1. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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In: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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2. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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3. |
- Crous, Pedro W., et al.
(author)
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Fungal Planet description sheets: 1383–1435
- 2022
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In: Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi. - : Naturalis Biodiversity Center. - 0031-5850 .- 1878-9080. ; 48, s. 261-371
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Agaricus albofoetidus, Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii, Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and Pestalotiopsis chiaroscuro from leaves of Sporobolus natalensis, Serendipita petricolae as endophyte from roots of Eriochilus petricola, Stagonospora tauntonensis from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Teratosphaeria carnegiei from leaves of Eucalyptus grandis × E. camaldulensis and Wongia ficherai from roots of Eragrostis curvula. Canada, Lulworthia fundyensis from intertidal wood and Newbrunswickomyces abietophilus (incl. Newbrunswickomyces gen. nov.) on buds of Abies balsamea. Czech Republic, Geosmithia funiculosa from a bark beetle gallery on Ulmus minor and Neoherpotrichiella juglandicola (incl. Neoherpotrichiella gen. nov.) from wood of Juglans regia. France, Aspergillus rouenensis and Neoacrodontium gallica (incl. Neoacrodontium gen. nov.) from bore dust of Xestobium rufovillosum feeding on Quercus wood, Endoradiciella communis (incl. Endoradiciella gen. nov.) endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum and Entoloma simulans on soil. India, Amanita konajensis on soil and Keithomyces indicus from soil. Israel, Microascus rothbergiorum from Stylophora pistillata. Italy, Calonarius ligusticus on soil. Netherlands, Appendopyricularia juncicola (incl. Appendopyricularia gen. nov.), Eriospora juncicola and Tetraploa juncicola on dead culms of Juncus effusus, Gonatophragmium physciae on Physcia caesia and Paracosmospora physciae (incl. Paracosmospora gen. nov.) on Physcia tenella, Myrmecridium phragmitigenum on dead culm of Phragmites australis, Neochalara lolae on stems of Pteridium aquilinum, Niesslia nieuwwulvenica on dead culm of undetermined Poaceae, Nothodevriesia narthecii (incl. Nothodevriesia gen. nov.) on dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum and Parastenospora pini (incl. Parastenospora gen. nov.) on dead twigs of Pinus sylvestris. Norway, Verticillium bjoernoeyanum from sand grains attached to a piece of driftwood on a sandy beach. Portugal, Collybiopsis cimrmanii on the base of living Quercus ilex and amongst dead leaves of Laurus and herbs. South Africa, Paraproliferophorum hyphaenes (incl. Paraproliferophorum gen. nov.) on living leaves of Hyphaene sp. and Saccothecium widdringtoniae on twigs of Widdringtonia wallichii. Spain, Cortinarius dryosalor on soil, Cyphellophora endoradicis endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum, Geoglossum laurisilvae on soil, Leptographium gemmatum from fluvial sediments, Physalacria auricularioides from a dead twig of Castanea sativa, Terfezia bertae and Tuber davidlopezii in soil. Sweden, Alpova larskersii, Inocybe alpestris and Inocybe boreogodeyi on soil. Thailand, Russula banwatchanensis, Russula purpureoviridis and Russula lilacina on soil. Ukraine, Nectriella adonidis on overwintered stems of Adonis vernalis. USA, Microcyclus jacquiniae from living leaves of Jacquinia keyensis and Penicillium neoherquei from a minute mushroom sporocarp. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.
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4. |
- He, Mao Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Phylogenomics, divergence times and notes of orders in Basidiomycota
- 2024
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In: Fungal Diversity. - 1560-2745 .- 1878-9129. ; 126, s. 127-406
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Basidiomycota is one of the major phyla in the fungal tree of life. The outline of Basidiomycota provides essential taxonomic information for researchers and workers in mycology. In this study, we present a time-framed phylogenomic tree with 487 species of Basidiomycota from 127 families, 47 orders, 14 classes and four subphyla; we update the outline of Basidiomycota based on the phylogenomic relationships and the taxonomic studies since 2019; and we provide notes for each order and discuss the history, defining characteristics, evolution, justification of orders, problems, significance, and plates. Our phylogenomic analysis suggests that the subphyla diverged in a time range of 443–490 Myr (million years), classes in a time range of 312–412 Myr, and orders in a time range of 102–361 Myr. Families diverged in a time range of 50–289 Myr, 76–224 Myr, and 62–156 Myr in Agaricomycotina, Pucciniomycotina, and Ustilaginomycotina, respectively. Based on the phylogenomic relationships and divergence times, we propose a new suborder Mycenineae in Agaricales to accommodate Mycenaceae. In the current outline of Basidiomycota, there are four subphyla, 20 classes, 77 orders, 297 families, and 2134 genera accepted. When building a robust taxonomy of Basidiomycota in the genomic era, the generation of molecular phylogenetic data has become relatively easier. Finding phenotypical characters, especially those that can be applied for identification and classification, however, has become increasingly challenging.
