bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Course Review
Authors: Johal Kavan S. , Din Asmat H.
Published: October 2020

The combined Norfolk and Norwich & St. Andrew's (Chelmsford) FRCS (Plast) revision course is aimed at preparing candidates for Part 2 of the FRCS examination. It aims to closely replicate the actual examination and is delivered in the same format over 2 days. It differs from other FRCS courses in offering each candidate a significant number of real patient examination scenarios. This review evaluates the course.
A Special Thank You to the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Medical Education Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Nnamani Silva Ogonna N.
Published: October 2020

In light of the most competitive match in history, the plastic and reconstructive surgery application process is in the midst of unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person visiting subinternships and interview processes have transitioned to online formats. The American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, program directors, coordinators, faculty, and residents have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing meaningful experiences for prospective applicants. The passion of the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery is palpable, and the innovative virtual experiences have resulted in the formation of a community despite the lack of in-person experiences.
Equity on the frontlines of trauma surgery: An #EAST4ALL roundtable
Authors: Tung Lily , Long Andrea M. , Bonne Stephanie , Tseng Esther S. , Bruns Brandon , Joseph Bellal , Williams Brian H. , Stein Deborah , Freischlag Julie A. , Goulet Nicole , Khandelwal Cathleen , Kiselak Elizabeth , Hoofnagle Mark , Gelbard Rondi , Rattan Rishi , Joseph D’Andrea , Bernard Andrew , Zakrison Tanya L. ,   the Equity, Quality, and Inclusion in Trauma Surgery Practice Ad Hoc Task Force of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

Inequity exists in surgical training and the workplace. The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) Equity, Quality, and Inclusion in Trauma Surgery Ad Hoc Task Force (EAST4ALL) sought to raise awareness and provide resources to combat these inequities.

METHODS

A study was conducted of EAST members to ascertain areas of inequity and lack of inclusion. Specific problems and barriers were identified that hindered inclusion. Toolkits were developed as resources for individuals and institutions to address and overcome these barriers.

RESULTS

Four key areas were identified: (1) harassment and discrimination, (2) gender pay gap or parity, (3) implicit bias and microaggressions, and (4) call-out culture. A diverse panel of seven surgeons with experience in overcoming these barriers either on a personal level or as a chief or chair of surgery was formed. Four scenarios based on these key areas were proposed to the panelists, who then modeled responses as allies.

CONCLUSION

Despite perceived progress in addressing discrimination and inequity, residents and faculty continue to encounter barriers at the workplace at levels today similar to those decades ago. Action is needed to address inequities and lack of inclusion in acute care surgery. The EAST is working on fostering a culture that minimizes bias and recognizes and addresses systemic inequities, and has provided toolkits to support these goals. Together, we can create a better future for all of us.
Assessment of the interaction effect between injury regions in multiple injuries: A nationwide cohort study in Japan
Authors: Tachino Jotaro , Katayama Yusuke , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Kiyohara Kosuke , Nakao Shunichiro , Umemura Yutaka , Ishida Kenichiro , Hirose Tomoya , Nakagawa Yuko , Shimazu Takeshi
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

There have been no clinical studies to sufficiently reveal the interaction effect generated by combinations of injury regions of multiple injuries. We hypothesized that certain combinations of trauma regions might lead to increased risk of traumatic death and aimed to verify this hypothesis using a nationwide trauma registry in Japan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study of trauma patients registered in the Japan Trauma Data Bank between 2004 and 2017. We included patients who suffered blunt trauma with an Injury Severity Score of 16 or more. The trauma was classified into four regions (head, chest, abdomen, and extremities), and a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed that included interaction terms derived from the combination of two regions as covariates.

RESULTS

We included 78,280 trauma patients in this study. Among them, 16,100 (20.6%) patients were discharged to death. Multivariable logistic regression showed the odds ratio (OR) of in-hospital death compared with patients without injury of an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 or more in each injured region as follows: head score, 2.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.13–2.51); chest score, 2.28 (95% CI, 2.17–2.39); abdomen score, 1.68 (95% CI, 1.56–1.82); and extremities score, 1.84 (95% CI, 1.76–1.93), respectively. In addition, the ORs of the statistically significant interaction terms were as follows: head-chest 1.29 (95% CI, 1.13–1.48), chest-abdomen 0.77 (95% CI, 0.67–0.88), chest-extremities 1.95 (95% CI, 1.77–2.14), and abdomen-extremities 0.70 (95% CI, 0.62–0.79), respectively.

CONCLUSION

In this population, among patients with multiple injuries, a combination of head-chest trauma and chest-extremities trauma was shown to increase the risk of traumatic death.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic, Level III.
Severe pediatric war trauma: A military-civilian collaboration from retrieval to repatriation
Authors: Samuel Nir , Epstein Danny , Oren Asaf , Shapira Shachar , Hoffmann Yoav , Friedman Nir , Shavit Itai
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

Modern conflicts take a disproportionate and increasing toll on civilians and children. Since 2013, hundreds of Syrian children have fled to the Israeli border. Severely injured children were triaged for military airborne transport and brought to civilian trauma centers in Israel. After recovery, these patients returned to their homes in Syria.

