bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
No SARS-CoV-2 in expressed prostatic secretion of patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a descriptive multicentre study in China
Authors: Quan Weihe , Chen Jun , Liu Zhigang , Tian Jinfei , Chen Xiangqiu , Wu Tao , Ji Ziliang , Tang Jinqi , Chu Hao , Xu Haijia , Zhao Yong , Zheng Qingyou 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPurposeThe aim of the present study was to assess whether SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods18 cases of COVID-19, and 5 suspected cases, were selected from three medical centers to detect the RNA expression of SARS-CoV-2 in their EPS with RT-PCR.ResultsResults were negative in all EPS samples for SARS-CoV-2 of suspected and confirmed patients.ConclusionsNo SARS-CoV-2 was expressed in EPS of patients with COVID-19.
Clinical characteristics of the recovered COVID-19 patients with re-detectable positive RNA test
Authors: An Jianghong , Liao Xuejiao , Xiao Tongyang , Qian Shen , Yuan Jing , Ye Haocheng , Qi Furong , Shen Chengguang , Liu Yang , Wang Lifei , Cheng Xiaoya , Li Na , Cai Qingxian , Wang Fang , Chen Jun , Liu Yingxia , Wang Yunfang , Zhang Feng , Fu Yang , Tan Xiaohua , Liu Lei , Zhang Zheng 
Published: March 2020

SummaryBackgroundIt has been reported that several cases recovered from COVID-19 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after discharge (re-detectable positive, RP), however the clinical characteristics, significance and potential cause of RP patients remained elusive.MethodsA total of 262 COVID-19 patients were discharged from January 23 to February 25, 2020, and were enrolled for analysis of their clinical parameters. The RP and non-RP (NRP) patients were grouped according to the disease severity during their hospitalization period. The clinical characterization at re-admission to the hospital was analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and plasma antibody levels were detected using high-sensitive detection methods.FindingsUp to March 10, 2020, all of patients were followed up for at least 14 days, and 38/262 of RP patients (14.5%) were present. The RP patients were characterized by being less than 14-years old and having mild and moderate conditions as compared to NRP patients, while no severe patients became RP. Retrospectively, the RP patients displayed fewer symptoms, more sustained remission of CT imaging and earlier RNA negative-conversion but similar plasma antibody levels during their hospitalization period as compared to those NRP patients. When re-admitted to the hospital, these RP patients showed no obvious clinical symptoms or disease progression indicated by normal or improving CT imaging and inflammatory cytokine levels. All 21 close contacts of RP patients were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and no suspicious clinical symptoms were reported. However, 18/24 of RNA-negative samples detected by the commercial kit were tested to be positive for virus RNA using a hyper-sensitive method, suggesting the carrier status of virus possibly existed in patients recovered from COVID-19.InterpretationOur results showed that young and mild COVID-19 patients seem to be RP patients after discharge, who show no obviously clinical symptoms and disease progression upon re-admission. More sensitive RNA detection methods are required to monitor these patients during follow-up. Our findings provide empirical information and evidence for the effective management of COVID-19 patients during their convalescent phase.
