922017 research outputs found
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Guideline adherence predicts Survival of Candidemia in Europe: Results from the ECMM Candida III multinational European Cohort Study
No full textBackgroundThe European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) collected data on epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, and outcomes of culture proven candidemia across Europe in order to assess how adherence to guideline recommendations correlate with outcomes.MethodsEach participating hospital (number of eligible hospitals per country determined by population size) included the first ~10 culture proven candidemia cases after 01-July-2018 and entered data into the ECMM Candida III database on the FungiScope® platform. EQUAL Candida Scores reflecting adherence to recommendations of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) Guidelines were assessed.FindingsA total of 632 candidemia cases were included from 60 institutions in 20 European countries. Overall mortality was 46.4% (286/617), and older age, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and rare Candida spp. as causative pathogens were independent predictors of mortality in Cox regression analysis. EQUAL Candida Score was evaluable for 589 cases with candidemia and remained an independent predictor of mortality in the multivariable Cox regression analyses after adjusting for age, ICU admission and rare Candida spp. (adjusted hazard ratios between 1.074 and 1.087 per 1 point decrease; pInterpretationWhile overall mortality of candidemia was 46%, our study indicates that adherence to clinical guideline recommendations, reflected by higher EQUAL Candida Scores, may increase survival. Echinocandin treatment was associated with increased overall survival, but also longer duration of hospitalization (hospitalization was prolonged only for completing treatment in 16%).<br/
Quantifying sulfidization and non-sulfidization in long-term in-situ microbial colonized As(V)-ferrihydrite coated sand columns: Insights into As mobility
No full textSulfide-induced reduction (sulfidization) of arsenic (As)-bearing Fe(III) (oxyhydro)oxides may lead to As mobilization in aquifer systems. However, little is known about the relative contributions of sulfidization and non-sulfidization of Fe(III) (oxyhydro)oxides reduction to As mobilization. To address this issue, high As groundwater with low sulfide (LS) and high sulfide (HS) concentrations were pumped through As(V)-bearing ferrihydrite-coated sand columns (LS-column and HS-column, respectively) being settled within wells in the western Hetao Basin, China. Sulfidization of As(V)-bearing ferrihydrite was evidenced by the increase in dissolved Fe(II) and the presence of solid Fe(II) and elemental sulfur (S0) in both the columns. A conceptual model was built using accumulated S0 and Fe(II) produced in the columns to calculate the proportions of sulfidization-induced Fe(III) (oxyhydro)oxide reduction and non-sulfidization-induced Fe(III) (oxyhydro)oxide reduction. Fe(III) reduction via sulfidization occurred preferentially in the inlet ends (LS-column, 31%; HS-column, 86%), while Fe(III) reduction via non-sulfidization processes predominated in the outlet ends (LS-column, 96%; HS-column, 86%), and was attributed to the metabolism of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (including Shewanella, Ferribacterium, and Desulfuromonas). Arsenic was mobilized in the columns via sulfidization and non-sulfidization processes. More As was released from the solid of the HS-column than that of the LS-column due to the higher intensity of sulfidization in the presence of higher concentrations of dissolved S(-II). Overall, this study highlights the sulfidization of As-bearing Fe(III) (oxyhydro)oxides as an important As-mobilizing pathway in complex As-Fe-S bio-hydrogeochemical networks
Valorization of Lignocellulose by Producing Polyhydroxyalkanoates Under Circular Bioeconomy Premises: Facts and Challenges
No full textIn light of the current concerns about environmental issues caused by the excessive use of fossil resources, more emphasis has been paid to the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. Bioplastics as eco-friendly products originating from biomass wastes have gained much attention to solve the problem of plastic pollution. Among them, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are microbial polyesters produced using various feedstocks—renewable or recycled waste materials—contributing to a more sustainable commercial plastic life cycle by being a part of a circular bioeconomy. However, the scale-up of the PHAs process cost-effectively and sustainably remains challenging for large-scale industrial applications. This perspective article provides a comprehensive overview of the current insights into lignocellulosic biomass's role in achieving a circular bioeconomy. Emerging greener biomass conversion technologies are discussed to characterize energy demand, cost, and sustainability within biorefineries PHAs production. In addition, recent advances in synthetic biology and fermentation processes for PHAs production are discussed. Technological challenges, i.e., bioreactor set-up, downstream operation, and inconsistent properties to improve the sustainable production of PHAs and to help transfer this technology to real-world application, are also addressed
New Reaction Pathways by Integrating Chemo- and Biocatalysis
No full textThe combination of chemo- and biocatalysis in one-pot (integrated catalysis) is a powerful approach to develop new routes towards important products under mild and environmentally benign reaction conditions. Integrated catalysis can improve overall synthetic efficiency and, due to the complementary nature of chemo- and biocatalysts, transformations can be performed, which would be otherwise challenging using a single catalyst. In this review, we highlight recent trends for the combination of enzymes with chemocatalysts. Transition-metal catalysis, organocatalysis, and photoredox catalysis have been combined with different biocatalysts and discussed accordingly. We highlight further how integrated catalysis does not only deliver benign substitutes for known transformations but moreover enables transformations which would be otherwise impossible
