bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Time-varying Reproductive Rates for SARS-CoV-2 and its Implications as a Means of Disease Surveillance on Lockdown Restrictions
Authors: Toraih Eman A. , Hussein Mohammad H. , Elshazli Rami M. , Fawzy Manal S. , Houghton August , Tatum Danielle , Killackey Mary , Kandil Emad , Duchesne Juan 
Published: November 2020

Objective:
To quantify the time-varying reproductive rates for SARS-CoV-2 and its implication in Louisiana.

Summary of Background Data:
Basic reproductive number (R

0
) and effective reproductive number (R

e
or R

t
) are 2 measures of the ability of an infectious agent to spread in the environment. They differ in that R

0
assumes zero immunity in the population, while R

e
or R

t
accounts for change over time. Reproductive number modeling is influenced by several factors, including serial interval, the time between the onset of symptoms in an infector, and a secondary case. Quantification of the ability of a pathogen to spread is essential in guiding policy.

Methods:
Here, we construct epidemic curves and calculate daily R

t
values for the state of Louisiana and each of its 9 regions.

Results:
Our results demonstrated variation over both time and geography in calculated R

0
and R

t
values. Generally, as time has progressed, predicted R

0
and R

t
values have decreased. In Louisiana, mean R

t
was calculated at 3.07 in March and 0.82 by May. A reproductive number less than one is important as it indicates infectious spread will decline with time. The most recent finding of mean R

t
= 0.82 is important. It stands in stark contrast to the situation in April when New Orleans, Louisiana, had the highest per capita coronavirus mortality rate in the United States – twice that of New York City and 4 times the rate in Seattle.

Conclusion:
As locations around the world begin to lift restrictions, monitoring of infectious spread will be essential.
Examining state-dependent effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on visual search and executive function tasks
Authors: Brunyé Tad T. , Elliott Grace , Loverro Kari 
Published: November 2020

Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive performance are influenced by the state-dependency of targeted cortical regions.

Methods
In a mixed within- and between-participants design, we targeted either the right parietal or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and measured effects on visual search versus inhibitory control (respectively). Critically, during active and sham stimulation, participants were exposed to an unrelated or task-congruent prime.

Results
Analyses examined whether priming induced state-dependent changes in behavior on a subsequent visual search or inhibitory control task. Results demonstrated consistent support for the null hypothesis, with neither tDCS nor priming influencing behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions
This outcome does not provide direct support for state-dependency or activity-selectivity models of tDCS effects on cognitive outcomes. We discuss the possibility that behavioral patterns supporting these mechanistic models may only be found when the priming and outcome tasks share critical neurocognitive features. Overall, we found no evidence that offline (pretask) tDCS targeting the right parietal or left dorsolateral prefrontal induces reliable changes in visual search or inhibitory control behavior, and this pattern is not modulated by state-dependency induced by priming task-related activity.
The upper atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune
Authors: Melin Henrik 
Published: November 2020

We review the current understanding of the upper atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, and explore the upcoming opportunities available to study these exciting planets. The ice giants are the least understood planets in the solar system, having been only visited by a single spacecraft, in 1986 and 1989, respectively. The upper atmosphere plays a critical role in connecting the atmosphere to the forces and processes contained within the magnetic field. For example, auroral current systems can drive charged particles into the atmosphere, heating it by way of Joule heating. Ground-based observations of H3+provides a powerful remote diagnostic of the physical properties and processes that occur within the upper atmosphere, and a rich dataset exists for Uranus. These observations span almost three decades and have revealed that the upper atmosphere has continuously cooled between 1992 and 2018 at about 8 K/year, from approximately 750 K to approximately 500 K. The reason for this trend remain unclear, but could be related to seasonally driven changes in the Joule heating rates due to the tilted and offset magnetic field, or could be related to changing vertical distributions of hydrocarbons. H3+has not yet been detected at Neptune, but this discovery provides low-hanging fruit for upcoming facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the next generation of 30 m telescopes. Detecting H3+at Neptune would enable the characterization of its upper atmosphere for the first time since 1989. To fully understand the ice giants, we need dedicated orbital missions, in the same way the Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn. Only by combiningin situobservations of the magnetic field with in-orbit remote sensing can we get the complete picture of how energy moves between the atmosphere and the magnetic field.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems’.
Ice giant magnetospheres
Authors: Paty Carol , Arridge Chris S. , Cohen Ian J. , DiBraccio Gina A. , Ebert Robert W. , Rymer Abigail M. 
Published: November 2020