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5. |
- Loizides, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Has taxonomic vandalism gone too far? A case study, the rise of the pay-to-publish model and the pitfalls of Morchella systematics
- 2022
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In: Mycological progress. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1617-416X .- 1861-8952. ; 21:1, s. 7-38
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The genus Morchella has gone through turbulent taxonomic treatments. Although significant progress in Morchella systematics has been achieved in the past decade, several problems remain unresolved and taxonomy in the genus is still in flux. In late 2019, a paper published in the open-access journal Scientific Reports raised serious concerns about the taxonomic stability of the genus, but also about the future of academic publishing. The paper, entitled “High diversity of Morchella and a novel lineage of the esculenta clade from the north Qinling Mountains revealed by GCPSR-based study” by Phanpadith and colleagues, suffered from gross methodological errors, included false results and artifactual phylogenies, had misapplied citations throughout, and proposed a new species name invalidly. Although the paper was eventually retracted by Scientific Reports in 2021, the fact that such an overtly flawed and scientifically unsound paper was published in a high-ranked Q1 journal raises alarming questions about quality controls and safekeeping procedures in scholarly publishing. Using this paper as a case study, we provide a critical review on the pitfalls of Morchella systematics followed by a series of recommendations for the delimitation of species, description of taxa, and ultimately for a sustainable taxonomy in Morchella. Problems and loopholes in the academic publishing system are also identified and discussed, and additional quality controls in the pre- and post-publication stages are proposed.
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6. |
- Onate, Angelo, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of Nb-Si-doped low-carbon steel treated by quenching and partitioning : Thermic treatment in two stages supported by computational thermodynamical simulation and controlled sample dimensions
- 2023
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In: Materials Today Communications. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-4928. ; 34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Quench and partition steels find wide use in the automotive industry because of their high capability of energy absorption. Industrial demands have prompted the expansion of this research field because of the influence these materials have on components that can absorb high energy of impact to reduce passenger damage, for example. The partition process's difficulties lie mainly in controlling the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the phase transformation. Both affect achieving adequate austenite retention and optimal mechanical properties. Many researchers have attempted to increase these materials' energy absorption efficiency by incorporating micro -alloying elements that control phase transformation during the partitioning process, typically done in three steps. However, no research has been carried out on this topic using Nb and Si microalloying on low-carbon steels in two stages. Therefore, an alloy was designed and modelled with mechanical reinforcement by precipitation and transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP), doping the steel with Nb and Si in a two-stage quenching and parti-tioning process. Then, steel samples were fabricated to validate the model. There were two groups of samples with different dimensions to evaluate the sensitivity of austenite retention concerning the sample thickness. The main results showed that 10.75% of retained austenite allows an energy absorption of 30.55 GPa% with a two -stage quenching and partitioning heat treatment. Sample thickness influences austenite retention due to diffusion kinetics during the partitioning process. Finally, virtual tests quantified the unit strain energy absorption of the retained austenite at 1.9 mJ at 25 degrees C.
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7. |
- Qiu, Xia, et al.
(author)
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Individual participant data meta-analysis to compare EPDS accuracy to detect major depression with and without the self-harm item
- 2023
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Item 10 of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is intended to assess thoughts of intentional self-harm but may also elicit concerns about accidental self-harm. It does not specifically address suicide ideation but, nonetheless, is sometimes used as an indicator of suicidality. The 9-item version of the EPDS (EPDS-9), which omits item 10, is sometimes used in research due to concern about positive endorsements of item 10 and necessary follow-up. We assessed the equivalence of total score correlations and screening accuracy to detect major depression using the EPDS-9 versus full EPDS among pregnant and postpartum women. We searched Medline, Medline In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from database inception to October 3, 2018 for studies that administered the EPDS and conducted diagnostic classification for major depression based on a validated semi-structured or fully structured interview among women aged 18 or older during pregnancy or within 12 months of giving birth. We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis. We calculated Pearson correlations with 95% prediction interval (PI) between EPDS-9 and full EPDS total scores using a random effects model. Bivariate random-effects models were fitted to assess screening accuracy. Equivalence tests were done by comparing the confidence intervals (CIs) around the pooled sensitivity and specificity differences to the equivalence margin of delta = 0.05. Individual participant data were obtained from 41 eligible studies (10,906 participants, 1407 major depression cases). The correlation between EPDS-9 and full EPDS scores was 0.998 (95% PI 0.991, 0.999). For sensitivity, the EPDS-9 and full EPDS were equivalent for cut-offs 7-12 (difference range - 0.02, 0.01) and the equivalence was indeterminate for cut-offs 13-15 (all differences - 0.04). For specificity, the EPDS-9 and full EPDS were equivalent for all cut-offs (difference range 0.00, 0.01). The EPDS-9 performs similarly to the full EPDS and can be used when there are concerns about the implications of administering EPDS item 10.
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