bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing Health Equity Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Within a National Health Nonprofit Organization
Authors: Rabinowitz Bailey Lucy , Ubri Petry , Stephens Robert , Redman Sarah , Wiedt Tracy , Watson Lesley , Brown Ashley
Published: November 2022

Objective:

This study presents survey results assessing the impact of the American Cancer Society (ACS) health equity (HE) training on staff knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HE and social determinants of health (SDOH).

Design:

This study is a quasi-experimental design examining survey responses over time and comparing responses from staff who participated in ACS HE training sessions and education opportunities and those who did not.

Setting:

An electronic Web survey was distributed to all ACS and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) staff in each of the 3 years that the training was held (2018-2020).

Participants:

ACS and ACS CAN staff who chose to take the survey were included in the study.

Intervention:

Engagement with training hosted by the ACS HE team was examined. Training sessions were intended to introduce staff to HE and SDOH in the context of cancer outcomes and provide staff with the skills to become HE champions in the organization.

Main Outcome Measures:

This study examines whether participation in training sessions hosted by the HE team had an impact on knowledge of HE terms, attitudes, and beliefs about HE and engagement with HE.

Results:

Trained respondents had a significantly higher HE knowledge summary score (98%) than those who were not trained (79%, SD = 0.26100, P < .001). Respondents who participated in training were more likely to believe that they could advance HE through their work at ACS and ACS CAN (88% compared with 66% of those who were not trained, SD = 0.47300, P < .001). Respondents who participated in training scored an average of 4.7 out of 6 on HE engagement compared with 3.8 among the untrained (SD = 1.425, P < .001).

Conclusions:

These findings demonstrate that participation in HE training is associated with higher levels of knowledge about HE and stronger personal attitudes and beliefs about the importance of addressing SDOH. This is a foundational step in staff taking action to integrate HE concepts into their day-to-day work toward reducing inequities in access to cancer treatment and health outcomes.
Theory in Action: Public Health and Community Power Building for Health Equity
Authors: Heller Jonathan C. , Little Olivia M. , Faust Victoria , Tran Paula , Givens Marjory L. , Ayers Jeanne , Farhang Lili
Published: November 2022

Context:

Within the field of public health, there is growing awareness of how complex social conditions shape health outcomes and the role that power plays in driving health inequities. Despite public health frameworks lifting up the need to tackle power imbalances to advance equity, there is little guidance on how to accomplish this as an integral part of health promotion.

Objective:

This article addresses the need for public health professionals to better understand power and identifies opportunities for shifting power to achieve more equitable outcomes. First, it defines power and community power building. Next, it reviews a pragmatic theoretical framework that organizes power into 3 faces: (1) exercising influence in formal decision-making processes; (2) organizing the decision-making environment; and (3) shaping worldviews about social issues. Finally, it connects each face of power to community power-building practices using concrete examples.

Implementation:

This article highlights real-world case examples to demonstrate how theory translates to action by describing how public health practitioners in government, academic, and nonprofit settings incorporate the 3 faces of power into their work. The case examples illustrate how public health organizations and practitioners can partner with those most impacted by inequities to help shape decision making, agenda setting, and worldviews to influence policy and practice toward more equitable outcomes.

Discussion:

The public health field can learn from and build on these innovative examples to establish new practices, scale up promising approaches, and evaluate what works to shift power for the greater good.
Is direct bodyguard manipulation a parasitoid-induced stress sleep? A new perspective
Authors: Mohan Prabitha , Sinu Palatty Allesh
Published: November 2022

Bodyguard manipulation is a behavioural manipulation in which the host's behaviour is altered to protect the inducer's offspring from imminent biotic threats. The behaviour of a post-parasitoid-egressed host resembles a quiescence state with a characteristic reduction in motor activities like feeding, locomotion, respiration, and metabolic rate. Yet, they respond aggressively through a defensive response when disturbed, which ensures better fitness for the parasitoid's offspring. The behavioural changes in the parasitized host appear after the parasitoid egression. Several hypotheses have been proposed to elucidate how the parasitized host's behaviour is manipulated for the fitness benefits of the inducers, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. We review evidence to explain the behavioural changes and their mechanism in the parasitized hosts. The evidence suggests that parasitoid pre-pupal egression may drive the host to stress-induced sleep. The elevated octopamine concentration also reflects the stress response in the host. Given the theoretical links between the behavioural and the physiological changes in the post-parasitoid-egressed host and stress-induced sleep of other invertebrates, we suggest that behavioural studies combined with functional genomics, proteomics, and histological analyses might give a better understanding of bodyguard manipulation.
Why does the metabolic cost of walking increase on compliant substrates?
Authors: Grant Barbara , Charles James , Geraghty Brendan , Gardiner James , D'Août Kristiaan , Falkingham Peter L. , Bates Karl T.
Published: November 2022

