bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of thrombosis and bleeding among patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasm: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Brhanie Tsegahun Worku , Fava Carmen , Jovanovski Aleksandar 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundThrombosis and bleeding are the most common complications which contribute to significant morbidity and mortality of myeloproliferative patients. This study aimed to find out the incidence of thrombotic and bleeding events during diagnosis and follow up among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm. This might help in the early detection of thrombosis and bleeding and prevention of such complications for MPN patients.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the incidence of thrombosis and bleeding. Data extracted from the literatures in Google scholars, Mendeley, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. Studies that had thrombosis and/or bleeding reports with any types of myeloproliferative neoplasm were included in this study. We used random effect model to estimate the odd ratio, relative risk and risk difference with 95%CI of each studies and the pooled results based on Cochrane methods of Revman. A funnel plot and I2test checked to see the publication bias and heterogeneity respectively.ResultsNineteen studies with 14706 participants that had fitted the inclusion criteria were included in the overall thrombosis study. Five studies (n=931) included for incidence thrombosis at diagnosis and follow up. The pooled overall frequency thrombosis was 18.6%. The pooled incidence of thrombosis at diagnosis was 26.5% and odds ratio (OR= 3.17,95%CI 0.96 to10.43); relative risk (RR= 2.07,95%CI 0.98 to 4.34); risk difference (RD=21%, 95%CI −0.05 to 0.48, high certainty). Thrombosis had significant differences during diagnosis and follow up. A history of thrombosis, age >60years, and smoking were some of the risk factors for thrombosis.ConclusionsBased on the findings, thrombosis and bleeding are the highest complications occurred among myeloproliferative neoplasm patients. This problem is also common both during diagnosis and follow up of MPN patients. Early detection and follow up is needed to prevent MPN complications.
Evaluation of ultrasonic renal volume in relation to body size in patients with hypertension: Comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Kedir Elias , Berhane Melkamu , Nigatu Tilahun Alemayehu , Ayalew Almaz , Zewdu Mesfin 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntroductionEstimation of renal size is useful parameter in the diagnosis of abnormal structural change on the kidneys due to the adverse effects of chronic diseases like hypertension. This study evaluated renal volume by ultrasound in relation to body size parameters, notably BMI and body surface area in hypertensive and non-hypertensive individuals.MethodsA hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February to September 2018 at the Radiology department of the Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC). The study included consecutively selected samples of ambulatory hypertensive patients and non-hypertensive controls recruited consecutively on voluntary basis. After providing verbal informed consent, each subject underwent abdominal ultrasound examination; length, width and thickness of both kidneys were measured and used for estimation of renal volume. The statistical evaluation included independent samples t-tests for mean differences with regard to ultrasonic renal measurements between hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups,ResultsA total of 145 adults aged 16 - 80 years (mean ±SD=44 ±17) participated in the study. In the hypertensive group, renal volume ranged 36.1 - 201.6 (mean=97.7) cm3 for the right kidney and 39.6 - 189.5 (mean=104.4) cm3 for the left kidney, whilst it was 61.8 - 159.5 (mean=101.1) cm3 for the right and 35.8 - 253.7 (mean=111.8) cm3 for the left kidney among the control group. Both kidneys were slightly smaller in the hypertensive group as compared to the controls. Right renal volume to BSA ratio ranged from 23.5 - 100.6 (mean=58.2) cm3/m2 in hypertensive group, while it was between 37.0 and 96.1 (mean=62.6) cm3/m2 among the control group (p=0.076). Left renal volume to BSA of the patients which ranged from 24.1 - 97.1 (mean=62.2) cm3/m2 was significantly (p=0.012) lower than that of the non-hypertensive group, which was between 23.6 and 132.5 (mean=69.3) cm3/m2.ConclusionThe results of this study have shown slightly smaller bilateral renal volume among hypertensive patients as compared the controls. We recommend large scale research in other parts of Ethiopia so that nationally representative data can be obtained.
