bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Household Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in the United States: Living Density, Viral Load, and Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color
Authors: Cerami Carla , Popkin-Hall Zachary R , Rapp Tyler , Tompkins Kathleen , Zhang Haoming , Muller Meredith S , Basham Christopher , Whittelsey Maureen , Chhetri Srijana B , Smith Judy , Litel Christy , Lin Kelly D , Churiwal Mehal , Khan Salman , Rubinstein Rebecca , Claman Faith , Mollan Katie , Wohl David , Premkumar Lakshmanane , Powers Kimberly A , Juliano Jonathan J , Lin Feng-Chang , Lin Jessica T 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Background
Households are hot spots for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission.

Methods
This prospective study enrolled 100 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 208 of their household members in North Carolina though October 2020, including 44% who identified as Hispanic or non-White. Households were enrolled a median of 6 days from symptom onset in the index case. Incident secondary cases within the household were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction of weekly nasal swabs (days 7, 14, 21) or by seroconversion at day 28.

Results
Excluding 73 household contacts who were PCR-positive at baseline, the secondary attack rate (SAR) among household contacts was 32% (33 of 103; 95% confidence interval [CI], 22%–44%). The majority of cases occurred by day 7, with later cases confirmed as household-acquired by viral sequencing. Infected persons in the same household had similar nasopharyngeal viral loads (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.45; 95% CI, .23–.62). Households with secondary transmission had index cases with a median viral load that was 1.4 log10 higher than those without transmission (P = .03), as well as higher living density (more than 3 persons occupying fewer than 6 rooms; odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.02–10.9). Minority households were more likely to experience high living density and had a higher risk of incident infection than did White households (SAR, 51% vs 19%; P = .01).

Conclusions
Household crowding in the context of high-inoculum infections may amplify the spread of COVID-19, potentially contributing to disproportionate impact on communities of color.
On the Security of the Stream Ciphers RCR-64 and RCR-32
Authors: Joseph Mabin , Sekar Gautham , Balasubramanian R , Venkiteswaran G 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The stream ciphers RCR-64 and RCR-32 designed by Sekar et al. are the most recent additions to the Py-family of stream ciphers, originally designed by Biham et al. The ciphers are among the fastest stream ciphers on software. To the best of our knowledge, the only reported attacks on the ciphers are due to Ding et al., published in the Journal of Universal Computer Science. In this paper, we review these alleged attacks on the RCR ciphers and show that they are based on non-existent keystream biases stemming from flawed probability calculations.
Impact of SMART Pass filter in patients with ajmaline-induced Brugada syndrome and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator eligibility failure: results from a prospective multicentre study
Authors: Conte Giulio , Cattaneo Fabio , de Asmundis Carlo , Berne Paola , Vicentini Alessandro , Namdar Mehdi , Scalone Antonio , Klersy Catherine , Caputo Maria Luce , Demarchi Andrea , Özkartal Tardu , Salghetti Francesca , Casu Gavino , Passarelli Ilaria , Mameli Stefano , Shah Dipen , Burri Haran , De Ferrari Gaetano , Brugada Pedro , Auricchio Angelo 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Aims
Ajmaline challenge can unmask subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) screening failure in patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) and non-diagnostic baseline electrocardiogram (ECG). The efficacy of the SMART Pass (SP) filter, a high-pass filter designed to reduce cardiac oversensing (while maintaining an appropriate sensing margin), has not yet been assessed in patients with BrS. The aim of this prospective multicentre study was to investigate the effect of the SP filter on dynamic Brugada ECG changes evoked by ajmaline and to assess its value in reducing S-ICD screening failure in patients with drug-induced Brugada ECGs.