The ice giant planets provide some of the most interesting natural laboratories for studying the influence of large obliquities, rapid rotation, highly asymmetric magnetic fields and wide-ranging Alfvénic and sonic Mach numbers on magnetospheric processes. The geometries of the solar wind–magnetosphere interaction at the ice giants vary dramatically on diurnal timescales due to the large tilt of the magnetic axis relative to each planet's rotational axis and the apparent off-centred nature of the magnetic field. There is also a seasonal effect on this interaction geometry due to the large obliquity of each planet (especially Uranus). Within situobservations at Uranus and Neptune limited to a single encounter by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, a growing number of analytical and numerical models have been put forward to characterize these unique magnetospheres and test hypotheses related to the magnetic structures and the distribution of plasma observed. Yet many questions regarding magnetospheric structure and dynamics, magnetospheric coupling to the ionosphere and atmosphere, and potential interactions with orbiting satellites remain unanswered. Continuing to study and explore ice giant magnetospheres is important for comparative planetology as they represent critical benchmarks on a broad spectrum of planetary magnetospheric interactions, and provide insight beyond the scope of our own Solar System with implications for exoplanet magnetospheres and magnetic reversals.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems'.
Enabling technologies for ice giant exploration
Authors: Spilker Thomas R. 
Published: November 2020