Walking on compliant substrates requires more energy than walking on hard substrates but the biomechanical factors that contribute to this increase are debated. Previous studies suggest various causative mechanical factors, including disruption to pendular energy recovery, increased muscle work, decreased muscle efficiency and increased gait variability. We test each of these hypotheses simultaneously by collecting a large kinematic and kinetic dataset of human walking on foams of differing thickness. This allowed us to systematically characterize changes in gait with substrate compliance, and, by combining data with mechanical substrate testing, drive the very first subject-specific computer simulations of human locomotion on compliant substrates to estimate the internal kinetic demands on the musculoskeletal system. Negative changes to pendular energy exchange or ankle mechanics are not supported by our analyses. Instead we find that the mechanistic causes of increased energetic costs on compliant substrates are more complex than captured by any single previous hypothesis. We present a model in which elevated activity and mechanical work by muscles crossing the hip and knee are required to support the changes in joint (greater excursion and maximum flexion) and spatio-temporal kinematics (longer stride lengths, stride times and stance times, and duty factors) on compliant substrates.
Molecular rotors in haemoglobin and bovine serum albumin proteins
Authors: Briole Alice , Abou Bérengère
Published: November 2022

Molecular rotors are fluorescent viscosity probes and their response in simple fluids is known to be a Förster–Hoffman power law, allowing the viscosity of the medium to be quantified by its fluorescence intensity. They are attractive probes in biological media, usually consisting of proteins, but how does a molecular rotor behave in a protein solution? The response of the DASPI molecular rotor is compared in two globular protein solutions of similar size, haemoglobin (Hb) and bovine serum albumin, one absorbent, the other not. In absorbent Hb, a model validated by experiments in triangular geometry allows one to correct the absorbing effect and to compare the rotor response in both proteins. With concomitant microrheology measurements, we investigate the relation between the DASPI fluorescence intensity and solution viscosity. In protein solutions, we show that viscosity is no longer the parameter determining the rotor response in contrast to simple fluids. Varying the viscosity by concentration or temperature is not equivalent, and the Förster–Hoffmann power laws do not apply when the solution concentration varies. We show that the concentration regime of the protein solution, semi-dilute or concentrated, determines the sensitivity of the rotor to its environment.
Delayed response to environmental conditions and infra-seasonal dynamics of the short-beaked common dolphin distribution
Authors: Lambert C. , Authier M. , Blanchard A. , Dorémus G. , Laran S. , Van Canneyt O. , Spitz J.
Published: November 2022

Cetaceans adjust their distribution and abundance to encountered conditions across years and seasons, but we poorly understand such small-scale changes for many species, especially in winter. Crucial challenges confront some populations during this season, such as the high levels of fisheries-induced mortality faced by the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the Northeast Atlantic shelves. For such species, understanding the winter fine-scale dynamics is crucial. We aimed to identify the dolphin distribution drivers during the winters of 2020 and 2021, with a focus on determining the lag between changes in oceanographic conditions and dolphin distribution. The changes were related to temporal delays specific to the nature and cascading effects that oceanographic processes had on the trophic chain. By determining the most important conditions and lags to dolphin distributions, we shed light on the poorly understood intrusions of dolphins within coastal waters during winter: they displayed a strong preference for the coastal-shelf waters front and extensively followed its spatial variations, with their overall densities increasing over the period and peaking in March–April. The results presented here provide invaluable information on the winter distribution dynamics and should inform management decisions to help reduce the unsustainable mortalities of this species in the by-catch of fisheries.
Phenotypic plasticity determines differences between the skulls of tigers from mainland Asia
Authors: Cooper David M. , Yamaguchi Nobuyuki , Macdonald David W. , Nanova Olga G. , Yudin Viktor G. , Dugmore Andrew J. , Kitchener Andrew C.
Published: November 2022

Tiger subspecific taxonomy is controversial because of morphological and genetic variation found between now fragmented populations, yet the extent to which phenotypic plasticity or genetic variation affects phenotypes of putative tiger subspecies has not been explicitly addressed. In order to assess the role of phenotypic plasticity in determining skull variation, we compared skull morphology among continental tigers from zoos and the wild. In turn, we examine continental tiger skulls from across their wild range, to evaluate how the different environmental conditions experienced by individuals in the wild can influence morphological variation. Fifty-seven measurements from 172 specimens were used to analyse size and shape differences among wild and captive continental tiger skulls. Captive specimens have broader skulls, and shorter rostral depths and mandible heights than wild specimens. In addition, sagittal crest size is larger in wild Amur tigers compared with those from captivity, and it is larger in wild Amur tigers compared with other wild continental tigers. The degree of phenotypic plasticity shown by the sagittal crest, skull width and rostral height suggests that the distinctive shape of Amur tiger skulls compared with that of other continental tigers is mostly a phenotypically plastic response to differences in their environments.
What's in a name? Role of verbal context in touch
Authors: Saluja Supreet , Chan Karina , Lynch Tully , Stevenson Richard J.
Published: November 2022

