bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Residual-baseda posteriorierror estimates of mixed methods for a three-field Biot’s consolidation model
Authors: Li Yuwen , Zikatanov Ludmil T
Published: September 2020

We present residual-based a posteriori error estimates of mixed finite element methods for the three-field formulation of Biot’s consolidation model. The error estimator are upper and lower bounds of the space-time discretization error up to data oscillation. As a by-product, we also obtain a new a posteriori error estimate of mixed finite element methods for the heat equation.
Newton–Okounkov Bodies of Flag Varieties and Combinatorial Mutations
Authors: Fujita Naoki , Higashitani Akihiro
Published: September 2020

A Newton–Okounkov body is a convex body constructed from a projective variety with a globally generated line bundle and with a higher rank valuation on the function field, which gives a systematic method of constructing toric degenerations of projective varieties. Its combinatorial properties heavily depend on the choice of a valuation, and it is a fundamental problem to relate Newton–Okounkov bodies associated with different kinds of valuations. In this paper, we address this problem for flag varieties using the framework of combinatorial mutations, which was introduced in the context of mirror symmetry for Fano manifolds. By applying iterated combinatorial mutations, we connect specific Newton–Okounkov bodies of flag varieties including string polytopes, Nakashima–Zelevinsky polytopes, and Feigin–Fourier–Littelmann–Vinberg polytopes.
Immunogenicity of a Live-Attenuated Dengue Vaccine Using a Heterologous Prime-Boost Strategy in a Phase 1 Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Lin Leyi , Koren Michael A , Paolino Kristopher M , Eckels Kenneth H , De La Barrera Rafael , Friberg Heather , Currier Jeffrey R , Gromowski Gregory D , Aronson Naomi E , Keiser Paul B , Sklar Marvin J , Sondergaard Erica L , Jasper Louis E , Endy Timothy P , Jarman Richard G , Thomas Stephen J
Published: September 2020

Background

Dengue is a global health problem and the development of a tetravalent dengue vaccine with durable protection is a high priority. A heterologous prime-boost strategy has the advantage of eliciting immune responses through different mechanisms and therefore may be superior to homologous prime-boost strategies for generating durable tetravalent immunity.

Methods

In this phase 1 first-in-human heterologous prime-boost study, 80 volunteers were assigned to 4 groups and received a tetravalent dengue virus (DENV-1–4) purified inactivated vaccine (TDENV-PIV) with alum adjuvant and a tetravalent dengue virus (DENV-1–4) live attenuated vaccine (TDENV-LAV) in different orders and dosing schedules (28 or 180 days apart).

Results

All vaccination regimens had acceptable safety profiles and there were no vaccine-related serious adverse events. TDEN-PIV followed by TDEN-LAV induced higher neutralizing antibody titers and a higher rate of tetravalent seroconversions compared to TDEN-LAV followed by TDEN-PIV. Both TDEN-PIV followed by TDEN-LAV groups demonstrated 100% tetravalent seroconversion 28 days following the booster dose, which was maintained for most of these subjects through the day 180 measurement.

Conclusions

A heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy for dengue merits additional evaluation for safety, immunogenicity, and potential for clinical benefit.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT02239614.
From Thucydides to 1648: The “Missing” Years in IR and the Missing Voices in World History
Authors: Blachford Kevin
Published: September 2020

International relations (IR) defines itself as a discipline by adhering to a Westphalian narrative centered on 1648. The following paper argues that IR should broaden its engagement with history to consider the international prior to 1648 and to examine global and transnational historical accounts that challenge the states in anarchy framework. This paper examines how pre-modern history is often used within IR as a foil for which western modernity and its superiority is defined. It concludes by arguing for the need to re-read the processes of modernity and imperialism that are commonly seen as the prelude to the familiar Eurocentric stories told in IR.
Opportunities for the use of health information technology to support research
Authors: Zayas-Cabán Teresa , Wald Jonathan S
Published: September 2020

In the last decade, expanding use of health information technology (IT) across the United States has created opportunities for use of electronic health data for health services and biomedical research, but efforts may be hampered by limited data access, data quality, and system functionality. We identify five opportunities to advance the use of health IT for health services and biomedical research, which informed a federal government-led, collaborative effort to develop a relevant policy and development agenda. In particular, the health IT infrastructure should more effectively support the use of electronic health data for research; provide adaptable technologies; incorporate relevant research-related functionality; support patient and caregiver engagement in research; and support effective integration of knowledge into practice. While not exhaustive, these represent important opportunities that the biomedical and health informatics communities can pursue to better leverage health IT and electronic health data for research.
How Much Can We Generalize From Impact Evaluations?
Authors: Vivalt Eva
Published: September 2020

Impact evaluations can help to inform policy decisions, but they are rooted in particular contexts and to what extent they generalize is an open question. I exploit a new data set of impact evaluation results and find a large amount of effect heterogeneity. Effect sizes vary systematically with study characteristics, with government-implemented programs having smaller effect sizes than academic or non-governmental organization-implemented programs, even controlling for sample size. I show that treatment effect heterogeneity can be appreciably reduced by taking study characteristics into account.
‘A matter of love’
Authors: Herman Nicholas
Published: September 2020