Cancer Risk Assessment Tool: A new general model to estimate cure-rate fraction in patients under tumor therapy
Authors: Nascimento Diego C. , Ramos Pedro L. , Gonzatto Oilson A. , Ferreira Gabriel G. , de Castro Patrícia P.M. , Barbosa Renan S. , Boen Vinicius O. , Valentim Vinicius H. , Silva Luiz G. , Gomes Mariana M. , Perdoná Gleice S. C. , Louzada Francisco 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTCure fraction is not an easy task to be calculated relating probabilistic estimations to an event. For instance, cancer patients may abandon treatment, be cured, or die due to another illness, causing limitations regarding the information about the odds of cancer cure (related to the patient follow-up) and may mislead the researcher’s inference. In this paper, we overcame this limitation and proposed a risk assessment tool related to the lifetime of cancer patients to survival functions to help medical decision-making. Moreover, we proposed a new machine learning algorithm, so-called long-term generalized weighted Lindley (LGWL) distribution, solving the inferential limitation caused by the censored information. Regarding the robustness of this distribution, some mathematical properties are shown and inferential procedures discussed, under the maximum likelihood estimators’ perspective. Empirical results used TCGA lung cancer data (but not limited to this cancer type) showing the competitiveness of the proposed distribution to the medical field. The cure-rate is dynamic but quantifiable. For instance, after 14 years of development/spread of lung cancer, the group of patients under the age of 70 had a cure fraction of 32%, while the group of elderly patients presented a cure fraction of 22%, whereas those estimations using the traditional (long-term) Weibull distribution is 31% and 17%. The LGWL returned closer curves to the empirical distribution, then were better adjusted to the adopted data, elucidating the importance of cure-rate fraction in survival models.
A Rational-Choice Model of Covid-19 Transmission with Endogenous Quarantining and Two-sided Prevention
Authors: Bhattacharya Joydeep , Chakraborty Shankha , Yu Xiumei 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThis paper offers a parsimonious, rational-choice model to study the effect of pre-existing inequalities on the transmission of COVID-19. Agents decide whether to “go out” (or self-quarantine) and, if so, whether to wear protection such as masks. Three elements distinguish the model from existing work. First, non-symptomatic agents do not know if they are infected. Second, some of these agents unknowingly transmit infections. Third, we permit two-sided prevention via the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions: the probability of a person catching the virus from another depends on protection choices made by each. We find that a mean-preserving increase in pre-existing income inequality unambiguously increases the equilibrium proportion of unprotected, socializing agents and may increase or decrease the proportion who self-quarantine. Strikingly, while higher pre-COVID inequality may or may not raise the overall risk of infection, it increases the risk of disease in social interactions.
Data-driven Optimized Control of the COVID-19 Epidemics
Authors: Shirin Afroza , Lin Yen Ting , Sorrentino Francesco 
Published: September 2020

AbstractOptimizing the impact on the economy of control strategies aiming at containing the spread of COVID-19 is a critical challenge. We use daily new case counts of COVID-19 patients reported by local health administrations from different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) within the US to parametrize a model that well describes the propagation of the disease in each area. We then introduce a time-varying control input that represents the level of social distancing imposed on the population of a given area and solve an optimal control problem with the goal of minimizing the impact of social distancing on the economy in the presence of relevant constraints, such as a desired level of suppression for the epidemics at a terminal time. We find that with the exception of the initial time and of the final time, the optimal control input is well approximated by a constant, specific to each area, which contrasts with the implemented system of reopening ‘in phases’. For all the areas considered, this optimal level corresponds to stricter social distancing than the level estimated from data. Proper selection of the time period for application of the control action optimally is important: depending on the particular MSA this period should be either short or long or intermediate. We also consider the case that the transmissibility increases in time (due e.g. to increasingly colder weather), for which we find that the optimal control solution yields progressively stricter measures of social distancing. We finally compute the optimal control solution for a model modified to incorporate the effects of vaccinations on the population and we see that depending on a number of factors, social distancing measures could be optimally reduced during the period over which vaccines are administered to the population.
