bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sudden Death After Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Context of Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Hillow Mohamed Aden , Kwobah Edith Kamaru , Gakinya Benson , Omari Felicita 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment modality for a range of psychiatric illnesses. It is shown to be useful in the management of psychotic disorders for decades, more so in the treatment of refractory schizophrenia when given with antipsychotic medications. We highlight a case of a 37-year-old lady who was on treatment for refractory schizophrenia for the past 10 years but had continued to exhibit residual psychotic symptoms of auditory hallucinations and persecutory delusions that resulted in numerous in-patient admissions. She was initiated on ECT but contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) before she could receive her second session. After isolating for 2 weeks in a COVID-19–designated isolation ward and testing negative twice, she was rescheduled to continue with her ECT. Ten minutes after leaving theater upon successfully undergoing her second ECT session, she collapsed suddenly and died. An autopsy done later revealed pulmonary thromboembolism as the cause of death.

Conclusions
Although ECT is a safe procedure, caution should be exercised in the context of COVID-19, as it is now clear that patients who recovered from COVID-19 might have an undetected venous thromboembolism that can cause untoward outcomes.

Ethical Consideration
A written consent was obtained from the sister to the deceased patient.
Implementation of Rapid and Frequent SARS-CoV2 Antigen Testing and Response in Congregate Homeless Shelters
Authors: Aranda-Díaz Andrés , Imbert Elizabeth , Strieff Sarah , Graham-Squire Dave , Evans Jennifer L , Moore Jamie , McFarland Willi , Fuchs Jonathan , Handley Margaret A , Kushel Margot 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundPeople experiencing homelessness who live in congregate shelters are at high risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission and severe COVID-19. Current screening and response protocols using rRT-PCR in homeless shelters are expensive, require specialized staff and have delays in returning results and implementing responses.MethodsWe piloted a program to offer frequent, rapid antigen-based tests (BinaxNOW) to residents and staff of congregate-living shelters in San Francisco, California, from January 15th to February 19th, 2021. We used the Reach-Effectiveness-Adoption-Implementation-Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to evaluate the implementation.ResultsReachWe offered testing at ten of twelve eligible shelters. Shelter residents and staff had variable participation across shelters; approximately half of eligible individuals tested at least once; few tested consistently during the study.Effectiveness2.2% of participants tested positive. We identified three outbreaks, but none exceeded 5 cases. All BinaxNOW-positive participants were isolated or left the shelters.AdoptionWe offered testing to all eligible participants within weeks of the project’s initiation.ImplementationAdaptations made to increase reach and improve consistency were promptly implemented.MaintenanceSan Francisco Department of Public Health expanded and maintained testing with minimal support after the end of the pilot.ConclusionRapid and frequent antigen testing for SARS-CoV2 in homeless shelters is a viable alternative to rRT-PCR testing that can lead to immediate isolation of infectious individuals. Using the RE-AIM framework, we evaluated and adapted interventions to enable the expansion and maintenance of protocols.
Evolving Phenotypes of non-hospitalized Patients that Indicate Long Covid
Authors: Estiri Hossein , Strasser Zachary H , Brat Gabriel A , Semenov Yevgeniy R ,   The Consortium for Characterization of COVID-19 by EHR (4CE), Patel Chirag J , Murphy Shawn N 
Published: April 2021

AbstractFor some SARS-CoV-2 survivors, recovery from the acute phase of the infection has been grueling with lingering effects. Many of the symptoms characterized as the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) could have multiple causes or are similarly seen in non-COVID patients. Accurate identification of phenotypes will be important to guide future research and help the healthcare system focus its efforts and resources on adequately controlled age- and gender-specific sequelae of a COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective electronic health records (EHR) cohort study, we applied a computational framework for knowledge discovery from clinical data, MLHO, to identify phenotypes that positively associate with a past positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19. We evaluated the post-test phenotypes in two temporal windows at 3-6 and 6-9 months after the test and by age and gender. Data from longitudinal diagnosis records stored in EHRs from Mass General Brigham in the Boston metropolitan area was used for the analyses. Statistical analyses were performed on data from March 2020 to June 2021. Study participants included over 96 thousand patients who had tested positive or negative for COVID-19 and were not hospitalized. We identified 33 phenotypes among different age/gender cohorts or time windows that were positively associated with past SARS-CoV-2 infection. All identified phenotypes were newly recorded in patients’ medical records two months or longer after a COVID-19 RT-PCR test in non-hospitalized patients regardless of the test result. Among these phenotypes, a new diagnosis record for anosmia and dysgeusia (OR: 2.60, 95% CI [1.94 - 3.46]), alopecia (OR: 3.09, 95% CI [2.53 - 3.76]), chest pain (OR: 1.27, 95% CI [1.09 - 1.48]), chronic fatigue syndrome (OR 2.60, 95% CI [1.22-2.10]), shortness of breath (OR 1.41, 95% CI [1.22 - 1.64]), pneumonia (OR 1.66, 95% CI [1.28 - 2.16]), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR 1.41, 95% CI [1.22 - 1.64]) are some of the most significant indicators of a past COVID-19 infection. Additionally, more new phenotypes were found with increased confidence among the cohorts who were younger than 65. Our approach avoids a flood of false positive discoveries while offering a more robust probabilistic approach compared to the standard linear phenome-wide association study (PheWAS). The findings of this study confirm many of the post-COVID symptoms and suggest that a variety of new diagnoses, including new diabetes mellitus and neurological disorder diagnoses, are more common among those with a history of COVID-19 than those without the infection. Additionally, more than 63 percent of PASC phenotypes were observed in patients under 65 years of age, pointing out the importance of vaccination to minimize the risk of debilitating post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 among younger adults.