This article examines the career and collection of Lewis V. Randall (1893–1972), a German-born Jewish banker turned Montrealer and amateur art historian. Though virtually forgotten today, Randall assembled the finest collection of Renaissance art ever held in Canada. This ensemble included drawings by Leonardo, Dürer, Patinir, Schongauer, Cranach, Rembrandt and Bosch, as well as manuscript illuminations, sculptures, panel paintings and stained glass. After the Second World War, Randall founded the art history department at the University of Montreal. Drawing on his extensive network of friends, which included Erwin Panofsky and André Chastel, he assembled a brilliant but short-lived cohort of francophone scholars around the fledgling department.
Recommended Definitions of Aggressive Prostate Cancer for Etiologic Epidemiologic Research
Authors: Hurwitz Lauren M , Agalliu Ilir , Albanes Demetrius , Barry Kathryn Hughes , Berndt Sonja I , Cai Qiuyin , Chen Chu , Cheng Iona , Genkinger Jeanine M , Giles Graham G , Huang Jiaqi , Joshu Corinne E , Key Tim J , Knutsen Synnove , Koutros Stella , Langseth Hilde , Li Sherly X , MacInnis Robert J , Markt Sarah C , Penney Kathryn L , Perez-Cornago Aurora , Rohan Thomas E , Smith-Warner Stephanie A , Stampfer Meir J , Stopsack Konrad H , Tangen Catherine M , Travis Ruth C , Weinstein Stephanie J , Wu Lang , Jacobs Eric J , Mucci Lorelei A , Platz Elizabeth A , Cook Michael B ,   the Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (PC3) Working Group
Published: September 2020

Background

In the era of widespread prostate-specific antigen testing, it is important to focus etiologic research on the outcome of aggressive prostate cancer, but studies have defined this outcome differently. We aimed to develop an evidence-based consensus definition of aggressive prostate cancer using clinical features at diagnosis for etiologic epidemiologic research.

Methods

Among prostate cancer cases diagnosed in 2007 in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-18 database with follow-up through 2017, we compared the performance of categorizations of aggressive prostate cancer in discriminating fatal prostate cancer within 10 years of diagnosis, placing the most emphasis on sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV).

Results

In our case population (n = 55 900), 3073 men died of prostate cancer within 10 years. Among 12 definitions that included TNM staging and Gleason score, sensitivities ranged from 0.64 to 0.89 and PPVs ranged from 0.09 to 0.23. We propose defining aggressive prostate cancer as diagnosis of category T4 or N1 or M1 or Gleason score of 8 or greater prostate cancer, because this definition had one of the higher PPVs (0.23, 95% confidence interval = 0.22 to 0.24) and reasonable sensitivity (0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.64 to 0.67) for prostate cancer death within 10 years. Results were similar across sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

We recommend that etiologic epidemiologic studies of prostate cancer report results for this definition of aggressive prostate cancer. We also recommend that studies separately report results for advanced category (T4 or N1 or M1), high-grade (Gleason score ≥8), and fatal prostate cancer. Use of this comprehensive set of endpoints will facilitate comparison of results from different studies and help elucidate prostate cancer etiology.
‘I Kept My Gun’: Displacement’s Impact on Reshaping Social Distinction During Return
Authors: Akoi Abraham Diing , Pendle Naomi R
Published: September 2020

Scholarship prompted by 40 years of mass repatriations has highlighted that repatriations and returns are shaped by social navigation and renegotiation of ‘home’. This article argues that the original experience of displacement itself, and the interconnected social rupture or continuity, moderates this negotiation and has consequences for social distinction, class reproduction, and political emplacement as refugees return. Specifically, the article considers the diverse social implications of both refugee camp education and wartime militarization, and the mediation of their social consequences by the specificities of histories of initial displacement. We do this by exploring the first 10 years of socio-political struggles of men born in Southern Sudan in the 1980s who lived in Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) in the 1990s and who returned to Southern Sudan after the 2005 peace agreement. The article contrasts experiences of those who were born in Greater Gogrial and Greater Bor as a way to take account of different histories of displacement.
A Note on Evagrius’ Cosmological and Metaphysical Statements
Authors: Costache Doru
Published: September 2020

Overall, contemporary scholars consider Evagrius’ Chapters on Knowledge a metaphysical work which proposes a fully fledged cosmology. This cosmology refers to the pre-existence of a spiritual universe and the final dematerialization of the cosmos. Recent scholars, however, challenge the metaphysical assumption, advocating a monastic interpretation. I apply to Chapters the monastic lens of Evagrius’ The Monk and The Gnostic, proposing that his metaphysical and cosmological narrative encodes a map of spiritual experience. My approach also relies on recent reinterpretations of Evagrius’ masters and intellectual heirs.
A revised view of the Canis Major stellar overdensity with DECam and Gaia: new evidence of a stellar warp of blue stars
Authors: Carballo-Bello Julio A , Martínez-Delgado David , Corral-Santana Jesús M , Alfaro Emilio J , Navarrete Camila , Vivas A Katherina , Catelan Márcio
Published: September 2020

