bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between Chest CT Severity Scores and the Clinical Parameters of Adult Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
Authors: Saeed Ghufran Aref , Gaba Waqar , Shah Asad , Al Helali Abeer Ahmed , Raidullah Emadullah , Al Ali Ameirah Bader , Elghazali Mohammed , Ahmed Deena Yousef , Al Kaabi Shaikha Ghanam , Almazrouei Safaa
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Our aim is to correlate the clinical condition of patients with COVID-19 infection with the 25 Point CT severity score by Chang et al (devised for assessment of ARDS in patients with SARS in 2005).

Material and Methods

Data of consecutive symptomatic patients who were suspected to have COVID-19 infection and presented to our hospital, was collected from March to April 2020. All patients underwent two consecutive RT-PCR tests and had a non-contrast HRCT scan done at presentation. From the original cohort of 1062 patients, 160 patients were excluded leaving a total number of 902 patients.

Results

The mean age was 44.2 ±11.9 years [85.3%males, 14.7%females]. CT severity score found to be positively correlated with lymphopenia, increased serum CRP, d-dimer and ferritin levels (p < 0.0001). The oxygen requirements as well as length of hospital stay were increasing with the increase of scan severity.

Conclusion

The 25-point CT severity score correlates well with the COVID-19 clinical severity. Our data suggest that chest CT scoring system can aid in predicting COVID-19 disease outcome and significantly correlates with lab tests and oxygen requirements.
Aerial mucosalivary droplet dispersal distributions with implications for disease mitigation
Authors: Chang Brian , Sharma Ram Sudhir , Huynh Trinh , Kudrolli Arshad
Published: October 2020

We investigate mucosalivary dispersal and deposition on horizontal surfaces corresponding to human exhalations with physical experiments under still-air conditions. Synthetic fluorescence tagged sprays with size and speed distributions comparable to human sneezes are observed with high-speed imaging. We show that while some larger droplets follow parabolic trajectories, smaller droplets stay aloft for several seconds and settle slowly with speeds consistent with a buoyant cloud dynamics model. The net deposition distribution is observed to become correspondingly broader as the source height H is increased, ranging from sitting at a table to standing upright. We find that the deposited mucosaliva decays exponentially in front of the source, after peaking at distance x = 0.71 m when H = 0.5 m, and x = 0.56 m when H = 1.5 m, with standard deviations ≈0.5 m. Greater than 99% of the mucosaliva is deposited within x = 2 m, with faster landing times further from the source. We then demonstrate that a standard nose and mouth mask reduces the mucosaliva dispersed by a factor of at least a hundred compared to the peaks recorded when unmasked.
Dietary Nicotianamine as a Factor in International Variations of Mortality from Covid-19
Authors: Day Charles E.
Published: October 2020

Nicotianamine is a compound found only in plants that strongly binds to and potently inhibits at nanomolar concentrations the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is the human cell receptor for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Because of its ACE2 binding activity it can potentially reduce mortality from Covid-19. This report explores the inverse association of dietary nicotianamine intake with mortality from Covid-19 from numerous countries. The data support a probable dramatic effect of nicotianamine in reducing coronavirus mortality. The best-case scenario of consuming a diet high in nicotianamine is a 100-fold reduction in Covid-19 mortality. Worst case is that one consumes a more healthful diet that is less expensive and more environmentally friendly.
Experiences of Women Who Gave Birth in US Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mollard Elizabeth , Wittmaack Amaya
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of women who gave birth in a US hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women who gave birth between March and July 2020 completed a survey on the experience of giving birth during a pandemic. 885 women were consented and participated in the study. 22.5% of women reported hypertension, 33.8% reported anxiety, 18.6% reported depression, and 1.13% reported testing positive for COVID-19. 61% of women reported inadequate support for childbirth, and 20.5% reported that they did not feel safe giving birth in the hospital. Women who tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to be of Asian race, have a cesarean section, not have a birth partner present, and discontinue breastfeeding before 6 weeks.

Pandemic related changes to maternity care practices may have impacted birthing women’s perceptions of safety and support in the hospital environment and affected symptoms of stress. Healthcare policy and maternity care practices should promote feelings of safety and control and overall experience for women giving birth in the hospital during a pandemic.
Treatment with human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for COVID-19 patients with lung damage: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial
Authors: Shi Lei , Huang Hai , Lu Xuechun , Yan Xiaoyan , Jiang Xiaojing , Xu Ruonan , Wang Siyu , Zhang Chao , Yuan Xin , Xu Zhe , Huang Lei , Fu Jun-Liang , Li Yuanyuan , Zhang Yu , Yao Weiqi , Liu Tianyi , Song Jinwen , Sun Liangliang , Yang Fan , Zhang Xin , Zhang Bo , Shi Ming , Meng Fanping , Song Yanning , Yu Yongpei , Wen Jiqiu , Li Qi , Mao Qing , Maeurer Markus , Zumla Alimuddin , Yao Chen , Xie Wei-Fen , Wang Fu-Sheng
Published: October 2020

BACKGROUND

Treatment of severe Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is challenging. We performed a phase 2 trial to assess the efficacy and safety of human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) to treat severe COVID-19 patients with lung damage, based on our phase 1 data.

METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial, we recruited 101 severe COVID-19 patients with lung damage. They were randomly assigned to receive either UC-MSCs (4 × 107 cells per infusion) or placebo on day 0, 3, and 6. The primary endpoint was an altered proportion of whole lung lesion volumes from baseline to day 28. Other imaging outcomes, 6-minute walk test, maximum vital capacity, diffusing capacity, and adverse events were recorded and analysed.

RESULTS

100 COVID-19 patients were finally recruited to receive either UC-MSCs (n = 65) or placebo (n = 35). UC-MSCs administration exerted numerical improvement in whole lung lesion volume from baseline to day 28 compared with the placebo (the median difference was -13.31%, 95%CI -29.14%, 2.13%, P=0.080). UC-MSCs significantly reduced the proportions of solid component lesion volume compared with the placebo (median difference: -15.45%; 95% CI -30.82%, -0.39%; P=0.043). The 6-minute walk test showed an increased distance in patients treated with UC-MSCs (difference: 27.00 m; 95% CI 0.00, 57.00; P=0.057). The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

UC-MSCs treatment is a safe and potentially effective therapeutic approach for COVID-19 patients with lung damage. (Funded by The National Key R&D Program of China and others. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04288102.)
Dose-response relationship among body mass index, abdominal adiposity and atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of 30 prospective studies
Authors: Liu Menglu , Mei Kaibo , Ma Jianyong , Yu Peng , Xie Lixia , Zhao Yujie , Liu Xiao
Published: October 2020

Background

Whether being overweight increases the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is unclear, and whether adiposity independently contributes to POAF has not been comprehensively studied. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the strength and shape of the exposure-effect relationship between adiposity and POAF.

Methods

The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were searched for prospective studies (RCTs, cohort studies, and nest-case control studies) reporting data regarding the relationship between adiposity and the risk of POAF.

Results

Thirty publications involving 139,302 patients were included. Analysis of categorical variables showed that obesity (RR: 1.39, P<0.001), but not being underweight (RR: 1.44, P=0.13) or being overweight (RR: 1.03, P=0.48), was associated with an increased risk of POAF. In the exposure-effect analysis, the summary RR for a 5-unit increment in body mass index (BMI) was 1.09 (P<0.001) for the risk of POAF. There was a significant linear relationship between BMI and POAF (Pnonlinearity=0.91); the curve was flat and began to rise steeply at a BMI of approximately 30. Notably, BMI levels below 30 (overweight) were not associated with a higher risk of POAF. In the subgroup analysis of surgery types, the pooled RR values for a BMI increase of 5 for coronary artery bypass graft and valve surgery were 1.21 (P<0.01) and 1.34 (P=0.25), respectively, suggesting that a potential difference in the association exists by surgery type. Additionally, waist obesity was associated with the risk of POAF (RR: 1.55, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Based on the current evidence, our findings show that adiposity was independently associated with an increased risk of POAF, while being underweight or overweight might not significantly increase the POAF risk. The magnitude of the effect of obesity on AF in patients undergoing valve surgery might be small, and this finding needs to be further confirmed.
Risks and Benefits of Antibiotics vs. COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality
Authors: Tanioka Hisaya , Tanioka Sayaka
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The purpose is to analyze the potential association of each antibiotic consumption rate and use ratio with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, and to investigate the efficacy and safe use of antibiotics against COVID-19.

Design

Retrospective statistical analysis study of antibiotic use compared with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

Methods

Each antibiotic defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day as each antibiotic consumption rate was available in the official reports and each antibacterial use ratio data was calculated from them. Coronavirus Disease data were obtained from the WHO Coronavirus Disease Dashboard. The relationships between the sum of DDD, each antibacterial DDD, each antibiotic use ratio, and COVID-19 morbidity and mortality were examined. The statistical correlation was calculated by univariate linear regression analysis and expressed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results

The sum of DDD had no statistical correlation with mortality and morbidity. Cephalosporins were a negative correlation with them. Penicillins had a weak positive correlation with them. Macrolides, quinolones, and sulfonates showed a slightly negative correlation tendency with mortality.

Conclusions

Cephalosporins may affect less COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Penicillins suggest to accelerate them. The combination of cephalosporins with macrolides or quinolones may be a helpful treatment. The difference in antibiotic use between Japan and EU/EEA countries will suggest an explanation for the reduction in morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19.
Statistical deconvolution for inference of infection time series
Authors: Miller Andrew C. , Hannah Lauren , Futoma Joseph , Foti Nicholas J. , Fox Emily B. , D’Amour Alexander , Sandler Mark , Saurous Rif A. , Lewnard Joseph A.
Published: October 2020

Accurate measurement of daily infection incidence is crucial to epidemic response. However, delays in symptom onset, testing, and reporting obscure the dynamics of transmission, necessitating methods to remove the effects of stochastic delays from observed data. Existing estimators can be sensitive to model misspecification and censored observations; many analysts have instead used methods that exhibit strong bias or do not account for delays. We develop an estimator with a regularization scheme to cope with these sources of noise, which we term the Robust Incidence Deconvolution Estimator (RIDE). We validate RIDE on synthetic data, comparing accuracy and stability to existing approaches. We then use RIDE to study COVID-19 records in the United States, and find evidence that infection estimates from reported cases can be more informative than estimates from mortality data. To implement these methods, we releaseincidental, a ready-to-useRimplementation of our estimator that can aid ongoing efforts to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.
Automated application of novel gene-disease associations to scale reanalysis of undiagnosed patients
Authors: Mensah Nana E. , Sabir Ataf H. , Bond Andrew , Roworth Wendy , Irving Melita , Davies Angela C. , Ahn Joo Wook
Published: October 2020

