bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines Over Time Prior to Omicron Emergence in Ontario, Canada: Test-Negative Design Study
Authors: Chung Hannah , Austin Peter C , Brown Kevin A , Buchan Sarah A , Fell Deshayne B , Fong Cindy , Gubbay Jonathan B , Nasreen Sharifa , Schwartz Kevin L , Sundaram Maria E , Tadrous Mina , Wilson Kumanan , Wilson Sarah E , Kwong Jeffrey C
Published: September 2022

Background

Waning protection from 2 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines led to third dose availability in multiple countries even before the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Methods

We used the test-negative study design to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) against any severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, any symptomatic infection, and severe outcomes (COVID-19-related hospitalizations or death) by time since second dose of any combination of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 between January 11, and November 21, 2021, for subgroups based on patient and vaccine characteristics.

Results

We included 261 360 test-positive cases (of any SARS-CoV-2 lineage) and 2 783 699 individuals as test-negative controls. VE of 2 mRNA vaccine doses decreased from 90% (95% CI, 90%–90%) 7–59 days after the second dose to 75% (95% CI, 72%–78%) after ≥240 days against infection, decreased from 94% (95% CI, 84%–95%) to 87% (95% CI, 85%–89%) against symptomatic infection, and remained stable (98% [95% CI, 97%–98%] to 98% [95% CI, 96%–99%]) against severe outcomes. Similar trends were seen with heterologous ChAdOx1 and mRNA vaccine schedules. VE estimates for dosing intervals <35 days were lower than for longer intervals (eg, VE of 2 mRNA vaccines against symptomatic infection at 120–179 days was 86% [95% CI, 85%–88%] for dosing intervals <35 days, 92% [95% CI, 91%–93%] for 35–55 days, and 91% [95% CI, 90%–92%] for ≥56 days), but when stratified by age group and subperiod, there were no differences between dosing intervals.

Conclusions

Before the emergence of Omicron, VE of any 2-dose primary series, including heterologous schedules and varying dosing intervals, decreased over time against any infection and symptomatic infection but remained high against severe outcomes.
Real-World Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Success Rates in Tissue and Liquid Prostate Carcinoma Specimens
Authors: Hiemenz Matthew C , Graf Ryon P , Schiavone Kelsie , Harries Lukas , Oxnard Geoffrey R , Ross Jeffrey S , Huang Richard S P
Published: September 2022

Challenges with sequencing tissue samples from patients with prostate cancer have been reported in clinical trials. To assess the success rate of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for prostate cancer patients, we analyzed a real-world cohort who underwent sequencing of their prostate tissue sample as well as a subset of patients with a reflex liquid biopsy. Overall, a significant majority (82%) of tissue prostate carcinoma samples yielded reportable CGP results. Of those samples that were unsuccessful, most (75%) were inadequate samples that did not meet pre-established criteria to advance into sequencing. For cases where liquid CGP was performed if tissue CGP was unsuccessful, mutations that were likely attributable to prostate carcinoma were observed in most cases and all cases were successful in generating a report. These results suggest that, for CGP testing, prostate cancer tissue is a reasonable matrix type and that liquid samples can be effectively used as an alternative to tissue.
Ezekiel’s Tangible Ethics
Authors: Carvalho Corrine
Published: September 2022

While previous scholarship has focused on the moral principles that underlie the book of Ezekiel’s ethical worldview, fewer have noted the tangible metaphors the book uses to represent that moral order. Metaphors that elicit awe or revulsion are part of the rhetorical toolbox of the author. Embodied consequences represent the experience of the colonized subject that the actions of both the agents of moral disruption and the passive victims of the decisions of the elites have horribly tangible consequences. The book of Ezekiel uses the tangible worldview of the priestly tradition, where evil is represented by defilement, impurity, and separation, and extends this message of physical consequences into all elements of both failure and fantasy.
Correlated retrograde and developmental regulons implicate multiple retrograde signals as coordinators of chloroplast development in maize
Authors: Kendrick Rennie , Chotewutmontri Prakitchai , Belcher Susan , Barkan Alice
Published: September 2022

Signals emanating from chloroplasts influence nuclear gene expression, but roles of retrograde signals during chloroplast development are unclear. To address this gap, we analyzed transcriptomes of non-photosynthetic maize mutants and compared them to transcriptomes of stages of normal leaf development. The transcriptomes of two albino mutants lacking plastid ribosomes resembled transcriptomes at very early stages of normal leaf development, whereas the transcriptomes of two chlorotic mutants with thylakoid targeting or plastid transcription defects resembled those at a slightly later stage. We identified ∼2,700 differentially expressed genes, which fall into six major categories based on the polarity and mutant-specificity of the change. Downregulated genes were generally expressed late in normal development and were enriched in photosynthesis genes, whereas upregulated genes act early and were enriched for functions in chloroplast biogenesis and cytosolic translation. We showed further that target-of-rapamycin (TOR) signaling was elevated in mutants lacking plastid ribosomes and declined in concert with plastid ribosome buildup during normal leaf development. Our results implicate three plastid signals as coordinators of photosynthetic differentiation. One signal requires plastid ribosomes and activates photosynthesis genes. A second signal reflects attainment of chloroplast maturity and represses chloroplast biogenesis genes. A third signal, the consumption of nutrients by developing chloroplasts, represses TOR, promoting termination of cell proliferation during leaf development.
Intake and service staff: practices and challenges of a pivotal yet underexplored police occupation
Authors: van Steden Ronald , Anholt Rosanne , Boelens Mauro
Published: September 2022