We present the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) imaging combined with Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) data to study the Canis Major overdensity. The presence of the so-called Blue Plume stars in a low-pollution area of the colour–magnitude diagram allows us to derive the distance and proper motions of this stellar feature along the line of sight of its hypothetical core. The stellar overdensity extends on a large area of the sky at low Galactic latitudes, below the plane, and in the range 230° < ℓ < 255°. According to the orbit derived for Canis Major, it presents an on-plane rotation around the Milky Way. Moreover, additional overdensities of Blue Plume stars are found around the plane and across the Galaxy, proving that these objects are not only associated with that structure. The spatial distribution of these stars, derived using Gaia astrometric data, confirms that the detection of the Canis Major overdensity results more from the warped structure of the Milky Way disc than from the accretion of a dwarf galaxy.
Genomic Signatures of Coevolution between Nonmodel Mammals and Parasitic Roundworms
Authors: Hu Yibo , Yu Lijun , Fan Huizhong , Huang Guangping , Wu Qi , Nie Yonggang , Liu Shuai , Yan Li , Wei Fuwen
Published: September 2020

Antagonistic coevolution between host and parasite drives species evolution. However, most of the studies only focus on parasitism adaptation and do not explore the coevolution mechanisms from the perspective of both host and parasite. Here, through the de novo sequencing and assembly of the genomes of giant panda roundworm, red panda roundworm, and lion roundworm parasitic on tiger, we investigated the genomic mechanisms of coevolution between nonmodel mammals and their parasitic roundworms and those of roundworm parasitism in general. The genome-wide phylogeny revealed that these parasitic roundworms have not phylogenetically coevolved with their hosts. The CTSZ and prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit beta (P4HB) immunoregulatory proteins played a central role in protein interaction between mammals and parasitic roundworms. The gene tree comparison identified that seven pairs of interactive proteins had consistent phylogenetic topology, suggesting their coevolution during host–parasite interaction. These coevolutionary proteins were particularly relevant to immune response. In addition, we found that the roundworms of both pandas exhibited higher proportions of metallopeptidase genes, and some positively selected genes were highly related to their larvae’s fast development. Our findings provide novel insights into the genetic mechanisms of coevolution between nonmodel mammals and parasites and offer the valuable genomic resources for scientific ascariasis prevention in both pandas.
Embryonic erythropoiesis and hemoglobin switching require transcriptional repressor ETO2 to modulate chromatin organization
Authors: Guo Xiang , Plank-Bazinet Jennifer , Krivega Ivan , Dale Ryan K , Dean Ann
Published: September 2020

The underlying mechanism of transcriptional co-repressor ETO2 during early erythropoiesis and hemoglobin switching is unclear. We find that absence of ETO2 in mice interferes with down-regulation of PU.1 and GATA2 in the fetal liver, impeding a key step required for commitment to erythroid maturation. In human β-globin transgenic Eto2 null mice and in human CD34+ erythroid progenitor cells with reduced ETO2, loss of ETO2 results in ineffective silencing of embryonic/fetal globin gene expression, impeding hemoglobin switching during erythroid differentiation. ETO2 occupancy genome-wide occurs virtually exclusively at LDB1-complex binding sites in enhancers and ETO2 loss leads to increased enhancer activity and expression of target genes. ETO2 recruits the NuRD nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation complex to regulate histone acetylation and nucleosome occupancy in the β-globin locus control region and γ-globin gene. Loss of ETO2 elevates LDB1, MED1 and Pol II in the locus and facilitates fetal γ-globin/LCR looping and γ-globin transcription. Absence of the ETO2 hydrophobic heptad repeat region impairs ETO2-NuRD interaction and function in antagonizing γ-globin/LCR looping. Our results reveal a pivotal role for ETO2 in erythropoiesis and globin gene switching through its repressive role in the LDB1 complex, affecting the transcription factor and epigenetic environment and ultimately restructuring chromatin organization.
Structural basis of DNA replication origin recognition by human Orc6 protein binding with DNA
Authors: Xu Naining , You Yingying , Liu Changdong , Balasov Maxim , Lun Lee Tung , Geng Yanyan , Fung Chun Po , Miao Haitao , Tian Honglei , Choy To To , Shi Xiao , Fan Zhuming , Zhou Bo , Akhmetova Katarina , Din Rahman Ud , Yang Hongyu , Hao Quan , Qian Peiyuan , Chesnokov Igor , Zhu Guang
Published: September 2020