Can a name (i.e. verbal context) change how we react to and perceive an object? This question has been addressed several times for chemosensory objects, but appears unanswered for touch. To address this, two studies were run. In each, we allocated participants to a Positive, Neutral or Negative Group, and asked them to touch the same four objects, twice—first, named by the experimenter according to their Group-name, and second, named by the participant. Participants were timed as they touched and rated the objects on pleasantness and disgust. Negative-named objects were touched for shorter durations, and rated more negatively, than neutral-named objects, and positive-named objects were touched for the longest and rated most positively. In the second presentation, most objects (greater than 90%) were named by participants in accordance with their assigned Group-names. The similarity of these findings to chemosensory verbal context effects and their mechanistic basis is discussed.
Fear in urban landscapes: conspecific flock size drives escape decisions in tropical birds
Authors: Ardila-Villamizar Melissa , Alarcón-Nieto Gustavo , Maldonado-Chaparro Adriana A.
Published: November 2022

Human-induced disturbances affect animal behaviours such as anti-predatory responses. Animals in urban environments tend to exhibit a reduced escape response, measured as a shorter flight initiation distance (FID), compared to their rural counterparts. While FID has been evaluated in animals dwelling in contrasting habitats (e.g. urban versus rural), little is known about how this response varies within urban environments, especially in tropical cities. Here, we studied the FID of 15 resident bird species in Bogota, Colombia, at 22 sites grouped into four categories (natural sites, metropolitan parks, zonal parks and residential areas) that differed in landscape features and evaluated which factors affected the escape responses of birds. We showed that birds foraging in larger flocks are more tolerant when being approached but they do not seem to be influenced by other factors such as heterospecific flock size, noise levels, pedestrian density, predator density, natural cover or body length. Also, birds inhabiting residential areas and parks showed a shorter FID compared to birds in natural areas suggesting that they are more tolerant of human-related disturbances compared to their conspecifics that live in natural areas within the city. Our study shows important differences in bird anti-predatory responses within the city and suggests that social strategies (i.e. flocking patterns) may be a mechanism for adapting to human-induced disturbances in urban tropical environments.
Synergistic antimicrobial effect of ascorbic acid and nicotinamide with rifampicin and vancomycin against SCCmec type IV Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Authors: AlSaleh Abdullah , Shahid Mohammed , Farid Eman , Kamal Nermin , Bindayna Khalid
Published: November 2022

Background: MRSA is a pathogenic bacteria involved in a wide spectrum of human diseases. Many virulence factors promote this widespread propagation. One important factor is acquiring antibiotic resistance genes which leads to a reduction in availability and efficacy of therapy options. Recently, research suggests antioxidants remarkable antimicrobial effect against superbugs like MRSA, showing synergistic effect when accompanied by antimicrobial therapy. Henceforth, the article is aimed to examine the synergistic effect of ascorbic acid and nicotinamide with a panel of antibiotics used in antimicrobial therapy of MRSA.
Material and Methods: 2 SCCmec type IV MRSA reference strains (EMRSA-15 and USA300) and 10 MRSA clinical isolates were used in this article. SCCmec typing was conducted on the 10 clinical isolates via multiplex PCR after identification. Synergy experiments of antioxidants and antibiotics were evaluated via checkerboard assay. MIC of each agent was conducted in accordance with CLSI M100 guidelines through 2-fold microdilution assay.
Results and Discussion: synergy (FIC<0.5) was demonstrated for ascorbic acid (1/2-1/4 MIC) with rifampicin (1/2-1/8 MIC), also, 1/2 to 1/16 MIC of ascorbic acid when associated with vancomycin at 1/2 MIC. Similarly, nicotinamide (1/2-1/16 MIC) showed synergistic response when paired with low concentrations of rifampicin (1/2-1/16 MIC), also, when associating nicotinamide (1/4-1/16 MIC) with vancomycin (1/2 MIC). All reduced MICs due to synergistic combinations demonstrated statistical significance (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The synergistic activity demonstrated in associating antioxidants and antibiotics is a promising notion in managing superbugs. However, more research required to better understand the synergy mechanism and for utilization in clinical care.
Wastewater genomic surveillance captures early detection of Omicron in Utah
Authors: Gupta Pooja , Liao Stefan , Ezekiel Maleea , Novak Nicolle , Rossi Alessandro , LaCross Nathan , Oakeson Kelly , Rohrwasser Andreas
Published: November 2022

