bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Countermeasures against COVID-19: how to navigate medical practice through a nascent, evolving evidence base — a European multicentre mixed methods study
Authors: Eibensteiner Fabian , Ritschl Valentin , Stamm Tanja , Cetin Asil , Schmitt Claus Peter , Ariceta Gema , Bakkaloglu Sevcan , Jankauskiene Augustina , Klaus Günter , Paglialonga Fabio , Edefonti Alberto , Ranchin Bruno , Shroff Rukshana , Stefanidis Constantinos J , Vandewalle Johan , Verrina Enrico , Vondrak Karel , Zurowska Aleksandra , Alper Seth L , Aufricht Christoph 
Published: February 2021

ObjectivesIn a previously published Delphi exercise the European Pediatric Dialysis Working Group (EPDWG) reported widely variable counteractive responses to COVID-19 during the first week of statutory public curfews in 12 European countries with case loads of 4–680 infected patients per million. To better understand these wide variations, we assessed different factors affecting countermeasure implementation rates and applied the capability, opportunity, motivation model of behaviour to describe their determinants.DesignWe undertook this international mixed methods study of increased depth and breadth to obtain more complete data and to better understand the resulting complex evidence.SettingThis study was conducted in 14 paediatric nephrology centres across 12 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.ParticipantsThe 14 participants were paediatric nephrologists and EPDWG members from 12 European centres.Main outcome measures52 countermeasures clustered into eight response domains (access control, patient testing, personnel testing, personal protective equipment policy, patient cohorting, personnel cohorting, suspension of routine care, remote work) were categorised by implementation status, drivers (expert opinion, hospital regulations) and resource dependency. Governmental strictness and media attitude were independently assessed for each country and correlated with relevant countermeasure implementation factors.ResultsImplementation rates varied widely among response domains (median 49.5%, range 20%–71%) and centres (median 46%, range 31%–62%). Case loads were insufficient to explain response rate variability. Increasing case loads resulted in shifts from expert opinion-based to hospital regulation-based decisions to implement additional countermeasures despite increased resource dependency. Higher governmental strictness and positive media attitude towards countermeasure implementation were associated with higher implementation rates.ConclusionsCOVID-19 countermeasure implementation by paediatric tertiary care centres did not reflect case loads but rather reflected heterogeneity of local rules and of perceived resources. These data highlight the need of ongoing reassessment of current practices, facilitating rapid change in ‘institutional behavior’ in response to emerging evidence of countermeasure efficacy.
Association between cardiometabolic disease and severe COVID-19: a nationwide case–control study of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation
Authors: Svensson Per , Hofmann Robin , Häbel Henrike , Jernberg Tomas , Nordberg Per 
Published: February 2021

AimsThe risks associated with diabetes, obesity and hypertension for severe COVID-19 may be confounded and differ by sociodemographic background. We assessed the risks associated with cardiometabolic factors for severe COVID-19 when accounting for socioeconomic factors and in subgroups by age, sex and region of birth.Methods and resultsIn this nationwide case–control study, 1.086 patients admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (cases), and 10.860 population-based controls matched for age, sex and district of residency were included from mandatory national registries. ORs with 95% CIs for associations between severe COVID-19 and exposures with adjustment for confounders were estimated using logistic regression. The median age was 62 years (IQR 52–70), and 3003 (24.9%) were women. Type 2 diabetes (OR, 2.3 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.7)), hypertension (OR, 1.7 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.0)), obesity (OR, 3.1 (95% CI 2.4 to 4.0)) and chronic kidney disease (OR, 2.5 (95% CI 1.7 to 3.7)) were all associated with severe COVID-19. In the younger subgroup (below 57 years), ORs were significantly higher for all cardiometabolic risk factors. The risk associated with type 2 diabetes was higher in women (p=0.001) and in patients with a region of birth outside European Union(EU) (p=0.004).ConclusionDiabetes, obesity and hypertension were all independently associated with severe COVID-19 with stronger associations in the younger population. Type 2 diabetes implied a greater risk among women and in non-EU immigrants. These findings, originating from high-quality Swedish registries, may be important to direct preventive measures such as vaccination to susceptible patient groups.Trial registration numberClinicaltrial.gov (NCT04426084).
Incidence, duration and risk factors associated with delayed and missed diagnostic opportunities related to tuberculosis: a population-based longitudinal study
Authors: Miller Aaron C , Arakkal Alan T , Koeneman Scott , Cavanaugh Joeseph E , Gerke Alicia K , Hornick Douglas B , Polgreen Philip M 
Published: February 2021