The six-subunit origin recognition complex (ORC), a DNA replication initiator, defines the localization of the origins of replication in eukaryotes. The Orc6 subunit is the smallest and the least conserved among ORC subunits. It is required for DNA replication and essential for viability in all species. Orc6 in metazoans carries a structural homology with transcription factor TFIIB and can bind DNA on its own. Here, we report a solution structure of the full-length human Orc6 (HsOrc6) alone and in a complex with DNA. We further showed that human Orc6 is composed of three independent domains: N-terminal, middle and C-terminal (HsOrc6-N, HsOrc6-M and HsOrc6-C). We also identified a distinct DNA-binding domain of human Orc6, named as HsOrc6-DBD. The detailed analysis of the structure revealed novel amino acid clusters important for the interaction with DNA. Alterations of these amino acids abolish DNA-binding ability of Orc6 and result in reduced levels of DNA replication. We propose that Orc6 is a DNA-binding subunit of human/metazoan ORC and may play roles in targeting, positioning and assembling the functional ORC at the origins.
Detection of genomic G-quadruplexes in living cells using a small artificial protein
Authors: Zheng Ke-wei , Zhang Jia-yu , He Yi-de , Gong Jia-yuan , Wen Cui-jiao , Chen Juan-nan , Hao Yu-hua , Zhao Yong , Tan Zheng
Published: September 2020

G-quadruplex (G4) structures formed by guanine-rich nucleic acids are implicated in essential physiological and pathological processes and serve as important drug targets. The genome-wide detection of G4s in living cells is important for exploring the functional role of G4s but has not yet been achieved due to the lack of a suitable G4 probe. Here we report an artificial 6.7 kDa G4 probe (G4P) protein that binds G4s with high affinity and specificity. We used it to capture G4s in living human, mouse, and chicken cells with the ChIP-Seq technique, yielding genome-wide landscape as well as details on the positions, frequencies, and sequence identities of G4 formation in these cells. Our results indicate that transcription is accompanied by a robust formation of G4s in genes. In human cells, we detected up to >123 000 G4P peaks, of which >1/3 had a fold increase of ≥5 and were present in >60% promoters and ∼70% genes. Being much smaller than a scFv antibody (27 kDa) or even a nanobody (12–15 kDa), we expect that the G4P may find diverse applications in biology, medicine, and molecular devices as a G4 affinity agent.
Conditional guide RNA through two intermediate hairpins for programmable CRISPR/Cas9 function: building regulatory connections between endogenous RNA expressions
Authors: Lin Jiao , Liu Yan , Lai Peidong , Ye Huixia , Xu Liang
Published: September 2020

A variety of nanodevices developed for nucleic acid computation provide great opportunities to construct versatile synthetic circuits for manipulation of gene expressions. In our study, by employing a two-hairpin mediated nucleic acid strand displacement as a processing joint for conditional guide RNA, we aim to build artificial connections between naturally occurring RNA expressions through programmable CRISPR/Cas9 function. This two-hairpin joint possesses a sequence-switching machinery, in which a random trigger strand can be processed to release an unconstrained sequence-independent strand and consequently activate the self-inhibitory guide RNA for conditional gene regulation. This intermediate processor was characterized by the fluorescence reporter system and applied for regulation of the CRISPR/Cas9 binding activity. Using plasmids to generate this sequence-switching machinery in situ, we achieved the autonomous genetic regulation of endogenous RNA expressions controlled by other unrelated endogenous RNAs in both E. coli and human cells. Unlike previously reported strand-displacement genetic circuits, this advanced nucleic acid nanomachine provides a novel approach that can establish regulatory connections between naturally occurring endogenous RNAs. In addition to CRISPR systems, we anticipate this two-hairpin machine can serve as a general processing joint for wide applications in the development of other RNA-based genetic circuits.
Prognostic impact of CDKN2A/B deletion, TERT mutation, and EGFR amplification on histological and molecular IDH-wildtype glioblastoma
Authors: Ma Sirui , Rudra Soumon , Campian Jian L , Dahiya Sonika , Dunn Gavin P , Johanns Tanner , Goldstein Michael , Kim Albert H , Huang Jiayi
Published: September 2020

Background

We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of molecular glioblastoma (mGBM) as compared to histological GBM (hGBM) and to determine the prognostic impact of TERT mutation, EGFR amplification, and CDKN2A/B deletion on isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype GBM.

Methods

IDH-wildtype GBM patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) between 2012 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. mGBM was defined as grade II-III IDH-wildtype astrocytoma without histological features of GBM but with one of the following molecular alterations: TERT mutation, EGFR amplification, or combination of whole chromosome 7 gain and whole chromosome 10 loss. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated from RT and analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariable analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox regression to identify independent predictors of OS and PFS.

Results

Of the 367 eligible patients, the median follow-up was 11.7 months. mGBM and hGBM did not have significantly different OS (median: 16.6 vs 13.5 months, respectively, P = .16), nor PFS (median: 11.7 vs 7.3 months, respectively, P = .08). However, mGBM was associated with better OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.50, 95% CI 0.29–0.88) and PFS (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.26–0.72) than hGBM after adjusting for known prognostic factors on MVA. CDKN2A/B deletion was associated with worse OS (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.003–2.46) and PFS (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.04–2.36) on MVA, but TERT mutation and EGFR amplification were not.