A pressing challenge for genomic medicine services is to increase the diagnostic rate of molecular testing. Reanalysis of genomic data can increase the diagnostic yield of molecular testing for rare diseases by 5.9-47% and novel gene-disease associations are often cited as the catalyst for significant findings. However, clinical services lack adequate resources to conduct routine reanalysis for unresolved cases. To determine whether an automated application could lead to new diagnoses and streamline routine reanalysis, we developed TierUp. TierUp identifies new gene-disease associations with implications for unresolved rare disease cases recruited to the 100,000 Genomes Project. TierUp streams data from the public PanelApp database to enable routine, up-to-date reanalyses. When applied to 948 undiagnosed rare disease cases, TierUp highlighted 410 high and moderate impact variants in under 77 minutes, reducing the burden of variants for review with this reanalysis strategy by 99%. Ongoing variant interpretation has produced five follow-up clinical reports, including a molecular diagnosis of a rare form of spondylometaphyseal dysplasia. We recommend that clinical services leverage bioinformatics expertise to develop automated reanalysis tools. Additionally, we highlight the need for studies focused on the ethical, legal and health economics considerations raised by automated reanalysis tools.
Characterising factors underlying praxis deficits in chronic left hemisphere stroke patients
Authors: Rounis Elisabeth , Halai Ajay , Pizzamiglio Gloria , Lambon Ralph Matthew A.
Published: October 2020

Limb apraxia, a disorder of skilled action not consequent on primary motor or sensory deficits, has traditionally been defined according to errors patients make on neuropsychological tasks. Previous models of the disorder have failed to provide a unified account of patients’ deficits, due to heterogeneity in the patients and tasks used. In this study we implemented principal component analysis (PCA) to elucidate core factors of the disorder in a cohort of 41 unselected left hemisphere chronic stroke patients who were tested on a comprehensive and validated apraxia screen. Three principal components were identified: posture selection, semantic control and multi-demand sequencing. These were submitted to a lesion symptom mapping (VBCM) analysis in a subset of 24 patients, controlled for lesion volume, age and time post-stroke. Although the first component revealed no significant structural correlates, the second and third components were related to regions in the ‘ventro-dorsal’ and ‘ventral’ and ‘dorsal’ pathways, respectively. These results challenge the previously reported distinction between ideomotor and ideational deficits and highlight a significant role of common cognitive functions in the disorder, which include action selection, semantic retrieval, sequencing and response inhibition. Further research using this technique would help elucidate the cognitive processes underlying limb apraxia and their relationship with other cognitive disorders.
CGG expansion inNOTCH2NLCis associated with oculopharyngodistal myopathy with neurological manifestations
Authors: Ogasawara Masashi , Iida Aritoshi , Kumutpongpanich Theerawat , Ozaki Ayami , Oya Yasushi , Konishi Hirofumi , Nakamura Akinori , Abe Ryuta , Takai Hiroshi , Hanajima Ritsuko , Doi Hiroshi , Tanaka Fumiaki , Nakamura Hisayoshi , Nonaka Ikuya , Wang Zhaoxia , Hayashi Shinichiro , Noguchi Satoru , Nishino Ichizo
Published: October 2020

Background

Oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM) is a rare hereditary muscle disease characterized by progressive distal limb weakness, ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, bulbar muscle weakness and rimmed vacuoles on muscle biopsy. Recently, CGG repeat expansions in the noncoding regions of two genes,LRP12andGIPC1, have been reported to be causative for OPDM. Furthermore, neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) has been recently reported to be caused by CGG repeat expansions inNOTCH2NLC.

Objectives

To identify and to clinicopathologically characterize OPDM patients who have CGG repeat expansions inNOTCH2NLC(OPDM_NOTCH2NLC).

Methods

Two hundred eleven patients from 201 families, who were clinically or clinicopathologically diagnosed with OPDM or oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, were screened for CGG expansions inNOTCH2NLCby repeat primed-PCR. Clinical information and muscle pathology slides of the identified OPDM_NOTCH2NLC patients were re-reviewed. Intra-myonuclear inclusions were further evaluated by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.

Results

Seven Japanese OPDM patients had CGG repeat expansions inNOTCH2NLC. All seven patients clinically had ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, dysarthria, and muscle weakness, and myopathologically had intra-myonuclear inclusions stained with anti-poly-ubiquitinated proteins, anti-SUMO1 and anti-p62 antibodies, which are diagnostic of NIID typically on skin biopsy, in addition to rimmed vacuoles. Sample for electron microscopy was available only from one patient, which showed intranuclear inclusions of 12.6 ± 1.6 nm in diameter.