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a powerful public health tool to trace new outbreaks, detect trends in infection and provide an early warning of COVID-19 community spread. Here, we investigated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections across Utah by characterizing lineages and mutations detected in wastewater samples. We sequenced over 1,200 samples from 32 sewersheds collected between November 2021 and March 2022. Wastewater sequencing confirmed the presence of Omicron (B.1.1.529) in Utah in samples collected on November 19, 2021, up to ten days before its corresponding detection via clinical sequencing. Analysis of diversity of SARS-CoV-2 lineages revealed Delta as the most frequently detected lineage during November, 2021 (67.71%), but it started declining in December, 2021 with the onset of Omicron (B.1.1529) and its sub-lineage BA.1 (6.79%). Proportion of Omicron increased to ∼58% by January 4th 2022 and completely displaced Delta by February 7th, 2022. Wastewater genomic surveillance revealed the presence of Omicron sub-lineage BA.3, a lineage that is yet to be identified from Utah’s clinical surveillance. Interestingly, several Omicron-defining mutations began to appear in early November, 2021 and increased in prevalence across sewersheds from December to January. Our study suggests that tracking epidemiologically relevant mutations is critical in detecting emerging lineages in the early stages of an outbreak. Wastewater genomic epidemiology provides an unbiased representation of community-wide infection dynamics and is an excellent complementary tool to SARS-CoV-2 clinical surveillance, with the potential of guiding public health action and policy decisions.
The influence of COVID-19 risk perception and vaccination status on the number of social contacts across Europe: insights from the CoMix study
Authors: Wambua James , Loedy Neilshan , Jarvis Christopher I , Wong Kerry LM , Faes Christel , Grah Rok , Prasse Bastian , Sandmann Frank , Niehus Rene , Johnson Helen , Edmunds W.John , Beutels Philippe , Hens Niel , Coletti Pietro
Published: November 2022

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics have been greatly modulated by human contact behaviour. To curb the spread of the virus, global efforts focused on implementing both Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and pharmaceutical interventions such as vaccination. This study was conducted to explore the influence of COVID-19 vaccination status and risk perceptions related to SARS-CoV-2 on the number of social contacts of individuals in 16 European countries. This is important since insights derived from the study could be utilized in guiding the formulation of risk communication strategies.

Methods

We used data from longitudinal surveys conducted in the 16 European countries to measure social contact behaviour in the course of the pandemic. The data consisted of representative panels of participants in terms of gender, age and region of residence in each country. The surveys were conducted in several rounds between December 2020 and September 2021. We employed a multilevel generalized linear mixed effects model to explore the influence of risk perceptions and COVID-19 vaccination status on the number of social contacts of individuals.

Results

The results indicated that perceived severity played a significant role in social contact behaviour during the pandemic after controlling for other variables. More specifically, participants who perceived COVID-19 to be a serious illness made fewer contacts compared to those who had low or neutral perceptions of the COVID-19 severity. Additionally, vaccinated individuals reported significantly higher number of contacts than the non-vaccinated. Further-more, individual-level factors played a more substantial role in influencing contact behaviour than country-level factors.

Conclusion

Our multi-country study yields significant insights on the importance of risk perceptions and vaccination in behavioral changes during a pandemic emergency. The apparent increase in social contact behaviour following vaccination would require urgent intervention in the event of emergence of an immune escaping variant. Hence, insights derived from this study could be taken into account when designing, implementing and communicating COVID-19 interventions.
Wikipedia as a tool for contemporary history of science: A case study on CRISPR
Authors: Benjakob Omer , Guley Olha , Sevin Jean-Marc , Blondel Leo , Augustoni Ariane , Collet Matthieu , Jouveshomme Louise , Amit Roy , Linder Ariel , Aviram Rona
Published: November 2022

Rapid developments and methodological divides hinder the study of how scientific knowledge accumulates, consolidates and transfers to the public sphere. Our work proposes using Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, as a historiographical source for contemporary science. We chose the high-profile field of gene editing as our test case, performing a historical analysis of the English-language Wikipedia articles on CRISPR. Using a mixed method approach, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed its text, sections and references, alongside 50 affiliated articles. These, we found, documented CRISPR’s maturation from a fundamental scientific discovery to a biotechnological revolution with vast social and cultural implications. We developed automated tools to support such research generically and demonstrated its applicability on two other scientific fields we have previously studied - COVID-19 and Circadian clocks. This method makes use of Wikipedia as a digital and free archive, documenting the incremental growth of knowledge and the manner scientific research accumulates and translates into public discourse. Using Wikipedia in this manner compliments and overcomes some issues with contemporary histories and can also augment existing bibliometric research.
Deep brain stimulation improves symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia through targeting of thalamic sensorimotor connectivity
Authors: Hart Michael G , Polyhronopoulos Nancy , Sandhu Mandeep K , Honey Christopher R
Published: November 2022

Background

Spasmodic dysphonia is a dystonia of the vocal chords producing difficulty with speech. Current hypotheses are that this is a condition of dysregulated thalamic sensory-motor integration. A recent randomised controlled trial of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) demonstrated its safety and efficacy. Our objective was to determine if the outcome could be predicted by stimulation of thalamic sensorimotor regions and adjacent white matter connectivity as assessed by diffusion tractography.

Methods

A cohort of six participants undergoing thalamic deep brain stimulation for adductor spasmodic dysphonia was studied. Electrodes were localised with the Lead-DBS toolbox. Group-based analyses were performed with atlases, co-ordinates, and using voxel-based symptom mapping. Diffusion tensor imaging (3 Tesla, 64 directions, 2mm isotropic) was used to perform individual probabilistic tractography (cerebellothalamic tract and pallidothalamic tract) and segmentation of the thalamus. Monopolar review was performed at 0.5V and binarised as effective or ineffective.