Conclusion

Criteria for mGBM may require further refinement and validation. CDKN2A/B deletion, but not TERT mutation or EGFR amplification, may be an independent prognostic biomarker for IDH-wildtype GBM patients.
Tularemia: A Case Series of Patients Diagnosed at the National Reference Center for Rickettsioses From 2008 to 2017
Authors: Darmon-Curti Anne , Darmon François , Edouard Sophie , Hennebique Aurélie , Guimard Thomas , Martin-Blondel Guillaume , Klopfenstein Timothée , Talarmin Jean-Philippe , Raoult Didier , Maurin Max , Fournier Pierre-Edouard
Published: September 2020

Background

We describe the epidemiological, clinical, and prognostic aspects of 177 tularemia cases diagnosed at the National Reference Center for rickettsioses, coxiellosis, and bartonelloses between 2008 and 2017.

Methods

All patients with a microbiological diagnosis of tularemia made in the laboratory were included. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected retrospectively from clinicians in charge of patients using a standardized questionnaire. Diagnostic methods used were indirect immunofluorescence serology, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and universal PCR targeting the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene.

Results

The series included 54 females and 123 males (sex ratio, 2.28; mean age, 47.38 years). Eighty-nine (50.2%) were confirmed as having tularemia on the basis of a positive Francisella tularensis PCR or seroconversion, and 88 (49.8%) were considered as probable due to a single positive serum. The regions of France that were most affected included Pays de la Loire (22% of cases), Nouvelle Aquitaine (18.6% of cases), and Grand Est (12.4% of cases). Patients became infected mainly through contact with rodents or game (38 cases, 21.4%), through tick-bites (23 cases, 12.9%), or during outdoor leisure activities (37 cases, 20.9%). Glandular and ulceroglandular forms were the most frequent (109 cases, 61.5%). Two aortitis, an infectious endocarditis, a myocarditis, an osteoarticular infection, and a splenic hematoma were also diagnosed. Tularemia was discovered incidentally in 54.8% of cases. Seventy-eight patients were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that in an endemic area and/or in certain epidemiological contexts, tularemia should be sought to allow an optimized antibiotic therapy and a faster recovery.
Incidence and Presentation of Sarcoidosis With and Without HIV Infection
Authors: Hanberg Jennifer S , Akgün Kathleen M , Hsieh Evelyn , Fraenkel Liana , Justice Amy C
Published: September 2020

Background

Case reports describe incident sarcoidosis in persons with HIV (PWH). The association between HIV and risk of sarcoidosis, and differences in presentation in PWH, have not been systematically assessed.

Methods

Subjects were selected from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS), a longitudinal cohort study including veterans with HIV and matched uninfected veterans. This was a prospective observational analysis in which we evaluated both the incidence (via incidence rate ratio) and presentation and treatment (by comparison of rates of organ involvement and use of medications) of sarcoidosis in PWH compared with HIV-negative controls. We also assessed risk factors (via Cox regression) associated with the development of sarcoidosis including CD4 count and viral load trajectory.

Results

Of 1614 patients evaluated via chart review, 875 (54%) had prevalent sarcoidosis and 325 (20%) had confirmed incident sarcoidosis. Incident sarcoidosis occurred in 59 PWH and 266 uninfected. The incidence of sarcoidosis was lower in PWH than uninfected (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46–0.81) and especially low in patients with unsuppressed viremia (IRR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02–0.08) compared with uninfected). At diagnosis of sarcoidosis, the median CD4 count among PWH was 409 cells/mm3; 77% had HIV-1 RNA <500 copies/mL. No significant differences were observed between PWH and uninfected in terms of organ involvement, disease severity, or use of oral glucocorticoids.

Conclusions

HIV, particularly with persistent viremia, was associated with decreased risk of incident sarcoidosis; severity and treatment were similar between PWH and uninfected.
SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF INDOOR RADON CONCENTRATION IN SCHOOLS: IMPLICATIONS ON RADON MEASUREMENT PROTOCOLS
Authors: Curguz Z , Venoso G , Zunic Z S , Mirjanic D , Ampollini M , Carpentieri C , Di Carlo C , Caprio M , Alavantic D , Kolarz P , Stojanovska Z , Antignani S , Bochicchio F
Published: September 2020

The requirements about radon measurements in schools and public buildings included in most of the national and international legislations are generally restricted to all the rooms located at the ground floor and basement, assuming the soil beneath the building as the main source of indoor radon. In order to verify such an assumption for small buildings having at maximum two floors, a preliminary study was performed in 50 schools located in 15 municipalities of the Republic of Srpska. Results of this study suggest that a protocol requiring measurements at the ground floor only may be considered adequate. Due to the high radon spatial variability for rooms at the ground floor, it is preferable to require measurements in a high number of rooms (preferably in all of them) in order to assess the compliance with the reference level established by the legislation.
Large-scale functional coactivation patterns reflect the structural connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Tovar Dale T , Chavez Robert S
Published: September 2020