Performance Decay of Molecular Assays Near the Limit of Detection: Probabilistic Modeling using Real-World COVID-19 Data
Authors: Durant Thomas J.S. , Koch Christopher D. , Kerantzas Christopher A. , Peaper David R. 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTThe gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19 is detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. However, the effect of systematic changes in specimen viral burden on the overall assay performance is not quantitatively described. We observed decreased viral burdens in our testing population as the pandemic progressed, with median sample Ct values increasing from 22.7 to 32.8 from weeks 14 and 20, respectively. We developed a method using computer simulations to quantify the implications of variable SARS-CoV-2 viral burden on observed assay performance. We found that overall decreasing viral burden can have profound effects on assay detection rates. When real-world Ct values were used as source data in a bootstrap resampling simulation, the sensitivity of the same hypothetical assay decreased from 97.59 (95% CI 97.3-97.9) in week 12, to 74.42 (95% CI 73.9-75) in week 20. Furthermore, simulated assays with a 3-fold or 10-fold reduced sensitivity would both appear to be >95% sensitive early in the pandemic, but sensitivity would fall to 85.55 (95% CI 84.9-86.2) and 74.38 (95% CI 73.6-75.1) later in the pandemic, respectively. Our modeling approach can be used to better quantitate the impact that specimen viral burden may have on the clinical application of tests and specimens.
The SARS-CoV2 pandemic explained via asymptomatic infection and susceptibility heterogeneity. Buenos Aires first wave
Authors: Bullo Manuela , Poy-Piñeiro Santiago , Cosatto-Ammann Pedro , Seoane Hernan , Picasso Emilio 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe rapid global spread of SARS-COV-2 forced governments to implement drastic interventions. The existence of a large but undetermined number of mild or non-symptomatic but infectious cases seems to be involved in the rapid spread, creating a high level of uncertainty due to the difficulty to measure them, and difficulty for epidemiologic modelling.MethodsWe developed a compartmental model with deterministic equations, that accounts for clinical status, mobility, r heterogenous susceptibility and non-pharmaceutical interventions. The model was calibrated using data from different regions and we used it to predict the dynamic in Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA).ResultsThe model adjusted well to different geographical regions. In AMBA the model predicted 21400 deaths at 300 days, with 27% of the population in the region immunized after the first wave, partly due to the high incidence of asymptomatic cases. The mobility restriction is approximately linear, with any restriction bringing a positive effect. The other interventions have a combined effect of 27% reduction in infection rates.ConclusionOur research underlines the role of asymptomatic cases in the epidemics’ dynamic and introduces the concept of susceptibility heterogeneity as a potential explanation for otherwise unexplained outbreak dynamics. The model also shows the big role of non-pharmaceutical interventions both in slowing down the epidemic dynamics and in reducing the eventual number of deaths. The model results are closely compatible with observed data.
