bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 reopening strategies at the county level in the face of uncertainty: Multiple Models for Outbreak Decision Support
Authors: Shea Katriona , Borchering Rebecca K. , Probert William J.M. , Howerton Emily , Bogich Tiffany L. , Li Shouli , van Panhuis Willem G. , Viboud Cecile , Aguás Ricardo , Belov Artur , Bhargava Sanjana H. , Cavany Sean , Chang Joshua C. , Chen Cynthia , Chen Jinghui , Chen Shi , Chen YangQuan , Childs Lauren M. , Chow Carson C. , Crooker Isabel , Del Valle Sara Y. , España Guido , Fairchild Geoffrey , Gerkin Richard C. , Germann Timothy C. , Gu Quanquan , Guan Xiangyang , Guo Lihong , Hart Gregory R. , Hladish Thomas J. , Hupert Nathaniel , Janies Daniel , Kerr Cliff C. , Klein Daniel J. , Klein Eili , Lin Gary , Manore Carrie , Meyers Lauren Ancel , Mittler John , Mu Kunpeng , Núñez Rafael C. , Oidtman Rachel , Pasco Remy , Piontti Ana Pastore y , Paul Rajib , Pearson Carl A. B. , Perdomo Dianela R. , Perkins T Alex , Pierce Kelly , Pillai Alexander N. , Rael Rosalyn Cherie , Rosenfeld Katherine , Ross Chrysm Watson , Spencer Julie A. , Stoltzfus Arlin B. , Toh Kok Ben , Vattikuti Shashaank , Vespignani Alessandro , Wang Lingxiao , White Lisa , Xu Pan , Yang Yupeng , Yogurtcu Osman N. , Zhang Weitong , Zhao Yanting , Zou Difan , Ferrari Matthew , Pannell David , Tildesley Michael , Seifarth Jack , Johnson Elyse , Biggerstaff Matthew , Johansson Michael , Slayton Rachel B. , Levander John , Stazer Jeff , Salerno Jessica , Runge Michael C. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractPolicymakers make decisions about COVID-19 management in the face of considerable uncertainty. We convened multiple modeling teams to evaluate reopening strategies for a mid-sized county in the United States, in a novel process designed to fully express scientific uncertainty while reducing linguistic uncertainty and cognitive biases. For the scenarios considered, the consensus from 17 distinct models was that a second outbreak will occur within 6 months of reopening, unless schools and non-essential workplaces remain closed. Up to half the population could be infected with full workplace reopening; non-essential business closures reduced median cumulative infections by 82%. Intermediate reopening interventions identified no win-win situations; there was a trade-off between public health outcomes and duration of workplace closures. Aggregate results captured twice the uncertainty of individual models, providing a more complete expression of risk for decision-making purposes.
Systematic errors in orthology inference: a bug or a feature for evolutionary analyses?
Authors: Natsidis Paschalis , Kapli Paschalia , Schiffer Philipp H , Telford Maximilian J. 
Published: November 2020

Introductory paragraphThe availability of complete sets of genes from many organisms makes it possible to identify genes unique to (or lost from) certain clades. This information is used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees; to identify genes involved in the evolution of clade specific novelties; and for phylostratigraphy - identifying ages of genes in a given species. These investigations rely on accurately predicted orthologs. Here we use simulation to produce sets of orthologs which experience no gains or losses. We show that errors in identifying orthologs increase with higher rates of evolution. We use the predicted sets of orthologs, with errors, to reconstruct phylogenetic trees; to count gains and losses; and for phylostratigraphy. Our simulated data, containing information only from errors in orthology prediction, closely recapitulate findings from empirical data. We suggest published downstream analyses must be informed to a large extent by errors in orthology prediction which mimic expected patterns of gene evolution.