Methods and results
The S-ICD screening with conventional automated screening tool (AST) was performed during ajmaline challenge in subjects with suspected BrS. The S-ICD recordings were obtained before, during and after ajmaline administration and evaluated by the means of a simulation model that emulates the AST behaviour with and without SP filter. A patient was considered suitable for S-ICD if at least one sensing vector was acceptable in all tested postures. A sensing vector was considered acceptable in the presence of QRS amplitude &gt;0.5 mV, QRS/T-wave ratio &gt;3.5, and sense vector score &gt;100. Of the 126 subjects (mean age: 42 ± 14 years, males: 61%, sensing vectors: 6786), 46 (36%) presented with an ajmaline-induced Brugada type 1 ECG. Up to 30% of subjects and 40% of vectors failed the screening during the appearance of Brugada type 1 ECG evoked by ajmaline. The S-ICD screening failure rate was not significantly reduced in patients with Brugada ECGs when SP filter was enabled (30% vs. 24%). Similarly, there was only a trend in reduction of vector-failure rate attributable to the SP filter (from 40% to 36%). The most frequent reason for screening failure was low QRS amplitude or low QRS/T-wave ratio. None of these patients was implanted with an S-ICD.

Conclusion
Patients who pass the sensing screening during ajmaline can be considered good candidates for S-ICD implantation, while those who fail might be susceptible to sensing issues. Although there was a trend towards reduction of vector sensing failure rate when SP filter was enabled, the reduction in S-ICD screening failure in patients with Brugada ECGs did not reach statistical significance.

Clinical trial registration
https://clinicaltrials.gov Unique Identifier NCT04504591.
Frequency dependence of attenuation components including mantle leakage in Garhwal Himalaya based on a modified MLTWA method
Authors: Padhy Simanchal , Subhadra Nampally 
Published: August 2021

SUMMARY
Attenuation mechanism of seismic waves derived with an appropriate scattering model is a mandate for high-frequency earthquake ground-motion modelling. The assumption of uniform half-space is not always realistic and can have significant implications on the results obtained. We tested this assumption for the case of Garhwal Himalaya using a two-layered half-space model. To this end, we analysed the 1999 Chamoli earthquake aftershock sequence in Garhwal Himalaya based on the MLTWA method assuming both the uniform and layered models. The data set consists of 384 seismograms from 72 aftershocks recorded by a temporary seismic network of twelve stations. The uniform model cannot fully describe the energy loss by intrinsic and scattering attenuation, expecting bias in the corresponding attenuation estimates which are constrained by comparing results of numerical simulations with analytical solutions. By comparing the coda envelopes of both the analytical and numerical experiments for a suite of models that include the varying degree of scattering and intrinsic attenuation of crust and mantle (half-space), we could obtain improved attenuation estimates. Monte Carlo method was used to numerically solve the radiative transfer equation to deal with multiple isotropic scattering of seismic waves in 3-D heterogeneous acoustic media. The coda envelopes for the uniform model could reasonably fit those for the layered ones. The envelope fits suggest that the intrinsic and scattering coefficients for the uniform model are overestimated, by a factor that is frequency-dependent, as compared to those for the layered earth model. The factor lies in the range 4.0–7.5 (5.75 ± 1.75) below ∼3 Hz and 2.8–4.0 (3.4 ± 0.6) above 3 Hz for intrinsic, and the range 1.1–2.5 (1.8 ± 0.7) for scattering coefficient at 1–12 Hz. Under the assumption of a layered model, we could further reinterpret the apparent frequency-dependent energy loss as a sum of frequency-dependent mantle leakage and frequency-independent intrinsic attenuation. The results in the assumption of a layered model suggest strong scattering in the upper crust and weak mantle leakage in the frequency range 1.5–24 Hz. The small-scale random heterogeneities responsible for the observed scattering likely represent the fluid-filled fractured-crust, as evidenced from seismic tomography in the source area of the 1999 event.
Charcot–Marie–tooth disease causing mutation (p.R158H) in pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 3 (PDK3) affects synaptic transmission, ATP production and causes neurodegeneration in a CMTX6C. elegansmodel
Authors: Narayanan Ramesh K , Brewer Megan H , Perez-Siles Gonzalo , Ellis Melina , Ly Carolyn , Burgess Andrew , Neumann Brent , Nicholson Garth A , Vucic Steve , Kennerson Marina L 
Published: August 2021

