bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multi-center Clinical Study Using Optical Coherence Tomography for Evaluation of Cervical Lesions In-vivo
Authors: Ren Chenchen , Zeng Xianxu , Shi Zhongna , Wang Chunyan , Wang Huifen , Wang Xiuqin , Zhang Baoping , Jiang Zhaoning , Ma Huan , Hu Hao , Piao Haozhe , Zhang Xiaoan , Wang Baojin 
Published: May 2020

AbstractObjectiveIn this prospective study of an in-vivo cervical examination using optical coherence tomography (OCT), we evaluated the diagnostic value of non-invasive and real-time OCT in cervical precancerous lesions and cancer diagnosis, and determined the characteristics of OCT images.Methods733 patients from 5 Chinese hospitals were inspected with OCT and colposcopy-directed biopsy. The OCT images were compared with the histological sections to find out the characteristics of various categories of lesions. The OCT images were also interpreted by 3 investigators to make a 2-class classification, and the results were compared against the pathological results.ResultsVarious structures of the cervical tissue were clearly observed in OCT images, which matched well with the corresponding histological sections. The OCT diagnosis results delivered a sensitivity of 87.0% (95% confidence interval, CI, 82.2%-90.7%), a specificity of 84.1% (95% CI, 80.3%-87.2%), and an overall accuracy of 85.1%.ConclusionBoth good consistency of OCT images and histological images and satisfactory diagnosis results were provided by OCT. Due to its features of non-invasion, real-time, and accuracy, OCT is valuable for the in-vivo evaluation of cervical lesions and has the potential to be one of the routine cervical diagnosis methods.
The medical education level of the administrators of the local health committees in China
Authors: Zhao Faming , Yin Kaili , Wang Yu , Li Juan , Zhang Guo 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a serious challenge for the healthcare system worldwide. We collected information, which were posted online as of February 25, 2020, on demographic characteristics of the directors of provincial and municipal health committees in China, and analyzed the education level and medical education background according to geographic region or GPD per capita. We found that the overall information disclosure rate is insufficient (63.39%). The mean age of the directors of provincial and municipal health committee was ~54 years. Among the 277 officials whose information is available, those in economically less-developed regions or remote areas had significantly poorer educational background. Regardless of economic status, the proportion of officials with a background of medical education in most regions was low. This might hinder the efficiency of healthcare and public health administration, which requires personnel with a background of medical training.
Molecular conservation and Differential mutation on ORF3a gene in Indian SARS-CoV2 genomes
Authors: Hassan Sk. Sarif , Choudhury Pabitra Pal , Basu Pallab , Jana Siddhartha Sankar 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA global emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic demands various studies related to genes and genomes of the SARS-CoV2. Among other important proteins, the role of accessory proteins are of immense importance in replication, regulation of infections of the coronavirus in the hosts. The largest accessory proteins in the SARS-CoV2 genome is ORF3a which modulates the host response to the virus infection and consequently it plays an important role in pathogenesis. In this study, an attempt is made to decipher the conservation of nucleotides, dimers, codons and amino acids in the ORF3a genes across thirty two genomes of Indian patients. ORF3a gene possesses single and double point mutations in Indian SARS-CoV2 genomes suggesting the change of SARS-CoV2’s virulence property in Indian patients. We find that the parental origin of the ORF3a gene over the genomes of SARS-CoV2 and Pangolin-CoV is same from the phylogenetic analysis based on conservations of nucleotides and so on. This study highlights the accumulation of mutation on ORF3a in Indian SARS-CoV2 genomes which may provide the designing therapeutic approach against SARS-CoV2.