The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is among the most consistently implicated brain regions in social and affective neuroscience. Yet, this region is also highly functionally heterogeneous across many domains and has diverse patterns of connectivity. The extent to which the communication of functional networks in this area is facilitated by its underlying structural connectivity fingerprint is critical for understanding how psychological phenomena are represented within this region. In the current study, we combined diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography with large-scale meta-analysis to investigate the degree to which the functional coactivation patterns of the MPFC are reflected in its underlying structural connectivity. Using unsupervised machine learning techniques, we compared parcellations between the two modalities and found congruence between parcellations at multiple spatial scales. Additionally, using connectivity and coactivation similarity analyses, we found high correspondence in voxel-to-voxel similarity between each modality across most, but not all, subregions of the MPFC. These results provide evidence that meta-analytic functional coactivation patterns are meaningfully constrained by underlying neuroanatomical connectivity and provide convergent evidence of distinct subregions within the MPFC involved in affective processing and social cognition.
Sleep among gender minority adolescents
Authors: Levenson Jessica C , Thoma Brian C , Hamilton Jessica L , Choukas-Bradley Sophia , Salk Rachel H
Published: September 2020

Study Objectives

Stigmatized youth experience poorer sleep than those who have not experienced stigma. However, no studies have examined the sleep of gender minority adolescents (GMAs). Examining sleep disparities between GMAs and non-GMAs is critical because poor sleep is associated with mental health outcomes experienced disproportionately by GMAs. We examined sleep duration, sleep problems, and sleep quality among our sample and compared these parameters between GMAs and non-GMAs.

Methods

Adolescents aged 14–18 years (n = 1,027 GMA, n = 329 heterosexual non-GMA, n = 415 sexual minority non-GMA; mean age = 16 years; 83% female sex at birth) completed a cross-sectional online survey, reporting sex assigned at birth and current gender identity, sleep duration, sleep problems (too much/too little sleep and inadequate sleep), sleep quality, and depressive symptoms.

Results

Accounting for demographic covariates, GMAs were more likely to report inadequate sleep and shorter sleep duration and had higher odds of reporting poor sleep quality and getting too little/too much sleep than heterosexual non-GMAs. After also adjusting for depressive symptoms, the finding that GMAs more often reported poor sleep quality remained significant.

Conclusions

This first large, nationwide survey of sleep among GMAs suggests that GMAs may be more likely to have poor sleep than non-GMAs. The significance of our results was reduced when adjusting for depressive symptoms, suggesting that poorer sleep may occur in the context of depression for GMAs. Future work should include objective measures of sleep, examine the emergence of sleep disparities among GMAs and non-GMAs, and explore pathways that increase risk for poor sleep among GMAs.
Organization leaders’ decisions to sustain a peer-led healthy lifestyle intervention for people with serious mental illness in supportive housing
Authors: Cabassa Leopoldo J , Stefancic Ana , Bochicchio Lauren , Tuda Daniela , Weatherly Christopher , Lengnick-Hall Rebecca
Published: September 2020

Healthy lifestyle interventions that increase physical activity and healthy dietary habits can help improve the physical health of people with serious mental illness (SMI). Yet, these interventions are not implemented in routine practice settings. This mixed methods study examined the decisions that leaders from three supportive housing agencies made as they planned to sustain a peer-led healthy lifestyle intervention for people with SMI at the end of a clinical trial. A combination of implementation strategies that addressed cost concerns, generated local evidence of the intervention’s benefits, and provided ongoing training was identified as important for sustainability. A sustainability model illustrating implementation strategies and mechanisms for supporting three sustainability domains (funding, organizational capacity, and adaptation) was prioritized by participants. Study findings can inform future studies testing strategies and mechanisms to support the sustainability of interventions in routine practice settings to improve the physical health of people with SMI.
Genomic epidemiology of the Los Angeles COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Guo Longhua , Boocock James , Hilt Evann E. , Chandrasekaran Sukantha , Zhang Yi , Munugala Chetan , Sathe Laila , Alexander Noah , Arboleda Valerie A. , Flint Jonathan , Eskin Eleazar , Luo Chongyuan , Yang Shangxin , Garner Omai B. , Yin Yi , Bloom Joshua S. , Kruglyak Leonid
Published: September 2020