AbstractCharcot–Marie-Tooth (CMT) is a commonly inherited, non-fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects sensory and motor neurons in patients. More than 90 genes are known to cause axonal and demyelinating forms of CMT. The p.R158H mutation in the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 3 (PDK3) gene is the genetic cause for an X linked form of axonal CMT (CMTX6). In vitro studies using patient fibroblasts and iPSC-derived motor neurons have shown that this mutation causes deficits in energy metabolism and mitochondrial function. Animal models that recapitulate pathogenic in vivo events in patients are crucial for investigating mechanisms of axonal degeneration and developing therapies for CMT. We have developed a C. elegans model of CMTX6 by knocking-in the p.R158H mutation in pdhk-2, the ortholog of PDK3. In addition, we have developed animal models overexpressing the wild type and mutant form of human PDK3 specifically in the GABAergic motor neurons of C. elegans. CMTX6 mutants generated in this study exhibit synaptic transmission deficits, locomotion defects and show signs of progressive neurodegeneration. Furthermore, the CMTX6 in vivo models display energy deficits that recapitulate the phenotype observed in patient fibroblasts and iPSC-derived motor neurons. Our CMTX6 animals represent the first in vivo model for this form of CMT and have provided novel insights into the cellular function and metabolic pathways perturbed by the p.R158H mutation, all the while closely replicating the clinical presentation observed in CMTX6 patients.
A new approach to minimize carbon emission rate in turning processes
Authors: Cakir Ali Kemal 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the correlation between CNC machine turning properties and the CO2 output, so that a minimum value is obtained and an optimal process is created. The need to find an optimal process is to help in reducing carbon emissions during the ongoing climate change. In this study, the total carbon emission values in turning have been investigated by calculating the carbon emission values of the features used in turning processes, which are work piece, cutting tool, machine electrical system, cutting tool features, cutting parameters, chip removal, etc. The actions to be taken in experimental study are decided. In the first stage, the equations required to calculate the carbon emission values are determined. Then, carbon emission values were calculated. An experimental design was created in the Taguchi method in order to use the carbon emission values obtained. In the experimental design, the cutting parameters were chosen as the factor, while the cutting time and carbon emission values were chosen as the response. Next, optimum conditions were determined in minimizing the carbon emission value. Later, the most effective cutting parameter with minimum carbon emission value was found in an analysis of variance. Unlike the studies on carbon emission in the machining sector in the literature, the effect of cutting parameters on cutting time and thus on carbon emission was also investigated. Again, in the study, unlike the studies in the literature, a numerical value is given in determining the lowest carbon emission.
Knowledge Acquisition in Times of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic: Evidence from a Four-Wave Panel Study
Authors: Damstra Alyt , Hameleers Michael 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
This paper focuses on the accuracy of COVID-19-related knowledge during the 2020 pandemic. We look at the effects of traditional vs. digital news use and distinguish between positive (number of recoveries) and negative (number of casualties) knowledge. Importantly, the moderating role of crisis context is examined when tracing media effects on knowledge. Relying on a four-wave panel survey fielded in the Netherlands, we find that people’s knowledge became more accurate over the course of the crisis. News exposure did not lead to more accuracy, in fact, a negative relation was found. The impact of digital news use weakened as the crisis continued.
Implementation research on measuring quality in primary care: balancing national needs with learning from the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Authors: LETAIEF MONDHER , Hirschhorn Lisa R , Leatherman Sheila , Sayed Alaa A , Sheikh Aziz , Siddiqi Sameen 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Background
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a core element of ensuring healthy lives, marking the third Sustainable Development Goal. It requires providing quality primary health-care (PHC) services. Assessment of quality of care considering a wide variety of contexts is a challenge. This study lists practical indicators to enhance the quality of PHC.