Age-dependence of mortality from novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in highly exposed populations: New York transit workers and residents and Diamond Princess passengers
Authors: Leffler Christopher T. , Hogan Matthew C. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundPopulations heavily exposed to the novel coronavirus provide an opportunity to estimate the mortality from COVID-19 in different age groups.MethodsThe mortality reported by May 13 from COVID-19 among Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers, and New York residents and Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) workers was estimated based on publicly available information.ResultsThe mortality among children (age 0 to 17 yrs) in New York City was 1 in 172,692. The mortality in New York state was 1 in 322,217 for ages 10-19 yrs., and 1 in 36,725 for ages 20-29 yrs. The mortality among New York transit workers was estimated to be 1 in 7,329 for ages 30-39 years; 1 in 1,075 for ages 40-49 yrs.; 1 in 343 for ages 50-59 yrs.; and 1 in 178 for ages 60-69 yrs. Among Diamond Princess passengers, the mortality was estimated to be 1 in 145 for ages 70-79, and 1 in 54 for ages 80-89.ConclusionsMortality among populations exposed to the novel coronavirus increases with age, ranging from about 1 in 170,000 below the age of 18 years, to 1 in 54 above the age of 80 years.
Decline in Emergent and Urgent Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kazi Dhruv S. , Wadhera Rishi K. , Shen Changyu , Ho Kalon K. L. , Patell Rushad , Selim Magdy H. , Urwin John , Zeidel Mark L. , Zimetbaum Peter , Tabb Kevin , Yeh Robert W. 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTDue to the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there are concerns that patients may be avoiding care for emergent and urgent health conditions due to fear of contagion or as an unintentional consequence of government orders to postpone “non-essential” services. We therefore sought to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of patient encounters for select emergent or urgent diagnoses at a large tertiary-care academic medical center in Boston. Inpatient diagnoses included acute myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, and outpatient but urgent diagnoses included new referrals for breast and hematologic malignancies. For each condition, we used a “difference-in-differences” approach to estimate the proportional change in number of encounters during the pandemic (March – April 2020) compared with earlier in the same year (January – February 2020), using equivalent periods in 2019 as a control. After the onset of the pandemic, we observed significant reductions in hospitalizations for MI (difference-in-differences estimate, 0.67; 95%CI, 0.46-0.96; P=0.04) and stroke (difference-in-differences estimate, 0.42; 95%CI, 0.28-0.65; P<0.001) (Table). In the ambulatory setting, there was a reduction in referrals for breast cancer and hematologic cancers, but this did not reach statistical significance until the month after the onset of the pandemic. Our findings suggest an urgent need for public health messaging to ensure that patients continue to seek care for acute emergencies. In addition, decisions by health systems regarding when to reinitiate non-emergent care should carefully factor in the harms of delayed diagnosis and treatment occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is it Just About Physical Health? An Online Cross-Sectional Study Exploring the Psychological Distress Among University Students in Jordan in the midst of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Al-Tammemi Ala’a B. , Akour Amal , Alfalah Laith 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundSince the spread of COVID-19 on a global scale, most of efforts at national and international levels were directed to mitigate the spread of the disease and its physical harm, paying less attention to the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on global mental health especially at early stages of the pandemic.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess and explore (i) The levels of psychological distress and its correlates (ii) Motivation for distance learning (iii) Coping activities and pandemic related concerns, among university students in Jordan in the midst of COVID-19 pandemicMethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire. The measure of psychological distress was obtained using the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale,while other questions have explored our study’s second and third aims.ResultsA total of 381 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Female participants slightly predominated the sample (n=199, 52.2%). The respondents aged 18-38 years (mean 22.6 years, SD: 3.16). Concerning distress severity, most of respondents were regarded as having severe psychological distress (n=265, 69.5%). 209 students (54.9%) reported that they had no motivation for distance learning. Ordinal logistic regression revealed a significant correlation between distress severity and many predictors. Among the predictors that were found to act as a protective factors against higher levels of distress included older age (aOR=0.64, P=0.022; 95% CI: 0.44 - 0.94), and having a strong motivation for distance learning (aOR=0.10, P=0.048 ; 95% CI: 0.01 - 0.96). In contrary, being a current smoker (aOR=1.99, P=0.049 ; 95% CI: 1.10 - 3.39), and having no motivation for distance learning (aOR=2.49, P=0.007; 95% CI: 1.29 - 4.80) acted as risk factors for having higher levels of psychological distress among the students. The most common coping activity reported was spending more time on social media platforms (n=269, 70.6%), and 209 students (54.9%) reported distance learning was their most distressing concern.