Conclusions

We identified seven OPDM_NOTCH2NLC patients. Our patients had various additional central and/or peripheral nervous system involvement, albeit all being clinicopathologically compatible; thus, diagnosed as having OPDM, expanding a phenotype of the neuromyodegenerative disease caused by CGG repeat expansions inNOTCH2NLC.
Field evaluation of a rapid antigen test (Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device) for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in primary healthcare centers
Authors: Albert Eliseo , Torres Ignacio , Bueno Felipe , Huntley Dixie , Molla Estefanía , Fernández-Fuentes Miguel Ángel , Martínez Mireia , Poujois Sandrine , Forqué Lorena , Valdivia Arantxa , de la Asunción Carlos Solano , Ferrer Josep , Colomina Javier , Navarro David
Published: October 2020

We evaluated the Panbio™ COVID-19 AG Rapid Test Device (RAD) for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in symptomatic patients attended in primary healthcare centers (n=412). Overall specificity and sensitivity of RAD was 100% and 79.6%, respectively, taking RT-PCR as the reference. SARS-CoV-2 could not be cultured from specimens yielding RT-PCR+/RAD- results.
Age-Stratified SARS-CoV-2 Infection Fatality Rates in New York City estimated from serological data
Authors: Rickards Chloe G. , Kilpatrick A. Marm
Published: October 2020

Importance

COVID-19 has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the US and >1 million globally. Estimating the age-specific infection fatality rate (IFR) of SARS-CoV-2 for different populations is crucial for assessing the fatality of COVID-19 and for appropriately allocating limited vaccine supplies to minimize mortality.

Objective

To estimate IFRs for COVID-19 in New York City and compare them to IFRs from other countries.

Design, Setting, Participants

We used data from a published serosurvey of 5946 individuals 18 years or older conducted April 19-28, 2020 with time series of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths for five age-classes from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We inferred age-specific IFRs using a Bayesian framework that accounted for the distribution of delay between infection and seroconversion and infection and death.

Main Outcome and Measure

Infection fatality rate.

Results

We found that IFRs increased approximately 77-fold with age, with a nearly linear increase on a log scale, from 0.07% (0.055%-0.086%) in 18-44 year olds to 5.4% (4.3%-6.3%) in individuals 75 and older. New York City IFRs were higher for 18-44 year olds and 45-64 year olds (0.58%; 0.45%-0.75%) than Spanish, English, and Swiss populations, but IFRs for 75+ year olds were lower than for English populations and similar to Spanish and Swiss populations.

Conclusions and Relevance

These results suggest that the age-specific fatality of COVID-19 differs among developed countries and raises questions about factors underlying these differences.

Key Points

Question

How do age-specific infection fatality rates (IFR) for COVID-19 in the U.S. compare to other populations?

Findings

We estimated age-specific IFRs of SARS-CoV-2 using seroprevalence data and deaths in New York City. IFRs increased more than 75-fold with age, from 0.07% in 18-45 year olds to 5.3% in individuals over 75. IFRs in New York City were higher than IFRs in England, Geneva, France and Spain for individuals younger than 64 years old, but similar for older individuals.

Meaning

The age-specific fatality of COVID-19 varies significantly among developed nations for unknown reasons.
Quantifying Asymptomatic Infection and Transmission of COVID-19 in New York City using Observed Cases, Serology and Testing Capacity
Authors: Subramanian Rahul , He Qixin , Pascual Mercedes
Published: October 2020

The contributions of asymptomatic infections to herd immunity and community transmission are key to the resurgence and control of COVID-19, but are difficult to estimate using current models that ignore changes in testing capacity. Using a model that incorporates daily testing information fit to the case and serology data from New York City, we show that the proportion of symptomatic cases is low, ranging from 13% to 18%, and that the reproductive number may be larger than often assumed. Asymptomatic infections contribute substantially to herd immunity, and to community transmission together with pre-symptomatic ones. If asymptomatic infections transmit at similar rates than symptomatic ones, the overall reproductive number across all classes is larger than often assumed, with estimates ranging from 3.2 to 4.4. If they transmit poorly, then symptomatic cases have a larger reproductive number ranging from 3.9 to 8.1. Even in this regime, pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases together comprise at least 50% of the force of infection at the outbreak peak. We find no regimes in which all infection sub-populations have reproductive numbers lower than 3. These findings elucidate the uncertainty that current case and serology data cannot resolve, despite consideration of different model structures. They also emphasize how temporal data on testing can reduce and better define this uncertainty, as we move forward through longer surveillance and second epidemic waves. Complementary information is required to determine the transmissibility of asymptomatic cases, which we discuss. Regardless, current assumptions about the basic reproductive number of SARS-Cov-2 should be reconsidered.