Future missions to an ice giant planet, especially orbital missions, are technologically challenging. But with one exception, radioisotope power sources (RPSs), the technologies that would enable such missions are currently available. RPSs are not a new technology, but devices used in the past that are appropriate to an ice giant mission are no longer available without engineering development work (currently unfunded), and it is uncertain whether the new NASA unit under development will be available for flight in time to take advantage of the best transfer trajectories of the next 15 years. This paper describes technologies already in hand that enable an ice giant mission, but for them to be useful they must be maintained. If an enabling technology is lost a replacement must be developed, potentially impacting the cost and schedule of a mission. In addition to the enabling technologies, there are a number of technologies that, while not enabling, could greatly enhance the science return and science value of a mission, making the programmatic aspects of approval an easier task and the funding of those development tasks a high priority.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems'.
Effect of a Mobile-based Intervention on Mental Health in Frontline Healthcare Workers Against COVID-19: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Serrano-Ripoll Maria J. , Ricci-Cabello Ignacio , Jiménez Rafael , Zamanillo-Campos Rocío , Yañez Juan Aina M. , Bennasar-Veny Miquel , Sitges Carolina , Gervilla Elena , Leiva Alfonso , García-Campayo Javier , García-Buades Maria Esther , García-Toro Mauro , Pastor Moreno Guadalupe , Ruiz-Perez Isabel , Alonso-Coello Pablo , Llobera Canaves Joan , Fiol-Deroque Maria A. 
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACTAimTo evaluate the impact of a psychoeducational, mobile health intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based approaches on the mental health of healthcare workers at the frontline against COVID-19 in Spain.DesignWe will carry out a two-week, individually randomised, parallel group, controlled trial. Participants will be individually randomised to receive the PsyCovidApp intervention or control App intervention.MethodsThe PsyCovidApp intervention will include five modules: emotional skills, lifestyle behaviour, work stress and burnout, social support, and practical tools. Healthcare workers having attended COVID-19 patients will be randomized to receive the PsyCovidApp intervention (intervention group) or a control App intervention (control group). A total of 440 healthcare workers will be necessary to assure statistical power. Measures will be collected telephonically by a team of psychologists at baseline and immediately after the two weeks intervention period. Measures will include stress, depression and anxiety (DASS-21 questionnaire – primary endpoint), insomnia (ISI), burnout (MBI-HSS), post-traumatic stress disorder (DTS), and self-efficacy (GSE). The study was funded in May 2020, and was ethically approved in June 2020. Trial participants, outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group allocation.DiscussionDespite the increasing use of mobile health interventions to deliver mental health care, this area of research is still on its infancy. This study will help increase the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of this type of intervention on this specific population and context.ImpactDespite the lack of solid evidence about their effectiveness, mobile-based health interventions are already being widely implemented because of their low cost and high scalability. The findings from this study will help health services and organizations to make informed decisions in relation to the development and implementation of this type of interventions, allowing them pondering not only their attractive implementability features, but also empirical data about its benefits.Clinical trial registrationNCT04393818 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)
Frequent testing and immunity-based staffing will help mitigate outbreaks in nursing home settings
Authors: Holmdahl Inga , Kahn Rebecca , Hay James , Buckee Caroline O. , Mina Michael 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundNursing homes and other long term care facilities have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies are urgently needed to reduce transmission in these vulnerable populations. We aim to evaluate the reduction in transmission in nursing homes achieved through contact-targeted interventions and testing.MethodsWe developed an agent-based Susceptible–Exposed– Infectious(Asymptomatic/Symptomatic)–Recovered (SEIR) model to examine SARS-CoV-2 transmission in nursing homes. Residents and staff are modelled individually; residents are split into two cohorts based on COVID-19 diagnosis. We evaluate the effectiveness of two contact-targeted interventions. In the resident cohorting intervention, recovered residents are moved back from the COVID (infected) cohort to the non-COVID (susceptible/uninfected) cohort. In the immunity-based staffing intervention, recovered staff, who we assume have protective immunity, are assigned to work in the non-COVID cohort, while susceptible staff work in the COVID cohort and are assumed to have high levels of protection from personal protective equipment. These interventions aim to reduce the fraction of people’s contacts that are presumed susceptible (and therefore potentially infected) and replace them with recovered (immune) contacts. We