Model order reduction of layered waveguides via rational Krylov fitting
No full textRational approximation recently emerged as an efficient numerical tool for the solution of exterior wave propagation problems. Currently, this technique is limited to wave media which are invariant along the main propagation direction. We propose a new model order reduction-based approach for compressing unbounded waveguides with layered inclusions. It is based on the solution of a nonlinear rational least squares problem using the RKFIT method. We show that approximants can be converted into an accurate finite difference representation within a rational Krylov framework. Numerical experiments indicate that RKFIT computes more accurate grids than previous analytic approaches and even works in the presence of pronounced scattering resonances. Spectral adaptation effects allow for finite difference grids with dimensions near or even below the Nyquist limit
The TRANSCEND University Consortium: Integrated Waste Management
No full textTRANSCEND (Transformative Science and Engineering for Nuclear Decommissioning) is a collaborative research consortium comprising 11 universities and 8 industry partners. The £9.4 million research program, funded primarily by the Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPSRC) Research Council of the UK, incorporates >40 projects in total, which will address some of the key challenges within the areas of nuclear decommissioning and waste management; including mobilization, processing, packaging, storage, transport and final disposal. This paper will outline a summary of the current progress and impact of Theme 1 - Integrated Waste Management. This theme focuses on underpinning science and engineering in areas of relevance to hazard reduction and decommissioning, where the three key work package objectives are: (1) New materials and methods for effluent decontamination; (2) Modelling and experiments for understanding pond and silo sludge/slurry behavior; (3) Innovative wasteform materials. In total, this theme has 15 different projects, delivered through both postdoctoral and PhD researchers, all with specific industry supervision from our partners, led by the NNL. The following provides a review of the project summaries to date, and their critical impact
Modelling annual scintillation arc variations in PSR J1643−1224 using the large european array for pulsars
No full textIn this work we study variations in the parabolic scintillation arcs of the binary millisecond pulsar PSR J1643−1224 over five years using the Large European Array for Pulsars (LEAP). The 2D power spectrum of scintillation, called the secondary spectrum, often shows a parabolic distribution of power, where the arc curvature encodes the relative velocities and distances of the pulsar, ionised interstellar medium (IISM), and Earth. We observe a clear parabolic scintillation arc which varies in curvaturethroughout the year. The distribution of power in the secondary spectra are inconsistent with a single scattering screen which is fully 1D, or entirely isotropic. We fit the observed arc curvature variations with two models; an isotropic scattering screen, and a model with two independent 1D screens. We measure the distance to the scattering screen to be in the range 114-223 pc, depending on the model, consistent with the known distance of the foreground large-diameter HII region Sh 2-27 (112 ± 17 pc), suggesting that it is the dominant source of scattering. We obtain only weak constraints on the pulsar’s orbital inclination and angle of periastron, since the scintillation pattern is not very sensitive to the pulsar’s motion, since the screen is much closer to the Earth than the pulsar. More measurements of this kind - where scattering screens can be associated with foreground objects - will help to inform the origins and distribution of scattering screens within our galaxy.Key words: pulsars: general – pulsars:individual ( PSR J1643−1224) – ISM:HII regio
Amygdala responses to negative faces are not associated with depressive symptoms: cross-sectional data from 28 638 individuals in the UK Biobank cohort
No full textIDENTIFYING THE BEST METHODS TO REPORT ON THE POST-VACCINATION SURVEILLANCE OF PHYSICAL SIDE-EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
No full textIntroduction: On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. This had led to the development of many novel vaccines for which effective post-vaccination surveillance is essential. This study aims to synthesise post-vaccination surveillance of physical side-effects to learn the best method that can be applied to the surveillance of novel COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A full systematic search was performed on four databases following the PRISMA guidelines. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and hand-searching the eligible papers, a total of seven studies were included in this review. The risk of bias within studies and their quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal for Public Health Checklist.Results: The seven studies included were from six countries representing both active and passive surveillance systems. The results showed reliability and reproducibility between data across countries. They also provided a good framework for how post-vaccination surveillance can be performed in low-income countries. Conclusions: The reporting of post-vaccine side-effects is essential. Active and passive systems were essential to encourage reporting of AEFIs and should be encouraged globally. A combination of active and passive surveillance should be used to monitor adverse events relating to the novel COVID-19 vaccines