Results

Effective contacts stimulated more of thalamic regions connected to sensorimotor cortex than ineffective contacts (p<0.05, FDR corrected). This effect was consistent across analytical and statistical techniques. Group-level and tractography analyses did not identify a specific ‘sweet spot’ suggesting the benefit of DBS is derived from modulating individual thalamic sensorimotor connectivity. Stimulations at one year involved predicted thalamic sensorimotor regions with additional cerebellothalamic tract involvement.

Conclusions

Symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia are effectively treated by DBS. Stimulation of thalamic sensorimotor areas was associated with symptomatic improvement. These data are consistent with DBS acting upon pathophysiologically dysregulated thalamic sensorimotor integration in spasmodic dysphonia.

What is known on this topic

Spasmodic dysphonia is a dystonia affecting speech with few treatment options other than speech therapy and botulinum toxin.

What this study adds

Deep brain stimulation is demonstrated to be an effective therapy by targeting sensorimotor areas of the thalamus.

How might this study affect research, practice or policy

These data add to the evidence that spasmodic dysphonia is due to dysregulated thalamic sensorimotor integration, and also suggest novel targets for steering stimulation towards to maximise benefit.
Exploring a targeted approach for public health capacity restrictions during COVID-19 using a new computational model
Authors: Micuda Ashley N. , Anderson Mark R. , Babayan Irina , Bolger Erin , Cantin Logan , Groth Gillian , Pressman-Cyna Ry , Reed Charlotte Z. , Rowe Noah J. , Shafiee Mehdi , Tam Benjamin , Vidal Marie C. , Ye Tianai , Martin Ryan D.
Published: November 2022

This work introduces the Queen’s University Agent-Based Outbreak Outcome Model (QUABOOM), a new, data-driven, agent-based Monte Carlo simulation for modelling epidemics and informing public health policy in a wide range of population sizes. We demonstrate how the model can be used to quantitatively inform capacity restrictions for COVID-19 to reduce their impact on small businesses by showing that public health measures should target few locations where many individuals interact rather than many locations where few individuals interact. We introduce a new method for the calculation of the basic reproduction rate that can be applied to low statistics data such as small outbreaks. A novel parameter to quantify the number of interactions in the simulations is introduced which allows our agent-based model to be run using small population sizes and interpreted for larger populations, thereby improving computational efficiency.
Associations between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder genetic liability and ICD-10 medical conditions in adults: Utilizing electronic health records in a Phenome-Wide Association Study
Authors: Haan Elis , Krebs Kristi , Võsa Urmo , Brikell Isabell , Larsson Henrik ,   Estonian Biobank Research Team, Lehto Kelli
Published: November 2022

Background

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often comorbid with other medical conditions in adult patients. However, ADHD is extremely underdiagnosed in adults and little is known about the medical comorbidities in undiagnosed adult individuals with high ADHD liability. In this study we investigated associations between ADHD genetic liability and electronic health record (EHR)-based ICD-10 diagnoses across all diagnostic categories, in individuals without ADHD diagnosis history.

Methods

We used data from the Estonian Biobank cohort (N=111,261) and generated polygenic risk scores (PRS) for ADHD (PRSADHD) based on the ADHD genome-wide association study. We performed a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) to test for associations between standardized PRSADHDand 1,515 EHR-based ICD-10 diagnoses in the full and sex-stratified sample. We compared the observed significant ICD-10 associations to associations with: 1) ADHD diagnosis and 2) questionnaire-based high ADHD risk analyses.

Results

After Bonferroni correction (p=3.3×10-5) we identified 80 medical conditions associated with PRSADHD. The strongest evidence was seen with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR=1.15, CI=1.11-1.18), obesity (OR=1.13, CI=1.11-1.15), and type 2 diabetes (OR=1.11, CI=1.09-1.14). Sex-stratified analysis generally showed similar associations in males and females. Out of all identified associations, 40% and 78% were also observed using ADHD diagnosis or questionnaire-based ADHD, respectively, as the predictor.

Conclusions

Overall our findings indicate that ADHD genetic liability is associated with an increased risk of a substantial number of medical conditions in undiagnosed individuals. These results highlight the need for timely detection and improved management of ADHD symptoms in adults.
Mortality due to SARS COV-2 And its Associated Factors in East Shewa Zone Treatment Centers, Ethiopia, 2022: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Hassen Jemal , Getinet Tewodros , Botore Abera , Bekele Mesfin , Bekele Bayissa , Jalata Firaol , Abebe Wake , Sisay Mekdes , Getahun Asnakech , Ligidi Tadesse
Published: November 2022

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that is caused by the SARS-CoV-2virus. The objective of this study was to determine SARS COV-2 Mortality and its associated factors in East Shewa Zone Treatment centers, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022. The study of these types of viral infection will add new insight into the most common causes of mortality in SARS-CoV-2infection and the most common co-morbidities associated with the disease in the East Shewa Zone.