Acute kidney injury is associated with severe and fatal outcomes in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Parohan Mohammad , Yaghoubi Sajad , Djalali Mahmoud , Seraji Asal , Javanbakht Mohammad Hassan , Mousavi Zahra 
Published: September 2020

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic impacting 213 countries and territories with more than 17,918,582 cases worldwide. Kidney dysfunction has been reported to occur in severe and death cases. This meta-analysis was done to summarize available studies on the association between acute kidney injury and severity of COVID-19 infection. Online databases including Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched to detect relevant articles up to 1 July 2020, using relevant keywords. To pool data, a random- or fixed-effects model was used based on the heterogeneity between studies. In total, 50 studies with 8,180 COVID-19 confirmed cases (severe cases=1,823 and death cases=775), were included in this meta-analysis. Higher serum levels of creatinine (weighted mean difference (WMD) for disease severity=5.47 μmol/L, 95% CI=2.89 to 8.05, P<0.001 and WMD for mortality=18.32 μmol/L, 95% CI=12.88 to 23.75, P<0.001), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (WMD for disease severity=1.10 mmol/L, 95% CI=0.67 to 1.54, P<0.001 and WMD for mortality=3.56 mmol/L, 95% CI=2.65 to 4.48, P<0.001) and lower levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (WMD for disease severity=-15.34 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI=-18.46 to -12.22, P<0.001 and WMD for mortality=-22.74 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI=-27.18 to -18.31, P<0.001) were associated with a significant increase in the severity and mortality of COVID-19 infection. Acute kidney injury, as assessed by kidney biomarkers (serum creatinine, BUN and eGFR), was associated with severe outcome and death from COVID-19 infection.
Population-based seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 is more than halfway through the herd immunity threshold in the State of Maranhão, Brazil
Authors: Silva Antônio Augusto Moura da , Lima-Neto Lídio Gonçalves , Azevedo Conceição de Maria Pedrozo e Silva , Costa Léa Márcia Melo da , Bragança Maylla Luana Barbosa Martins , Filho Allan Kardec Duailibe Barros , Wittlin Bernardo Bastos , Souza Bruno Feres , Oliveira Bruno Luciano Carneiro Alves de , Carvalho Carolina Abreu de , Thomaz Erika Barbara Abreu Fonseca , Simões-Neto Eudes Alves , Leite Júnior Jamesson Ferreira , Cosme Lécia Maria Sousa Santos , Campos Marcos Adriano Garcia , Queiroz Rejane Christine de Sousa , Costa Sérgio Souza , Carvalho Vitória Abreu de , Simões Vanda Maria Ferreira , Alves Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Brito , Santos Alcione Miranda dos 
Published: September 2020

SummaryBackgroundFew population-based studies on the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been performed to date, and most of them have used lateral flow immunoassays with finger-prick, which may yield false-negative results and thus underestimate the true infection rate.MethodsA population-based household survey was performed in the State of Maranhão, Brazil, from 27 July 2020 to 8 August 2020 to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 using a serum testing electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. A three-stage cluster sampling stratified by four state regions was used. The estimates took clustering, stratification, and non-response into account. Qualitative detection of IgM and IgG antibodies was performed in a fully-automated Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on the Cobas® e601 analyser (Roche Diagnostics).FindingsA total of 3156 individuals were interviewed. Seroprevalence of total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was 40·4% (95%CI 35·6-45·3). Population adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions was higher at the beginning of the pandemic than in the last month. SARS-CoV-2 infection rates were significantly lower among mask wearers and among those who maintained social and physical distancing in the last month compared to their counterparts. Among the infected, 62·2% had more than three symptoms, 11·1% had one or two symptoms, and 26·0% were asymptomatic. The infection fatality rate was 0·17%, higher for males and advanced age groups. The ratio of estimated infections to reported cases was 22·2.InterpretationTo the best of our knowledge, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 estimated in this population-based survey was the highest and the closest to the herd immunity threshold reported to date. Our results suggest that the herd immunity threshold is not as low as 20%, but at least higher than or equal to around 40%. The infection fatality rate was one of the lowest reported so far, and the proportion of asymptomatic cases was low.