This paper puts the spotlight on what is known within the Dutch police as ‘intake and service staff’ who are responsible for collecting, handling and filing crime reports from citizens. Comparable occupations are, for example, ‘front counter staff’, ‘call-takers’ and ‘police dispatchers’ in the Anglo-Saxon world. Many of the intake and service staff are women employed in part-time jobs. They hold the lowest rank in the force, have received only basic training and represent an underexplored police occupation. Scholarly publications that address the intake and service aspect of police work are scarce. However, intake and service staff are of utmost importance for ensuring satisfactory police–citizen contact and building public trust and legitimacy. We report on empirical research into the everyday practices and challenges of intake and service staff carried out in Rotterdam, with the aim of describing their work and formulating suggestions for improvement and for future research.
Opioid Agonist to Buprenorphine Cross-titration During Pregnancy: A Case Report
Authors: Pilkington David S. , Komatsu Ryu , Peperzak Katherin A.
Published: September 2022

Background

We present a case report of a first-trimester pregnant individual with chronic pain on chronic opioid therapy who successfully cross-titrated from full-μ agonist opioid to buprenorphine without causing significant withdrawal symptoms.

Case Presentation

A 37-year-old gravida 1, para 0 woman with chronic pain on opioid therapy successfully completed a 6-week cross-titration from 120 morphine equivalent dose to buprenorphine in her first trimester without affecting pain scores, functional capacity, withdrawal symptoms except for mild nausea and insomnia, or adverse perinatal outcomes. After increasing her buprenorphine in the second trimester, at 38 weeks, she bore a healthy neonate without eliciting signs of neonatal abstinence syndrome while on a stable buprenorphine dose.

Conclusions

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society of Addiction Medicine agree that pregnant patients with chronic pain should avoid or minimize opioids. For patients on chronic opioid therapy unable to minimize opioid use during pregnancy, it is unclear whether to continue their chronic opioid therapy or transition to other medications, including buprenorphine. This case demonstrated how one pregnant person with chronic pain on opioid therapy but not meeting diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorder safely transitioned from full-μ agonist opioids to buprenorphine without precipitating withdrawal or adverse perinatal outcomes. Cross-titration could be similarly performed for a pregnant patient with untreated opioid use disorder. In addition, the used cross-titration schedule and the rationale are provided.
Gabapentin Use During Pregnancy and Lactation With and Without Concurrent Opioid Exposure: Considerations and Future Directions
Authors: DeLisle Alexa , Jones Hendrée E. , Jansson Lauren M.
Published: September 2022

Gabapentin is a γ-aminobutyric acid analog formally indicated for the treatment of epilepsy and neuropathic pain that is gaining increased popularity. Gabapentin has been historically considered a safe medication, including during pregnancy and lactation, with low reported concerns for misuse and use disorders. However, new empirical efforts are revealing concerns regarding the safety of widespread gabapentin use, particularly in pregnancy and for individuals with a propensity toward substance misuse. The Food and Drug Administration’s full prescribing information report on gabapentin provides concerning preclinical data and then states that gabapentin is potentially “developmentally toxic” and has an unknown risk of birth impacts. Concerns have also been raised surrounding in utero exposure to gabapentin due to the onset and presentation of atypical and/or difficult to control withdrawal signs and symptoms in neonates, including those dually exposed to opioids, as well as neonatal exposure to gabapentin via breastmilk. Moreover, nonprescribed gabapentin use has become an increasing problem, with opioid use disorder being the greatest risk factor for such misuse. This article summarizes the current literature regarding gabapentin use during pregnancy and related prenatal and neonatal exposure outcomes with special consideration for interactions between gabapentin and opioid use. Taken together, the current literature suggests that gabapentin use should be considered with caution during pregnancy and during the post-partum period. Well-controlled, prospective research studies are needed to determine the extent of the risks and benefits of prescribed and nonprescribed gabapentin exposure to pregnant people and their neonates.
Perioperative Mortality in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review of Risk Assessment Tools for Use in the Preoperative Setting
Authors: Tangel Virginia E. , Krul Stephan D. , Stolker Robert Jan , Bramer Wichor M. , de Graaff Jurgen C. , Hoeks Sanne E.
Published: September 2022

Background

There are multiple preoperative risk scores for pediatric mortality. The aim of this study was to systematically describe and compare the existing studies of patient-specific multispecialty risk prediction scores for perioperative mortality in pediatric populations, with the goal of guiding clinicians on which may be most appropriate for use in the preoperative setting.