Objectives
Demonstrating quality indicators for PHC that are feasible, comprehensive and adaptable to wide array of health systems and resource settings.

Methods
We applied the research framework: Exploration, Preparation, Implementation and Sustainment. Exploration included a scoping review to identify quality indicators. Preparation included an eDelphi to refine the primary indicators’ list. A panel of 27 experts reviewed the list that was later pilot tested in PHC facilities. The outcomes were presented to two further expert consultations, to refine indicators and plan for broader testing. Implementation included testing the indicators through a five-step process in 40 facilities. A regional consultation in May 2016 discussed the testing outcomes.

Results
Initial efforts identified 83 quality indicators at the PHC level that were then refined to a 34-indicator list covering the six domains of quality. A toolkit was also developed to test the feasibility of each indicator measurement, data availability, challenges and gaps. Pilot testing provided insight into modifying and adding some indicators. Wide variability was encountered within and in between facilities, and timely initiation of antenatal care, for example, ranged 31–90% in Oman and 11–98% in Tunisia. Indicators were highly feasible, and 29 out of 34 were measured in 75% of facilities or more. While challenges included gaps in capacity for data collection, the tool showed high adaptability to the local context and was adopted by countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) including Libya, Oman, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan and Palestine. Stakeholders agreed on the high relevance and applicability of the proposed indicators that have been used to inform improvement.

Conclusion
A cross-regional set of 34 quality indicators of PHC in the EMR was developed and adopted by a diverse group of countries. The toolkit showed high feasibility in pilot testing reflecting the practicality needed to encourage local uptake and sustainability. The core quality indicators are highly adaptable to different local and regional contexts regardless of current PHC strength or available resources. Continuous evaluation and sharing lessons of implementation and use are needed to ascertain the indicators’ effectiveness in driving improvements in PHC and to refine and strengthen the evidence supporting the set of indicators for wider adoption.
Another Geopolitics? International Relations and the Boundaries of World Order
Authors: Burles Regan 
Published: August 2021