We sought to describe a unique model of a coordinated military-civilian response for the stabilization, transport, and in-hospital management of severe pediatric warzone trauma.

METHODS

Prehospital and in-hospital data of all severe pediatric trauma casualties transported by military helicopters from the Syrian border were extracted. Data were abstracted from the electronic medical records of military and civilian medical centers’ trauma registries.

RESULTS

Sixteen critically injured children with a median age of 9.5 years (interquartile range [IQR], 6.5–11.5) were transported from the Syrian border to Level I and Level II trauma centers within Israel. All patients were admitted to intensive care units. Eight patients underwent lifesaving procedures during flight, 7 required airway management, and 5 required thoracostomy. The median injury severity score was 35 (IQR, 13–49). Seven laparotomies, 5 craniotomies, 3 orthopedic surgeries, and 1 skin graft surgery were performed. The median intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were 6 days (IQR, 3–16) and 34 days (IQR, 14–46), respectively. Fifteen patients survived to hospital discharge and returned to their families.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this small cohort suggest the benefits of a coordinated military-civilian retrieval of severe pediatric warzone trauma.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, Level V.
An Initial Empirical Operationalization of the Earliest Stages of the Alzheimer’s Continuum
Authors: Kiselica Andrew M. , Kaser Alyssa N. , Benge Jared F.
Published: October 2020

Purpose:

The Alzheimer’s Continuum (AC) includes 2 preclinical stages defined by subjective cognitive complaints, transitional cognitive declines, and neurobehavioral symptoms. Operationalization of these stages is necessary for them to be applied in research.

Methods:

Cognitively normal individuals with known amyloid biomarker status were selected from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set. Participants and their caregivers provided information on subjective cognitive complaints, neurobehavioral features, and objective cognitive functioning.

Patients:

The sample included 101 amyloid positive (A+) and 447 amyloid negative (A−) individuals.

Results:

Rates of subjective cognitive complaints (A+: 34.90%, A−: 29.90%) and neurobehavioral symptoms (A+: 22.40%, A−: 22.40%) did not significantly differ between A+/− individuals. However, the frequency of transitional cognitive decline was significantly higher among A+ (38.00%) than A− participants (24.90%). We explored various empirical definitions for defining the early stages of the AC among A+ participants. Rates of classification into AC stage 1 versus AC stage 2 varied depending on the number of symptoms required: 57.40% versus 42.60% (1 symptom), 28.70% versus 71.30% (2 symptoms), and 6.90% versus 93.10% (all 3 symptoms).

Conclusion:

The presence of 2 of the proposed symptom classes to separate AC stage 2 from stage 1 seems to provide a good empirical balance.
Current Practices of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Mental Disorders
Authors: Landry Marilyne , Moreno Alexander , Patry Simon , Potvin Stephane , Lemasson Morgane
Published: October 2020

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains one of the most effective treatments for major depressive disorder, but uncertainties persist regarding the cognitive tests to include in ECT follow-up. The current study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the most frequent cognitive side effects after ECT. We also discuss the most common cognitive tests in ECT follow-up. We searched studies published from 2000 to 2017 in English and French language in Pubmed, EBM Reviews, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Standardized cognitive tests were separated into 11 cognitive domains. Comparisons between cognitive measures included pre-ECT baseline with post-ECT measures at 3 times: PO1, immediately post-ECT (within 24 hours after last ECT); PO2, short term (1–28 days); and PO3, long term (more than 1 month). A total of 91 studies were included, with an aggregated sample of 3762 individuals. We found no significant changes in global cognition with Mini-Mental State Examination at PO1. Hedges g revealed small to medium effect sizes at PO2, with individuals presenting a decrease in autobiographical memory, verbal fluency, and verbal memory. Verbal fluency problems showed an inverse correlation with age, with younger adults showing greater deficits. At PO3, there is an improvement on almost all cognitive domains, including verbal fluency and verbal memory. There is a lack of standardization in the choice of cognitive tests and optimal cognitive timing. The Mini-Mental State Examination is the most common screening test used in ECT, but its clinical utility is extremely limited to track post-ECT cognitive changes. Cognitive assessment for ECT purposes should include autobiographical memory, verbal fluency, and verbal memory.
Frank Featherstone Bonsall. 31 March 1920—22 February 2011
Authors: Gillespie T. A.
Published: October 2020