Methods

This study is a systematic literature review of published journal articles that presented the development, extension/updating, and/or validation of a risk core that predicted all-cause mortality (up to 30 days postoperatively) in pediatric patients undergoing a procedure in which anesthesia was used. Scores needed to be applicable to surgeries in more than one noncardiac surgical specialty and had to be able to be calculated by the anesthesiologist at the time of the preanesthetic assessment. Two investigators independently screened studies for inclusion and assessed study quality in the domains of clinical applicability, feasibility/ease of use in the clinical setting, and risk of bias.

Results

A total of 1,681 titles were retrieved. Of these, 10 studies met inclusion criteria: 9 reported the development and validation of scores, and 1 was an external validation of an existing score. Seven studies used varying years of multicenter data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program–Pediatric Participant Use File for development and/or validation. The unadjusted rate of mortality in the studies ranged from 0.3 to 3.6%. The preoperative predictors of mortality used in score development included patient demographics, preoperative therapies, and chronic conditions, among others. All models showed good discrimination upon validation (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve greater than 0.8). Most risk scores had high or unclear risks of bias.

Conclusions

There are numerous scores available for the prediction of mortality in pediatric populations, all of which exhibited good performance. However, many have high or unclear risks of bias, and most have not undergone external validation.

Editor’s Perspective

What We Already Know about This Topic

What This Article Tells Us That Is New
Leading the Charge: Effectiveness of a Workshop to Enhance Faculty Education of Health Inequity
Authors: Cohen David A. , Olveczky Daniele D. , Tibbles Carrie , Hall Matthew M. , Crocker Jonathan T.
Published: September 2022

Introduction:

Medical educators in residency programs have unique opportunities to teach health inequities, social determinants of health (SDOH), and implicit bias. However, faculty are not adequately trained to effectively teach these topics. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of a faculty-level workshop to teach health inequity.

Methods:

An interactive workshop was designed by an interprofessional faculty from a major urban teaching hospital, addressing SDOH, implicit bias, an “Enhanced Social History,” and the benefits of interprofessional care. Before and after completion, workshop participants completed surveys regarding comfort in teaching these concepts. Survey results were analyzed to assess benefits of the intervention.

Results:

Sixty-four percent of participants completed preworkshop and postworkshop surveys. Participants reported increased contemplation and improved comfort in teaching SDOH, barriers to medical care, and implicit bias.

Conclusion:

Faculty comfort in teaching health inequity increased after this workshop. This may help bridge the gap between the expectation of clinical faculty to evaluate trainee practice of patient-centered, culturally competent care, and faculty possession of and confidence in health inequity teaching skills in clinical settings. Future research should focus on learner- and patient-based outcomes, including teaching time and impact on delivery of care.
Utilization and quality assessment of digestive endoscopy in China: results from 5-year consecutive nationwide surveys
Authors: Xin Lei , Gao Ye , Cheng Zhiyuan , Wang Tianjiao , Lin Han , Pang Yanan , Sun Chang , Fu Zengjun , Li Zhaoshen , Ma Xudong , Wang Luowei
Published: September 2022

Background:

Worldwide, the volume and availability of digestive endoscopy have undergone dramatic development in recent years, with increasing attention on quality assurance. We investigated the utilization and quality of digestive endoscopy in China from 2015 to 2019 and developed a quantitative quality evaluation tool for medical institutions.

Methods:

We invited all tertiary/secondary hospitals in Chinese mainland to participate in the survey annually. The questionnaires included the personnel, annual volume, and quality indicators of endoscopy. An endoscopy quality index (EQI) was developed based on recorded quality indicators using principal component analysis to determine the relative weight.

Results:

From 2015 to 2019, 806, 1412, 2644, 2468, and 2541 hospitals were respectively enrolled in this study. The average annual volume of endoscopy increased from 12,445 to 16,206 (1.30-fold) and from 2938 to 4255 (1.45-fold) in tertiary and secondary hospitals, respectively. The most obvious growth was observed in diagnostic colonoscopy (1.44-fold for all hospitals after standardization). The proportion of early cancer among all esophageal and gastric cancers during diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy increased from 12.3% (55,210/448,861) to 17.7% (85,429/482,647) and from 11.4% (69,411/608,866) to 16.9% (107,192/634,235), respectively. The adenoma detection rate of diagnostic colonoscopy increased from 14.9% (2,118,123/14,215,592) to 19.3% (3,943,203/20,431,104). The EQI model included 12 quality indicators, incorporating 64.9% (7.792/12) of the total variance into one comprehensive index. According to the EQI measurements, the quality of endoscopy was higher in tertiary hospitals and hospitals in developed areas with higher volume or more endoscopists than that in other hospitals.