ObjectivesMissed opportunities to diagnose tuberculosis are costly to patients and society. In this study, we (1) estimate the frequency and duration of diagnostic delays among patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and (2) determine the risk factors for experiencing a diagnostic delay.DesignA retrospective cohort study of patients with tuberculosis using longitudinal healthcare encounters prior to diagnosis.SettingCommercially insured enrollees from the Commercial Claims and Encounters or Medicare Supplemental IBM Marketscan Research Databases, 2001–2017.ParticipantsAll patients diagnosed with, and receiving treatment for, pulmonary tuberculosis, enrolled at least 365 days prior to diagnosis.Primary and secondary outcome measuresWe estimated the number of visits with tuberculosis-related symptoms prior to diagnosis that would be expected to occur in the absence of delays and compared this estimate to the observed pattern. We computed the number of visits representing a delay and used a simulation-based approach to estimate the number of patients experiencing a delay, number of missed opportunities per patient and duration of delays (ie, time between diagnosis and earliest missed opportunity). We also explored risk factors for missed opportunities.ResultsWe identified 3371 patients diagnosed and treated for active tuberculosis that could be followed up for 1 year prior to diagnosis. We estimated 77.2% (95% CI 75.6% to 78.7%) of patients experienced at least one missed opportunity; of these patients, an average of 3.89 (95% CI 3.65 to 4.14) visits represented a missed opportunity, and the mean duration of delay was 31.66 days (95% CI 28.51 to 35.11). Risk factors for delays included outpatient or emergency department settings, weekend visits, patient age, influenza season presentation, history of chronic respiratory symptoms and prior fluoroquinolone use.ConclusionsMany patients with tuberculosis experience multiple missed diagnostic opportunities prior to diagnosis. Missed opportunities occur most commonly in outpatient settings and numerous patient-specific, environment-specific and setting-specific factors increase risk for delays.
Risk of COVID-19 hospital admission and COVID-19 mortality during the first COVID-19 wave with a special emphasis on ethnic minorities: an observational study of a single, deprived, multiethnic UK health economy
Authors: Singh Baldev M , Bateman James , Viswanath Ananth , Klaire Vijay , Mahmud Sultan , Nevill Alan , Dunmore Simon J 
Published: February 2021

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to describe variations in COVID-19 outcomes in relation to local risks within a well-defined but diverse single-city area.DesignObservational study of COVID-19 outcomes using quality-assured integrated data from a single UK hospital contextualised to its feeder population and associated factors (comorbidities, ethnicity, age, deprivation).Setting/participantsSingle-city hospital with a feeder population of 228 632 adults in Wolverhampton.Main outcome measuresHospital admissions (defined as COVID-19 admissions (CA) or non-COVID-19 admissions (NCA)) and mortality (defined as COVID-19 deaths or non-COVID-19 deaths).ResultsOf the 5558 patients admitted, 686 died (556 in hospital); 930 were CA, of which 270 were hospital COVID-19 deaths, 47 non-COVID-19 deaths and 36 deaths after discharge; of the 4628 NCA, there were 239 in-hospital deaths (2 COVID-19) and 94 deaths after discharge. Of the 223 074 adults not admitted, 407 died. Age, gender, multimorbidity and black ethnicity (OR 2.1 (95% CI 1.5 to 3.2), p<0.001, compared with white ethnicity, absolute excess risk of <1/1000) were associated with CA and mortality. The South Asian cohort had lower CA and NCA, lower mortality compared with the white group (CA, 0.5 (0.3 to 0.8), p<0.01; NCA, 0.4 (0.3 to 0.6), p<0.001) and community deaths (0.5 (0.3 to 0.7), p<0.001). Despite many common risk factors for CA and NCA, ethnic groups had different admission rates and within-group differing association of risk factors. Deprivation impacted only the white ethnicity, in the oldest age bracket and in a lesser (not most) deprived quintile.ConclusionsWolverhampton’s results, reflecting high ethnic diversity and deprivation, are similar to other studies of black ethnicity, age and comorbidity risk in COVID-19 but strikingly different in South Asians and for deprivation. Sequentially considering population and then hospital-based NCA and CA outcomes, we present a complete single health economy picture. Risk factors may differ within ethnic groups; our data may be more representative of communities with high Black, Asian and minority ethnic populations, highlighting the need for locally focused public health strategies. We emphasise the need for a more comprehensible and nuanced conveyance of risk.
Virtual reality in specialist palliative care: a feasibility study to enable clinical practice adoption
Authors: Nwosu Amara Callistus , Mills Mark , Roughneen Simon , Stanley Sarah , Chapman Laura , Mason Stephen R 
Published: February 2021