A Systematic Review of Droplet and Aerosol Generation in Dentistry
Authors: Innes N. , Johnson I.G. , Al-Yaseen W. , Harris R. , Jones R. , Kc S. , McGregor S. , Robertson M. , Wade W.G. , Gallagher J.E. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesAgainst the COVID-19 pandemic backdrop and potential disease transmission risk by dental procedures that can generate aerosol and droplets, this review aimed to identify which clinical dental procedures do generate droplets and aerosols with subsequent contamination, and for these, characterise their pattern, spread and settle.Data SourcesSix databases were searched and citation chasing undertaken (to 11/08/20).Study selectionScreening stages were undertaken in duplicate, independently, by two researchers. Data extraction was performed by one reviewer and verified by another.ResultsEighty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and covered: Ultrasonic scaling (USS, n=44), highspeed air-rotor (HSAR, n=31); oral surgery (n=11), slow-speed handpiece (n=4); air-water (triple) syringe (n=4), air-polishing (n=4), prophylaxis (n=2) and hand-scaling (n=2). Although no studies investigated respiratory viruses, those on bacteria, blood splatter and aerosol showed activities using powered devices produced the greatest contamination. Contamination was found for all activities, and at the furthest points studied. The operator’s torso operator’s arm, and patient’s body were especially affected. Heterogeneity precluded significant inter-study comparisons but intra-study comparisons allowed construction of a proposed hierarchy of procedure contamination risk: higher risk (USS, HSAR, air-water syringe [air only or air/water together], air polishing, extractions using motorised handpieces); moderate (slow-speed handpieces, prophylaxis with pumice, extractions) and lower (air-water syringe [water only] and hand scaling.ConclusionSignificant gaps in the evidence, low sensitivity of measures and variable quality limit firm conclusions around contamination for different procedures. However, a hierarchy of contamination from procedures can be proposed for challenge/verification by future research which should consider standardised methodologies to facilitate research synthesis.Clinical significanceThis manuscript addresses uncertainty around aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) in dentistry. Findings indicate a continuum of procedure-related aerosol generation rather than the current binary AGP or non-AGP perspective. This informs discussion around AGPs and direct future research to help support knowledge and decision making around COVID-19 and dental procedures.
Wing tags severely impair movement in African Cape Vultures
Authors: Curk Teja , Scacco Martina , Safi Kamran , Wikelski Martin , Fiedler Wolfgang , Kemp Ryno , Wolter Kerri 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe use of tracking technologies is key for the study of animal movement and pivotal to ecological and conservation research. However, the potential effects of devices attached to animals are sometimes neglected. The impact of tagging not only rises welfare concerns, but can also bias the data collected, causing misinterpretation of the observed behaviour which invalidates the comparability of information across individuals and populations. Patagial (wing) tags have been extensively used as a marking method for visual resightings in endangered vulture species, but their effect on the aerodynamics of the birds and their flight behaviour is yet to be investigated. Using GPS backpack mounted devices, we compared the flight performance of 27 captive and wild Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres), marked with either patagial tags or coloured leg bands.ResultsIndividuals equipped with patagial tags were less likely to fly, travelled shorter distances and flew slower compared to individuals equipped with leg bands. These effects were also observed in one individual that recovered its flight performance after replacing its patagial tag by a leg band.ConclusionsAlthough we did not measure the effects of patagial tags on body condition or survival, our study strongly suggests that they have severe adverse effects on vultures’ flight behaviour and emphasises the importance of investigating the effects that tagging methods can have on the behaviour and conservation of the study species, as well as on the quality of the scientific results.