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic and related control measures could impact the mental health of individuals, including students. We recommend a nationwide psychological support program to be incorporated into Jordan’s preparedness plan and response strategy in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigation of somatic mutations in human brains targeting genes associated with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Leija-Salazar Melissa , Pittman Alan , Mokretar Katya , Morris Huw , Schapira Anthony H. , Proukakis Christos 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundSomatic mutations occur in neurons but their role in synucleinopathies is unknown.AimWe aimed to identify disease-relevant low-level somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in brains from sporadic patients with synucleinopathies and a monozygotic twin carrying LRRK2 G2019S, whose penetrance could be explained by somatic variation.Methods and ResultsWe included different brain regions from 26 Parkinson’s disease (PD), 1 Incidental Lewy body, 3 multiple system atrophy cases and 12 controls. The whole SNCA locus and exons of other genes associated with PD and neurodegeneration were deeply sequenced using molecular barcodes to improve accuracy. We selected 21 variants at 0.33-5% allele frequencies for validation using accurate methods for somatic variant detection.ConclusionsWe could not detect disease-relevant somatic SNVs, however we cannot exclude their presence at earlier stages of degeneration. Our results support that coding somatic SNVs in neurodegeneration are rare, but other types of somatic variants may hold pathological consequences in synucleinopathies.
Urinary viral shedding of COVID-19 and its clinical associations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Kashi Amir H , de la Rosette Jean , Amini Erfan , Abdi Hamidreza , Fallah-karkan Morteza , Vaezjalali Maryam 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo review the current literature on the presence of COVID-19 virus in the urine of infected patients and to explore the clinical features that can predict the presence of COVID-19 in urine.Materials and MethodsA systematic review of published literature between 30th December 2019 and 21st June 2020 was conducted on Pubmed, Google Scholar, Ovid, Scopus, and ISI web of science. Studies investigating urinary viral shedding of COVID-19 in infected patients were included. Two reviewers selected relative studies and performed quality assessment of individual studies. Meta-analysis was performed on the pooled case reports and cohort with a sample size of 9.ResultsThirty-nine studies were finally included in the systematic review; 12 case reports, 26 case series, and one cohort study. Urinary samples from 533 patients were investigated. Fourteen studies reported the presence of COVID-19 in the urinary samples from 24 patients. The crude overall rate of COVID-19 detection in urinary samples was 4.5%. Considering case series and cohorts with a sample size of ≥ 9, the estimated viral shedding frequency was 1.18 % (CI 95%: 0.14 – 2.87) in the meta-analysis. In adult patients, urinary shedding of COVID-19 was commonly detected in patients with moderate to severe disease (16 adult patients with moderate or severe disease versus two adult patients with mild disease). In children, urinary viral shedding of COVID-19 was reported in 4 children who all suffered from mild disease. Urinary viral shedding of COVID-19 was detected from day 1 to day 52 after disease onset. The pathogenicity of virus isolated from urine has been demonstrated in cell culture media in one study while another study failed to reveal replication of isolated viral RNA in cell cultures. Urinary symptoms were not attributed to urinary viral shedding.ConclusionsWhile COVID-19 is rarely detected in urine of infected individuals, infection transmission through urine still remains possible. In adult patients, infected urine is more likely in the presence of moderate or severe disease. Therefore, caution should be exerted when dealing with COVID-19 infected patients during medical interventions like endoscopy and urethral catheterization.
Forecasting COVID-19 pandemic Severity in Asia
Authors: Aviv-Sharon Elinor , Aharoni Asaph 
Published: May 2020

AbstractFour months into the ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this work provides a simple and direct projection of the outbreak spreading potential and the pandemic cessation dates in China, Iran, the Philippines and Taiwan, using the generalized logistic model (GLM). The short-term predicted number of cumulative COVID-19 cases matched the confirmed reports of those who were infected across the four countries, suggesting GLM as a valuable tool for characterizing the transmission dynamics process and the trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic along with the impact of interventions.