Los Angeles (LA) County has sustained a large outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To learn about the transmission history of SARS-CoV-2 in LA County, we sequenced 142 viral genomes from unique patients seeking care at UCLA Health System. 86 of these genomes are from samples collected before April 19, 2020. We found that the early outbreak in LA, as in other international air travel hubs, was seeded by multiple introductions of strains from Asia and Europe. We identified a US-specific strain, B.1.43, which has been found predominantly in California and Washington State. While samples from LA County carry the ancestral B.1.43 genome, viral genomes from neighbouring counties in California and from counties in Washington State carry additional mutations, suggesting a potential origin of B.1.43 in Southern California. We quantified the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 over time, and found evidence that the public health measures put in place in LA County to control the virus were effective at preventing transmission, but may have been undermined by the many introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into the region. Our work demonstrates that genome sequencing can be a powerful tool for investigating outbreaks and informing the public health response. Our results reinforce the critical need for the U.S. to have coordinated inter-state responses to the pandemic.
Increased Self-Reported Discrimination and Concern for Physical Assault Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and Filipino Americans
Authors: Ha Sierra K. , Nguyen Ann T. , Sales Chloe , Chang Rachel S. , Ta Hillary , Srinivasan Malathi , Chung Sukyung , Palaniappan Latha , Lin Bryant
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To investigate self-reported discrimination and concern for physical assault due to the COVID-19 pandemic among disaggregated Asian subgroups in the US.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide survey to assess self-reported discrimination and concern for physical assault due to COVID-19 across racial/ethnic groups, including diverse subgroups of Asians.

Results

Chinese respondents experienced the largest change (15% increase) in proportion of respondents reporting discrimination from 2019 to 2020 (P<.01). Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Other API showed up to 3.9 times increased odds of self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination due to COVID-19 and, with the addition of Filipino, experienced up to 5.4 times increased odds of concern for physical assault due to COVID-19 compared to Whites.

Conclusions

Our study is the first to examine self-reported discrimination and concern for physical assault due to COVID-19 in subgroups of Asian Americans, finding that East (Chinese, Korean, Japanese) and Southeast (Vietnamese, Filipino) Asian Americans have been disproportionately affected. Future studies should disaggregate Asian subgroups to fully understand experiences of discrimination in diverse populations in the US.
An Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the APS-POQ-R in Acute Pain Presenting to the Emergency Department
Authors: Hughes James A , Jones Lee , Potter Joseph , Wong Alixandra , Brown Nathan J , Chu Kevin
Published: September 2020

3.

Background

Pain is a common presenting complaint to the emergency department (ED), yet is often undertreated. When assessing the outcomes of pain care in the ED, process measures are commonly reported. Attempts to measure patient-reported outcomes existing in current ED literature. However, they are frequently unvalidated and lack standardization. The American Pain Societies – Patient Outcome Questionnaire-Revised edition (APS-POQ-R) has been identified as the most likely, pre-existing tool to be useful in the acute pain in the ED. However, this requires feasibility and construct validation before use.

Objective

To assess the feasibility and construct validity of the APS-POQ-R in patients presenting to the adult emergency department with acute pain.

Methods

This study is an initial psychometric evaluation of the constructs contained within the APS-POQ-R in adult patients presenting with moderate to severe acute pain to a large urban ED. The study is guided by the methods described in the initial development of the instrument.

Results

Two hundred adult patients were recruited and completed the APS-POQ-R. The APS-POQ-R demonstrated content validity in patients presenting with acute pain. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated five subgroups. The tool demonstrated discriminatory ability based on patient urgency, and subscale measurement was associated with patient satisfaction with care.

Conclusions

The APS-POQ-R has demonstrable construct validity in adult patients presenting with acute pain to the ED. Further psychometric analysis across multiple EDs is required before the APS-POQ-R can be recommended as a validated PROM for ED patients in pain.
Testing, Testing: What SARS-CoV-2 testing services do adults in the United States actually want?
Authors: Zimba Rebecca , Kulkarni Sarah , Berry Amanda , You William , Mirzayi Chloe , Westmoreland Drew , Parcesepe Angela , Waldron Levi , Rane Madhura , Kochhar Shivani , Robertson McKaylee , Maroko Andrew R , Grov Christian , Nash Denis ,   for the CHASING COVID Cohort Study Team
Published: September 2020

Importance

Ascertaining preferences for SARS-CoV-2 testing and incorporating findings into the design and implementation of strategies for delivering testing services may enhance testing uptake and engagement, a prerequisite to reducing onward transmission.

Objective

To determine important drivers of decisions to obtain a SARS-CoV-2 test in the context of increasing community transmission.

Design

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to assess the relative importance of type of SARS-CoV-2 test, specimen type, testing venue, and results turnaround time. Uptake of an optimized testing scenario was simulated relative to the current typical testing scenario of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) via nasopharyngeal (NP) swab in a provider’s office or urgent care clinic with results in >5 days.

Setting

Online survey, embedded in an existing cohort study, conducted during July 30 - September 8, 2020.

Participants

Participants (n=4,793) were enrolled in the CHASING COVID Cohort Study, a national longitudinal cohort of adults >18 years residing in the 50 US states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, or Guam.

Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s)

Relative importance of SARS-CoV-2 testing method attributes, utilities of specific attribute levels, and probability of choosing a testing scenario based on preferences estimated from the DCE, the current typical testing option, or choosing not to test.