Resource sharing by outer membrane vesicles from a citrus pathogen
Authors: Araujo Gabriel G. , Conforte Matheus M. , Purificação Aline D. da , Todeschini Iris , Llontop Edgar E. , Angeli Claudia B. , Inague Alex , Yoshinaga Marcos Y. , de Souza Robson F. , Papai Rodrigo , Luz Maciel S. , Miyamoto Sayuri , Palmisano Giuseppe , Farah Chuck S. , Guzzo Cristiane R. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe causative agent of citrus canker disease,Xanthomonas citripv.citri, was found to produce copious amounts of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), frequently forming long membranous tubes under different culture conditions. Lipidomic analysis revealed significant differences in lipid composition between purified vesicles in relation to whole cells. The results suggest an enrichment in saturated cardiolipins and a decrease in unsaturated lipids in the OMV samples, possibly granting them a more rigid structure while allowing their high degree of curvature caused by their small diameters. The vesicles’ proteome was found to be significantly enriched in TonB-dependent receptors related to the acquisition of different nutrients. These proteins are known to transport siderophores, which were evidenced to be present in purifiedX. citriOMVs, along with essential metals including iron, zinc, and manganese quantified by elemental analysis. The availability of vesicle-associated nutrients to be incorporated by cells was demonstrated by the use of OMVs as the sole carbon source for bacterial growth. At last, the vesicles also presented esterase and protease activities, which have been associated with virulence in phytopathogens. These evidences point thatX. citricells can use OMVs to share resources within microbial communities, which has potential implications for microbial interactions and plant colonization, affecting their survival and persistence on the host and in the environment.ImportanceThe shedding of outer membrane vesicles appears to be universal in Gram-negative bacteria and effectively constitutes a unique secretion pathway for diverse molecules and proteins. To study their possible functions in the citrus pathogenXanthomonas citri, purified vesicles from this bacterium were studied by omics and functional approaches. Nutrient transporters were found associated to these structures, which were evidenced to contain siderophores and essential metals. The availability of these nutrients to be incorporated by cells was then demonstrated by showing that purified vesicles can be used as sole carbon sources for microbial growth. Additionally, the samples also presented esterase and protease activities which can contribute to the release of substrates from plant host tissues. These observations help to establish the developing idea of vesicles as shared bacterial resources which can participate in shaping host-associated microbial communities in contrast to other interactions such as bacterial competition.
Perceived and mentally rotated contents are differentially represented in cortical depth of V1
Authors: Iamshchinina Polina , Kaiser Daniel , Yakupov Renat , Haenelt Daniel , Sciarra Alessandro , Mattern Hendrik , Lüesebrink Falk , Duezel Emrah , Speck Oliver , Weiskopf Nikolaus , Cichy Radoslaw Martin 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPrimary visual cortex (V1) in humans is known to represent both veridically perceived external input and internally-generated contents underlying imagery and mental rotation. However, it is unknown how the brain keeps these contents separate thus avoiding a mixture of the perceived and the imagined which could lead to potentially detrimental consequences. Inspired by neuroanatomical studies showing that feedforward and feedback connections in V1 terminate in different cortical layers, we hypothesized that this anatomical compartmentalization underlies functional segregation of external and internally-generated visual contents, respectively. We used high-resolution layer-specific fMRI to test this hypothesis in a mental rotation task. We found that rotated contents were predominant at outer cortical depth bins (i.e. superficial and deep). At the same time perceived contents were represented stronger at the middle cortical bin. These results identify how through cortical depth compartmentalization V1 functionally segregates rather than confuses external from internally-generated visual contents. These results indicate that feedforward and feedback manifest in distinct subdivisions of the early visual cortex, thereby reflecting a general strategy for implementing multiple cognitive functions within a single brain region.
Heterogeneouspdgfrβ+cells regulate coronary vessel development and revascularization during heart regeneration
Authors: Kapuria Subir , Bai Haipeng , Fierros Juancarlos , Huang Ying , Ma Feiyang , Yoshida Tyler , Aguayo Antonio , Kok Fatma , Wiens Katie M. , Yip Joycelyn K. , McCain Megan L. , Pellegrini Matteo , Nagashima Mikiko , Hitchcock Peter F. , Lawson Nathan D. , Harrison Michael MR , Lien Ching-Ling 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTEndothelial cells emerge from the atrioventricular canal (AVC) to form nascent coronary blood vessels in the juvenile zebrafish heart. We found thatpdgfrβis first expressed in the epicardium around the AVC and later becomes localized mainly in the mural cells.pdgfrβmutant fish display severe defects in mural cell recruitment and coronary vessel development.pdgfrβ+mural cells are heterogeneous and those associated with coronary arteries also expresscxcl12b. Mural cells positive for bothpdgfrβandcxcl12btransgenic reporters had elevated expression of smooth muscle cell genes. Interestingly, these mural cells were associated with coronary arteries even in the absence of Pdgfrβ, although smooth muscle gene expression was downregulated in these cells. We found thatpdgfrβexpression dynamically changes in the epicardium derived cells, which we found to be a heterogeneous population.mdkawas identified as a gene upregulated in subpopulations ofpdgfrβ+ cells during heart regeneration. However,pdgfrβbut notmdkamutants showed defects in heart regeneration. Our results demonstrated thatpdgfrβ+cells and Pdgfrβ signaling are essential for coronary development and heart regeneration.SUMMARY STATEMENTHeterogeneouspdgfrβpositive cells are present in developing and regenerating zebrafish hearts and are required for development of mural cells and their association with the nascent coronary vessels during zebrafish heart development and regeneration.