An Evaluation of the Vulnerable Physician Workforce in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic
Authors: Khera Rohan , Dhingra Lovedeep Singh , Jain Snigdha , Krumholz Harlan M 
Published: March 2020

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to overwhelm the healthcare resources of the country, but also poses a personal hazard to healthcare workers, including physicians. To address the potential impact of excluding physicians with a high risk of adverse outcomes based on age, we evaluated the current patterns of age of licensed physicians across the United States.MethodsWe compiled information from the 2018 database of actively licensed physicians in the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) across the US. Both at a national- and the state-level, we assessed the number and proportion of physicians who would be at an elevated risk due to age over 60 years.ResultsOf the 985,026 licensed physicians in the US, 235857 or 23.9% were aged 25-40 years, 447052 or 45.4% are 40-60 years, 191794 or 19.5% were 60-70 years, and 106121 or 10.8% were 70 years or older. Age was not reported in 4202 or 0.4% of physicians. Overall, 297915 or 30.2% of physicians were 60 years of age or older, 246167 (25.0%) 65 years and older, and 106121 (10.8%) 70 years or older. States in the US reported that a median 5470 licensed physicians (interquartile range [IQR], 2394 to 10108) were 60 years of age or older. Notably, states of North Dakota (n=1180) and Vermont (n = 1215) had the lowest and California (n=50786) and New York (n=31582) the highest number of physicians over the age of 60 years (Figure 1). Across states, the median proportion of physicians aged 60 years and older was 28.9% (IQR, 27.2%, 31.4%), and ranged between 25.9% for Nebraska to 32.6% for New Mexico (Figure 2).DiscussionOlder physicians represent a large proportion of the US physician workforce, particularly in states with the worst COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, their exclusion from patient care will be impractical. Optimizing care practices by limiting direct patient contact of physicians vulnerable to adverse outcomes from COVID-19, potentially by expanding their participation in telehealth may be a strategy to protect them.
Causal empirical estimates suggest COVID-19 transmission rates are highly seasonal
Authors: Carleton Tamma , Meng Kyle C. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractNearly every country is now combating the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). It has been hypothesized that if COVID-19 exhibits seasonality, changing temperatures in the coming months will shift transmission patterns around the world. Such projections, however, require an estimate of the relationship between COVID-19 and temperature at a global scale, and one that isolates the role of temperature from confounding factors, such as public health capacity. This paper provides the first plausibly causal estimates of the relationship between COVID-19 transmission and local temperature using a global sample comprising of 166,686 confirmed new COVID-19 cases from 134 countries from January 22, 2020 to March 15, 2020. We find robust statistical evidence that a 1°C increase in local temperature reduces transmission by 13% [−21%, −4%, 95%CI]. In contrast, we do not find that specific humidity or precipitation influence transmission. Our statistical approach separates effects of climate variation on COVID-19 transmission from other potentially correlated factors, such as differences in public health responses across countries and heterogeneous population densities. Using constructions of expected seasonal temperatures, we project that changing temperatures between March 2020 and July 2020 will cause COVID-19 transmission to fall by 43% on average for Northern Hemisphere countries and to rise by 71% on average for Southern Hemisphere countries. However, these patterns reverse as the boreal winter approaches, with seasonal temperatures in January 2021 increasing average COVID-19 transmission by 59% relative to March 2020 in northern countries and lowering transmission by 2% in southern countries. These findings suggest that Southern Hemisphere countries should expect greater transmission in the coming months. Moreover, Northern Hemisphere countries face a crucial window of opportunity: if contagion-containing policy interventions can dramatically reduce COVID-19 cases with the aid of the approaching warmer months, it may be possible to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 next winter.
Inclusive Costs of NPI Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic: Three Approaches
Authors: Ugarov Alexander 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe paper evaluates total inclusive costs of three public health approaches to address the COVID-19 epidemic in the US based on epidemiological projections in Ferguson et al (2020). We calculate and add costs of lost productivity and costs of mortality measured through the value of statistical life. We find that the aggressive approach which involves strict suppression measures and a drastic reduction of economic activity for three months with extensive testing and case tracking afterwards results in the lowest total costs for the society. The approach of doing no non-pharmaceutical measures results in the lowest total costs if the infection fatality rate falls below 0.15%.
Doubling time tells how effective Covid-19 prevention works
Authors: Weon Byung Mook 
Published: March 2020

AbstractCovid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a rapidly spreading pandemic in many countries. The total confirmed cases of Covid-19 are exponentially increasing and many countries are fighting Covid-19 with all strategies. However, there is still lacking consensus for effective strategies. Here, I demonstrate the time dependence of the doubling time in the Covid-19 exponential growths. Tracking the time-dependent doubling time tells how well Covid-19 prevention works, giving an index for successful fighting.