Results

Turnaround time for test results had the highest relative importance (30.4%), followed by test type (28.3%), specimen type (26.2%), and venue (15.0%). Participants preferred fast results on both past and current infection and using a noninvasive specimen, preferably collected at home. Simulations suggested that providing immediate or same day test results, providing both PCR and serology, or collecting oral specimens would substantially increase testing uptake over the current typical testing option. Simulated uptake of a hypothetical testing scenario of PCR and serology via a saliva sample at a pharmacy with same day results was 97.7%, compared to 0.6% for the current typical testing scenario, with 1.8% opting for no test.

Conclusions and Relevance

Testing strategies that offer both PCR and serology with non-invasive methods and rapid turnaround time would likely have the most uptake and engagement among residents in communities with increasing community transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
A co-infection model for Oncogenic HPV and TB with Optimal Control and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Omame A. , Okuonghae D.
Published: September 2020

A co-infection model for oncogenic Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Tuberculosis (TB), with optimal control and cost-effectiveness analysis is studied and analyzed to assess the impact of controls against incident infection and against infection with HPV by TB infected individuals as well as optimal TB treatment in reducing the burden of the co-infection of the two diseases in a population. The co-infection model is shown to exhibit the dynamical property of backward bifurcation when the associated reproduction number is less than unity. Furthermore, it is shown that TB and HPV re-infection parameters (ϕp= 0 andσt= 0) as well as TB exogenous re-infection term (ε10) induced the phenomenon of backward bifurcation in the oncogenic HPV-TB co-infection model. The global asymptotic stability of the disease-free equilibrium of the co-infection model is also provennot to exist, when the associated reproduction number is below unity. The necessary conditions for the existence of optimal control and the optimality system for the co-infection model is established using the Pontryagin ‘s Maximum Principle. Uncertainty and global sensitivity analysis are also carried out to determine the top ranked parameters that drive the dynamics of the co-infection model, when the associated reproduction numbers as well as the infected populations are used as response functions. Numerical simulations of the optimal control model reveal that the intervention strategy which combines and implements control against HPV infection by TB infected individuals as well as TB treatment control for dually infected individuals is the most cost-effective of all the control strategies for the control and management of the burden of oncogenic HPV and TB co-infection.
Seroprevalence and seroconversion rates to SARS-CoV-2 in interns, residents, and medical doctors in a University Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Ariza Beatriz , Torres Ximena , Salgado Diana , Cepeda Magda , Gómez Restrepo Carlos , Castellanos Julio Cesar , Suárez-Obando Fernando , Cuellar Adriana , Cardozo Claudia , Ángel Juana , Franco Manuel Antonio
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and the incidence of seroconversion in the first month of follow-up among interns, residents, and medical doctors attending patients at a University Hospital, to explore for associations of seroprevalence and seroconversion with risk factors and symptoms compatible with COVID-19, and to explore the concordance of CLA, LFA, and ELFA.

Design or methods

We conducted a cross-sectional and a prospective study among medical doctors and medical trainees at Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogota (Colombia) during June, July, and August to assess seroprevalence and seroconversion rates in this population was performed using CLA IgG for SARS-CoV-2. LFA IgG and IgM and ELFA IgM were also determined to explore concordance with CLA IgG.

Results

At baseline, 8 (2.28% 95%CI 1.16-4.43%) individuals were IgG positive for SARS-CoV-2 by CLA. At the end of the study, 21 (5.98% 95%CI 3.94-8.97%) individuals seroconverted by CLA IgG. In all, 29 individuals had IgG by CLA and of these 11 (3.13% 95%CI 1.76-5.52%) were asymptomatic. No associations with risk factors for infection were identified. CLA had moderate concordance with LFA IgG and ELFA, but minimal with LFA IgM.

Conclusions

Our report is one of the first in Latina America on seroprevalence and seroconversion rates in medical healthcare workers. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding focusing only on symptomatic individuals to screen this population for SARS-CoV-2 infection, since of all individuals that have evidence of previous infection many (37.93%) may be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic and may contribute to infection/disease spread.

Highlights

Latin America was one of the most severely compromised regions of the world during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, between June and August 2020.

Healthcare workers are at increased risk for COVID-19 and studies of seroprevalence and seroconversion rates in these subjects have not been published in the area.

We conducted a cross-sectional and prospective study of medical doctors and medical trainees in a University Hosptial during June, July, and August 2020 to assess seroprevalence and seroconversion rates of SARS-CoV-2 in this population, using a Chemiluminescent assay (CLA).

At baseline, 8 (2.28% 95%CI 1.16-4.43%) individuals were IgG positive for SARS-CoV-2 by CLA. At the end of the study, 21 (5.98% 95%CI 3.94-8.97%) individuals had seroconverted by CLA IgG.

In all, 29 (8.26% 95%CI 5.81-11.61%) individuals had IgG for SARS-CoV-2 by CLA and of these 11 (3.13% 95%CI 1.76-5.52%) were asymptomatic.