Frank Bonsall played a significant role in the mathematical life of the United Kingdom in the decades following the Second World War. He had a particular impact in Scotland and the north of England, especially in research and graduate education. His research interests focused primarily on functional analysis, the area of mathematics that brings together various strands of analysis under a single abstract framework, and on the related theory of linear operators on Banach spaces. He influenced a generation of young mathematicians with the elegance of his written and oral expositions, both of his own research and that of others. The quality of his caring and thorough research supervision was reflected in his many PhD students who would continue in research and go on to successful academic careers in their own right, both in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Molecular mechanisms of olfactory detection in insects: beyond receptors
Authors: Schmidt Hayden R. , Benton Richard
Published: October 2020

Insects thrive in diverse ecological niches in large part because of their highly sophisticated olfactory systems. Over the last two decades, a major focus in the study of insect olfaction has been on the role of olfactory receptors in mediating neuronal responses to environmental chemicals.In vivo, these receptors operate in specialized structures, called sensilla, which comprise neurons and non-neuronal support cells, extracellular lymph fluid and a precisely shaped cuticle. While sensilla are inherent to odour sensing in insects, we are only just beginning to understand their construction and function. Here, we review recent work that illuminates how odour-evoked neuronal activity is impacted by sensillar morphology, lymph fluid biochemistry, accessory signalling molecules in neurons and the physiological crosstalk between sensillar cells. These advances reveal multi-layered molecular and cellular mechanisms that determine the selectivity, sensitivity and dynamic modulation of odour-evoked responses in insects.
Pathogenesis-based pre-exposure prophylaxis associated with low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers at a designated Covid-19 hospital
Authors: Dubina Michael V. , Gomonova Veronika V. , Taraskina Anastasia E. , Vasilyeva Natalia V. , Sayganov Sergey A.
Published: October 2020

At present, no agents are known to be effective in preventing Covid-19. Based on current knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease, we suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection might be attenuated by directly maintaining innate pulmonary redox, metabolic and dilation functions using well-tolerated medications that are known to serve these functions, specifically, using a low dose aerosolized combination of glutathione, inosine and potassium. From June 1 to July 10, 2020, we conducted a low-intervention open-label single-centre study to evaluate safety and efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with the aerosolized combination medications (ACM) on SARS-CoV-2 incidence in 99 healthcare workers (HCWs) at a hospital that was designated to treat Covid-19 patients. We also retrospectively compared SARS-CoV-2 incidence in the ACM users to that in 268 untreated HCWs at the same hospital. Eligible participants received an aerosolized combination of 21.3 mg/ml glutathione, 8.7 mg/ml inosine in 107 mM potassium solution for 14 days. The main outcome was the frequency of laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases, defined as individuals with positive genetic or immunological tests within 28 days of the study period. During the PrEP period, solicited adverse events occurred in five participants; all were mild and transient reactions. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 2 ACM users (2%, 95% CI: 0.3% to 7.1%), which was significantly less than the incidence in 24 nonusers (9%, 95% CI: 5.8% to 13.0%; P = 0.02). Our findings might be used either to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, or to support ongoing and new research into more effective treatments for Covid-19. The study was registered with rosrid.ru, AAAA-A20-120061690058-2, and isrctn.com, ISRCTN34160010.
Benchmarking COVID-19 Mortality in the United States
Authors: Etzioni Ruth , Markowitz Elan , Douglas Ivor S.
Published: October 2020

On September 22nd the US officially recorded 200,000 COVID-19 deaths. It is unclear how many deaths might have been expected in the case of an early and effective response to the pandemic. We aim to provide a best-case estimate of COVID-19 deaths in the US by September 22nd using the experience of Germany as a benchmark. Our methods accommodate the differences in demographics between Germany and the US. We match cumulative incidence of COVID-19 deaths by age group in Germany to non-Hispanic whites in the US and project the implied number of deaths in this population and among the black and Hispanic populations under observed racial/ethnic disparities in cumulative COVID-19 mortality in the US. We estimate that if the US had been as successful as Germany in managing the pandemic we would have expected 22% of the deaths actually recorded. The number of deaths would have been lower by a further one-third if we could have eliminated racial/ethnic disparites in COVID-19 outcomes. We conclude that almost 80 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in the US by September 22nd could have been avoided with an early and effective response producing similar age-specific death rates among non-Hispanic whites as in Germany.
Geographical based variations in white truffleTuber magnatumtruffle aroma is explained by quantitative differences in key volatile compounds
Authors: Niimi Jun , Deveau Aurélie , Splivallo Richard
Published: October 2020

The factors that vary the aroma ofTuber magnatumfruiting bodies are poorly understood. The study determined the headspace aroma composition, sensory aroma profiles, maturity, and microbiome composition fromT. magnatumoriginating from Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia, and tested if truffle aroma is dependent on provenance and if fruiting body volatiles are explained by maturity and/or microbiome composition.