Methods

The study was conducted on patients who were admitted to Adama Hospital medical college and Modjo Primary Hospital for SARS-COV 2 treatment. Data used for the study were collected from March 2020-April 2022 GC. The study population was SARS-COV 2 patients who come to Adama Hospital and Medical College and Modjo Primary Hospital for treatment. All eligible SARS-CoV-2 patients’ data were collected from Both Adama and Modjo treatment center SARS-CoV-2 accession registration book and medical record card.

Result

A total of 409 patient data were collected from which 199 were from Adama Hospital and Medical College and 210 samples were collected from Modjo Primary Hospital Treatment center. The study design was a retrospective Cross-sectional study. The most affected age group in terms of mortality was the age group between 60-69 years old which suffers a 45.28% death rate. The major sign symptoms identified include cough (80.4%), Shortness of breath (66.7%) followed by fever (43.2%). SARS-CoV-2 Comorbidity was detected in 152 (37.2%) patients. Pneumonia was identified as the major comorbid disease to be recorded with 89(21.8%) cases. Other major comorbidities include Hypertension (16.9%) and Diabetes Mellites (13.9%). The least identified comorbidities were anemia (0.2%), Rectal cancer (0.2%), breast cancer (0.5%), and Chronic liver disease.

Conclusion

Nearly one in four (22.7%) SARS-COV 2 patients admitted for treatment to Adama Hospital and Medical College and Modjo Primary Hospital did not make their way out of treatment Hospitals alive. Pneumonia was identified as the major comorbid disease to be recorded with 89(21.8%) cases
Non-COVID-19 mortality in France, April 2020 - June 2022: reduction compared to pre-pandemic mortality patterns, relative increase during the Omicron period, and the importance of detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections
Authors: Goldstein Edward
Published: November 2022

Aims

We compared the number of non-COVID-19 deaths between April 2020 and June 2022 to the expected number of deaths based on the patterns observed in the five years prior to the pandemic in France with the aims of (a) estimating the reduction in non-COVID-19 mortality, particularly due to reduction in the circulation of other respiratory viruses during the pandemic; (b) examining the degree to which SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected and characterized as a cause of death during different periods of the pandemic.

Methods

Using a previously developed regression model, we expressed weekly mortality rates in the 5-year period prior to the pandemic as a combination of influenza-associated mortality rates and baseline and a linear trend for the rates of non-influenza mortality. Estimates for the baseline and trend for non-influenza mortality together with estimates of influenza-related mortality prior to the pandemic were used to estimate expected mortality during the pandemic period.

Results

The number of recorded non-COVID-19 deaths between week 15, 2020 and week 26, 2022 in France was less than the expected number of deaths by 49,623 (95% CI (20364,78837)). Additionally, rates of non-COVID-19 mortality increased during the later part of the study period, with the difference between the number of non-COVID-19 deaths and the expected number of deaths during the last 52 weeks of the study period being greater than the corresponding difference for the first 52 weeks of the study period by 28,954 (24979,32918) deaths.

Conclusions

Our results suggest (a) the effectiveness of mitigation measures during the pandemic for reducing the rates of non-COVID-19 mortality, particularly mortality related to circulation of other respiratory viruses, including influenza (that was responsible for an annual average of 15,334 (12593,18077) deaths between 2015-2019 in France); (b) detection of a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections leading to deaths in France, and characterization of those infections as the underlying cause of death. Additionally, while the increase in non-COVID-19 mortality during the later part of the study period is partly related to the temporal increase in the circulation of other respiratory viruses, there was an increase, particularly during the period of the circulation of the Omicron variant, in the proportion of hospitalizations with a SARS-CoV-2 infection in France that were coded as hospitalizations with COVID-19 (rather than COVID-19 hospitalizations), suggesting an increasing proportion of SARS-COV-2-associated deaths not being coded as COVID-19 deaths. All of this suggests the importance of timely detection of infections with SARS-CoV-2, particularly the Omicron variant (for which manifestations of disease complications are different compared to the earlier variants), and of providing the necessary treatment to patients to avoid progression to fatal outcomes.
Expanded Access Programme for the use of tecovirimat for the treatment of monkeypox infection: a study protocol for an Expanded Access Programme
Authors: Bourner Josephine , Mbrenga Festus Redji Devincy , Malaka Christian Noël , Dunning Jake , Rojek Amanda , Fandema Emmanuel , Horby Peter , Boum Yap , Nakouné Emmanuel , Olliaro Piero
Published: November 2022