Rab11 negatively regulates Wingless preventing JNK mediated apoptosis inDrosophilaepithelium during embryonic dorsal closure
Authors: Nandy Nabarun , Roy Jagat Kumar 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCell signaling pathways involved in epithelial wound healing, show a lot of complexities when it comes to their regulation. Remarkably, a large proportion of these signaling pathways are triggered at the time of morphogenetic events which usually involve epithelial sheet fusions during embryonic development, such as the event of dorsal cloure in Drosophila embryos. One such conserved pathway in the wound healing process is the JNK-Dpp signaling pathway. Recent observations suggest that one such upstream regulator of JNK mediated apoptosis could be Rab11, a small Ras like GTPase, which is functionally associated with the membrane and cortical cytoskeletal organization of epithelial cells. UsingDrosophilaembryonic dorsal closure as a model of wound healing, we observed that a targeted expression of aRab11loss of function mutant in the dorso-lateral epidermis of fly embryos (tissue which extends contra-laterally in order to fill the intervening gap) undergoing dorsal closure leads to an ectopic expression of Caspase-3 and a concomitant up-regulation of the JNK-Dpp signaling. This resulted in the death of the dorso-lateral epithelial cells with a consequent embryonic lethality due to dorsal closure defects. Interestingly, a simultaneous knockdown ofwingless(another developmentally conserved gene) inRab11mutants resulted in a rescue of the lethal phenotype and also a significant level of successful completion of the dorsal closure process. In our experiments we suggest Rab11 could promote cross talk between the JNK-Dpp pathway and the canonicalwinglesspathway in the regulation of apoptosis in the dorsolateral epithelium of fly embryos undergoing dorsal closure.One Sentence SummaryRab11 functions through a conserved Wingless mediated JNK-Dpp pathway during embryonic dorsal closure.
Lymphotoxin-alpha expression in the meninges causes lymphoid tissue formation and neurodegeneration
Authors: James Bates Rachel E , Browne Eleanor , Schalks Renee , Jacobs Heather , Tan Li , Parekh Puja , Magliozzi Roberta , Calabrese Massimiliano , Mazarakis Nicholas D. , Reynolds Richard 
Published: April 2021

AbstractLymphotoxin alpha (LTα) plays an important role in lymphoid organ development and cellular cytotoxicity in the immune system. LTα expression is increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of naïve and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and post-mortem meningeal tissue. Here we show that persistently increased levels of LTα in the cerebral meninges can give rise to lymphoid-like structures and underlying MS-like cortical pathology. Stereotaxic injections of recombinant LTα into the rat meninges leads to acute meningeal inflammation and subpial demyelination that resolves after 28 days. Injection of an LTα lentiviral vector induces lymphoid-like immune cell aggregates, maintained over 3 months, including T-cell rich zones containing podoplanin+ fibroblastic reticular stromal cells and B-cell rich zones with a network of follicular dendritic cells, together with expression of lymphoid chemokines and their receptors. Extensive microglial activation, subpial demyelination and marked neuronal loss occurs in the underlying cortical parenchyma. These results show that chronic LTα overexpression is sufficient to induce formation of meningeal lymphoid-like structures and subsequent neurodegeneration.SummaryIncreased release of lymphotoxin-alpha contributes to the pro-inflammatory milieu of the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. A persistent elevated expression of this cytokine in the meninges of rats gives rise to chronic inflammation with lymphoid tissue induction and accompanying neurodegenerative and demyelinating pathology in the underlying brain tissue.
Tryptophan derivatives regulate the seed germination and radicle growth of a root parasitic plant,Orobanche minor
Authors: Kuruma Michio , Suzuki Taiki , Seto Yoshiya 
Published: April 2021

AbstractRoot parasitic plant germination is induced by the host-derived chemical, strigolactone (SL). We found that a major microbial culture broth component, tryptone, inhibits the SL-inducible germination of a root parasitic plant,Orobanche minor. L-tryptophan (1a, L-Trp) was isolated as the active compound from tryptone. We further found that L-Trp related compounds (1b-11), such as a major plant hormone auxin (8, indole-3-acetic acid; IAA), also inhibit the germination and post-radicle growth ofO. minor. We designed a hybrid chemical (13), in which IAA is attached to a part of SL, and found that this synthetic analog induced the germination ofO. minor, and also inhibited post-radicle growth. Moreover, we found thatN-acetyl Trp (9) showed germination stimulating activity, and introduction of a substitution at C-5 position incresed its activity (12a-12f). Our data, in particular, the discovery of a structurally hybrid compound that has two activities that induce spontaneous germination and inhibit subsequent radical growth, would provide new types of germination regulators for root parasitic plants.