bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fast and easy disinfection of coronavirus-contaminated face masks using ozone gas produced by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma generator
Authors: Lee Jinyeop , Bong Cheolwoo , Bae Pan K. , Abafogi Abdurhaman T. , Baek Seung H. , Shin Yong-Beom , Bak Moon S. , Park Sungsu 
Published: May 2020

AbstractFace masks are one of the currently available options for preventing the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has caused the 2019 pandemic. However, with the increasing demand for protection, face masks are becoming limited in stock, and the concerned individuals and healthcare workers from many countries are now facing the issue of the reuse of potentially contaminated masks. Although various technologies already exist for the sterilization of medical equipment, most of them are not applicable for eliminating virus from face masks. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a fast and easy method of disinfecting contaminated face masks. In this study, using a human coronavirus (HCoV-229E) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 contamination on face masks, we show that the virus loses its infectivity to a human cell line (MRC-5) when exposed for a short period of time (1 min) to ozone gas produced by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma generator. Scanning electron microscopy and particulate filtration efficiency (PFE) tests revealed that there was no structural or functional deterioration observed in the face masks even after they underwent excessive exposure to ozone (five 1-minute exposures). Interestingly, for face masks exposed to ozone gas for 5 min, the amplification of HCoV-229E RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction suggested a loss of infectivity under the effect of ozone, primarily owing to the damage caused to viral envelopes or envelope proteins. Ozone gas is a strong oxidizing agent with the ability to kill viruses on hard-to-reach surfaces, including the fabric structure of face masks. These results suggest that it may be possible to rapidly disinfect contaminated face masks using a plasma generator in a well-ventilated place.
Perforated appendicitis: can it be a bedside diagnosis?
Authors: Tariq Maham , Malik Sara , yaqoob Eesha , Changez Mehwish , Javed Saad , Ghazanfor Ramlah , Khadija Ghulam , Malik Javaria , Ahmad Bilal , Ghazanfor Khawaja Rafay 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONAppendicitis remains one of the most common causes of acute abdomen worldwide. It presents as a spectrum of disease ranging from an acutely inflamed appendix to a perforated one. where acutely inflamed can be managed conservatively, a perforated appendix always needs surgery to prevent complications like pelvic abscesses. Bedside diagnosis remains relevant in our setup.AIMS AND OBJECTIVESTo determine whether history, clinical examination, and basic laboratory investigations can help in confident bedside diagnosis of perforated appendicitis especially in the absence of sophisticated diagnostic modalities.MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective case-control study was conducted. Hospital records of patients who underwent open appendectomy in the year 2016 were reviewed. Two groups of 100 patients each were made based on per operative findings. Appendices having macroscopic holes in the base or tip were labeled as perforated. Group A had acutely inflamed appendix and group b had perforated appendix. Patients’ demographic details were taken from hospital admission tickets. Findings of history and examination were retrieved from treating resident and operating surgeon's notes. Data were analyzed through SPSS.RESULTSOut of 200 patients the total number of males was 102 (51%) and females were 98 (49%). Mean age was 24.13+9.73 in males and 18.7+ 6.4 in females of group A and 26.0+10.1 in males and 20.56+7.53 in females of Group B. Group B showed a significant delay in presentation to emergency after the onset of pain (P = 0.022). Upon history and clinical examination, the presence of anorexia, malaise, generalized abdominal pain, guarding, mass in right iliac fossa were significantly associated with perforation. Whereas gender, fever, vomiting, and dysuria showed no association with perforation.CONCLUSIONBedside conventional methods of history taking and examination remain a useful tool in anticipating perforated appendicitis. This helps surgeons in planning incisions and prioritizing patients on heavy operating lists. This remains especially relevant in resource-constrained setups where sophisticated modalities like CT scans are largely unavailable.