Conclusions:

Digestive endoscopy in China has developed considerably in recent years in terms of both volume and quality. The EQI is a promising tool to quantify the quality of endoscopy at different hospitals.
LincRNA RMRP Regulates Phenylephrine-induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Means of Targeting miR-1
Authors: Chen Jing , Li Jia , Wang Xuyan , Zeng Zhu , Zhang Huifang , Zou Zongyi , Huang Nina , Sun Xiaohua
Published: September 2022

Cardiac hypertrophy is a feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which could lead to heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (CH) is the primary characteristic of cardiac hypertrophy. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA, lincRNA) plays an important role in CH. In this study, the expression of linc-RMRP and its correlation with cardiac hypertrophy were analyzed in cardiac tissues of patients with HCM. Real-time qPCR and western blotting measured the expressions of lincf-RMRP, miR-1, and hypertrophic marker genes. RNA pulldown and luciferase reporter gene assays were performed to validate the combination between linc-RMRP and miR-1. We confirmed that Linc-RMRP was upregulated in both cardiac hypertrophy tissues and phenylephrine (PE)-induced CH cells, and the cells presented hypertrophic features, enlarged cell surface area and volume, elevated total protein contents, and increased expressions of ANP, BNP, β-MHC, and activated p70S6K and 4EBP1. Bioinformatic analysis found that linc-RMRP directly bonds to miR-1. RNA pulldown, mutation, and luciferase reporter gene assays verified this combination. Silencing linc-RMRP significantly attenuated hypertrophic responses induced by PE while the expression of miR-1 was released. However, the transfection of miR-1 inhibitor reversed the effects of linc-RMRP knockdown exerted on PE-treated cardiomyocytes. In summary, our study identified the modulatory role linc-RMRP played in regulating PE-induced CH by means of binding miR-1, and this might provide a new target for cardiac hypertrophy therapy.
Seeking Good Work in the COVID-19 Recovery
Authors: Griffiths Melda Lois , Gray Benjamin J. , Kyle Richard G. , Davies Alisha R.
Published: September 2022

Objective

Disruption to working lives spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic may shape people’s preferences for future employment. We aimed to identify the components of work prioritized by a UK sample and the employment changes they had considered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A nationally representative longitudinal household survey was conducted in Wales at two time points between 2020 and 2021.

Results

Those in poorer health prioritized flexibility and were more likely to consider retiring. Those with limiting preexisting conditions or low mental well-being were more likely to consider becoming self-employed. Those experiencing financial insecurity (including those with high wage precarity or those furloughed) were more likely to consider retraining, becoming self-employed, or securing permanent employment.

Conclusions

Ensuring flexible, secure, and autonomous work is accessible for individuals facing greater employment-related insecurity may be key.
Community Perspective on Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Borowitz Drucy , Brooks Joan Finnegan , Aliaj Enid , Gallotto Danielle
Published: September 2022

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency must take pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to prevent malnutrition and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Finding better ways to manage GI complaints is a high priority for the CF community. We fielded a survey to assess the perspective of people affected by CF regarding symptoms attributed to and challenges associated with current PERT, to identify factors that affect participation in PERT studies, and to understand attitudes toward an outcome measure that could be an alternative to the coefficient of fat absorption test. Persistent GI symptoms are commonly ascribed to PERT. Minimizing time commitment and maximizing patient safety were factors affecting participation in research. We demonstrate 4 generalizable ways to incorporate patient experience early in the research process to aid in development of new medications and help improve study enrollment.
Molecular Analysis of HPV-independent Primary Endometrial Squamous Cell Carcinoma Reveals TP53 and CDKN2A Comutations
Authors: Hopkins Mark R. , Palsgrove Doreen N. , Ronnett Brigitte M. , Vang Russell , Lin Jeffrey , Murdock Tricia A.
Published: September 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-independent primary endometrial squamous cell carcinoma (PESCC) is a rare but aggressive subtype of endometrial carcinoma for which little is known about the genomic characteristics. Traditional criteria have restricted the diagnosis of PESCC to cases without any cervical involvement. However, given that modern ancillary techniques can detect HPV and characteristic genetic alterations that should identify the more common mimics in the differential diagnosis, including endometrial endometrioid carcinoma with extensive squamous differentiation and HPV-associated primary cervical squamous cell carcinoma, those criteria may benefit from revision. To further characterize PESCC, we identified 5 cases of pure squamous cell carcinoma dominantly involving the endometrium that had the potential to be PESCC: 1 case involving only the endometrium and 4 cases with some involvement of the cervix. Clinicopathologic features were assessed and immunohistochemical analysis (p16, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and p53), HPV RNA in situ hybridization (high-risk and low-risk cocktails and targeted probes for 16 and 18), and molecular studies were performed. All tumors showed aberrant/mutation-type p53 expression, were negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and p16, and had no detectable HPV. Per whole-exome sequencing, 4 of the 5 tumors demonstrated comutations in TP53 and CDKN2A (p16). Four patients died of disease within 20 months (range, 1 to 20 mo; mean, 9 mo), and 1 patient had no evidence of disease at 38 months. PESCC represents a unique, clinically aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer with TP53 and CDKN2A comutations. This characteristic profile, which is similar to HPV-independent squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, is distinct from endometrioid carcinoma with extensive squamous differentiation and HPV-associated primary cervical squamous cell carcinoma and can be used to distinguish PESCC from those mimics even when cervical involvement is present. Diagnostic criteria for PESCC should be relaxed to allow for cervical involvement when other pathologic features are consistent with, and ancillary techniques are supportive of classification as such.
Targeted Private Well Outreach Following a Change in Drinking Water Standard: Arsenic and the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act
Authors: O'Neill Heidi S. , Flanagan Sara V. , Gleason Jessie A. , Spayd Steven E. , Schwartz Rebecca I. , Procopio Nicholas A.
Published: September 2022