further evaluate two types of screening tests conducted with varying frequency: 1) rapid antigen testing and 2) PCR testing.ResultsThe frequency and type of testing has a larger impact on the size of outbreaks than the cohorting and staffing interventions. The most effective testing strategy modeled is daily antigen testing. Under all screening testing strategies, the resident cohorting intervention and the immunity-based staffing intervention reduce the final size of the outbreak among residents, with the latter reducing it more. The efficacy of these interventions among staff varies by testing strategy and outbreak size.ConclusionsIncreasing the frequency of screening testing of all residents and staff, or even staff alone, in nursing homes has the potential to greatly reduce outbreaks in this vulnerable setting. Immunity-based staffing can further reduce spread at little or no additional cost and becomes particularly important when daily testing is not feasible.
COVID-19 Demographics, Acute Care Resource Use and Mortality by Age and Sex in Ontario, Canada: Population-based Retrospective Cohort Analysis
Authors: Mac Stephen , Barrett Kali , Khan Yasin A. , Naimark David MJ , Rosella Laura , Ximenes Raphael , Sander Beate 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding resource use for COVID-19 is critical. We conducted a population-based cohort study using public health data to describe COVID-19 associated age- and sex-specific acute care use, length of stay (LOS), and mortality.MethodsWe used Ontario’s Case and Contact Management (CCM) Plus database of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in Ontario from March 1 to September 30, 2020 to determine age- and sex-specific hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use, LOS, and mortality. We stratified analyses by month of infection to study temporal trends and conducted subgroup analyses by long-term care residency.ResultsDuring the observation period, 56,476 COVID-19 cases were reported (72% < 60 years, 52% female). The proportion of cases shifted from older populations (> 60 years) to younger populations (10-39 years) over time. Overall, 10% of individuals were hospitalized, of those 22% were admitted to ICU, and 60% of those used IMV. Mean LOS for individuals in the ward, ICU without IMV, and ICU with IMV was 12.8, 8.5, 20.5 days, respectively. Mortality for individuals receiving care in the ward, ICU without IMV, and ICU with IMV was 24%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. All outcomes varied by age and decreased over time, overall and within age groups.InterpretationThis descriptive study shows acute care use and mortality varying by age, and decreasing between March and September in Ontario. Improvements in clinical practice and changing risk distributions among those infected may contribute to fewer severe outcomes among those infected with COVID-19.
Elevated COVID-19 outcomes among persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in New York State: Results from a population-level match of HIV, COVID-19, and hospitalization databases
Authors: Tesoriero James M. , Swain Carol-Ann E. , Pierce Jennifer L. , Zamboni Lucila , Wu Meng , Holtgrave David R. , Gonzalez Charles J. , Udo Tomoko , Morne Johanne E. , Hart-Malloy Rachel , Rajulu Deepa T. , Leung Shu-Yin John , Rosenberg Eli S. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundNew York State (NYS) has been an epicenter for both COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS epidemics. Persons Living with diagnosed HIV (PLWDH) may be more prone to COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes, yet few population-based studies have assessed the extent to which PLWDH are diagnosed, hospitalized, and have died with COVID-19, relative to non-PLWDH.MethodsNYS HIV surveillance, COVID-19 laboratory confirmed diagnoses, and hospitalization databases were matched. COVID-19 diagnoses, hospitalization, and in-hospital death rates comparing PLWDH to non-PLWDH were computed, with unadjusted rate ratios (RR) and indirect standardized RR (sRR), adjusting for sex, age, and region. Adjusted RR (aRR) for outcomes among PLWDH were assessed by age/CD4-defined HIV disease stage, and viral load suppression, using Poisson regression models.ResultsFrom March 1-June 7, 2020, PLWDH were more frequently diagnosed with COVID-19 than non-PLWDH in unadjusted (RR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.43[1.38-1.48), 2,988 PLWDH], but not in adjusted comparisons (sRR [95% CI]: 0.94[0.91-0.97]). Per-population COVID-19 hospitalization was higher among PLWDH (RR [95% CI]: 2.61[2.45-2.79], sRR [95% CI]: 1.38[1.29-1.47], 896 PLWDH), as was in-hospital death (RR [95% CI]: 2.55[2.22-2.93], sRR [95%CI]: 1.23 [1.07-1.40], 207 PLWDH), albeit not among those hospitalized (sRR [95% CI]: 0.96[0.83-1.09]). Among PLWDH, hospitalization risk increased with disease progression from HIV Stage 1 to Stage 2 (aRR [95% CI]:1.27[1.09-1.47]) and Stage 3 (aRR [95% CI]: 1.54[1.24-1.91]), and for those virally unsuppressed (aRR [95% CI]: 1.54[1.24-1.91]).ConclusionPLWDH experienced poorer COVID-related outcomes relative to non-PLWDH, with 1-in-522 PLWDH dying with COVID-19, seemingly driven by higher rates of severe disease requiring hospitalization.
Quality of life and patient-reported outcomes following proton therapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review
Authors: Yahya Noorazrul , Manan Hanani A. 