Belief loads of assumptions impact brain networks underlying logical reasoning: A machine learning approach
Authors: Ziaei Maryam , Bonyadi Mohammad Reza , Reutens David 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPrior knowledge and beliefs influence our reasoning in daily life and may lead us to draw unwarranted conclusions with undesirable consequences. The underlying neural correlates of the interaction between belief and logic, prior to making logical decisions, are largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify brain regions important in distinguishing belief load of assumptions in logical decision making. Thirty-one healthy volunteers (18-29 years old) participated in an fMRI study and were asked to respond to a series of syllogistic arguments in which assumptions were either congruent (believable) or incongruent (unbelievable) with common knowledge. An interpretable machine learning algorithm, an L1 regularized Support Vector Machine, was used to explain the discriminatory pattern of conditions given the brain activation patterns. Behavioral results confirmed that believable premises were incorrectly endorsed more than unbelievable ones. Imaging results revealed that several connectivity patterns anchored around the insula, amygdala, and IFG were important in distinguishing believable from unbelievable assumptions at different time points preceding logical decisions. Our convergent behavioral and imaging results underscore the importance of the belief loads of ourassumptionsfor a logically sound decision. Our results provide new insights into neural and potential cognitive mechanisms underlying the interaction between belief and logic systems, with important practical implications for social, complex decisions.HighlightsBelief load of premises impact logical decisionsRegional importance in distinguishing belief load changes in different TRsBelief load of assumptions elicits emotional and salience responsesRegional connectivity changes as the reasoning process evolves at different TRsInsula, caudate, amygdala, and IFG were among highly connected hubs during the taskSignificanceIt has been experimentally shown that decision-makers often ignore given assumptions in favor of their own beliefs, potentially leading them towards a subjective rather than a logical decision. Consider “Carbon emission tax” given the assumption of “global warming”. If a decision-maker does not believe in “global warming”, the final decision on “Carbon emission tax” is not driven by factual premises but by the personal belief of the decision-maker. Understanding neural mechanisms underlying the interaction between the decision-makers’ beliefs and factual premises sheds light on factors driving belief bias and potential interventions to circumvent it. The main contribution of this study is to investigate neural mechanisms in a logical reasoning task in which the belief load of the assumptions was manipulated.
Interpretable Artificial Intelligence for COVID-19 Diagnosis from Chest CT Reveals Specificity of Ground-Glass Opacities
Authors: Warman Anmol , Warman Pranav I. , Sharma Ayushman , Parikh Puja , Warman Roshan , Viswanadhan Narayan , Chen Lu , Mohapatra Subhra , Mohapatra Shyam S , Sapiro Guillermo 
Published: May 2020

1Abstract1.1BackgroundThe use of CT imaging enhanced by artificial intelligence to effectively diagnose COVID-19, instead of or in addition to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), can improve widespread COVID-19 detection and resource allocation.1.2Methods904 axial lung window CT slices from 338 patients in 17 countries were collected and labeled. The data included 606 images from COVID-19 positive patients (confirmed via RT-PCR), 224 images of a variety of other pulmonary diseases including viral pneumonias, and 74 images of normal patients. We developed, trained, validated, and tested an object detection model which detects features in three categories: ground-glass opacities (GGOs) for COVID-19, GGOs for non-COVID-19 diseases, and features that are inconsistent with a COVID-19 diagnosis. These collected features are passed into an interpretable decision tree model to make a suggested diagnosis.1.3ResultsOn an independent test of 219 images from COVID-19 positive, a variety of pneumonia, and healthy patients, the model predicted COVID-19 diagnoses with an accuracy of 96.80 % (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.75 to 96.86), AUC-ROC of 0.9664 (95% CI, 0.9659 to 0.9671), sensitivity of 98.33% (95% CI, 98.29 to 98.40), precision of 95.93% (95% CI, 95.83 to 95.99), and specificity of 94.95% (95% CI, 94.84 to 95.05). On an independent test of 34 images from asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients, our model achieved an accuracy of 97.06% (95% CI, 96.81 to 97.06) and a sensitivity of 96.97% (95% CI, 96.71 to 96.97). Similarly high performance was also obtained for out-of-sample countries, and no significant performance difference was obtained between genders.1.4ConclusionWe present an interpretable artificial intelligence CT analysis tool to diagnose COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Further, our model is able to differentiate COVID-19 GGOs from similar pathologies suggesting that GGOs can be disease-specific.