Context:

When the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act (PWTA) became effective in 2002, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic in the United States was 50 μg/L. In 2006, the federal and New Jersey MCLs were lowered to 10 μg/L and 5 μg/L, respectively.

Objective:

To notify and provide free arsenic water testing for homeowners who had a PWTA arsenic result that passed for the MCL in 2006 or earlier but would exceed under the more health protective MCL enacted in 2006, which is still in effect as of this publication date.

Design:

About 1200 homeowners with PWTA arsenic results between 5 μg/L and 50 μg/L were offered free arsenic water testing. More than 400 homeowners requested tests and 292 returned samples.

Setting:

New Jersey, United States.

Participants:

Homeowners with a passing PWTA arsenic result before 2006 that would have failed under the New Jersey arsenic MCL enacted in 2006.

Main Outcome Measures:

Return rate of testing kits; number of tests exceeding arsenic MCL; and participant survey results.

Results:

Untreated well water samples (n = 279) were collected and 62.4% exceeded the New Jersey MCL. Treated well water samples (n = 102) were collected and 11.8% exceeded the current New Jersey MCL. In all, about 40% of drinking water samples from the tap, including those with or with no arsenic treatment, exceeded the New Jersey MCL. A survey of participants (n = 69) found that although many (67%) respondents reported that they at least had some idea that wells in their area are vulnerable to naturally occurring contaminants, such as arsenic, many (68%) reported that they had little or no idea that the New Jersey arsenic MCL had been lowered from 50 μg/L to 5 μg/L in 2006.

Conclusions:

This effort further illuminates the necessity and significance of public health outreach for private well water users, especially after drinking water standards change.
“I Have to Ask”: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Within the San Francisco County COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Program
Authors: Gutierrez-Mock Luis , Burgess Hailey , Pardo Seth , Persson Maceo , Gagliano Jayne , Ho Y. Xian , Reid Michael J. A.
Published: September 2022

Objective:

To understand how the San Francisco (SF) COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) workforce documented sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, as well as a qualitative assessment of the workforce's capacity to successfully collect that data.

Methods:

This mixed-methods project analyzed data from 2 sources: SOGI item completeness among adult completed/partially completed interviews in the SF digital CICT COVID-19 database, and a secondary data analysis of qualitative data from 16 semistructured 90-minute virtual interviews with the SF CICT workforce, between November 14, 2020, and April 14, 2021.

Results:

Among 15 416 COVID-19 cases and 7836 close contacts, sexual orientation data are missing from 20% of cases and 17% of contacts. The proportion of transgender/nonbinary individuals was 0.32% and 0.5%, respectively. The SF CICTs participants discussed challenges in collecting SOGI data, not understanding SOGI measure rationale, and feeling uncomfortable asking the questions.

Conclusion:

Qualitative interviews with the COVID-19 CICT workforce and quantitative data on SOGI parameters in COVID-19 surveillance suggest that these data may have been underreported. Our results strongly suggest that comprehensive training is crucial in the collection of SOGI data among COVID-19 cases and their close contacts. If SOGI data are not collected accurately, the true impact of COVID-19 among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations remains unknown, preventing data-driven allocation of COVID-19 funds to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.
Factors Influencing the Results of COVID-19 Case Outreach—Results From a California Case Investigation/Contact Tracing Program
Authors: Barnes-Josiah Debora , Kundeti Hemanth , Cramer Daniel
Published: September 2022

Context:

Considerable research has examined impacts of case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) programs on the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, but there are few reports on factors affecting the ability of these programs to obtain interviews and acquire key information.

Objective:

To investigate programmatic and case-specific factors associated with CI outcomes using data from the Public Health Institute's Tracing Health CI/CT program. Analyses were designed to detect variability in predictors of whether interviews and key information were obtained rather than quantify specific relationships.

Design:

Logistic regression models examined variability in the predictive value of interview timeliness and respondent characteristics on outreach outcomes and interview results.

Setting and Participants:

Participants were members of a large California health care network with a positive laboratory test for COVID-19 and outreach from January 1 to July 31, 2021.