Background: Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease commonly reported in humans in parts of Central and West Africa. This protocol is for an Expanded Access Programme (EAP) to be implemented in the Central African Republic, where Clade I monkeypox virus diseases is primarily responsible for most monkeypox infections. The objective of the programme is to provide patients with confirmed monkeypox with access to tecovirimat, a novel antiviral targeting orthopoxviruses, and collect data on clinical and virological outcomes of patients to inform future research. Methods: The study will be conducted at participating hospitals in the Central African Republic. All patients who provide informed consent to enrol in the programme will receive tecovirimat. Patients will remain in hospital for the duration of treatment. Data on clinical signs and symptoms will be collected every day while the patient is hospitalised. Blood, throat and lesion samples will be collected at baseline and then on days 4, 8, 14 and 28. Patient outcomes will be assessed on Day 14 – end of treatment – and at Day 28. Adverse event and serious adverse event data will be collected from the point of consent until Day 28. Discussion: This EAP is the first protocolised treatment programme in Clade I MPXV. The data generated under this protocol aims to describe the use of tecovirimat for Clade I disease in a monkeypox endemic region of Central Africa. It is hoped that this data can inform the definition of outcome measures used in future research and contribute to the academic literature around the use of tecovirimat for the treatment of monkeypox. The EAP also aims to bolster research capacity in the region in order for robust randomised controlled trials to take place for monkeypox and other diseases.
POIROT: A powerful test for parent-of-origin effects in unrelated samples leveraging multiple phenotypes
Authors: Head S. Taylor , Leslie Elizabeth J. , Cutler David J. , Epstein Michael P.
Published: November 2022

Motivation

There is widespread interest in identifying genetic variants that exhibit parent-of-origin effects (POEs) wherein the effect of an allele on phenotype expression depends on its parental origin. POEs can arise from different phenomena including genomic imprinting and have been documented for many complex traits. Traditional tests for POEs require family data to determine parental origins of transmitted alleles. As most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) instead sample unrelated individuals (where allelic parental origin is unknown), the study of POEs in such datasets requires sophisticated statistical methods that exploit genetic patterns we anticipate observing when POEs exist. We propose a method to improve discovery of POE variants in large-scale GWAS samples that leverages potential pleiotropy among multiple correlated traits often collected in such studies. Our method compares the phenotypic covariance matrix of heterozygotes to homozygotes based on a Robust Omnibus Test. We refer to our method as the Parent of Origin Inference using Robust Omnibus Test (POIROT) of multiple quantitative traits.

Results

Through simulation studies, we compared POIROT to a competing univariate variance-based method which considers separate analysis of each phenotype. We observed POIROT to be well-calibrated with improved power to detect POEs compared to univariate methods. POIROT is robust to non-normality of phenotypes and can easily adjust for population stratification and other confounders. Finally, we applied POIROT to a GWAS of quantitative anthropometric measures at birth. We identified two loci of suggestive significance for follow-up investigation.
H3K4 di- and trimethylation modulate the stability of RNA polymerase II pausing
Authors: Hu Shibin , Song Aixia , Peng Linna , Tang Nan , Qiao Zhibin , Wang Zhenning , Chen Fei Xavier
Published: November 2022

Modifications of histones are intricately linked with the regulation of gene expression, with demonstrated roles in various physiological processes and disease pathogenesis. Methylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4), implemented by the COMPASS family, is enriched at promoters and associated cis-regulatory elements, with H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) considered a hallmark of active gene promoters. However, the relative roles of deposition and removal of H3K4 methylation, as well as the extent to which these events contribute to transcriptional regulation have so far remained unclear. Here, through rapid depletion of the transcription regulator SPT5 or either of two shared subunits of COMPASS family members, we reveal a dynamic turnover of H3K4me3 mediated by the KDM5 family of histone demethylases. Loss of H3K4me3 following COMPASS disruption does not impair the recruitment of TFIID and initiating RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Instead, H3K4me3 loss leads to reductions in the paused form of Pol II on chromatin while inducing the relative enrichment of the Integrator-PP2A (INTAC) termination complex, leading to reduced levels of elongating polymerases, thus revealing how H3K4me3 dynamics can regulate Pol II pausing to sustain or attenuate transcription.
Reducing the foreign body response on human cochlear implants and their materialsin vivowith photografted zwitterionic hydrogel coatings
Authors: Horne Ryan , Ben-Shlomo Nir , Jensen Megan , Ellerman Morgan , Escudero Caleb , Hua Rong , Bennion Douglas , Guymon C Allan , Hansen Marlan R.
Published: November 2022

The foreign body response to implanted materials often complicates the functionality of sensitive biomedical devices. For cochlear implants, this response can reduce device performance, battery life and preservation of residual acoustic hearing. As a permanent and passive solution to the foreign body response, this work investigates ultra-low-fouling poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCBMA) thin film hydrogels that are simultaneously photo-grafted and photo-polymerized onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The cellular anti-fouling properties of these coatings are robustly maintained even after six-months subcutaneous incubation and over a broad range of cross-linker compositions. On pCBMA-coated PDMS sheets implanted subcutaneously, capsule thickness and inflammation are reduced significantly in comparison to uncoated PDMS or coatings of polymerized poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (pPEGDMA) or poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA). Further, capsule thickness is reduced over a wide range of pCBMA cross-linker compositions. On cochlear implant electrode arrays implanted subcutaneously for one year, the coating bridges over the exposed platinum electrodes and dramatically reduces the capsule thickness over the entire implant. Coated cochlear implant electrode arrays could therefore lead to persistent improved performance and reduced risk of residual hearing loss. More generally, thein vivoanti-fibrotic properties of pCBMA coatings also demonstrate potential to mitigate the fibrotic response on a variety of sensing/stimulating implants.