Patterns of 2,4-Dinitrophenol Use as Discussed on Social Media
Authors: Chary Michael , Ellango Karun , Burns Michele 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTImportanceThe usage of social media is associated with worsening perceptions of body image and increasing access to, and use of, toxic weight loss supplements. Little is known about the effect of nonlethal doses of one mechanistically unique supplement, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). DNP has been banned by the FDA making human studies difficult, but the public still consumes DNP leading to a gap in our knowledge on the effects of DNP. Here we use social media to investigate the use of DNP, providing the largest characterization of its usage to date.ObjectiveDetermine the doses of DNP generally consumed, adverse effects at those doses, and coingestants.DesignCross-sectional analysis of Internet posts.SettingOur study collected publicly available data from 2017–2018 from Internet discussion forums (also called bulletin boards) dedicated to the discussion of weight loss and body building.ParticipantsParticipants are anonymous posters on these Internet forums.Main MeasuresOur main measure was the distribution of reported doses of DNP consumed. Our secondary measure was the frequency of adverse effects reported at those doses.ResultsWe collected 661 posts across 5 online forums. The most commonly ingested dose reported was 150 mg (1-2 pills, depending on formulation), followed by 300 mg (2-3 pills). The most commonly reported adverse effects were sweating and a sensation of warmth, followed by yellow discoloration of secretions. The most common coingestants were antihistamines, cetirizine and loratadine.Conclusions and Relevance2,4-dinitrophenol is a mechanistically unique weight loss agent reported to be associated with sweating and a sensation of warmth at the most commonly reported ingested doses. Common co-ingestants are antihistamines, although itching was not directly reported as a side effect. Coingestion of an antihistamine, which can lessen the body’s ability to dissipate heat, could worsen the side effects of DNP. This is the first formal description derived from social media of DNP usage at nonlethal doses. Further investigation is needed to determine the therapeutic index of DNP. Less toxic derivatives may provide a starting point for pharmacological adjuncts to weight-loss.
Estradiol, des-acylated, and total ghrelin levels might be associated with epithelial ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women
Authors: Fooladi Saba , Akbari Hamed , Abolhassani Moslem , Sadeghi Erfan , Fallah Hossein 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe present study aimed to investigate the association between estradiol, acylated, des-acylated, total ghrelin levels along with pathological parameters and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) odds in postmenopausal women.MethodsA case-control study was carried out on 45 EOC patients and 33 age-matched postmenopausal women as the control group. Plasma levels of estradiol, acylated, des-acylated, and total ghrelin were measured by ELISA method.ResultsEstradiol’s plasma levels were significantly higher in EOC patients compared to control women (P < 0.001). Although acylated, des-acylated, and total ghrelin levels were not associated with EOC in logistic regression models, estradiol levels were significantly related to the increase in EOC odds (OR: 1.083, 95% CI: 1.037-1.13, P < 0.001). However, estradiol levels in the two first quartiles (Q1, Q2) were associated with decreased odds of EOC (OR: 0.011, 95% CI: 0.001-0.118, P < 0.001, and OR: 0.030, 95% CI: 0.003-0.284, P = 0.002, respectively). For those patients in the third quartile of plasma des-acylated and total ghrelin compared to those in the highest (Q4), the multivariate odds ratios of EOC were respectively 0.192 and 0.25.ConclusionsIn conclusion, higher concentrations of des-acylated and total ghrelin might be associated with the decreased EOC odds. Furthermore, the findings suggest that high levels of estradiol might be a potential odds factor in EOC, however, lower estradiol levels may have a protective effect on EOC development.
Liver Chemistries in COVID-19 Patients with Survival or Death: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xing Qing-Qing , Dong Xuan , Ren Yan-Dan , Chen Wei-Ming , Zeng Dan-Yi , Cai Yan-Yan , Hong Mei-Zhu , Pan Jin-Shui 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTBackground and AimsAlthough abnormal liver chemistries are linked to higher risk of death related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), liver manifestations may be diverse and even confused. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of published liver manifestations and described the liver damage in COVID-19 patients with death or survival.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Google Scholar, medRxiv, bioRxiv, Cochrane Library, Embase, and three Chinese electronic databases through April 22, 2020. We analyzed pooled data on liver chemistries stratified by the main clinical outcome of COVID-19 using a fixed or random-effects model.ResultsIn the meta-analysis of 18 studies, which included a total of 2,862 patients, the pooled mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was 30.9 IU/L in the COVID-19 patients with death and 26.3 IU/L in the COVID-19 patients discharged alive (p < 0.0001). The pooled mean aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level was 45.3 IU/L in the COVID-19 patients with death while 30.1 IU/L in the patients discharged alive (p < 0.0001). Compared with the discharged alive cases, the dead cases tended to have lower albumin levels but longer prothrombin time, and international standardized ratio.ConclusionsIn this meta-analysis, according to the main clinical outcome of COVID-19, we comprehensively described three patterns of liver impairment related to COVID-19, hepatocellular injury, cholestasis, and hepatocellular disfunction. Patients died from COVID-19 tend to have different liver chemistries from those are discharged alive. Close monitoring of liver chemistries provides an early warning against COVID-19 related death.Lay SummaryAbnormal liver chemistries are linked to higher risk of death related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We performed a meta-analysis of 18 studies that included a total of 2,862 patients with COVID-19. We noted that patients died from COVID-19 tend to have different liver chemistries from those are discharged alive and close monitoring of liver chemistries provides early warning against COVID-19 related death.