The same but different: setal arrays of anoles and geckos indicate alternative approaches to achieving similar adhesive effectiveness
Authors: Garner Austin M. , Wilson Michael C. , Wright Caitlin , Russell Anthony P. , Niewiarowski Peter H. , Dhinojwala Ali 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe functional morphology of squamate fibrillar adhesive systems has been extensively investigated and has indirectly and directly influenced the design of synthetic counterparts. Not surprisingly, the structure and geometry of exemplar fibrils (setae) have been the subject of the bulk of the attention in such research, although variation in setal morphology along the length of subdigital adhesive pads has been implicated in the effective functioning of these systems. Adhesive setal field configuration has been described for several geckos, but that of the convergentAnolislizards, comprised of morphologically simpler fibrils, remains largely unexplored. Here we examine setal morphology along the proximodistal axis of the digits ofAnolis equestrisand compare our findings to those for a model gecko,Gekko gecko. Consistent with previous work, we found that the setae ofA. equestrisare generally thinner, shorter, and present at higher densities than those ofG. geckoand terminate in a single spatulate tip. Contrastingly, the setae ofG. geckoare hierarchically branched in structure and carry hundreds of spatulate tips. Although the splitting of contacts into multiple smaller tips is predicted to increase the adhesive performance of a fiber compared to an unbranched one, we posited that the adhesive performance ofG. geckoandA. equestriswould be relatively similar when the configuration of the setal fields of each was accounted for. We found that, as in geckos, setal morphology ofA. equestrisfollows a predictable pattern along the proximodistal axis of the pad, although there are several critical differences in the configuration of the setal fields of these two groups. Most notably, the pattern of variation in setal length ofA. equestrisis effectively opposite to that exhibited byG. gecko. This difference in clinal variation mirrors the difference in the direction in which the setal fields of anoles and geckos are peeled from the substrate, consistent with the hypothesis that biomechanical factors are the chief determinants of these patterns of variation. Future empirical work, however, is needed to validate this. Our findings introduceAnolislizards as an additional source of inspiration for bio-inspired design and set the stage for comparative studies investigating the functional morphology of these convergent adhesive apparatuses. Such investigations will lead to an enhanced understanding of the interactions between form, function, and environment of fibril-based biological adhesive systems.
Modulating glial genes involved in synaptic function mitigates pathogenesis and behavioral deficits in aDrosophilamodel of Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Onur Tarik S. , Laitman Andrew , Zhao He , Keyho Ryan , Kim Hyemin , Wang Jennifer , Mair Megan , Perez Alma , de Haro Maria , Wang Huilan , Wan Ying-Wooi , Allen Genevera , Lu Boxun , Al-Ramahi Ismael , Liu Zhandong , Botas Juan 
Published: November 2020

AbstractMost research on neurodegenerative diseases has focused on neurons, yet glia help form and maintain the synapses whose loss is so prominent in these conditions. To investigate the contributions of glia to Huntington’s disease (HD), we studied transcriptomic changes in HD human, HD mice, andDrosophilaexpressing human mutantHuntingtin(mHTT) in either glia, neurons or both. A large portion of conserved genes are concordantly dysregulated across the three species; we tested these genes in a high-throughput behavioral assay and found that downregulation of genes involved in synapse assembly mitigated pathogenesis and behavioral deficits. To our surprise, mitigating glial pathogenesis by dNRXN3knockdown was sufficient to improve the phenotype of flies expressing mHTTin neurons, suggesting that mHTT’s toxic effects in glia ramify throughout the brain. This supports a model in which dampening synaptic function is protective because it attenuates the excitotoxicity that characterizes HD.
Management of malaria in children under 5-years-old during COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone: a lesson learned?
Authors: Buonsenso Danilo , Iodice Francesco , Cinicola Bianca , Raffaelli Francesca , Sowa Solia , Ricciardi Walter 
Published: November 2020

AbstractGrowing evidences are showing the potential indirect effects of COVID-19 on the health systems of low-resource settings, where diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria represent major killers. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Malaria programs in a peripheral region of Sierra Leone, previously involved by the Ebola outbreak in 2015, when malaria care have been impaired since local health systems were overwhelmed by Ebola cases. During COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, we did not notice a drop in malaria diagnosis in children, suggesting that a proactive approach in the management of malaria in endemic countries during COVID-19 may have had a positive impact. A comprehensive approach that include also educational activities to sensitize the local population, was useful to guarantee successful malaria diagnosis and treatment, and prevents excess of malaria deaths due to potential disruption of the local health systems related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Contribution to the fieldwe performed a retrospective study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Malaria programs in a peripheral region of Sierra Leone, previously involved by the Ebola outbreak in 2015, when malaria care have been impaired since local health systems were overwhelmed by Ebola cases. During COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, we did not notice a significant change in the middle term period in malaria diagnosis in children, suggesting that a proactive approach in the management of malaria in endemic countries during COVID-19 may have had a positive impact. A comprehensive approach that include also educational activities to sensitize the local population, was useful to guarantee successful malaria diagnosis and treatment, and prevents excess of malaria deaths due to potential disruption of the local health systems related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Funding statementnothing to declareEthics statementsStudies involving animal subjectsGenerated Statement: No animal studies are presented in this manuscript.Studies involving human subjectsGenerated Statement: The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Bureh Town Community Hospital. Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the participants’ legal guardian/next of kin.Inclusion of identifiable human dataGenerated Statement: No potentially identifiable human images or data is presented in this study.Data availability statementGenerated Statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
Technical feasibility and acceptance of the Remote Monitoring Application in Psychiatry (ReMAP)
Authors: Emden Daniel , Goltermann Janik , Dannlowski Udo , Hahn Tim , Opel Nils 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundOver recent years smartphone-based monitoring has been recognized as a useful instrument in psychiatric research. Due to the phasic character of affective symptoms, mobile assessments of passive sensor data as well as active self-reported data via the participants smartphone might represent a cost-efficient and highly useful tool for prospective prediction of mood changes. Despite these promising opportunities, smartphone-based monitoring in psychiatry is still limited to pilot studies often focusing on a single disorder while large-scale, transdiagnostic studies are widely absent.ObjectivesThe present paper describes the functionality and development of the Remote Monitoring Application in Psychiatry (ReMAP). We aimed to investigate the technical feasibility, and the acceptance of the ReMAP app for the continuous assessment of affective symptoms among different patient groups.MethodsThe ReMAP app was distributed among a sample of n=997 composed of healthy control participants and psychiatric patients. Continuous passive sensor data were assessed comprising acceleration, geolocation, as well as walking distance and steps. Further, participants optionally provided standardized self-reports on mood and sleep, as well as voice samples. Technical feasibility and acceptance were assessed based on the amount and frequency of transferred data events, as well as participation duration. Preliminary results are presented while data collection is ongoing.ResultsRetention rates of 90.25% for the required minimum study duration of two weeks and 33.09% for one year respectively were achieved. On average, users participated for 150 days. An average of 51.83 passive events per day per participant was collected, with an average rate of 73.50% of days during participation containing passive events. An average of 34.59 active self-report events were transferred per participant, with a considerable range across participants (0-552 events). While clinical and non-clinical participant subgroups did not differ in participation duration, or in quantity or rate of passive or active data transfer, the rate of days with transferred passive data was considerably higher and less heterogeneous in iOS (mean=91.85%, SD=21.25) as compared to Android users (mean=63.04%, SD=35.09).ConclusionsThe ReMAP app is technically feasible and generally well accepted and therefore represents a viable complementary tool for the continuous assessment of affective symptoms in large-scale transdiagnostic psychiatric studies. Future studies should account for the observed systematic differences between operating systems.
SARS-CoV-2 RBD219-N1C1: A Yeast-Expressed SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Receptor-Binding Domain Candidate Vaccine Stimulates Virus Neutralizing Antibodies and T-cell Immunity in Mice
Authors: Pollet Jeroen , Chen Wen-Hsiang , Versteeg Leroy , Keegan Brian , Zhan Bin , Wei Junfei , Liu Zhuyun , Lee Jungsoon , Kundu Rahki , Adhikari Rakesh , Poveda Cristina , Villar Maria Jose , de Araujo Leao Ana Carolina , Rivera Joanne Altieri , Momin Zoha , Gillespie Portia M. , Kimata Jason T. , Strych Ulrich , Hotez Peter J. , Bottazzi Maria Elena 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThere is an urgent need for an accessible and low-cost COVID-19 vaccine suitable for low- and middle-income countries. Here we report on the development of a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein, expressed at high levels in yeast (Pichia pastoris), as a suitable vaccine candidate against COVID-19. After introducing two modifications into the wild-type RBD gene to reduce yeast-derived hyperglycosylation and improve stability during protein expression, we show that the recombinant protein, RBD219-N1C1, is equivalent to the wild-type RBD recombinant protein (RBD219-WT) in anin vitroACE-2 binding assay. Immunogenicity studies of RBD219-N1C1 and RBD219-WT proteins formulated with Alhydrogel®were conducted in mice, and, after two doses, both the RBD219-WT and RBD219-N1C1 vaccines induced high levels of binding IgG antibodies. Using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, we further showed that sera obtained after a two-dose immunization schedule of the vaccines were sufficient to elicit strong neutralizing antibody titers in the 1:1,000 to 1:10,000 range, for both antigens tested. The vaccines induced IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-10 secretion, among other cytokines. Overall, these data suggest that the RBD219-N1C1 recombinant protein, produced in yeast, is suitable for further evaluation as a human COVID-19 vaccine, in particular, in an Alhydrogel®containing formulation and possibly in combination with other immunostimulants.