Headspace volatile profiles were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) and aroma of fruiting body extracts were sensorially assessed. Fruiting body maturity were estimated through spore melanisation. Bacterial community was determined using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

Main odour active compounds were present in all truffles but varied in concentration. Aroma of truffle extracts were sensorially discriminated by sites. However, volatile profiles of individual fruiting bodies varied more within sites than across geographic area, while maturity level did not play a role. Microbiome composition varied highly and was partially explained by provenance. A few rare bacterial operational taxonomical units associated with select few non-odour active volatile compounds.

Specificities of the aroma ofT. magnatumtruffles are more likely linked to individual properties than provenance. Some constituents of the microbiome may provide biomarkers of provenance and be linked to non-odour active volatiles.
Religious affiliation and the risk of COVID 19 related mortality; a retrospective analysis of variation in pre and post lockdown risk by religious group in England and Wales
Authors: Gaughan Charlotte Hannah , Ayoubkhani Daniel , Nafilyan Vahe , Goldblatt Peter , White Chris , Tingay Karen , Bannister Neil
Published: October 2020

Background

COVID 19 mortality risk is associated with demographic and behavioural factors; furthermore religious gatherings have been linked with the spread of COVID. We sought to understand the variation in the risk of COVID 19 related death across religious groups in the UK both before and after lockdown.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of usual residents in England and Wales enumerated at the 2011 Census (n = 48,422,583), for risk of death involving COVID-19 using linked death certificates. Cox regression models were estimated to compare risks between religious groups. Time dependent religion coefficients were added to the model allowing hazard ratios (HRs) pre and post lockdown period to be estimated separately.

Results

Compared to Christians all religious groups had an elevated risk of death involving COVID-19; the largest age adjusted HRs were for Muslim and Jewish males at 2.5 (95% confidence interval 2.3-2.7) and 2.1 (1.9-2.5), respectively. The corresponding HRs for Muslim and Jewish females were 1.9 (1.7-2.1) and 1.5 (1.7-2.1). The difference in risk between groups contracted after lockdown. Those who affiliated with no religion had the lowest risk of COVID 19 related death before and after lockdown.

Conclusion

The majority of the variation in COVID 19 mortality risk was explained by controlling for socio demographic and geographic determinants; however, Jews remained at a higher risk of death compared to all other groups. Lockdown measures were associated with reduced differences in COVID 19 mortality rates between religious groups, further research is required to understand the causal mechanisms.
Stochastic forecasting of COVID-19 daily new cases across countries with a novel hybrid time series model
Authors: Bhattacharyya Arinjita , Chakraborty Tanujit , Rai Shesh N.
Published: October 2020

An unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the form of peculiar pneumonia has spread globally since its first case in Wuhan province, China, in December 2019. Soon after, the infected cases and mortality increased rapidly. The future of the pandemic’s progress was uncertain, and thus, predicting it became crucial for public health researchers. These future predictions help the effective allocation of health care resources, stockpiling, and help in strategic planning for clinicians, government authorities, and public health policymakers after understanding the extent of the effect. The main objective of this paper is to develop a hybrid forecasting model that can generate real-time out-of-sample forecasts of COVID-19 outbreaks for five profoundly affected countries, namely the USA, Brazil, India, UK, and Canada. A novel hybrid approach based on the Theta method and Autoregressive neural network (ARNN) model, named Theta-ARNN (TARNN) model, is developed. Daily new cases of COVID-19 are nonlinear, non-stationary, and volatile; thus a single specific model cannot be ideal for future prediction of the pandemic. However, the newly introduced hybrid forecasting model with an acceptable prediction error rate can help healthcare and government for effective planning and resource allocation. The proposed method outperforms traditional univariate and hybrid forecasting models for the test data sets on an average.
Social support for self-care: patient strategies for managing diabetes and hypertension in rural Uganda
Authors: Tusubira Andrew K. , Nalwadda Christine K , Akiteng Ann R , Hsieh Evelyn , Ngaruiya Christine , Rabin Tracy L , Hawley Nicola , Kalyesubula Robert , Ssinabulya Isaac , Schwartz Jeremy I , Armstrong-Hough Mari
Published: October 2020

Background

The growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) threatens low-income countries. Self-care practices are crucial for successful management of NCDs to prevent complications. We sought to understand self-care efforts and their facilitators among patients with diabetes and hypertension in rural Uganda.

Methods

Between April and June 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study among adult patients from outpatient NCD clinics at three health facilities in Uganda. We conducted 19 in-depth interviews exploring treatment practices and response to symptoms. We used content analysis to identify emergent themes.

Results

Three themes emerged in patients’ descriptions of their self-care practices. First, patients preferred conventional medicines as their first line of resort, but often used traditional medicines. In particular, patients used traditional medicines to mitigate the negative impacts of inconsistent access to conventional medicines and to supplement those medicines. Second, patients adopted a wide range of vernacular practices to supplement treatments and unavailable diagnostic tests, including tasting their urine to gauge blood-sugar level. Finally, patients sought social support for self-care activities, relying on networks of family members and peers for instrumental and emotional support. Patients saw their children as the most reliable source of support, especially money for medicines, transport and home necessities.

