bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Religion at Work in Bioethics and Biopolicy: Christian Bioethicists, Secular Language, Suspicious Orthodoxy
Authors: Blackford Russell , Schüklenk Udo 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The proper role, if any, for religion-based arguments is a live and sometimes heated issue within the field of bioethics. The issue attracts heat primarily because bioethical analyses influence the outcomes of controversial court cases and help shape legislation in sensitive biopolicy areas. A problem for religious bioethicists who seek to influence biopolicy is that there is now widespread academic and public acceptance, at least within liberal democracies, that the state should not base its policies on any particular religion’s metaphysical claims or esoteric moral system. In response, bioethicists motivated by religious concerns have adopted two identifiable strategies. Sometimes they rely on slippery-slope arguments that, sometimes at least, have empirically testable premises. A more questionable response is the manipulation and misuse of secular-sounding moral language, such as references to “human dignity,” and the plights of groups of people labeled “vulnerable.”
Uterine fibroids increase the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Chen Yequn , Lin Mengyue , Guo Pi , Xiao Jiaxin , Huang Xiru , Xu Lan , Xiong Nianling , O’Gara Mary Clare , O’Meara Michael , Tan Xuerui 
Published: December 2020

Objective:
It is unclear whether uterine fibroids are associated with the occurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association between uterine fibroids and HDP in a prospective cohort.

Methods:
Overall, 2404 pregnant women who received antenatal care were enrolled in a prospective cohort in China between 2014 and 2016; 2277 women met the inclusion criteria of this study. The clinical characteristics of participants were assessed via questionnaires and physical examinations at baseline (before the 20th week of gestation), 21st–27th, 28th–34th, and 35th–39th gestational weeks. Ultrasound examination was performed before the 20th week of pregnancy to determine the presence of uterine fibroids. Linear mixed-effect and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the association of uterine fibroids with blood pressure and HDP.

Results:
Of 2277 pregnant women, 242 (10.6%) had uterine fibroids, and 45 (2.0%) subsequently developed HDP. The incidence of HDP in women with and without uterine fibroids was 5% (n = 12) and 1.6% (n = 33), respectively. The longitudinal SBPs and DBPs were significantly higher in women with uterine fibroids than in those without. The multivariable Cox model showed that the presence of uterine fibroids was associated with increased HDP risk (adjusted hazard radio: 2.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.35–6.44).

Conclusion:
Uterine fibroids in early pregnancy were associated with an increased HDP risk. Blood pressure of women with uterine fibroids should be closely monitored, and HDP preventive measures are crucial.
Integration of rare large-effect expression variants improves polygenic risk prediction
Authors: Smail Craig , Ferraro Nicole M. , Durrant Matthew G. , Rao Abhiram S. , Aguirre Matthew , Li Xin , Gloudemans Michael J. , Assimes Themistocles L. , Kooperberg Charles , Reiner Alexander P. , Hui Qin , Huang Jie , O’Donnell Christopher J. , Sun Yan V. ,   Million Veteran Program, Rivas Manuel A. , Montgomery Stephen B. 
Published: December 2020

SummaryPolygenic risk scores (PRS) aim to quantify the contribution of multiple genetic loci to an individual’s likelihood of a complex trait or disease. However, existing PRS estimate genetic liability using common genetic variants, excluding the impact of rare variants. We identified rare, large-effect variants in individuals with outlier gene expression from the GTEx project and then assessed their impact on PRS predictions in the UK Biobank (UKB). We observed large deviations from the PRS-predicted phenotypes for carriers of multiple outlier rare variants; for example, individuals classified as “low-risk” but in the top 1% of outlier rare variant burden had a 6-fold higher rate of severe obesity. We replicated these findings using data from the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) biobank and the Million Veteran Program, and demonstrated that PRS across multiple traits will significantly benefit from the inclusion of rare genetic variants.
Impact of Convalescent Plasma Transfusion (CCP) In Patients With Previous Circulating Neutralizing Antibodies (nAb) to COVID-19
Authors: Yokoyama Ana Paula H , Wendel Silvano , Bonet-Bub Carolina , Fachini Roberta M , Dametto Ana Paula F , Blumm Fernando , Dutra Valeria F , Candelaria Gabriela , Sakashita Araci M , Machado Rafael Rahal Guaragna , Fontao-Wendel Rita , Hamerschlak Nelson , Achkar Ruth , Assuncao Murillo , Scuracchio Patricia , Nudelman Victor , Pastore Laerte , Pinho Joao R R , Dal Ben Mirian , Filho Roberto Kalil , Marra Alexandre R. , Amano Mariane T. , Kallas Esper , Helito Alfredo Salim , de Carvalho Carlos Roberto Ribeiro , Araujo Danielle Bastos , Durigon Edison Luiz , Camargo Anamaria A , Rizzo Luiz V , Reis Luiz F Lima , Kutner Jose M 
Published: December 2020

AbstractINTRODUCTIONCOVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion has emerged in the past months as an alternative approach to treat pneumonia cases of SARS-CoV-2. Current evidence regarding characteristics of the plasma product, the titer of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in the transfused units, time to onset of intervention, and impact of nAbs produced by the patient are limited and heterogeneous.MATERIAL AND METHODSWe describe the preliminary results of 104 patients with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 transfused with CCP at three medical centers in Brazil. All enrolled patients were transfused with doses between 200 mL through 600mL of ABO compatible CCP on days 0-2 after enrolment. Clinical parameters were monitored and nAbs titration was performed using the cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test with SARS-CoV-2 (GenBankMT126808.1).RESULTSForty-one patients achieved clinical improvement on day 14, and multivariable logistic regression showed that nAbs T (from CCP units transfused) (p= 0.001), nAbs P0 (on day of enrolment) (p=0.009) and use of other supportive therapies (p<0.001) were associated with higher odds for this clinical improvement. Considering ICU length of stay (LOS) and length of mechanical ventilation, in our analysis, nAbs P0 were associated with a significant reduction in ICU LOS (p=0.018) and duration of mechanical ventilation (p<0.001). Administration of CCP after 10 days of symptom onset was associated with increases in ICU length of stay (p<0.001).DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONDespite the study limitations, our data have shown an association between patients’ previously acquired nAbs and clinical outcomes. The potential value of timely administration of CCP transfusion before day 10 of disease onset was demonstrated and nAbsP0, but not nAbsT, were associated with ICU LOS, and duration of mechanical ventilation on the improvement of clinical outcomes was also demonstrated. In conclusion, we consider these data are useful parameters to guide future CPP transfusion strategies to COVID-19.
Effect of clustering and correlation of belief systems on infectious disease outbreaks
Authors: Kadelka Claus , McCombs Audrey 
Published: December 2020

AbstractContact between people with similar opinions and characteristics occurs at a higher rate than among other people, a phenomenon known as homophily. The presence of clusters of unvaccinated people has been associated with increased incidence of infectious disease outbreaks despite high vaccination coverage. The epidemiological consequences of homophily regarding other beliefs and correlations among belief systems are however poorly understood. Here, we use a simple compartmental disease model as well as a more complex COVID-19 model to study how homophily and correlation of belief systems in a social interaction network affect the probability of disease outbreak and COVID-19-related mortality. We find that the current social context, characterized by the presence of homophily and correlations between who vaccinates, who engages in risk reduction, and individual risk status, corresponds to a situation with substantially worse disease burden than in the absence of heterogeneities. In the presence of an effective vaccine, relative effects of homophily and correlation of belief systems become stronger. Further, the optimal vaccination strategy depends on the degree of homophily regarding vaccination status as well as the relative level of risk mitigation high- and low-risk individuals practice. The developed methods are broadly applicable to any investigation in which node attributes in a graph might reasonably be expected to cluster or exhibit correlations.
Research on Recognition Method of COVID-19 Images Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Ji Dongsheng , Zhao Yanzhong , Zhang Zhujun , Zhao Qianchuan 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn view of the large demand for new coronary pneumonia covid19 image recognition samples,the recognition accuracy is not ideal.In this paper,a new coronary pneumonia positive image recognition method proposed based on small sample recognition. First, the CT image pictures are preprocessed, and the pictures are converted into the picture formats which are required for transfer learning. Secondly, perform small-sample image enhancement and expansion on the converted picture, such as miscut transformation, random rotation and translation, etc.. Then, multiple migration models are used to extract features and then perform feature fusion. Finally,the model is adjusted by fine-tuning.Then train the model to obtain experimental results. The experimental results show that our method has excellent recognition performance in the recognition of new coronary pneumonia images,even with only a small number of CT image samples.
Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across time and countries
Authors: Kerr John R. , Schneider Claudia R. , Recchia Gabriel , Dryhurst Sarah , Sahlin Ullrika , Dufouil Carole , Arwidson Pierre , Freeman Alexandra L. J. , van der Linden Sander 
Published: December 2020