COVID-19 severe pneumonia in Mexico City – First experience in a Mexican hospital
Authors: Valente-Acosta B , Hoyo-Ulloa I , Espinosa-Aguilar L , Mendoza-Aguilar R , Garcia-Guerrero J , Ontañon-Zurita D , Gomez-Gomez B , Fueyo-Rodríguez O , Vera-Zertuche JM , Anzola-Arias RJ , Jiménez-Ceja JV , Horta-Carpinteyro D , Olvera-Guzman C , Aguirre-Sanchez J , Franco-Granillo J , Jauregui-Camargo L , Sada-Díaz E , Saavedra-Perez-Salas R , Palomar-Lever A , Moreno-Sánchez F 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundCoronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic since its first confirmed case, has changed the world. The need for accurate and truthful information is vital. Mexico and Latin America have been widely affected, so having local epidemiological data, will be of great clinical utility.MethodsA total of 33 hospitalized patients with Covid-19 pneumonia (either severe or critical) were identified from electronic health record in a third level care private hospital in Mexico City from March 13rd to April 13rd, 2020. We conducted a descriptive study of patients for characterization of the clinical, laboratory and radiologic findings, as well as complications.ResultsThe mean age was 60.6±12.68 years and 23 (69.7%) were males. Twenty-three patients (69.6%) were overweight or obese. The median duration of symptoms before admission was 7 days. All the patients required mechanical invasive ventilation. The median duration of the mechanical ventilation was 12±2.6 days and all patients were extubated except one. All patients were started on antiviral treatment in the first 24 hours after admission once the diagnosis of Covid19 pneumonia was made. There was no difference between the treatment option and the length of stay. The extubation rate was higher (91.6%) than in other series, with no fatalities even though they were treated with different regimens.ConclusionsThis one-centre experience describes the epidemiology, treatment and outcome of 33 patients with severe or critical COVID pneumonia admitted to the ICU. Most patients in our series were overweight or obese male, which we observed were of higher risk to present critical pneumonia, as well as high levels of Interleukin-6. The foregoing is relevant, due to the high incidence of these comorbidities in our country.
Impact of mitigating interventions and temperature on the instantaneous reproduction number in the COVID-19 epidemic among 30 US metropolitan areas
Authors: Yu Xinhua 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundAfter more than four months into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, over 347,500 people had died worldwide. The current study aims to evaluate how mitigating interventions affected the epidemic process in the 30 largest metropolitan areas in the US and whether temperature played a role in the epidemic process.MethodsPublicly available data for the time series of COVID-19 cases and deaths and weather were analyzed at the metropolitan level. The time-varying reproductive numbers (Rt) based on retrospective moving average were used to explore the trends. Student t tests were used to compare temperature and peak Rtcross-sectionally.ResultsWe found that virus transmissibility, measured by instantaneous reproduction number (Rt), had declined since the end of March for all areas and almost all of them reached a Rtof 1 or below after April 15, 2020. However, the Rts remained around 1 for most areas since then and some small and short rebounds were presented in some areas, suggesting a persistent epidemic in those areas. The timing of the main decline was concurrent with the implementation of mitigating interventions. Cities with warm temperature also tended to have a lower peak Rtthan that of cities with cold temperature. However, large geographic variations existed.ConclusionsAggressive interventions might have mitigated the current epidemic of COVID-19, while temperature might have some weak effects on the virus transmission. We may need to prepare for a possible return of the coronavirus outbreak.