Significance Statement

As health officials face another wave of COVID-19, they require estimates of the proportion of infected cases that develop symptoms, and the extent to which symptomatic and asymptomatic cases contribute to community transmission. Recent asymptomatic testing guidelines are ambiguous. Using an epidemiological model that includes testing capacity, we show that most infections are asymptomatic but contribute substantially to community transmission in the aggregate. Their individual transmissibility remains uncertain. If they transmit as well as symptomatic infections, the epidemic may spread at faster rates than current models often assume. If they do not, then each symptomatic case generates on average a higher number of secondary infections than typically assumed. Regardless, controlling transmission requires community-wide interventions informed by extensive, well-documented asymptomatic testing.
Disorder- and emotional context-specific neurofunctional alterations during inhibitory control in generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder
Authors: Liu Congcong , Dai Jing , Chen Yuanshu , Qi Ziyu , Xin Fei , Zhuang Qian , Zhou Xinqi , Zhou Feng , Luo Lizhu , Huang Yulan , Wang Jinyu , Zou Zhili , Chen Huafu , Kendrick Keith M , Zhou Bo , Xu Xiaolei , Becker Benjamin
Published: October 2020

Background

Major Depressive (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are highly debilitating and often co-morbid disorders. The disorders exhibit partly overlapping dysregulations on the behavioral and neurofunctional level, and the determination of disorder-specific alterations may promote neuro-mechanistic and diagnostic specificity.

Methods

In order to determine disorder-specific alterations in the domain of emotion-cognition interactions the present study examined emotional context-specific inhibitory control in treatment-naïve, first-episode MDD (n = 37) and GAD (n = 35) patients and healthy controls (n = 35) by employing a validated affective go/no-go fMRI paradigm.

Findings

On the behavioral level MDD but not GAD patients exhibited impaired inhibitory control irrespective of emotional context. On the neural level, no alterations were observed during the positive context, yet specifically MDD patients demonstrated attenuated recruitment of a broad bilateral network encompassing inferior/medial parietal, posterior frontal, and mid-cingulate regions during inhibitory control in the negative context. GAD patients exhibited a stronger engagement of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relative to MDD patients and within the GAD group better inhibitory control in negative contexts was associated with higher recruitment of this region.

Interpretation

Findings from the present study suggest disorder- and emotional context-specific behavioral and neurofunctional deficits in inhibitory control in MDD in negative emotional contexts and may point to a depression-specific neuropathological and diagnostic marker. In contrast, GAD patients may maintain intact inhibitory performance via compensatory recruitment of prefrontal regulatory regions.
Face masks to prevent transmission of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Yanni , Liang Mingming , Gao Liang , Ahmed Mubashir Ayaz , Uy John Patrick , Cheng Ce , Zhou Qin , Sun Chenyu
Published: October 2020

Background

Based on the current status of the COVID-19 global pandemic, there is an urgent need to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of wearing masks to protect public health from COVID-19 infection.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of using face masks to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP (Chinese) database. There were no language restrictions. This study was registered with PROSPERO under the number CRD42020211862.

Results

A total of 6 case-control studies were included. In general, wearing a mask was associated with a significantly reduced risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.21-0.69, I2 = 54.1%). Heterogeneity modifiers were investigated by subgroup analysis. For healthcare workers group, masks were shown to have a reduce risk of infection by nearly 70%. Studies in China showed a higher protective effect than other countries. Adjusted estimates and subgroup analyses showed similar findings.

Conclusions

The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the conclusion that wearing a mask could reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.
Real-life validation of the Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Abbott) in community-dwelling subjects with symptoms of potential SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Gremmels Hendrik , Winkel Beatrice M.F. , Schuurman Rob , Rosingh Andert , Rigter Nicolette A.M. , Rodriguez Olga , Ubijaan Johan , Wensing Annemarie M.J. , Bonten Marc J.M. , Hofstra L.Marije
Published: October 2020

Background

RT-qPCR is the reference test for identification of active SARS-CoV-2 infection, but is associated with diagnostic delay. Antigen detection assays can generate results within 20 minutes and outside of laboratory settings. Yet, their diagnostic test performance in real life settings has not been determined.

Methods

The diagnostic value of the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test (Abbott), was determined in comparison to RT-qPCR (Seegene Allplex) in community-dwelling mildly symptomatic subjects in a medium (Utrecht, the Netherlands) and high endemic area (Aruba), using two concurrently obtained nasopharyngeal swabs.

Findings

1367 and 208 subjects were enrolled in Utrecht and Aruba, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 prevalence, based on RT-qPCR, was 10.2% (n=139) and 30.3% (n=63) in Utrecht and Aruba respectively. Specificity of the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test was 100% (95%CI: 99.7-100%) in both settings. Test sensitivity was 72.6% (95%CI: 64.5-79.9%) in the Netherlands and 81.0% (95% CI: 69.0–89.8%) in Aruba. Probability of false negative results was associated with RT-qPCR Ct-values, but not with duration of symptoms. Restricting RT-qPCR test positivity to Ct-values <32 yielded test sensitivities of 95.2% (95%CI: 89.3-98.5%) in the Netherlands and 98.0% (95%CI: 89.2–99.95%) in Aruba.