AbstractUnderstanding the drivers of vaccine acceptance is crucial to the success of COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns. Across 25 national samples from 12 different countries we examined the psychological correlates of willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (total N = 25,334), with a focus on risk perception and trust in a number of relevant actors, both in general and specifically regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Male sex, trust in medical and scientific experts and worry about the virus emerge as the most consistent predictors of reported vaccine acceptance across countries. In a subset of samples we show that these effects are robust after controlling for attitudes towards vaccination in general. Our results indicate that the burden of trust largely rests on the shoulders of the scientific and medical community, with implications for how future COVID-19 vaccination information should be communicated to maximize uptake.
Infant Mental Health Prevention and Treatment: A Systematic Review Examining the Role of Homelessness
Authors: Landis Taylor D. , Hare Megan M. , Graziano Paulo A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPurposeWhereas many prevention and treatment programs exist for children and families, there have been no reviews specifically examining infant mental health outcomes. Furthermore, despite high rates of infants and families experiencing homelessness, little work has evaluated the effectiveness of these parenting programs in such vulnerable populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to a) systematically examine prevention and treatment parenting programs targeting infant mental health outcomes in infants from birth to age 2 years, b) highlight strengths and limitations of current interventions, and c) identify gaps in the existing literature to inform future mental health intervention science in areas of greatest need, specifically within the context of homelessness.MethodsFrom over 15,000 publications initially identified, thirty-three prevention and treatment programs met inclusion criteria for this review. Each program was reviewed for level of scientific evidence.ResultsOf the thirty-three programs reviewed, eleven (33%) were classified as promising. An additional 18% were classified as ineffective, emerging, and effective. Lastly, only four programs (12%; Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Triple P-Positive Parenting Program, and Video-feedback Intervention Parenting Program) were classified as evidence-based based on infant mental health outcomes. Few of the identified programs have been implemented in homeless shelters, with no randomized control trials to date.ConclusionsThere is a dearth of literature examining programs targeting infant mental health. Even those programs considered evidence-based have not been thoroughly examined among families in shelter settings.
Early initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation for prevention of COVID-19 mortality: a nationwide cohort study of hospitalized patients in the United States
Authors: Rentsch Christopher T , Beckman Joshua A , Tomlinson Laurie , Gellad Walid F , Alcorn Charles , Kidwai-Khan Farah , Skanderson Melissa , Brittain Evan , King Joseph T , Ho Yuk-Lam , Eden Svetlana , Kundu Suman , Lann Michael F , Greevy Robert A , Ho P. Michael , Heidenreich Paul A , Jacobson Daniel A , Douglas Ian J , Tate Janet P , Evans Stephen JW , Atkins David , Justice Amy C , Freiberg Matthew S 
Published: December 2020

AbstractImportanceDeaths among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are partially attributed to venous thromboembolism and arterial thromboses. Anticoagulants prevent thrombosis formation, possess anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, and may be particularly effective for treating patients with COVID-19.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation within 24 hours of admission is associated with decreased risk of death among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.DesignObservational cohort study.SettingNationwide cohort of patients receiving care in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States.ParticipantsAll patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection March 1 to July 31, 2020, without a history of therapeutic anticoagulation.ExposuresProphylactic doses of subcutaneous heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, or direct oral anticoagulants.Main Outcomes and Measures30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes: inpatient mortality and initiating therapeutic anticoagulation.ResultsOf 4,297 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 3,627 (84.4%) received prophylactic anticoagulation within 24 hours of admission. More than 99% (n=3,600) received subcutaneous heparin or enoxaparin. We observed 622 deaths within 30 days of admission, 513 among those who received prophylactic anticoagulation. Most deaths (510/622, 82%) occurred during hospitalization. In inverse probability of treatment weighted analyses, cumulative adjusted incidence of mortality at 30 days was 14.3% (95% CI 13.1-15.5) among those receiving prophylactic anticoagulation and 18.7% (95% CI 15.1-22.9) among those who did not. Compared to patients who did not receive prophylactic anticoagulation, those who did had a 27% decreased risk for 30-day mortality (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.66-0.81). Similar associations were found for inpatient mortality and initiating therapeutic anticoagulation. Quantitative bias analysis demonstrated that results were robust to unmeasured confounding (e-value lower 95% CI 1.77). Results persisted in a number of sensitivity analyses.Conclusions and RelevanceEarly initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was associated with a decreased risk of mortality. These findings provide strong real-world evidence to support guidelines recommending the use of prophylactic anticoagulation as initial therapy for COVID-19 patients upon hospital admission.
Retrospective Clinical Surveillance Measuring Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Rates Pre-and Post-Inclusion of Novel Silver Ion Antimicrobial Textile Intervention in an Infection Control Program
Authors: Balachandran Priya , Mathur Kavita , Ritter J. Trees 
Published: December 2020