Fast SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol based on RNA precipitation and RT-qPCR in nasopharyngeal swab samples
Authors:   COVID-19 Basque Inter-institutional Group (coBIG),   coordinators and participants:, Guruceaga Xabier , Sierra Amanda , Marino Daniel , Santin Izortze , Nieto-Garai Jon Ander , Bilbao Jose Ramón , Lorizate Maier , Aspichueta Patricia , Gaminde-Blasco Adhara , Bozal-Leorri Adrian , Marín-Peña Agustín , Castellanos-Rubio Ainara , Iglesias-Ara Ainhoa , Rementeria Aitor , Bernal-Chico Ana , Ramirez-Garcia Andoni , Olazagoitia-Garmendia Ane , Benito-Vicente Asier , Martín César , Castellanos Eider Bilbao , Rueda-Alaña Eneritz , Cavaliere Fabio , de Nanclares Guiomar Perez , Aurrekoetxea Igor , Garcia-Santisteban Iraia , Bernales Irantzu , Gonzalez-Moro Itziar , Tønnesen Jan , Baleriola Jimena , Vallejo-Rodríguez Jon , Aparicio-Fernandez Leire , Martin-Souto Leire , Mendoza Luis Manuel , Areitio Maialen , Sebastian-delaCruz Maialen , Ortiz-Zarragoitia Maren , Serrano-Regal Mari Paz , Basaras Miren , Fernandez-Jimenez Nora , Pampliega Olatz , Alegre Santos Alonso , Marcos Susi , Fuertes-Mendizabal Teresa , Galicia-Garcia Unai , Perez-Cuesta Uxue , Torrano Verónica , Sierra-Torre Virginia , Buqué Xabier , Mayor Ugo 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has evolved far more aggressively in countries lacking a robust testing strategy to identify infected individuals. Given the global demand for fast and reliable diagnosis to determine the carrier individuals, a stock-out scenario for a number of essential reagents/kits used along the diagnostic process has been foreseen by many organizations. Having identified the RNA extraction step as one of the key bottlenecks, we tested several alternatives that avoid the use of commercial kits for this step. The analysis showed that 2-propanol precipitation of the viral RNA, followed by one-step RT-qPCR results in a sensitivity and specificity comparable to that provided currently by automatized systems such as the COBAS 6800 system. Therefore, this simple protocol allows SARS-CoV-2 testing independently of commercial kit providers in a time and cost-effective manner. It can be readily implemented in research and/or diagnostic laboratories worldwide, provided that patient confidentiality and researcher safety are ensured. Scaling up the testing capabilities of hospitals and research facilities will identify larger numbers of infected individuals to paint a clear picture of the COVID-19 prevalence, a pre-requisite for informed policy decision making.
How urgent do intravitreal anti-VEGF injections need to be to justify the risk of transmitting COVID-19? Proof-of-concept calculations to determine the Health Adjusted Life-Year (HALY) trade-off
Authors: Boyd Matt James , Scott Daniel Andrew Richard , Squirrell David Michael , Wilson Graham Ashley 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundClinical ophthalmological guidelines encourage the assessment of potential benefits and harms when deciding whether to perform elective ophthalmology procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to minimize the risk of disease transmission.MethodWe performed probability calculations to estimate COVID-19 infection status and likelihood of disease transmission among neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients and health care workers during anti-VEGF procedures, at various community prevalence levels of COVID-19. We then applied the expected burden of COVID-19 illness and death expressed through health-adjusted life-years (HALYs) lost. We compared these results to the expected disease burden of severe visual impairment if sight protecting anti-VEGF injections were not performed.ResultsOur calculations suggest a wide range of contexts where the benefits of treatment to prevent progression to severe visual impairment or blindness are greater than the expected harms to the patient and immediate health care team due to COVID-19. For example, with appropriate protective equipment the benefits of treatment outweigh harms when the chance of progression to severe visual impairment is >0.044% for all scenarios where COVID-19 prevalence was one per thousand, even when the attack rate in the clinical setting is very high (5-43%).ConclusionUnless COVID-19 prevalence is very high, the reduced disease burden from avoiding visual impairment outweighs the expected HALYs lost from COVID-19 transmission. This finding is driven by the fact that HALYs lost when someone suffers severe visual impairment for 5 years are equivalent to nearly 400 moderate cases of infectious disease lasting 2 weeks each.