Main Outcome Measures:

The primary outcome was the result of outreach attempts: completed interview, refused interview, or failure to reach the infected person. Secondary outcomes considered whether respondents provided information on symptom onset, employment, and contact information or a reason for declining to provide information, and whether resource support was requested or accepted.

Results:

Of 9391 eligible records, 65.6% were for completed interviews, 6.0% were refusals, and 28.3% were failed outreach. One-third of respondents (36.7%) provided information on contacts (mean = 0.97 contacts per respondent, 2.6 for those naming at least 1). Privacy concerns were the most common reasons for not providing contact information. Among respondent characteristics and interview timeliness, only race and number of symptoms showed statistically significant effects in all adjusted analyses.

Conclusions:

Significant variation existed in outreach outcomes by subject characteristics and interview timeliness. CI/CT programs carefully focused to characteristics and needs of specific communities will likely have the greatest impact on the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.
High Uptake and Series Completion of COVID-19 Vaccine at Community-Based Vaccination for Latinos With Limited English Proficiency
Authors: Bigelow Benjamin F. , Saxton Ronald E. , Martínez Diego A. , Flores-Miller Alejandra , Shin Jong M. , Parent Cassandra , Williams Samantha , Phillips Katherine Hartman , Yang Cui , Page Kathleen Raquel
Published: September 2022

Background:

Despite the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latinos, there were disparities in vaccination, especially during the early phase of COVID-19 immunization rollout.

Methods:

Leveraging a community-academic partnership established to expand access to SARS-CoV2 testing, we implemented community vaccination clinics with multifaceted outreach strategies and flexible appointments for limited English proficiency Latinos.

Results:

Between February 26 and May 7 2021, 2250 individuals received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination during 18 free community events. Among them, 92.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.2%-93.4%) self-identified as Hispanic, 88.7% (95% CI, 87.2%-89.9%) were limited English proficiency Spanish speakers, 23.1% (95% CI, 20.9%-25.2%) reported prior COVID-19 infection, 19.4% (95% CI, 16.9%-22.25%) had a body mass index of more than 35, 35.0% (95% CI, 32.2%-37.8%) had cardiovascular disease, and 21.6% (95% CI, 19.2%-24.0%) had diabetes. The timely second-dose completion rate was high (98.7%; 95% CI, 97.6%-99.2%) and did not vary by outreach method.

Conclusion:

A free community-based vaccination initiative expanded access for Latinos with limited English proficiency at high risk for COVID-19 during the early phase of the immunization program in the US.
Deep Learning-Based Automatic Detection and Grading of Motion-Related Artifacts on Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Liver MRI
Authors: Park Taeyong , Kim Dong Wook , Choi Sang Hyun , Khang Seungwoo , Huh Jimi , Hong Seung Baek , Lee Tae Young , Ko Yousun , Kim Kyung Won , Lee Seung Soo
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a deep learning-based algorithm (DLA) for automatic detection and grading of motion-related artifacts on arterial phase liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and Methods

Multistep DLA for detection and grading of motion-related artifacts, based on the modified ResNet-101 and U-net, were trained using 336 arterial phase images of gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI examinations obtained in 2017 (training dataset; mean age, 68.6 years [range, 18–95]; 254 men). Motion-related artifacts were evaluated in 4 different MRI slices using a 3-tier grading system. In the validation dataset, 313 images from the same institution obtained in 2018 (internal validation dataset; mean age, 67.2 years [range, 21–87]; 228 men) and 329 from 3 different institutions (external validation dataset; mean age, 64.0 years [range, 23–90]; 214 men) were included, and the per-slice and per-examination performances for the detection of motion-related artifacts were evaluated.

Results

The per-slice sensitivity and specificity of the DLA for detecting grade 3 motion-related artifacts were 91.5% (97/106) and 96.8% (1134/1172) in the internal validation dataset and 93.3% (265/284) and 91.6% (948/1035) in the external validation dataset. The per-examination sensitivity and specificity were 92.0% (23/25) and 99.7% (287/288) in the internal validation dataset and 90.0% (72/80) and 96.0% (239/249) in the external validation dataset, respectively. The processing time of the DLA for automatic grading of motion-related artifacts was from 4.11 to 4.22 seconds per MRI examination.

Conclusions

The DLA enabled automatic and instant detection and grading of motion-related artifacts on arterial phase gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI.
Guillain-Barré syndrome in an era of global infections and 21st century vaccination
Authors: Lunn Michael P.
Published: September 2022

Purpose of review

Guillain-Barre syndrome is sometimes a severe and disabling postinfectious neuromuscular paralysis that is causally associated with a number of well defined infections, and occasionally with immunization. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2) pandemic and the worldwide immunization programme provoked fears of an epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related disease. As we emerge from the pandemic this review summarises some of the huge volume of publications about Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), COVID-19 and immunisation against it.