Interpretation

Patients valued conventional medicines but also engaged in varied self-care practices. They depended upon networks of social support from family and peers to maintain self-care. Interventions to improve self-care may be more effective if they improve access to medicines and engage or enhance patients’ social support networks.
The neuronal associations of respiratory-volume variability in the resting state
Authors: Shams Sayedmohammad , LeVan Pierre , Chen J. Jean
Published: October 2020

The desire to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of resting-state (rs-fMRI) measures has prompted substantial recent research into removing noise components. Chief among contributions to noise in rs-fMRI are physiological processes, and the neuronal implications of respiratory-volume variability (RVT), a main rs-fMRI-relevant physiological process, is incompletely understood. The potential implications of RVT in modulating and being modulated by autonomic nervous regulation, has yet to be fully understood by the rs-fMRI community. In this work, we use high-density electroencephalography (EEG) along with simultaneously acquired RVT recordings to help address this question. We hypothesize that (1) there is a significant relationship between EEG and RVT in multiple EEG bands, and (2) that this relationship varies by brain region. Our results confirm our first hypothesis, although all brain regions are shown to be equally implicated in RVT-related EEG-signal fluctuations. The lag between RVT and EEG is consistent with previously reported values. However, an interesting finding is related to the polarity of the correlation between RVT and EEG. Our results reveal potentially two main regimes of EEG-RVT association, one in which EEG leads RVT with a positive association between the two, and one in which RVT leads EEG but with a positive association between the two. We propose that these two patterns can be interpreted differently in terms of the involvement of higher cognition. These results further suggest that treating RVT simply as noise is likely a questionable practice, and that more work is needed to avoid discarding cognitively relevant information when performing physiological correction rs-fMRI.
Association of Pre-COVID-19 Lymphocytopenia with Fatality
Authors: Burack W.R. , Rock P. , Burton D. , Cai X.
Published: October 2020

Lymphocytopenia during the COVID-19 has been associated with fatality. We tested whether pre-existing lymphocytopenia reported prior to any possible exposure to SARS-COV2 (from 2010 to 2019) was associated with fatality. Using all patients diagnosed on testing in a single regional laboratory, we identified 1137 subjects with PCR positive for SARS-COV2 and at least one available complete blood count from the decade prior to any possible exposure to the virus. Bivariate analysis indicated an association between pre-existing lymphocytopenia (defined as absolute lymphocyte count <0.9×109 /L) and fatality (18% versus 4%). Furthermore, a logistic regression model, accounting for both patient age and number of blood counts obtained, indicated the subjects with pre-existing lymphocytopenia were 1.4 times as likely to die. Because the absolute lymphocyte count is almost universally available and easily interpreted, this biomarker of the risk of fatality could be widely useful.
Treatment nonresponse in children receiving silver diamine fluoride for caries: A pilot study
Authors: Ruff Ryan Richard , Paul Bidisha , Sierra Maria A , Xu Fangxi , Crystal Yasmi , Li Xin , Saxena Deepak
Published: October 2020

Objectives: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a nonsurgical therapy for the arrest and prevention of dental caries with demonstrated clinical efficacy. Approximately 20% of children receiving SDF fail to respond to treatment. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model of treatment nonresponse using machine learning.Methods: An observational pilot study (N=20) consisting of children with and without active decay and who did and did not respond to silver diamine fluoride provided salivary samples and plaque from infected and contralateral sites. 16S rRNA genes from samples were amplified and sequenced on an Illumina Miseq and analyzed using QIIME. The association between operational taxonomic units and treatment nonresponse was assessed using lasso regression and artificial neural networks.Results: Bivariate group comparisons of bacterial abundance indicate a number of genera were significantly different between nonresponders and those who responded to SDF therapy. No differences were found between nonresponders and caries-active subjects. Prevotella pallens and Veillonella denticariosi were retained in full lasso models and combined with clinical variables in a six-input multilayer perceptron.Discussion: The acidogenic and acid-tolerant nature of retained bacterial species may overcome the antimicrobial effects of SDF. Further research to validate the model in larger external samples is needed.
The effect of the definition of ‘pandemic’ on quantitative assessments of infectious disease outbreak risk
Authors: Singer Benjamin J , Thompson Robin N , Bonsall Michael B
Published: October 2020