Crowdfunding Medical Care: A Comparison of Online Medical Fundraising in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Authors: Saleh Sameh N. , Ajufo Ezimamaka , Lehmann Christoph U. , Medford Richard J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundMedical crowdfunding is increasingly used to finance personal healthcare costs in Canada (CAN), United Kingdom (UK), and United States (US) despite major differences in their healthcare systems. Yet, it lacks comparative descriptive research to guide policy changes that can promote equitable and accessible healthcare.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of Canadian, British, and American campaigns between February 2018 and March 2019 on the GoFundMe platform (n=3,396). We extracted and manually reviewed variables from campaigns on each country’s GoFundMe discovery webpage, explored campaign characteristics, and compared each country’s campaign demographics to its respective national census. We fit multivariate linear regression models for funds raised for the cohort and for each country.ResultsWe examined 1,091 Canadian, 1,082 British, and 1,223 American campaigns. US campaigns (median [IQR] $38,204 [$31,200 to $52,123]) raised more funds than those in CAN ($12,662 [$9,377 to $19,251]) and the UK ($6,285 [$4,028 to $12,348]). Female (38.4% of campaigns vs. 50.9% of US census; p<0.001) and black (5.3% of campaigns vs. 13.4% of US census; p<0.001) beneficiaries were underrepresented in US campaigns. In the full cohort, blacks raised $4,007 less (95% confidence interval [CI] -$6,913 to -$1,101; p=0.007) and males raised $1,742 more (95% CI $583 to $2,901; p=0.003) per campaign. Cancer was the most common diagnosis represented overall (54.5%). Across all diagnoses, campaigns primarily for routine treatment expenses were three times more common in the United States compared to Canada and the United Kingdom (CAN 21.9% vs. UK 26.6% vs. US 77.9%; p<0.001). However, campaigns with routine care were less successful overall, raising $4,589 less per campaign (CI -$6,429 to - $2,749; p<0.001). Campaigns primarily for alternative treatment expenses were nearly five times as common for cancer (24%) than for non-cancer (5%) diagnoses.DiscussionThe trends observed suggest that there are important gaps in healthcare provision in all of the countries examined across a wide range of diagnoses. Although medical crowdfunding has the potential to provide short-term relief from medical financial burden for a privileged subset of patients, it may carry wider-reaching adverse societal effects including the promotion of racial and gender disparities in healthcare. Further work is needed to inform policy changes that promote equitable and accessible healthcare through this practice.FundingNone.
Global, Regional and National Incidence and Case-fatality rates of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) across 154 countries and territories: A systematic assessment of cases reported from January to March 16, 2020
Authors: Bhagavathula Akshaya Srikanth , Rahmani Jamal , Aldhaleei Wafa Ali , Kumar Pavan , Rovetta Alessandro 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak turned into a pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of cases reported globally. The number of cases dramatically increased beginning in early March 2020.AimWe assessed the cumulative change in the incidence and case-fatality rates of COVID-19 at the global, regional, and national levels from January to March 16, 2020, in 154 affected countries and territories globally.MethodsWe collected data of COVID-19 cases using the GitHub repository, which provided real-time surveillance information developed by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE), Johns Hopkins University (USA). Information such as confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries reported across all affected countries was collected from January 22 to March 16, 2020. We estimated the change in the incidence rate, case-fatality rate, and recovery rate from January 22 to February 29 and from March 1 to March 16, 2020.ResultsFrom January 22 to March 16, 2020, globally, the number of incident COVID-19 cases increased by 276.2%, and Europe recorded 65,281 new cases from March 1 to 16, 2020. Overall, the case-fatality rate was 3.92%, with a high COVID-19 fatality rate in Italy (7.7%), Iran (5.7%), China (4.2%) and the United Kingdom (3.6%). The estimated percentage change in COVID-19 cases from March 1 to 16, 2020, was highest in Belgium (105.8/100,000 population), followed by Qatar (439/100,000 population) and Portugal (331/100,000 population). The overall recovery rate of COVID-19 was 43%; China (35.5%) had the highest recovery rate, while the United States of America recorded a recovery rate of 0.3%.ConclusionOverall, all the COVID-19-affected countries showed an upward trend in incidence, with little change in the incidence rate of -0.20% from January to Mid-March. The case-fatality rate was found to be 3.92%, and the recovery rate was observed to be less than half (43%) among COVID-19 patients. Italy, Iran, and Spain had the largest numbers of new cases of COVID-19 from March 1 to 16, 2020.