Recent findings

In the early months of COVID-19, there were concerns of significant numbers of cases of GBS resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Large epidemiological studies have provided reassurance that the association of GBS with COVID-19 is small or absent. Despite considerable efforts, plausible pathogenic mechanisms aligned with our understanding of GBS causation have not been identified. Reliable data from national surveillance of COVID-19 vaccinations have shown GBS to occur at about 5.8 cases per million first doses of adenovirus vectored COVID-19 vaccines, otherwise not distinguishable from incident naturally occurring cases. However, this risk is far outweighed by the protective benefits of vaccination in the at-risk older deciles of age.

With no obvious link of GBS to COVID-19 epitopes, in particular the spike (S-)protein, but a clearly demonstrable causation in some susceptible individuals from the global rollout of novel adenovirus vectored vaccine technologies, adenoviruses are of significant interest in the pathogenesis of GBS as well as vectors in their many expanding pharmaceutical applications.
Inclusion body myositis: evolving concepts
Authors: Perez-Rosendahl Mari , Mozaffar Tahseen
Published: September 2022

Purpose of review

To discuss recent developments in our understanding of epidemiology, diagnostics, biomarkers, pathology, pathogenesis, outcome measures, and therapeutics in inclusion body myositis (IBM).

Recent findings

Recent epidemiology data confirms a relatively higher prevalence in the population aged above 50 years and the reduced life expectancy. Association with cancer and other systemic disorders is better defined. The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound in diagnosis as well as in following disease progression has been elucidated. There are new blood and imaging biomarkers that show tremendous promise for diagnosis and as outcome measures in therapeutic trials. Improved understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease will lead to better therapeutic interventions, but also highlights the importance to have sensitive and responsive outcome measures that accurately quantitate change.

There are exciting new developments in our understanding of IBM which should lead to improved management and therapeutic options.
David Maurice Brink. 20 July 1930—8 March 2021
Authors: Sukumar C. V. , Bonaccorso A.
Published: September 2022

David Brink was one of the leading theoretical nuclear physicists of his generation. He made major contributions to the study of all aspects of nuclear physics, embracing nuclear structure, nuclear scattering and nuclear instability. His wide-ranging interests and interactions with theorists and experimentalists alike helped him in providing theoretical analysis and interpretations and suggesting experiments. He had the gift of visualizing complex problems in simple terms and provided clear analysis of the underlying processes. He was an expert on the use of semi-classical methods that provided an intuitively clear picture of complex phenomena. His research work and books are characterized by scientific clarity, transparency and depth. David possessed outstanding skills in mathematical computation, and he was an expert on special functions, group theory and the Feynman path integral method. David had many research students and collaborated with a large number of scientists from across the world, for whom he was a source of scientific and human inspiration and admiration. His most fundamental belief was that research was a means of trying to discover and understand the beauties of nature and explain them in simple terms to others. His absolute belief in the value of truth and his unselfish and generous attitude in sharing knowledge makes him an outstanding figure in contemporary nuclear physics.
Levers of change: using mathematical models to compare gender equity interventions in universities
Authors: James Alex , Brower Ann
Published: September 2022

Women are under-represented in academic staff in universities worldwide. Our work builds on other studies of ‘demographic inertia'. We find that time will not bridge the gender representation gap in academia, and echo others in saying bold actions are required to reach parity. Our work then uses New Zealand's unique system of scoring individual research performance to test empirically which levers universities should pull, and in which combinations. We combine individual research performance scores with 20 years of data from one university to parametrize a rank-structured mathematical model using Leslie matrices. Our model compares three key levers of change at universities' disposal—hiring, promotion and attrition. We apply the model to a bifurcated population of university staff—those with high research activity, and those who are moderately active—based on their national research quality score. We then test levers in various combinations that management could pull to improve gender representation. We find that the solutions are different for the high versus moderate research performers. For individuals with high research activity, universities should concentrate on equitable hiring practices. For those with more moderate research activity, more equitable promotion practices hold the key.
Differential reproductive plasticity under thermal variability in a freshwater fish (
Danio rerio
)
Authors: Massey Melanie D. , Fredericks M. Kate , Malloy David , Arif Suchinta , Hutchings Jeffrey A.
Published: September 2022

Human-driven increases in global mean temperatures are associated with concomitant increases in thermal variability. Yet, few studies have explored the impacts of thermal variability on fitness-related traits, limiting our ability to predict how organisms will respond to dynamic thermal changes. Among the myriad organismal responses to thermal variability, one of the most proximate to fitness—and, thus, a population's ability to persist—is reproduction. Here, we examine how a model freshwater fish (
Danio rerio
) responds to diel thermal fluctuations that span the species's viable developmental range of temperatures. We specifically investigate reproductive performance metrics including spawning success, fecundity, egg provisioning and sperm concentration. Notably, we apply thermal variability treatments during two ontogenetic timepoints to disentangle the relative effects of developmental plasticity and reversible acclimation. We found evidence of direct, negative effects of thermal variability during later ontogenetic stages on reproductive performance metrics. We also found complex interactive effects of early and late-life exposure to thermal variability, with evidence of beneficial acclimation of spawning success and modification of the relationship between fecundity and egg provisioning. Our findings illuminate the plastic life-history modifications that fish may undergo as their thermal environments become increasingly variable.
Ecological determinants of rabies virus dynamics in vampire bats and spillover to livestock
Authors: Meza Diana K. , Mollentze Nardus , Broos Alice , Tello Carlos , Valderrama William , Recuenco Sergio , Carrera Jorge E. , Shiva Carlos , Falcon Nestor , Viana Mafalda , Streicker Daniel G.
Published: September 2022