In the early stages of an outbreak, the term ‘pandemic’ can be used to communicate about infectious disease risk, particularly by those who wish to encourage a large-scale public health response. However, the term lacks a widely accepted quantitative definition. We show that, under alternative quantitative definitions of ‘pandemic’, an epidemiological metapopulation model produces different estimates of the probability of a pandemic. Critically, we show that using different definitions alters the projected effects on the pandemic risk of key parameters such as inter-regional travel rates, degree of pre-existing immunity, and heterogeneity of transmission rates between regions. Our analysis provides a foundation for understanding the scientific importance of precise language when discussing pandemic risk, illustrating how alternate definitions affect the conclusions of modelling studies. This serves to highlight that those working on pandemic preparedness must remain alert to the variability in the use of the term ‘pandemic’, and provide specific quantitative definitions when undertaking one of the types of analysis that we show to be sensitive to the pandemic definition.
Willingness of Nigerian residents to disclose COVID-19 symptoms and take COVID-19 test
Authors: Oladoyin Victoria , Okunlola Oluyemi , Israel Oluwaseyi , Ibirongbe Demilade , Osifo Joy , Obembe Taiwo , Omode Paulinus , Osunmakinwa Olugbenga
Published: October 2020

Background

An understanding of willingness of people to disclose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and take the COVID-19 test will help provide important insight for motivators towards the self-surveillance and testing strategies recommended by the World Health Organization to curtail and halt the transmission of COVID-19.

Objectives

This study assessed willingness to disclose symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and willingness to take COVID-19 test as well as their predictors.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey of 524 Nigerian adults, aged ≥ 18 years, residing in Nigeria and who had not taken the COVID-19 test was conducted. Information on willingness to disclose COVID-19 symptoms, take COVID-19 test and possible predictors were collected. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics evaluated at 5% significance level.

Results

Mean age of respondents was 35.8 ± 10.7 years and 57.0% were males. Majority (85.8% and 86.2% respectively) were willing to disclose COVID-19 symptoms and take COVID-19 test. Self-risk perception of contracting COVID-19 predicted both willingness to disclose COVID-19 symptoms (aOR=3.236; 95%CI=1.836-5.704) and take COVID-19 test (aOR=3.174; 95%CI=1.570-6.419). Willingness to disclose COVID-19 symptoms (aOR=13.060; 95%CI= 6.253-27.276), knowledge of someone who had taken the test (aOR= 4.106; 95%CI= 1.179-14.299) and thought that it was important for people to know their COVID-19 status (aOR=3.123; 95%CI= 1.516-6.434) also predicted willingness to take COVID-19 test.

Conclusion

Nigerians are willing to disclose symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and take the COVID-19 test. Investment in interventions developed based on the predicting factors will help speed up the finding and testing of suspected COVID-19 cases.
“Safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy used for the management of COVID 19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials”
Authors: Kumar Sah Sujit , Undela Krishna , Chand Sharad , Ramesh Madhan , Subramanian R , Gona Oliver Joel , George Sophia M. , Nandakumar UP , Aryal Santosh , Niharika P , Shastry C.S.
Published: October 2020

Background

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, which is highly contagious and a threat to human health, spreading across nearly 235 countries, affecting 33.8 million and causing 1.01 million fatalities as of 22 September 2020. Researchers have invested tremendous efforts to develop vaccines or effective drug therapy but have not yet been fruitful. Hence, we planned to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis to supplement the readers with comprehensive data and credible information on the safety and efficacyof essential pharmacotherapy during the pharmacological management of COVID-19.

Methods

Theprotocol will be designed based on the updated PRISMA-P 2015 guidelines. An elaborate search of electronic databases such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar, Medrxiv and other potential databases for articles published during January 2020 to 10 October 2020 is planned to be conducted. Following this,randomized control trials published in English language that assess the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy versusplacebo or standard of care or usual care will be evaluated for inclusion. The primary outcomes will include time to clinical recovery and the probability for the negative conversion of COVID-19. Secondary outcomes will quantifythe proportion of patients relieved of symptoms, the all-cause mortality, morbidity, detection of viral RNA, time needed to achieve a negative viral load, ordinal scale changes, ventilatorand oxygen requirements,length of hospital stayand the incidence of adverse and serious adverse events.RevMan V.5.3 computer software packages will be utilised to conduct an accurate statistical analysis of the study. Thebinary random-effects model will be used at a 95 % confidence interval to estimate the weighted effect size ofdichotomous data and continuous data studies. The results of statistical analysis will be considered statistically significant whena p-value <0.05 is attained.

Results

Selected studies will be used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy used during the management of the novel COVID-19.

Conclusion

This study will be a qualitative and quantitative pool of comprehensive evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy on COVID-19.