Evaluating and integrating spatial capture-recapture models with data of variable individual identifiability
Authors: Ruprecht Joel S. , Eriksson Charlotte E. , Forrester Tavis D. , Clark Darren A. , Wisdom Michael J. , Rowland Mary M. , Johnson Bruce K. , Levi Taal 
Published: March 2020

AbstractSpatial capture-recapture (SCR) models have become the preferred tool for estimating densities of carnivores. Within this family of models are variants requiring identification of all individuals in each encounter (SCR), a subset of individuals only (generalized spatial mark-resight, gSMR), or no individual identification (spatial count or spatial presence-absence). Although each technique has been shown through simulation to yield unbiased results, the consistency and relative precision of estimates across methods in real-world settings are seldom considered. We tested a suite of models ranging from those only requiring detections of unmarked individuals to others that integrate remote camera, physical capture, genetic, and global positioning system (GPS) data into a ‘hybrid’ model, to estimate population densities of black bears, bobcats, cougars, and coyotes. For each species we genotyped fecal DNA collected with detection dogs during a 20-day period. A subset of individuals from each species was affixed with GPS collars bearing unique markings and resighted by remote cameras over 140 days contemporaneous with scat collection. Camera-based gSMR models produced density estimates that differed by less than 10% from genetic SCR for bears, cougars, and coyotes once important sources of variation (sex or behavioral status) were controlled for. For bobcats, SCR estimates were 33% higher than gSMR. The cause of the discrepancies in estimates was likely attributable to challenges designing a study compatible for species with disparate home range sizes and the difficulty of collecting sufficient data in a timeframe in which demographic closure could be assumed. Unmarked models estimated densities that varied greatly from SCR, but estimates became more consistent in models wherein more individuals were identifiable. Hybrid models containing all data sources exhibited the most precise estimates for all species. For studies in which only sparse data can be obtained and the strictest model assumptions are unlikely to be met, we suggest researchers use caution making inference from models lacking individual identity. For best results, we further recommend the use of methods requiring at least a subset of the population is marked and that multiple datasets are incorporated when possible.
Disruption by virtual reality of the cortical oscillations related to visuotactile integration during an embodiment process
Authors: Kanayama Noriaki , Hara Masayuki , Kimura Kenta 
Published: March 2020

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) enables fast, free, and highly controllable experimental body image setting. Illusions pertaining to a body, like the rubber hand illusion (RHI), can be easily conducted in VR settings, and some phenomena, such as full-body illusions, are only realized in virtual environments. However, the multisensory integration process in VR is not yet fully understood, and we must clarify the limitations and whether specific phenomena can also occur in real life or only in VR settings. One useful investigative approach is measuring brain activities during a psychological experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory activities provide insight into the human multisensory integration process. Unfortunately, the data can be vulnerable to VR noise, which causes measurement and analytical difficulties for EEG data recorded in VR environments. Here, we took care to provide an experimental RHI setting using a head-mounted display, which provided a VR visual space and VR dummy hand along with EEG measurements. We compared EEG data taken in both real and VR environments and observed the gamma and theta band oscillatory activities. Ultimately, we saw statistically significant differences between congruent (RHI) and incongruent (not RHI) conditions in the real environment, which agrees with previous studies. No difference in the VR condition could be observed, suggesting that the VR setting itself altered the perceptual and sensory integration mechanisms. Thus, we must model this difference between real and VR settings whenever we use VR to investigate our bodily self-perception.