A Population Receptive Field Model of the Magnetoencephalography Response
Authors: Kupers Eline R , Edadan Akhil , Benson Noah C , Zuiderbaan Wietske , de Jong Maartje C , Dumoulin Serge O , Winawer Jonathan 
Published: September 2020

1AbstractComputational models which predict the neurophysiological response from experimental stimuli have played an important role in human neuroimaging. One type of computational model, the population receptive field (pRF), has been used to describe cortical responses at the millimeter scale using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electrocorticography (ECoG). However, pRF models are not widely used for non-invasive electromagnetic field measurements (EEG/MEG), because individual sensors pool responses originating from several centimeter of cortex, containing neural populations with widely varying spatial tuning. Here, we introduce a forward-modeling approach in which pRFs estimated from fMRI data are used to predict MEG sensor responses. Subjects viewed contrast-reversing bar stimuli sweeping across the visual field in separate fMRI and MEG sessions. Individual subject’s pRFs were modeled on the cortical surface at the millimeter scale using the fMRI data. We then predicted cortical time series and projected these predictions to MEG sensors using a biophysical MEG forward model, accounting for the pooling across cortex. We compared the predicted MEG responses to observed visually evoked steady-state responses measured in the MEG session. We found that pRF parameters estimated by fMRI could explain a substantial fraction of the variance in steady-state MEG sensor responses (up to 60% in individual sensors). Control analyses in which we artificially perturbed either pRF size or pRF position reduced MEG prediction accuracy, indicating that MEG data are sensitive to pRF properties derived from fMRI. Our model provides a quantitative approach to link fMRI and MEG measurements, thereby enabling advances in our understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics in human visual field maps.
Synonymization of the male-based ant genusPhaulomyrma(Hymenoptera, Formicidae) withLeptanillabased upon Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic inference
Authors: Griebenow Zachary H. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract.Although molecular data have proven indispensable in confidently resolving the phylogeny of many clades across the tree of life, these data may be inaccessible for certain taxa. The resolution of taxonomy in the ant subfamily Leptanillinae is made problematic by the absence of DNA sequence data for leptanilline taxa that are known only from male specimens, including the monotypic genusPhaulomyrmaWheeler & Wheeler. Focusing upon the considerable diversity of undescribed male leptanilline morphospecies, the phylogeny of 35 putative morphospecies sampled from across the Leptanillinae, plus an outgroup, is inferred from 11 nuclear loci and 41 discrete male morphological characters using a Bayesian total-evidence framework, withPhaulomyrmarepresented by morphological data only. Based upon the results of this analysisPhaulomyrmais synonymized withLeptanillaEmery, and male-based diagnoses forLeptanillathat are grounded in phylogeny are provided, under both broad and narrow circumscriptions of that genus. This demonstrates the potential utility of a total-evidence approach in inferring the phylogeny of rare extant taxa for which molecular data are unavailable and begins a long-overdue systematic revision of the Leptanillinae that is focused on male material.
Genome-wide signatures of plastid-nuclear coevolution point to repeated perturbations of plastid proteostasis systems across angiosperms
Authors: Forsythe Evan S. , Williams Alissa M. , Sloan Daniel B. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractNuclear and plastid (chloroplast) genomes experience different mutation rates, levels of selection, and transmission modes, yet key cellular functions depend on coordinated interactions between proteins encoded in both genomes. Functionally related proteins often show correlated changes in rates of sequence evolution across a phylogeny (evolutionary rate covariation or ERC), offering a means to detect previously unidentified suites of coevolving and cofunctional genes. We performed phylogenomic analyses across angiosperm diversity, scanning the nuclear genome for genes that exhibit ERC with plastid genes. As expected, the strongest hits are highly enriched for plastid-targeted proteins, providing evidence that cytonuclear interactions affect rates of molecular evolution at genome-wide scales. Many identified nuclear genes function in post-transcriptional regulation and the maintenance of protein homeostasis (proteostasis), including protein translation (in both the plastid and cytosol), import, quality control and turnover. We also identified nuclear genes that exhibit strong signatures of coevolution with the plastid genome but lack organellar-targeting annotations, making them candidates for having previously undescribed roles in plastids. In sum, our genome-wide analyses reveal that plastid- nuclear coevolution extends beyond the intimate molecular interactions within chloroplast enzyme complexes and may be driven by frequent rewiring of the machinery responsible for maintenance of plastid proteostasis in angiosperms.