PROSPERO registration

CRD42020205433
Evidence and urgency related EEG signals during dynamic decision-making in humans
Authors: Yau Y. , Hinault T. , Taylor M. , Cisek P. , Fellows L.K. , Dagher A.
Published: October 2020

A successful class of models link decision-making to brain signals by assuming that evidence accumulates to a decision threshold. These evidence accumulation models have identified neuronal activity that appears to reflect sensory evidence and decision variables that drive behavior. More recently, an additional evidence-independent and time-variant signal, named urgency, has been hypothesized to accelerate decisions in the face of insufficient evidence. However, most decision-making paradigms tested with fMRI or EEG in humans have not been designed to disentangle evidence accumulation from urgency. Here we use a face-morphing decision-making task in combination with EEG and a hierarchical Bayesian model to identify neural signals related to sensory and decision variables, and to test the urgency-gating model. We find that an evoked potential time-locked to the decision, the centroparietal positivity, reflects the decision variable from the computational model. We further show that the unfolding of this signal throughout the decision process best reflects the product of sensory evidence and an evidence-independent urgency signal. Urgency varied across subjects, suggesting that it may represent an individual trait. Our results show that it is possible to use EEG to distinguish neural signals related to sensory evidence accumulation, decision variables, and urgency. These mechanisms expose principles of cognitive function in general and may have applications to the study of pathological decision-making as in impulse control and addictive disorders.

Significance Statement

Perceptual decisions are often described by a class of models that assumes sensory evidence accumulates gradually over time until a decision threshold is reached. In the present study, we demonstrate that an additional urgency signal impacts how decisions are formed. This endogenous signal encourages one to respond as time elapses. We found that neural decision signals measured by EEG reflect the product of sensory evidence and an evidence-independent urgency signal. A nuanced understanding of human decisions, and the neural mechanisms that support it, can improve decision-making in many situations and potentially ameliorate dysfunction when it has gone awry.
Interpretable multi-timescale models for predicting fMRI responses to continuous natural speech
Authors: Jain Shailee , Mahto Shivangi , Turek Javier S. , Vo Vy A. , LeBel Amanda , Huth Alexander G.
Published: October 2020

Natural language contains information at multiple timescales. To understand how the human brain represents this information, one approach is to build encoding models that predict fMRI responses to natural language using representations extracted from neural network language models (LMs). However, these LM-derived representations do not explicitly separate information at different timescales, making it difficult to interpret the encoding models. In this work we construct interpretable multi-timescale representations by forcing individual units in an LSTM LM to integrate information over specific temporal scales. This allows us to explicitly and directly map the timescale of information encoded by each individual fMRI voxel. Further, the standard fMRI encoding procedure does not account for varying temporal properties in the encoding features. We modify the procedure so that it can capture both short- and long-timescale information. This approach outperforms other encoding models, particularly for voxels that represent long-timescale information. It also provides a finer-grained map of timescale information in the human language pathway. This serves as a framework for future work investigating temporal hierarchies across artificial and biological language systems.
Effect of temperature and precipitation on the daily new cases and daily new death in seven cities around the globe
Authors: Chaudhary Amar Prashad , Nelson K Adna , S Harish , S Mydhily , KJ Chaitanya , Nayak Lovely , Sah Chiranjibi
Published: October 2020

Background

This study was done to understand the effect of temperature and precipitation in COVID-19.

Objective

To study the effect of temperature and precipitation on transmission of COVID-19.

To study the effect of temperature and precipitation on daily death of COVID-19.

Methodology

We collected 3 consecutive month data of seven cities around the world which were effected most by the COVID-19. Data included weather variables i.e temperature (average temperature, maximum temperature and minimum temperature), precipitation, daily new cases and daily new death.

Conclusion

Increase in average temperature reduces daily death and increase in maximum temperature reduces transmission.
A Data-Informed Approach for Analysis, Validation, and Identification of COVID-19 Models
Authors: Olmez S. Yagiz , Mori Jameson , Miehling Erik , Başar Tamer , Smith Rebecca L. , West Matthew , Mehta Prashant G.
Published: October 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated an enormous amount of data, providing a unique opportunity for modeling and analysis. In this paper, we present a data-informed approach for building stochastic compartmental models that is grounded in the Markovian processes underlying these models. Our initial data analyses reveal that the SIRD model – susceptiple (S), infected (I), recovered (R), and death (D) – is not consistent with the data. In particular, the transition times expressed in the dataset do not obey exponential distributions, implying that there exist unmodeled (hidden) states. We make use of the available epidemiological data to inform the location of these hidden states, allowing us to develop an augmented compartmental model which includes states for hospitalization (H) and end of infectious viral shedding (V). Using the proposed model, we characterize delay distributions analytically and match model parameters to empirical quantities in the data to obtain a good model fit. Insights from an epidemiological perspective are presented, as well as their implications for mitigation and control strategies.
Automatic Recognition of Auditory Brainstem Response Characteristic Waveform based on BiLSTM
Authors: Chen Cheng , Zhan Li , Pan Xiaoxin , Wang Zhiliang , Guo Xiaoyu , Qin Handai , Xiong Fen , Shi Wei , Shi Min , Ji Fei , Wang Qiuju , Yu Ning , Xiao Ruoxiu
Published: October 2020

Background

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test is widely used in newborn hearing screening and hearing disease diagnosis. Identifying and marking are challenging and repetitive tasks because of complex rules of ABR characteristic waveform and interference of background noise.