Interpretation

In community-dwelling subjects with mild respiratory symptoms the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test had 100% specificity, and a sensitivity above 95% for nasopharyngeal samples when using Ct values <32 cycles as cut-off for RT-qPCR test positivity. Considering short turnaround times, user friendliness, low costs and opportunities for decentralized testing, this test can improve our efforts to control transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Funding

UMCU and LABHOH, Aruba
Composition of the immunoglobulin G glycome associates with the severity of COVID-19
Authors: Petrović Tea , Alves Inês , Bugada Dario , Pascual Julio , Vučković Frano , Skelin Andrea , Gaifem Joana , Villar-Garcia Judit , Vicente Manuel M. , Fernandes Ângela , Dias Ana M. , Kurolt Ivan-Christian , Markotić Alemka , Primorac Dragan , Soares Adriana , Malheiro Luis , Trbojević-Akmačić Irena , Abreu Miguel , e Castro Rui Sarmento , Bettinelli Silvia , Callegaro Annapaola , Arosio Marco , Sangiorgio Lorena , Lorini Luca F , Castells Xavier , Horcajada Juan P. , Pinho Salomé S. , Allegri Massimo , Barrios Clara , Lauc Gordan
Published: October 2020

A large variation in the severity of disease symptoms is one of the key open questions in COVID-19 pandemics. The fact that only a small subset of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop severe disease suggests that there have to be some predisposing factors, but biomarkers that reliably predict disease severity have not been found so far. Since overactivation of the immune system is implicated in a severe form of COVID-19 and the IgG glycosylation is known to be involved in the regulation of different immune processes, we evaluated the association of inter-individual variation in IgG N-glycome composition with the severity of COVID-19. The analysis of 166 severe and 167 mild cases from hospitals in Spain, Italy and Portugal revealed statistically significant differences in the composition of the IgG N-glycome. The most notable difference was the decrease in bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in severe patients from all three cohorts. IgG galactosylation was also lower in severe cases in all cohorts, but the difference in galactosylation was not statistically significant after correction for multiple testing. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring IgG N-glycome variability in COVID-19 severity.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review on how Diagnosis, Treatment, and Etiology have been considered in Brazil
Authors: Listik Eduardo , Listik Marcia
Published: October 2020

Autism spectrum disorder is a group of developmental disorders whose clinical characteristics include socialization impairment, language disability, and unusual behavior. This review aimed to analyze how the Brazilian community researches autism, seeking answers surrounding its treatment, etiology, and diagnosis. The search for publications was based in Elsevier’s Scopus Database in June 2019 and was focused on the study of autism in Brazil or with Brazilian data. We categorized publications on diagnosis, treatment, and etiology. The majority of the publications found after inclusion/exclusion criteria sought to validate and adapt pre-existing scales to the Brazilian Portuguese. Instead, the groups performing these studies have had little background in the biochemical, genetic, or environmental aspects of the disease in the country.
Applied Ontologies for Global Health Surveillance and Pandemic Intelligence
Authors: Baker Christopher J. O. , Al Manir Mohammad Sadnan , Brenas Jon Hael , Zinszer Kate , Shaban-Nejad Arash
Published: October 2020

Global health surveillance and pandemic intelligence rely on the systematic collection and integration of data from diverse distributed and heterogeneous sources at various levels of granularity. These sources include data from multiple disciplines represented in different formats, languages, and structures posing significant integration challenges This article provides an overview of challenges in data driven surveillance. Using Malaria surveillance as a use case we highlight the contribution made by emerging semantic data federation technologies that offer enhanced interoperability, interpretability and explainability through the adoption of ontologies. The paper concludes with a focus on the relevance of these technologies for ongoing pandemic preparedness initiatives.
Evaluation of Nowcasting for Real-Time COVID-19 Tracking — New York City, March–May 2020
Authors: Greene Sharon K. , McGough Sarah F. , Culp Gretchen M. , Graf Laura E. , Lipsitch Marc , Menzies Nicolas A. , Kahn Rebecca
Published: October 2020

To account for delays between specimen collection and report, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene used a time-correlated Bayesian nowcasting approach to support real-time COVID-19 situational awareness. We retrospectively evaluated nowcasting performance for case counts among residents diagnosed during March–May 2020, a period when the median reporting delay was 2 days. Nowcasts with a 2-week moving window and a negative binomial distribution had lower mean absolute error, lower relative root mean square error, and higher 95% prediction interval coverage than nowcasts conducted with a 3-week moving window or with a Poisson distribution. Nowcasts conducted toward the end of the week outperformed nowcasts performed earlier in the week, given fewer patients diagnosed on weekends and lack of day-of-week adjustments. When estimating case counts for weekdays only, metrics were similar across days the nowcasts were conducted, with Mondays having the lowest mean absolute error, of 183 cases in the context of an average daily weekday case count of 2,914. Nowcasting ensured that recent decreases in observed case counts were not overinterpreted as true declines and supported health department leadership in anticipating the magnitude and timing of hospitalizations and deaths and allocating resources geographically.
LOCKDOWN FATIGUE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PREDICTIVE ROLE OF PERSONAL RESILIENCE, COPING BEHAVIOURS, AND HEALTH
Authors: Labrague Leodoro J. , Ballad Cherry Ann
Published: October 2020

Background

The lockdown measures imposed by many countries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been useful in slowing the transmission of the disease; however, there is growing concern regarding their adverse consequences on overall health and well-being, particularly among young people. To date, most studies have focused on the mental health consequences of the lockdown measures, while studies assessing how this disease control measure influences the occurrence of fatigue are largely absent.

Aim

The aims of this study are two-fold: (a) to examine the levels of lockdown fatigue, and (2) to determine the role of coping behaviours, personal resilience, psychological well-being and perceived health in fatigue associated to the lockdown measure.

Methods

This is an online cross-sectional study involving 243 college students in the Central Philippines during the sixth month of the lockdown measure implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five standardised scales were used to collect the data.