SUMMARYHealthcare linens act as a vector of microbial transmission through use, storage and handling. In this retrospective multi-year, multi-site study, the impact of an infection prevention program, that included an automated silver ion-based antimicrobial laundry treatment, was studied. A composite reduction of 42% in healthcare associated infection (HAI) rates was observed, with the biggest reductions associated with CAUTI and CDI rates. Although further study is needed to better understand the exact contribution of such an intervention towards prevention of HAIs, ionic silver treatment of healthcare textiles may prove to be a useful tool in HAI reduction strategies.
Autocrine and paracrine interferon signaling as ‘ring vaccination’ and ‘contact tracing’ strategies to suppress virus infection in a host
Authors: Lavigne G. Michael , Russell Hayley , Sherry Barbara , Ke Ruian 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe innate immune response, particularly the interferon response, represents a first line of defense against viral infections. The interferon molecules produced from infected cells act through autocrine and paracrine signaling to turn host cells into an antiviral state. Although the molecular mechanisms of IFN signaling have been well characterized, how the interferon response collectively contribute to the regulation of host cells to stop or suppress viral infection during early infection remain unclear. Here, we use mathematical models to delineate the roles of the autocrine and the paracrine signaling, and show that their impacts on viral spread are dependent on how infection proceeds. In particular, we found that when infection is well-mixed, the paracrine signaling is not as effective; in contrast, when infection spreads in a spatial manner, a likely scenario during initial infection in tissue, the paracrine signaling can impede the spread of infection by decreasing the number of susceptible cells close to the site of infection. Furthermore, we argue that the interferon response can be seen as a parallel to population-level epidemic prevention strategies such as contact tracing or ring vaccination. Thus, our results here may have implications for the outbreak control at the population scale more broadly.
Characterization and description ofFaecalibacterium butyricigeneranssp. nov. andF. longumsp. nov., isolated from human faeces
Authors: Zou Yuanqiang , Lin Xiaoqian , Xue Wenbin , Dai Ying , Kristiansen Karsten , Xiao Liang 
Published: December 2020

AbstractExploiting a pure culture strategy to investigate the composition of human gut microbiota, two novel anaerobes, designated strains AF52-21Tand CM04-06T, were isolated from faeces of two healthy Chinese donors and characterized using a polyphasic approach. The two strains were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, and rod-shaped. Both strains grew optimally at 37°C and pH 7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the two strain clustered with species of the genusFaecalibacteriumand were most closely related toFaecalibacterium prausnitziiATCC 27768Twith sequence similarity of 97.18% and 96.87%, respectively. The two isolates shared a 16S rRNA gene sequence identity of 98.69%. Draft genome sequencing was performed for strains AF52-21Tand CM04-06T, generating genome sizes of 2.85 Mbp and 3.01 Mbp. The calculated average nucleotide identity values between the genomes of the strains AF52-21Tand CM04-06Tcompared toFaecalibacterium prausnitziiATCC 27768Twere 83.20% and 82.54%, respectively, and 90.09% when comparing AF52-21Tand CM04-06T. Both values were below the previously proposed species threshold (95%), supporting their recognition as novel species in the genusFaecalibacterium. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strain AF52-21Tand CM04-06Tcalculated from genome sequences were 57.77 mol% and 57.51 mol%, respectively. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, we conclude that both strains represent two newFaecalibacteriumspecies, for which the namesFaecalibacterium butyricigeneranssp. nov. (type strain AF52-21T= CGMCC 1.5206T= DSM 103434T) andFaecalibacterium longumsp. nov. (type strain CM04-06T= CGMCC 1.5208T= DSM 103432T) are proposed.
Evaluation of microbial diversification mechanisms in legume-based mixed cropping systems with different legume species and types of fertilizer management
Authors: Kimura Akari , Uchida Yoshitaka 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBiodiversity loss is becoming a global concern due to its negative impact on services associated with the ecosystem. For agricultural soil to maintain these multi-services, the conservation of soil microbial diversity is of utmost importance. Mixed cropping systems involve the utilisation of multiple crop species on the field as well as the diversification of aboveground plants, although several contradicting results have been reported regarding their impacts on soil microbial diversity. Therefore, for the evaluation of the impact of different leguminous species used in mixed cropping systems as well as types of fertilizer on the diversity of soil microbes, a pot study was performed under maize/legume mixed cropping systems with one of three legumes, including cowpea (Vigna unguiculate(L.) Walp.), velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens(L.) DC.), and common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) as well as one of three types of fertilizer treatments, namely chemical fertilizer (CF), carbonised chicken manure (CM), or the lack of fertilizer (Ctr). 16S rRNA analyses were conducted using the soils sampled from each pot for soil bacterial diversity assessment. Concerning the results, a decrease in the microbial diversity after CM application was shown by the soil with velvet bean + maize (MM) when compared to the Ctr treatment, while an increase in the microbial diversity was shown by the soil with common bean + maize (PM) under the same condition. In case of the CM application, the abundance of treatment-unique bacteria increased in the PM treatment, although their decrease was observed for the MM treatment. In contrast, the abundance of dominant microbes, including Thaumarchaeota was significantly lower in PM but higher in MM when the CM was applied. Legume species-dependent factors, including nutrient absorption and root exudate composition might be important concerning soil bacterial diversities. For the conservation of soil microbial diversity with mixed cropping, the interaction effect of legume species and fertilizer type should be considered in future studies.