The pathogen transmission dynamics in bat reservoirs underpin efforts to reduce risks to human health and enhance bat conservation, but are notoriously challenging to resolve. For vampire bat rabies, the geographical scale of enzootic cycles, whether environmental factors modulate baseline risk, and how within-host processes affect population-level dynamics remain unresolved. We studied patterns of rabies exposure using an 11-year, spatially replicated sero-survey of 3709 Peruvian vampire bats and co-occurring outbreaks in livestock. Seroprevalence was correlated among nearby sites but fluctuated asynchronously at larger distances. A generalized additive mixed model confirmed spatially compartmentalized transmission cycles, but no effects of bat demography or environmental context on seroprevalence. Among 427 recaptured bats, we observed long-term survival following rabies exposure and antibody waning, supporting hypotheses that immunological mechanisms influence viral maintenance. Finally, seroprevalence in bats was only weakly correlated with outbreaks in livestock, reinforcing the challenge of spillover prediction even with extensive data. Together our results suggest that rabies maintenance requires transmission among multiple, nearby bat colonies which may be facilitated by waning of protective immunity. However, the likelihood of incursions and dynamics of transmission within bat colonies appear largely independent of bat ecology. The implications of these results for spillover anticipation and controlling transmission at the source are discussed.
Stressors interact across generations to influence offspring telomeres and survival
Authors: Young Rebecca C. , Westneat David F. , Vangorder-Braid Jennifer , Sirman Aubrey E. , Siller Stefanie J. , Kittilson Jeffrey , Ghimire Anuj , Heidinger Britt J.
Published: September 2022

Parental stress often has long-term consequences for offspring. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and how they are shaped by conditions offspring subsequently experience are poorly understood. Telomeres, which often shorten in response to stress and predict longevity, may contribute to, and/or reflect these cross-generational effects. Traditionally, parental stress is expected to have negative effects on offspring telomeres, but experimental studies in captive animals suggest that these effects may depend on the subsequent conditions that offspring experience. Yet, the degree to which parental stress influences and interacts with stress experienced by offspring to affect offspring telomeres and survival in free-living organisms is unknown. To assess this, we experimentally manipulated the stress exposure of free-living parent and offspring house sparrows (
Passer domesticus
). We found a weak, initial, negative effect of parental stress on offspring telomeres, but this effect was no longer evident at the end of post-natal development. Instead, the effects of parental stress depended on the natural sources of stress that offspring experienced during post-natal development whereby some outcomes were improved under more stressful rearing conditions. Thus, the effects of parental stress on offspring telomeres and survival are context-dependent and may involve compensatory mechanisms of potential benefit under some circumstances.
A multi-population-based genomic analysis uncovers unique haplotype variants and crucial mutant genes in SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Sheikh Afzal , Huang He , Parvin Sultana , Badruzzaman Mohammad , Ahmed Tofayel , Hossain Ekhtear , Baran Iri Sato , Saud Zahangir Alam
Published: September 2022

Background

COVID-19 is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Rigorous detection and treatment strategies against SARS-CoV-2 have become very challenging due to continuous evolutions to the viral genome. Therefore, careful genomic analysis is sorely needed to understand transmission, the cellular mechanism of pathogenicity, and the development of vaccines or drugs.

Objective

In this study, we intended to identify SARS-CoV-2 genome variants that may help understand the cellular and molecular foundation of coronavirus infections required to develop effective intervention strategies.

Methods

SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were downloaded from an open-source public database, processed, and analyzed for variants in target detection sites and genes.

Results

We have identified six unique variants, G---AAC, T---AAC---T; AAC---T; C----C; C-------C; and C--------T at the nucleocapsid region and eleven major hotspot mutant genes: nsp3, surface glycoprotein, nucleocapsid phosphoprotein, ORF8, nsp6, nsp2, nsp4, helicase, membrane glycoprotein, 3’-5’ exonuclease, and 2’-O-ribose methyltransferases. In addition, we have identified eleven major mutant genes that may have a crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.

Conclusion

Studying haplotype variants and 11 major mutant genes to understand the mechanism of action of fatal pathogenicity and inter-individual variations in immune responses is inevitable for managing target patient groups with identified variants and developing effective anti-viral drugs and vaccines.