High behavioural variability mediated by altered neuronal excitability inauts2mutant zebrafish
Authors: Jha Urvashi , Kondrychyn Igor , Korzh Vladimir , Thirumalai Vatsala 
Published: November 2020

AbstractAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by abnormal behavioral traits arising from neural circuit dysfunction. While a number of genes have been implicated in ASDs, in most cases, a clear understanding of how mutations in these genes lead to circuit dysfunction and behavioral abnormality is absent. Theautism susceptibility candidate 2(AUTS2) gene is one such gene, associated with ASDs, intellectual disability and a range of other neurodevelopmental conditions. Yet, the function of AUTS2 in neural development and circuit function is not at all known. Here, we undertook functional analysis of Auts2a, the main homolog of AUTS2 in zebrafish, in the context of the escape behavior. Escape behavior in wild type zebrafish is critical for survival and is therefore, reliable, rapid, and has well-defined kinematic properties.Auts2a−/−zebrafish are viable, have normal gross morphology and can generate escape behavior with normal kinematics. However, the behavior is unreliable and delayed, with high trial-to-trial variability in the latency. We demonstrate that this is due to the reduced excitability of Mauthner neurons resulting in unreliable firing with stimuli that normally elicit the escape response. Combined with previous studies that show Auts2-regulation of the transcription of ion channel proteins, our results suggest that Auts2 sets the excitability of neurons by activating a set transcriptional program.Significance statementAUTS2 is one among recently identified autism susceptibility candidate genes, whose function in neuronal circuits is unclear. Using zebrafish as a model organism, we probe the function of Auts2a (homolog of mammalian AUTS2) at the cellular, network and behavioral levels. The escape behavior of Auts2a mutant zebrafish is highly variable with normal short latency escapes, long latency escapes and total failures across trials in the same fish. This occurs because neuronal excitability is inappropriately set in the Mauthner neurons of mutants leading to the large trial-to-trial variability in responses. The behavioral variability is fully explained by variability in firing action potentials in the Mauthner neuron, providing an integrative understanding of how behavioral variability arises from mutations at the genetic level.
Root and canopy traits and adaptability genes explain drought tolerance mechanism in winter wheat
Authors: Nehe A.S. , Foulkes M. J. , Ozturk I. , Rasheed A. , York L. , Kefauver S.C. , Ozdemir F. , Morgounov A. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBread wheat (Triticum aestivumL) is one of main staple food crops worldwide contributing 20% calories in human diet. Drought stress is the main factor limiting yields and threatening to food security, with climate change resulting in more frequent and intense drought. Developing drought-tolerant wheat cultivars is a promising way forward. The use of a holistic approaches that include high-throughput phenotyping and genetic makers in selection could help in accelerating genetic gains. Fifty advanced breeding lines were selected from the CIMMYT Turkey winter wheat breeding program and studied under irrigated and semiarid conditions for two years. High-throughput phenotyping were done for wheat crown root traits using shovelomics techniques and canopy green area and senescence dynamics using vegetation indices (green area using RGB images and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index using spectral reflectance). In addition, genotyping by KASP markers for adaptability genes was done. Overall, under semiarid conditions compared to irrigated conditions yield reduced by 3.09 t ha−1(−46.8%). Significant difference between the treatment and genotype was observed for grain yield and senescence traits. Genotypes responded differently under drought stress. Root traits including shallower nodal root angle under irrigated conditions and root number per shoot under semiarid conditions were associated with increased grain yield. RGB based vegetation index measuring canopy green area at anthesis was more strongly associated with GY than NDVI under drought. Five established functional genes (PRR73.A1– flowering time,TEF-7A– grain size and weight,TaCwi.4A- yield under drought,Dreb1-drought tolerance, andISBW11.GY.QTL.CANDIDATE-grain yield) were associated with different drought-tolerance traits in this experiment. We conclude that a combination of high-throughput phenotyping and selection for genetic markers can help to develop drought-tolerant wheat cultivars.
Corona virus fear among health workers during the early phase of pandemic response in Nepal: a web-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Khanal Pratik , Devkota Navin , Dahal Minakshi , Paudel Kiran , Mishra Shiva Raj , Joshi Devavrat 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundHealth workers involved in COVID-19 response might be at risk of developing fear and psychological distress. This study aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 fear among health workers in Nepal during the early phase of pandemic.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the month of April-May 2020 among 475 health workers directly involved in COVID-19 management. The Fear Scale of COVID 19 (FCV-19S) was used to measure the status of fear. Scatter plots were used to observe the relationship between fear and other psychological outcomes: anxiety, depression and insomnia. Multivariable logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with COVID fear.ResultsCOVID-19 fear score was moderately correlated with anxiety and depression, and weakly correlated with insomnia (p<0.001). Nurses (AOR=2.29; 95% CI: 1.23-4.26), health workers experiencing stigma (AOR=1.83; 95% CI: 1.12-2.73), those working in affected district(AOR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.12-2.77) and presence of family member with chronic diseases (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.01-2.25) was associated with higher odds of developing COVID-19 fear as compared to other health workers, health workers not experiencing stigma, working in non-affected district and not having family member with chronic diseases respectively.ConclusionNurses, health workers facing stigma, those working in affect district and having family member with chronic diseases were more at risk of developing COVID-19 fear. It is thus recommended to improve work environment to reduce fear among health workers, employ stigma reduction interventions, and ensure personal and family support for those having family member with chronic diseases.