Graphical Abstract
Time to run: Late rather than early exercise training in mice remodels the gut microbiome and reduces atherosclerosis development
Authors: Schönke Milena , Ying Zhixiong , Kovynev Artemiy , het Panhuis Wietse In , Binnendijk Anne , van der Poel Sabine , Pronk Amanda C.M. , Streefland Trea C.M , Hoekstra Menno , Kooijman Sander , Rensen Patrick C.N.
Published: November 2022

The metabolic and inflammatory processes that are implicated in the development of cardiovascular diseases are under control of the biological clock. While skeletal muscle function exhibits circadian rhythms, it is unclear to what extent the beneficial health effects of exercise are restricted to unique time windows. We aimed to study whether the timing of exercise training differentially modulates the development of atherosclerosis and elucidate underlying mechanisms. We endurance-trained atherosclerosis-prone female APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice fed a Western-type diet, a well-established human-like model for cardiometabolic diseases, for one hour five times a week for four weeks either in their early or in their late active phase on a treadmill. We monitored metabolic parameters, the development of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root and assessed the composition of the gut microbiota. Late, but not early, exercise training reduced fat mass by 19% and the size of early-stage atherosclerotic lesions by as much as 29% compared to sedentary animals. No correlation between cholesterol exposure and lesion size was evident, as no differences in plasma lipid levels were observed, but circulating levels of the pro-inflammatory markers ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were reduced with late exercise. Strikingly, we observed a time-of-day-dependent effect of exercise training on the composition of the gut microbiota as only late training increased the abundance of gut bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids with proposed anti-inflammatory properties. Together, these findings indicate that timing is a critical factor to the beneficial anti-atherosclerotic effects of exercise with a great potential to further optimize training recommendations for patients.
Despite impaired binocular function, binocular disparity integration across the visual field is spared in normal aging and glaucoma
Authors: Maiello Guido , Kwon MiYoung
Published: November 2022

Objective

To examine how binocularly asymmetric glaucomatous visual field damage affects processing of binocular disparity across the visual field.

Design

Case–control study.

Participants and Controls

A sample of 18 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 16 age-matched controls, and 13 young controls.

Methods

Participants underwent standard clinical assessments of binocular visual acuity, binocular contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity, and perimetry. We employed a previously validated psychophysical procedure to measure how sensitivity to binocular disparity varied across spatial frequencies and visual field sectors, i.e. with full-field stimuli spanning the central 21° of the visual field, and with stimuli restricted to annular regions spanning 0°-3°, 3°-9° or 9°-21°.

Main Outcome Measures

We verified the presence of binocularly asymmetric glaucomatous visual field damage by comparing—between the two eyes— the mean deviation values obtained from the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) 24-2 test. To assess the spatial-frequency tuning of disparity sensitivity across the visual field of patients and controls, we fit disparity sensitivity data to log-parabola models and compared fitted model parameters. Lastly, we employed disparity sensitivity measurements from restricted visual field conditions to model different possible scenarios regarding how disparity information is combined across visual field sectors. We adjudicated between the potential mechanisms by comparing model predictions to the observed patterns of disparity sensitivity with full-field stimuli.

Results

The interocular difference in HFA 24-2 mean deviation was greater in glaucoma patients compared to both young and age-matched controls (ps=.01). Across participant groups foveal regions preferentially processed disparities at finer spatial scales, whereas periphery regions were tuned for coarser scales (p<.001). Disparity sensitivity also decreased from the fovea to the periphery (p<.001) and across participant groups (ps<.01). Finally, similar to controls, glaucoma patients exhibited near-optimal disparity integration, specifically at low spatial frequencies (p<.001).

Conclusions

Contrary to the conventional view that glaucoma spares central vision, we find that glaucomatous damage causes a widespread loss of disparity sensitivity across both foveal and peripheral regions. Despite these losses, cortical integration mechanisms appear to be well preserved, suggesting that glaucoma patients make the best possible use of their remaining binocular function.
A performance evaluation of neural network features and functions settings on the model accuracy
Authors: Bozděch Michal
Published: November 2022

Not only in sports is a neural network the most used type of artificial intelligence. With software development, anyone can create a neural network model, but little is known about how to prepare the data and how to set up the model algorithms to their maximum performance. For these reasons, this study aims to determine whether features or function settings have a greater effect on model accuracy. An initial feature dataset (n= 18882) was obtained from publicly available sources. Each of the six different feature settings consisted of 96 models. A total of 384 models were created, in which their testing accuracy and the percentage difference between the training and testing phases were further analyzed. No statistically significant differences were found between the accuracy of the function’s settings, but statistically significant differences were confirmed between the feature settings. The study found that feature settings, especially the reduction of the number of outputs, are a more important factor in increasing the model accuracy, than function settings. Although the literature focuses more on the function setting and sets feature setting is taken rather as a type of how to improve the model.