Optogenetic therapy: High spatiotemporal resolution and pattern recognition compatible with vision restoration in non-human primates
Authors: Gauvain Gregory , Akolkar Himanshu , Chaffiol Antoine , Arcizet Fabrice , Khoei Mina A. , Desrosiers Mélissa , Jaillard Céline , Caplette Romain , Marre Olivier , Bertin Stephane , Fovet Claire-Maelle , Demilly Joanna , Fradot Valérie , Brazhnikova Elena , Hantraye Philippe , Pouget Pierre , Douar Anne , Pruneau Didier , Chavas Joël , Sahel José-Alain , Dalkara Deniz , Duebel Jens , Benosman Ryad , Picaud Serge 
Published: May 2020

AbstractRestoring vision using optogenetics is an ideal medical application because the eye offers a direct window to access and stimulate the pathological area: the retina. Optogenetic therapy could be applied to diseases with photoreceptor degeneration such as retinitis pigmentosa. Here, we select the specific optogenetic construct that is now used in the clinical trial and assess the opsin functional efficacy on non-human primate’s retinal ganglion cells (RGCs).We chose the microbial opsin ChrimsonR and showed that the vector AAV2.7m8 produced greater transfection in RGCs compared to AAV2, and that ChrimsonR attached to tdTomato (ChR-tdT) is more efficiently expressed than ChrimsonR. The 600 nm light activates the RGCs transfected with the vector AAV2.7m8-ChR-tdT from an irradiance of 1015photons.cm-2.s-1. Vector doses of 5.1010and 5.1011vg/eye transfect up to 7000 RGCs/mm2in the perifovea, with no significant immune reaction. Furthermore, using a multielectrode array we recorded RGCs responses starting from 1ms stimulus duration. Using the recorded activity we were able to decode stimulus information and estimate a theoretical visual acuity of 20/249, above legal blindness. Altogether, our results pave the way for the ongoing clinical trial with the AAV2.7m8-ChrimsonR-tdT vector for vision restoration in patients affected by retinitis pigmentosa.One Sentence SummaryWe select here the vector and genetic construct best suited to provide vision restoration in patients suffering from retinopathies, we demonstrate temporal resolution compatible with high dynamic visual scenes and a visual acuity above legal blindness.
Tracking Single Particles for Hours via Continuous DNA-mediated Fluorophore Exchange
Authors: Stein Johannes , Stehr Florian , Bauer Julian , Niederauer Christian , Jungmann Ralf , Ganzinger Kristina , Schwille Petra 
Published: May 2020

AbstractFluorophores are commonly used to covalently label biomolecules for monitoring their motion in single particle tracking experiments. However, photobleaching is still a major bottleneck in these experiments, as the fluorophores’ finite photon budget typically limits observation times to merely a few seconds. Here, we overcome this inherent constraintviacontinuous fluorophore exchange based on DNA-PAINT, whereby fluorescently-labeled oligonucleotides bind to a 54 bp single-stranded DNA handle attached to the molecule of interest. When we assayed our approachin vitroby tracking single DNA origami, first surface-immobilized and subsequently diffusing on supported lipid bilayers, we were able to observe these origami for up to hours without losing their fluorescence signals. Our versatile and easily implemented labeling approach allows monitoring single-molecule motion and interactions over unprecedented observation periods, opening the doors to advanced quantitative studies.