Methods

This study proposes an automatic method to recognize ABR characteristic waveform. First, binarization is created to mark 1024 sampling points accordingly. The selected characteristic area of ABR data is 0-8ms. The marking area is enlarged to expand feature information and reduce marking error. Second, a bi-directional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network structure is established to improve relevance of sampling points, and an ABR sampling point classifier is obtained by training. Finally, mark points are obtained through thresholding.

Results

Specific structure, related parameters, recognition effect, and noise resistance of network were explored in 614 sets of ABR clinical data, and recognition accuracy of waves I, III, and V can reach 92.91%.

Discussion

Thus, the proposed method can reduce the repetitive work of doctors and meet accuracy effectively. Therefore, this method has clinical potential.
EGCG modulates nuclear formaldehyde-induced Tau phosphorylation in Neuronal cells
Authors: Sonawane Shweta Kishor , Raina Anshu , Majumdar Amitabha , Chinnathambi Subashchandrabose
Published: October 2020

Tau hyperphosphorylation is one of the major causes of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. The abnormal phosphorylation curtails the physiological function of Tau of microtubule stabilization and renders it more prone to aggregation. Apart from its function in the cytoplasm, Tau is attributed to play a role in the nucleus. Nuclear function of Tau is dependent on its residue-specific phosphorylation. We studied the effect of a green tea polyphenol, EGCG, on the formaldehyde-induced Tau phosphorylation and Tau kinase CDK5. Interestingly, we observed unique localization of phospho-Tau (AT 8 and AT 100) in the nucleus in various EGCG treatments. EGCG was also found to lower the levels of CDK5 in the formaldehyde-treated cells. Further, the role of EGCG was testedin vivoin drosophila eye model of hyperphosphorylated Tau (Tau E14). The results suggest that EGCG can modulate nuclear Tau phosphorylation and lower the levels of Tau kinase CDK5.
A meta-analysis of the effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on soil microbial diversity
Authors: Bebber Daniel P. , Richards Victoria R.
Published: October 2020

Organic agriculture, employing manures or composts, has been proposed as a way of mitigating undesirable impacts of mineral fertilizer use. Of particular interest is the effect of fertilizer regime on soil microbes, which are key to nutrient cycling, plant health and soil structure. However, the effect of fertilizers on soil microbial diversity remains poorly understood. Since biological diversity is an important determinant of ecosystem function and a fundamental metric in community ecology, the effects of fertilizer regimes on soil microbial diversity are of theoretical and applied interest. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of 37 studies reporting microbial diversity metrics in mineral fertilized (NPK), organically fertilized (ORG) and unfertilized control (CON) soils. Of these studies, 32 reported taxonomic diversity derived from sequencing, gradient gel electrophoresis, or RFLP. Functional diversity, derived from Biolog Ecoplate™ measures of carbon substrate metabolism, was reported in 8 studies, with 3 studies reporting both diversity metrics. Bacterial and archaeal diversity was reported in 28 taxonomic studies, and fungal diversity in 8 taxonomic studies. We found that functional diversity was 2.8 % greater in NPK compared with CON, 7.0 % greater in ORG vs CON, and 3.8 % greater in ORG vs NPK. Bacterial and archaeal taxonomic diversity was not significantly different between NPK and CON, but on average 2.9% greater in ORG vs CON, and 2.4 % greater in ORG vs. NPK. Fungal taxonomic diversity was not significantly different between any treatment pairs. There was very high residual heterogeneity in all meta-analyses of soil diversity, suggesting that a large amount of further research is required to fully understand the influence of fertilizer regimes on microbial diversity and ecosystem function.
Environmental flexibility does not explain metabolic robustness
Authors: Libiseller-Egger Julian , Coltman Ben , Gerstl Matthias P. , Zanghellini Jürgen
Published: October 2020

Cells show remarkable resilience against genetic and environmental perturbations. However, its evolutionary origin remains obscure. In order to leverage methods of systems biology for examining cellular robustness, a computationally accessible way of quantification is needed. Here, we present an unbiased metric of structural robustness in genome-scale metabolic models based on concepts prevalent in reliability engineering and fault analysis.

The probability of failure (PoF) is defined as the (weighted) portion of all possible combinations of loss-of-function mutations that disable network functionality. It can be exactly determined, if all essential reactions, synthetic lethal pairs of reactions, synthetic lethal triplets of reactions etc., are known. In theory, these minimal cut sets (MCSs) can be calculated for any network, but for large models the problem remains computationally intractable. Herein, we demonstrate that even at the genome scale only the lowest-cardinality MCSs are required to efficiently approximate the PoF with reasonable accuracy.

We analysed the robustness of 489E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella, and fungal genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs). In contrast to the popular “congruence theory”, which explains the origin of genetic robustness as a byproduct of selection for environmental flexibility, we found no correlation between network robustness and the diversity of growth-supporting environments. On the contrary, our analysis indicates that amino acid synthesis rather than carbon metabolism dominates metabolic robustness.