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundComplex anatomy surrounding the oropharynx makes proton therapy (PT) especially intensity-modulated PT (IMPT) a good option due to its ability to reduce the volume of irradiated healthy tissues. Dosimetric improvement may not translate to clinically relevant benefit. As outcome data are emerging, we aimed to systematically review current evidence of the quality of life (QOL) and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) following PT of oropharyngeal carcinoma (OC).Materials and MethodsWe searched PubMed and Scopus electronic databases to identify eligible reports on QOL and PRO following PT of OC according to PRISMA guidelines. Reports were extracted for information on demographics, main results and clinical and dose factors correlates.ResultsSix reports were selected from which four compared between PT and photon-based therapy. All endpoints where significant differences were found favour PT. The change following treatment improves but never to the baseline level.ConclusionAvailable evidence suggests that PT causes less QOL deterioration and PRO compared to photon therapy. Whether or not it is cost-effective should be a subject of further investigation.
Wastewater Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 as a Predictive Metric of Positivity Rate for a Major Metropolis
Authors: Stadler L.B. , Ensor K.B. , Clark J.R. , Kalvapalle P. , LaTurner Z. W. , Mojica L. , Terwilliger A. , Zhuo Y. , Ali P. , Avadhanula V. , Bertolusso R. , Crosby T. , Hernandez H. , Hollstein M. , Weesner K. , Zong D.M. , Persse D. , Piedra P.A. , Maresso A.W. , Hopkins L. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractWastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 has been suggested as an epidemiological indicator of community infection dynamics and disease prevalence. We report wastewater viral RNA levels of SARS-CoV-2 in a major metropolis serving over 3.6 million people geographically spread over 39 distinct sampling sites. Viral RNA levels were followed weekly for 22 weeks, both before, during, and after a major surge in cases, and simultaneously by two independent laboratories. We found SARS-CoV-2 RNA wastewater levels were a strong predictive indicator of trends in the nasal positivity rate two-weeks in advance. Furthermore, wastewater viral RNA loads demonstrated robust tracking of positivity rate for populations served by individual treatment plants, findings which were used in real-time to make public health interventions, including deployment of testing and education strike teams.
Regulation of touch dependantde novoroot regeneration in Arabidopsis
Authors: Shanmukhan Anju Pallipurath , Mathew Mabel Maria , Aiyaz Mohammed , Kareem Abdul , Radhakrishnan Dhanya , Prasad Kalika 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe versatile regeneration capability of leaves enable even a detached Arabidopsis leaf to yield two kinds of regenerative responses namely, wound healing at the cut end in form of callus formation or de novo root regeneration (DNRR). Using various experimental approaches, we show that the factor favouring DNRR over callus formation seems to be a mechanical cue, possibly touch, at the cut end of the detached leaf. Here, we show that the forced expression of a PLETHORA transcription factor can bypass the need for touch to initiate DNRR. Our findings provide a genetic frame-work for touch dependant DNRR and suggest that a core PLT transcription regulatory module acts in response to mechano-sensing stimuli.
A new duck genome reveals conserved and convergently evolved chromosome architectures of birds and mammals
Authors: Li Jing , Zhang Jilin , Liu Jing , Zhou Yang , Cai Cheng , Xu Luohao , Dai Xuelei , Feng Shaohong , Guo Chunxue , Rao Jinpeng , Wei Kai , Jarvis Erich D. , Jiang Yu , Zhou Zhengkui , Zhang Guojie , Zhou Qi 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackgroundDucks have a typical avian karyotype that consists of macro- and microchromosomes, but a pair of much less differentiated ZW sex chromosomes compared to chicken. To elucidate the evolution of chromosome architectures between duck and chicken, and between birds and mammals, we produced a nearly complete chromosomal assembly of a female Pekin duck by combining long-read sequencing and multiplatform scaffolding techniques.ResultsThe major improvement of genome assembly and annotation quality resulted from successful resolution of lineage-specific propagated repeats that fragmented the previous Illumina-based assembly. We found that the duck topologically associated domains (TAD) are demarcated by putative binding sites of the insulator protein CTCF, housekeeping genes, or transitions of active/inactive chromatin compartments, indicating the conserved mechanisms of spatial chromosome folding with mammals. There are extensive overlaps of TAD boundaries between duck and chicken, and also between the TAD boundaries and chromosome inversion breakpoints. This suggests strong natural selection on maintaining regulatory domain integrity, or vulnerability of TAD boundaries to DNA double-strand breaks. The duck W chromosome retains 2.5-fold more genes relative to chicken. Similar to the independently evolved human Y chromosome, the duck W evolved massive dispersed palindromic structures, and a pattern of sequence divergence with the Z chromosome that reflects stepwise suppression of homologous recombination.ConclusionsOur results provide novel insights into the conserved and convergently evolved chromosome features of birds and mammals, and also importantly add to the genomic resources for poultry studies.