Results

Overall, college students reported moderate levels of lockdown fatigue, with a mean score of 31.54 (out of 50). Physical exhaustion or tiredness, headaches and body pain, decreased motivation and increased worry were the most pronounced manifestations of fatigue reported. Gender and college year were identified as important predictors of fatigue. Increased personal resilience and coping skills were associated with lower levels of lockdown fatigue.

Conclusion

College students experience moderate levels of fatigue during the mandatory lockdown or home confinement period. Resilient students and those who perceive higher social support experience lower levels of fatigue during the lockdown period compared to students with low resilience and social support. Lockdown fatigue may be addressed by formulating and implementing interventions to enhance personal resilience and social support among college students.
Structural and metabolic brain abnormalities in COVID-19 patients with sudden loss of smell
Authors: Niesen Maxime , Trotta Nicola , Noel Antoine , Coolen Tim , Fayad Georges , Leurkin-Sterk Gil , Delpierre Isabelle , Henrard Sophie , Sadeghi Niloufar , Goffard Jean-Christophe , Goldman Serge , De Tiège Xavier
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Sudden loss of smell is a very common symptom of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). This study characterizes the structural and metabolic cerebral correlates of dysosmia in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

Structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) were prospectively acquired simultaneously on a hybrid PET-MR in twelve patients (2 males, 10 females, mean age: 42.6 years, age range: 23-60 years) with sudden dysosmia and positive detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on nasopharyngeal swab specimens. FDG-PET data were analysed using a voxel-based approach and compared with that of a group of healthy subjects.

Results

Bilateral blocking of the olfactory cleft was observed in six patients, while subtle olfactory bulb asymmetry was found in three patients. No MRI signal abnormality downstream of the olfactory tract was observed. Heterogeneous (decrease or increase) glucose metabolism abnormalities were observed in core olfactory and high-order neocortical areas. A modulation of regional cerebral glucose metabolism by the severity and the duration of COVID-19-related dysosmia was disclosed using correlation analyses.

Conclusions

This PET-MR study shows that sudden loss of smell in COVID-19 is not related to central involvement due to SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasiveness. Loss of smell is associated with heterogeneous cerebral metabolic changes in core olfactory and high-order cortical areas likely related to combined processes of deafferentation and active functional reorganisation secondary to the lack of olfactory stimulation.
The Response of Pakistani Social Workers amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of the Main Challenges
Authors: Abbas Kiran , Ul Haq Muhammad Inam , Zaidi Wareesha Afaq , Kaleem Ahmed , Sohail Hamza , Ahmed Moiz
Published: October 2020

The study aimed to highlight the main challenges faced by the social workers amid the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted between March 2020 to May 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan. All participants who belonged to a non-profit organization were eligible to participate. Open-ended questions were asked by the participants. The mean age of the participants was 24.8 ± 5.9 years. The main challenges faced by the social workers were: i) resistance from the family and friends, ii) lack of personal protective equipment, iii) mistrust from public, iv) uncooperative government/authorities.
Prevalence and predictors of coronaphobia among frontline hospital and public health nurses
Authors: Labrague Leodoro J. , De Los Santos Janet Alexis A.
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To determine the prevalence rate as well as the predictors of coronaphobia in frontline hospital and public health nurses.

Design

This study used a cross-sectional research study involving 736 nurses working in COVID-19 designated hospitals and health units in Region 8, Philippines. Four structured self-report scales were used, including the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, and the single-item measure for perceived health.

Results

The prevalence rate of coronaphobia was 54.76% (n= 402): 37.04% (n= 130) in hospital nurses and 70.91% (n= 273) in public health nurses. Additionally, nurses’ gender (β= 0.146,p= 0.001), marital status (β= 0.101,p= 0.009), job status (β= 0.132,p= 0.001), and personal resilience (β= −0.154,p= 0.005) were identified as predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. A small proportion of nurses was willing (19.94%,n= 70) and fully prepared (9.40%,n= 33) to manage and care for coronavirus patients.

Conclusion

Coronaphobia is prevalent among frontline Filipino nurses, particularly among public health nurses. Interventions to address coronaphobia among frontline nurses in the hospital and community should consider the predictors identified. By increasing personal resilience in nurses through theoretically-driven intervention, coronaphobia may be alleviated.
Cooperation-based sperm clusters mediate sperm oviduct entry and fertilization
Authors: Qu Yongcun , Chen Qi , Guo Shanshan , Ma Chiyuan , Lu Yonggang , Shi Junchao , Liu Shichao , Zhou Tong , Noda Taichi , Qian Jingjing , Zhang Liwen , Zhu Xili , Lei Xiaohua , Cao Yujing , Li Wei , Li Wei , Plachta Nicolas , Matzuk Martin M. , Ikawa Masahito , Duan Enkui , Zhang Ying , Wang Hongmei
Published: October 2020

