostinil concentration using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Forty participants, 15 receiving IV and 25 receiving SC treprostinil, were included in the analysis.