Quantifying myelin content in brain tissue using color spatial light interference microscopy (cSLIM)
Authors: Fanous Michael , Caputo Megan P. , Lee Young Jae , Rund Laurie A. , Best-Popescu Catherine , Kandel Mikhail E. , Johnson Rodney W. , Das Tapas , Kuchan Matthew J. , Popescu Gabriel 
Published: March 2020

ABSTRACTDeficient myelination of the brain is associated with neurodevelopmental delays, particularly in high-risk infants, such as those born small in relation to their gestational age (SGA). New methods are needed to further study this condition. Here, we employ Color Spatial Light Interference Microscopy (cSLIM), which uses a brightfield objective and RGB camera to generate pathlength-maps with nanoscale sensitivity in conjunction with a regular brightfield image. Using tissue sections stained with Luxol Fast Blue, the myelin structures were segmented from a brightfield image. Using a binary mask, those portions were quantitatively analyzed in the corresponding phase maps. We first used the CLARITY method to remove tissue lipids and validate the sensitivity of cSLIM to lipid content. We then applied cSLIM to brain histology slices. These specimens are from a previous MRI study, which demonstrated that appropriate for gestational age (AGA) piglets have increased internal capsule myelination (ICM) compared to small for gestational age (SGA) piglets and that a hydrolyzed fat diet improved ICM in both. The identity of samples was blinded until after statistical analyses.
Roads as conduits of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic degradation in caatinga vegetation
Authors: Mota Nayara Mesquita , Gastauer Markus , Carrión Juan Fernando , Alves Meira-Neto João Augusto 
Published: March 2020

AbstractRoad networks cause disturbances that can alter the biodiversity and the functioning of the Caatinga ecosystems. We tested the hypotheses that (i) Caatinga vegetation near roads is less taxonomically, functionally and phylogenetically diverse, (ii) phylogenetically and functionally more clustered than vegetation further from roads, (iii) plant traits associated with herbivory deterrence are conserved within the phylogenetic lineages, and (iv) Caatinga vegetation near roads selects for disturbance-related traits. We sampled herbaceous and woody component of vegetation in four plots near roads and four plots further from roads to test these hypothesis. Sampled species were classified according to their resprouting capacity, nitrogen fixation, succulence/spines, urticancy/toxicity, lifeform, endozoochory, maximum height and maximum diameter, before we calculated the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of plant communities. Species richness, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities were lower in plots close to the roads, confirming roads as sources of disturbances. The phylogenetic structure of the Caatinga vegetation near roads was clustered, indicating environmental filtering by herbivory as the main pervasive disturbance in Caatinga ecosystems, since traits related to herbivory deterrence were conserved within phylogenetic lineages and were filtered in near roads. Thus, roads should be considered degradation conduits causing taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional impoverishment of Caatinga vegetation.
Hair glucocorticoids are not a historical marker of stress – exploring the time-scale of corticosterone incorporation into hairs in a rat model
Authors: Colding-Jørgensen Pernille , Hestehave Sara , Abelson Klas S.P. , Kalliokoski Otto 
Published: March 2020

AbstractHair glucocorticoids are increasingly popular biomarkers, used across numerous research fields as a measure of stress. Although they are suggested to be a proxy of the average HPA axis activity spanning a period of weeks or months into the past, this theory has never been tested.In the present study, adrenalectomized rats with no endogenous (adrenal) glucocorticoid production were used to study how circulating glucocorticoid levels would be reflected in the glucocorticoid levels found in hair samples. By dosing the animals daily with high levels of corticosterone for seven days, while sampling hairs before, during, and after treatments, a timeline for glucocorticoid uptake into hairs was constructed. This kinetic profile was compared to two hypothetical models, and the theory that hair glucocorticoids are a record of historical stress had to be rejected.Corticosterone concentrations in hairs were found to increase within three hours of the first injection, the highest concentrations were found on the seventh day of treatments, and the decrease in concentrations post-treatment suggests rapid elimination. We speculate that hair glucocorticoid levels can only be used to characterize a stress-response for a few days following a postulated stressor.An updated model, where glucocorticoids diffuse into, along, and out of hairs needs to be adopted to reconcile the experimentally obtained data. The inescapable consequence of this updated model is that hair glucocorticoids become a marker of – and can only be used to study – recent, or ongoing, stress, as opposed to historical events, weeks or months in the past.