Sperm cooperation has been observed in multiple species, yet its existence and benefit for reproductive success in mammals remains underexplored. Here, combining tissue-clearing with deep three-dimensional imaging, we demonstrate that postcopulatory mouse sperm congregate into unidirectional sperm cooperative clusters at the utero-tubal junction (UTJ), a key physical barrier for passage into the oviduct. Reducing sperm number in male mice by unilateral vasoligation or busulfan-treatment impairs sperm cluster formation and oviduct entry. Interestingly, sperm derived fromTex101−/−mouse has normal number, motility and morphology, yet they cannot form sperm cluster and fail to pass through the UTJ, which is at least in part due to the altered tail beating pattern of theTex101−/−sperm. Moreover,Tex101−/−sperm’s defect in oviduct entry cannot be rescued by the presence of wild-type (WT) sperm in the same uteri by sequential mating, suggesting sperm cooperative cluster as an essential behavior contributing to male fertility, which could be related to human infertility or subfertility.
Structural coordination between active sites of a Cas6-reverse transcriptase-Cas1—Cas2 CRISPR integrase complex
Authors: Wang Joy Y. , Hoel Christopher M. , Al-Shayeb Basem , Banfield Jillian F. , Brohawn Stephen G. , Doudna Jennifer A.
Published: October 2020

CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity in bacteria and archaea by targeting foreign DNA for destruction using CRISPR RNA-guided enzymes. CRISPR immunity begins with integration of foreign sequences into the host CRISPR genomic locus, followed by transcription and maturation of CRISPR RNAs. In a few CRISPR systems, the Cas1 integrase and a Cas6 nuclease are fused to a reverse transcriptase that enables viral sequence acquisition from both DNA and RNA sources. To determine how these components work together, we determined a 3.7 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of a Cas6-RT-Cas1 protein complexed with Cas2, a subunit of the CRISPR integrase. The structure and accompanying mutagenesis experiments provide evidence of bidirectional crosstalk between the Cas1 and RT active sites and unidirectional crosstalk from Cas6 to the Cas1 and RT active sites. Together, these findings suggest regulated structural rearrangements that may coordinate the complex’s different enzymatic activities.
Expanding diversity of Asgard archaea and the elusive ancestry of eukaryotes
Authors: Liu Yang , Makarova Kira S. , Huang Wen-Cong , Wolf Yuri I. , Nikolskaya Anastasia , Zhang Xinxu , Cai Mingwei , Zhang Cui-Jing , Xu Wei , Luo Zhuhua , Cheng Lei , Koonin Eugene V. , Li Meng
Published: October 2020

Comparative analysis of 162 (nearly) complete genomes of Asgard archaea, including 75 not reported previously, substantially expands the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of the Asgard superphylum, with six additional phyla proposed. Phylogenetic analysis does not strongly support origin of eukaryotes from within Asgard, leaning instead towards a three-domain topology, with eukaryotes branching outside archaea. Comprehensive protein domain analysis in the 162 Asgard genomes results in a major expansion of the set of eukaryote signature proteins (ESPs). The Asgard ESPs show variable phyletic distributions and domain architectures, suggestive of dynamic evolution via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), gene loss, gene duplication and domain shuffling. The results appear best compatible with the origin of the conserved core of eukaryote genes from an unknown ancestral lineage deep within or outside the extant archaeal diversity. Such hypothetical ancestors would accumulate components of the mobile archaeal ‘eukaryome’ via extensive HGT, eventually, giving rise to eukaryote-like cells.
Structure of a transcribing RNA polymerase II–U1 snRNP complex
Authors: Zhang Suyang , Aibara Shintaro , Vos Seychelle M. , Agafonov Dmitry E. , Lührmann Reinhard , Cramer Patrick
Published: October 2020

To initiate co-transcriptional splicing, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruits U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (U1 snRNP) to nascent pre-mRNA. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of a mammalian transcribing Pol II-U1 snRNP complex. The structure reveals that Pol II and U1 snRNP interact directly. This interaction positions the 5’ splice site in pre-mRNA near the RNA exit site of Pol II. Extension of pre-mRNA retains the 5’ splice site, leading to formation of an intron loop. Loop formation may facilitate scanning of the nascent pre-mRNA for the 3’ splice site and enable prespliceosome assembly and functional pairing of distant intron ends. Our results provide a starting point for a mechanistic analysis of co-transcriptional splicing and the biogenesis of mRNA isoforms during alternative splicing.
Activation by Cleavage of the Epithelial Na+Channel α and γ Subunits Independently Coevolved with the Vertebrate Terrestrial Migration
Authors: Wang Xue-Ping , Balchak Deidra M. , Gentilcore Clayton , Clark Nathan L. , Kashlan Ossama B.
Published: October 2020

Vertebrates evolved mechanisms for sodium conservation and gas exchange in conjunction with migration from aquatic to terrestrial habitats. Epithelial Na+channel (ENaC) function is critical to systems responsible for extracellular fluid homeostasis and gas exchange. ENaC is activated by cleavage at multiple specific extracellular polybasic sites, releasing inhibitory tracts from the channel’s α and γ subunits. We found that proximal and distal polybasic tracts in ENaC subunits coevolved, consistent with the dual cleavage requirement for activation observed in mammals. Polybasic tract pairs evolved with the terrestrial migration and the appearance of lungs, coincident with the ENaC activator aldosterone, and appeared independently in the α and γ subunits. In summary, sites within ENaC for protease activation developed in vertebrates when renal Na+conservation and alveolar gas exchange was required for terrestrial survival.