Anti-CELA1 KF4 Antibody Prevents Emphysema by Inhibiting Stretch-Mediated Remodeling
Authors: Ojha Mohit , Smith Noah , Joshi Rashika , Goodman Emily , Fan Qiang , Schuman Richard , Porollo Aleksey , Zemans Rachel L. , Batie Matthew R. , Borchers Michael T. , Ammerman Samuel , Varisco Brian M. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractEmphysema is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and there are no disease modifying therapies. Three leading pathophysiologic models are the altered protease/antiprotease balance model, the biomechanical model in which loss of one alveolar wall increases strain on adjacent wall predisposing them to failure, and the accelerated aging model.Chymotrypsin-like elastase 1(CELA1) is a novel serine protease with a physiological role in reducing postnatal lung elastance that mechanistically links these three models.CELA1is expressed by alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells and is found adjacent to lung elastin fibers. The KF4 antibody neutralizes CELA1 by binding to its catalytic triad. CELA1 binding to lung elastin fibers increases 4-fold with strain, and application of biaxial strain induces lung elastase activity which is blocked with the KF4 anti-CELA1 antibody.Cela1−/−mice were protected from airspace simplification in hyperoxia, elastase and cigarette-smoke induced emphysema, and age-related airspace simplification.CELA1mRNA was correlated with human lung elastolytic activity, and anti-CELA1 KF4 antibody protected mice from hyperoxia-induced alveolar simplification and elastase emphysema. CELA1-mediated lung matrix remodeling in response to strain is an important contributor to postnatal airspace simplification. Matrix stabilization by KF4 represents a potential therapeutic approach to preventing emphysema progression.One Sentence SummaryNeutralization of chymotrypsin-like elastase 1 prevents strain-induced emphysema.
The effect of a national lockdown in response to COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of clinical symptoms in the population
Authors: Keshet Ayya , Gavrieli Amir , Rossman Hagai , Shilo Smadar , Meir Tomer , Karady Tal , Lavon Amit , Kolobkov Dmitry , Kalka Iris , Shoer Saar , Godneva Anastasia , Cohen Ori , Kariv Adam , Hoch Ori , Zer-Aviv Mushon , Castel Noam , Zohar Anat Ekka , Irony Angela , Geiger Benjamin , Dor Yuval , Hizi Dorit , Balicer Ran , Shalev Varda , Segal Eran 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe vast and rapid spread of COVID-19 calls for immediate action from policy-makers, and indeed various lockdown measures were implemented in many countries. Here, we utilized nationwide surveys that assess COVID-19 associated symptoms to analyze the effect of the lockdown policy in Israel on the prevalence of clinical symptoms in the population. Daily symptom surveys were distributed online and included fever, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, anosmia and Ageusia. A total of 1,456,461 survey responses were analyzed. We defined a single measure of symptoms, Symptoms Average (SA), as the mean number of symptoms reported by responders. Data were collected between March 15th to May 11th, 2020. Notably, following severe lockdown measures, we found that between March 15th and April 20th, SA sharply declined by 83.8%, as did every individual symptom, including the most common symptoms reported by our responders, cough and rhinorrhea and\or nasal congestion, which decreased by 74.1% and 69.6%, respectively. Individual symptoms exhibit differences in reduction dynamics, suggesting differences in the medical conditions that they represent or in the nature of the symptoms themselves. The reduction in symptoms was observed in all the cities in Israel, and in several stratifications of demographic characteristics. Between April 20th and May 11th, following several subsequent lockdown relief measures, the decrease in SA and individual symptoms halted and they remain relatively stable with no significant change. Overall, these results demonstrate a profound decrease in a variety of clinical symptoms following the implementation of a lockdown in Israel. As our survey symptoms are not specific to COVID-19 infection, this effect likely represents an overall nationwide reduction in the prevalence of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. This quantification may be of major interest for COVID-19 pandemic, as many countries consider implementation of lockdown strategies.