AbstractGeopolitics has become a key site for articulating the limits of existing theories of international relations and exploring possibilities for alternative political formations that respond to the challenges posed by massive ecological change and global patterns of violence and inequality. This essay addresses three recent books on geopolitics in the age of the Anthropocene: Simon Dalby's Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability (2020), Jairus Victor Grove's Savage Ecology: War and Geopolitics at the End of the World (2019), and Bruno Latour's Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climactic Regime (2018). The review outlines and compares how these authors pose contemporary geopolitics as a problem and offer political ecology as the ground for an alternative geopolitics. The essay considers these books in the context of critiques of world politics in international relations to shed light on both the contributions and the limits of political ecological theories of global politics. I argue that the books under review encounter problems and solutions posed in Kant's critical and political writings in relation to the concepts of epigenesis and teleology. These provoke questions about the ontological conceptions of order that enable claims to world political authority in the form of a global international system coextensive with the earth's surface.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s 2021 Impact of COVID-19 and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: Executive Summary
Authors: Ellen Kuenzig M , Windsor Joseph W , Barrett Lisa , Bernstein Charles N , Bitton Alain , Carroll Matthew W , Chauhan Usha , Coward Stephanie , Fowler Sharyle , Ghia Jean-Eric , Geist Rose , Gibson Deanna L , Graff Lesley A , Griffiths Anne M , Guoxian Huang James , Jones Jennifer L , Khanna Reena , Lakatos Peter L , Lee Kate , Mack David R , Marshall John K , Mukhtar Mariam S , Murthy Sanjay K , Nguyen Geoffrey C , Panaccione Remo , Seow Cynthia H , Singh Harminder , Tandon Parul , Targownik Laura E , Zelinsky Sandra , Benchimol Eric I , Kaplan Gilaad G 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) make up more than 0.75% of the Canadian population in 2021. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with IBD, particularly those on immunosuppressive therapies, were concerned that their health status may place them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 or experiencing more severe disease course if infected with SARS-CoV-2. In response, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada developed the COVID-19 and IBD Taskforce in March 2020 to rapidly synthesize the evolving knowledge of COVID-19 as relevant to Canadians with IBD. The Taskforce communicated expert information directly to the Canadian IBD community through online tools and a webinar series. In order to understand the full impact of COVID-19 on the IBD community, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada commissioned a policy report that was informed through a systematic literature review and synthesized across working groups along the following domains: Epidemiology, Children and Expectant Mothers with IBD, Seniors with IBD, Mental Health, Risk Factors and Medications, Vaccines, and Healthcare Delivery during the Pandemic and the Future Model of IBD Care. This report from Canadian physicians, researchers, and IBD community representatives highlights the physical, mental, and health systems impact of COVID-19 on the entire spectrum of the IBD community, including children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and pregnant people with IBD. This executive summary provides an overview of the crucial information from each of the chapters of the policy report, supplemented with additional information made available through Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s webinar-based knowledge translation platform.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s 2021 Impact of COVID-19 and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: Health Care Delivery During the Pandemic and the Future Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care
Authors: Jones Jennifer L , Benchimol Eric I , Bernstein Charles N , Huang James Guoxian , Marshall John K , Mukhtar Mariam S , Murthy Sanjay K , Nguyen Geoffrey C , Kaplan Gilaad G , Kuenzig M Ellen , Tandon Parul , Targownik Laura E , Windsor Joseph W , Bitton Alain 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a profound impact on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) health care delivery. The implementation of necessary public health restrictions has restricted access to medications, procedures and surgeries throughout the pandemic, catalyzing widespread change in how IBD care is delivered. Rapid large-scale implementation of virtual care modalities has been shown to be feasible and acceptable for the majority of individuals with IBD and health care providers. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing barriers to accessing high-quality, multidisciplinary IBD care that addresses health care needs holistically. Continued implementation and evaluation of both synchronous and asynchronous eHealthcare modalities are required now and in the future in order to determine how best to incorporate these modalities into patient-centred, collaborative care models. Resources must be dedicated to studies that evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of eHealth-enhanced models of IBD care to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while increasing quality of life for persons living with IBD. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will continue to play a major leadership role in advocating for the health care delivery models that improve the quality of life for persons living with IBD.
Current status and future perspectives of immunotherapy against urothelial and kidney cancer
Authors: Kobayashi Takashi , Takeuchi Ario , Nishiyama Hiroyuki , Eto Masatoshi 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Much attention has been paid to immune checkpoint inhibitors to various cancer treatments. In urothelial cancer, pembrolizumab was initially approved for patients who either recurred or progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy. For the platinum-fit population, although the standard first-line treatment is still platinum-based systemic chemotherapy, avelumab has been recently approved as a maintenance therapy for patients who have not had disease progression with four to six cycles of first-line chemotherapy. In addition, adjuvant nivolumab has just prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) by ~10 months, compared with placebo in patients with muscle-invasive bladder urothelial cancer or upper tract urothelial cancer at high-risk of recurrence after radical surgical resection.
On the other hand, in kidney cancer, nivolumab was initially approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma patients after one or two prior anti-angiogenic therapies. Next, combinations of two immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab + ipilimumab) and immune checkpoint inhibitor + tyrosine kinase inhibitors (pembrolizumab + axitinib and avelumab + axitinib) were approved for the first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Recently, new generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as cabozantinib and lenvatinib have been combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Both nivolumab + cabozantinib and pembrolizumab + lenvatinib have demonstrated superior progression-free survival and objective response rate, compared with sunitinib. So far, no prospective trials have demonstrated the duration of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. We are now doing the Japan Clinical Oncology Group 1905 trial, where patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have received an immune checkpoint inhibitor for 24 weeks are divided into two groups: those who continue immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment and those who discontinue immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.