BackgroundThe use of virtual reality (VR) is increasing in palliative care. However, despite increasing interest in VR, there is little evidence of how this technology can be implemented into practice.AimsThis paper aims to: (1) explore the feasibility of implementing VR therapy, for patients and caregivers, in a hospital specialist inpatient palliative care unit and a hospice, and (2) to identify questions for organisations, to support VR adoption in palliative care.MethodsThe Samsung Gear VR system was used in a hospital specialist palliative inpatient unit and a hospice. Patients and caregivers received VR distraction therapy and provided feedback of their experience. Staff completed a feedback questionnaire to explore their opinion of the usefulness of VR in palliative care. A public engagement event was conducted, to identify questions to support implementation of VR in palliative care settings.ResultsFifteen individuals (12 (80%) patients and 3 (20%) caregivers) participated. All had a positive experience. No adverse effects were reported. Ten items were identified for organisations to consider ahead of adoption of VR in palliative care. These were questions about: the purpose of VR; intended population; supporting evidence; session duration; equipment choice; infection control issues; content choice; setting of VR; person(s) responsible for delivery and the maintenance plan.ConclusionsIt is feasible to use VR therapy in palliative care; however, further evidence about its efficacy and effectiveness is needed. Palliative care practitioners considering VR use should carefully consider several factors, to ensure that this technology can be used safely and effectively in clinical practice.
Adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes associated with
Neisseria gonorrhoeae:
systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Vallely Lisa M , Egli-Gany Dianne , Wand Handan , Pomat William S , Homer Caroline S E , Guy Rebecca , Silver Bronwyn , Rumbold Alice R , Kaldor John M , Vallely Andrew J , Low Nicola 
Published: February 2021

Objective

To examine associations between
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
(NG) infection during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, premature rupture of membranes, perinatal mortality, low birth weight and ophthalmia neonatorum.

Data sources
We searched Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature for studies published between 1948 and 14 January 2020.

Methods
Studies were included if they reported testing for NG during pregnancy and compared pregnancy, perinatal and/or neonatal outcomes between women with and without NG. Two reviewers independently assessed papers for inclusion and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using established checklists for each study design. Summary ORs with 95% CIs were generated using random effects models for both crude and, where available, adjusted associations.

Results
We identified 2593 records and included 30 in meta-analyses. Women with NG were more likely to experience preterm birth (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.99, n=18 studies); premature rupture of membranes (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.92, n=9); perinatal mortality (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.46, n=9); low birth weight (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.48, n=8) and ophthalmia neonatorum (OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.36 to 13.04, n=6). Summary adjusted ORs were, for preterm birth 1.90 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.19, n=5) and for low birth weight 1.48 (95% CI 0.79 to 2.77, n=4). In studies with a multivariable analysis, age was the variable most commonly adjusted for. NG was more strongly associated with preterm birth in low-income and middle-income countries (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.48, n=7) than in high-income countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.83, n=11).

Conclusions
NG is associated with a number of adverse pregnancy and newborn outcomes. Further research should be done to determine the role of NG in different perinatal mortality outcomes because interventions that reduce mortality will have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of disease in low-income and middle-income countries.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42016050962.
Optical trapping and critical Casimir forces
Authors: Callegari Agnese , Magazzù Alessandro , Gambassi Andrea , Volpe Giovanni 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCritical Casimir forces emerge between objects, such as colloidal particles, whenever their surfaces spatially confine the fluctuations of the order parameter of a critical liquid used as a solvent. These forces act at short but microscopically large distances between these objects, reaching often hundreds of nanometers. Keeping colloids at such distances is a major experimental challenge, which can be addressed by the means of optical tweezers. Here, we review how optical tweezers have been successfully used to quantitatively study critical Casimir forces acting on particles in suspensions. As we will see, the use of optical tweezers to experimentally study critical Casimir forces can play a crucial role in developing nano-technologies, representing an innovative way to realize self-assembled devices at the nano- and microscale.
WHAT IS AN “EFFECTIVE” ASEAN COMPETITION LAW? A METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Authors: IAN MCEWIN ROBERT , CHOKESUWATTANASKUL PEERAPAT 
Published: February 2021

ASEAN is currently reviewing its competition laws with “the difficult task of operationalizing the term effectiveness.” But the review seems more concerned with achieving international best practice rather than promoting effective economic outcomes that are based on local economic and institutional conditions and Asian business practices. There has been minimal input from ASEAN economists in the development and administration of ASEAN competition laws. Instead, ASEAN competition laws are mainly shaped and administered by lawyers who are more concerned with international comparisons of administrable laws, system administration and procedures and not so much with either local economic conditions or the ability of local competition regulators to achieve good economic outcomes. There is an extensive business school literature that shows that Asian business operates differently from those in the West. But these differences are not recognized in the design and operation of ASEAN competition laws. This paper first, reviews how economics can contribute to both the design and implementation of effective ASEAN competition laws that take into account differences in business practices, economic conditions and institutional capacities. Second, because competition laws are mainly designed and run by lawyers, the paper also examines how lawyers perceive and research the transfer of legal rules from one country to another. This provides a guide to economists interested in research on the law and economics of competition law within ASEAN. The authors hope that it will stimulate both economists (and lawyers interested in economics) to undertake practical empirical research that will enhance the effectiveness of ASEAN competition laws and their possible convergence.
“Entanglement” and the Exploitation of Common Pool Resources: A Quantum Solution to the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Authors: Mamada Robert , Perrings Charles 
Published: February 2021

The overexploitation of common pool resources is frequently associated with open access regimes in which each resource user operates independently of all other resource users. The outcome is a Nash equilibrium of the prisoner’s dilemma. Restricted access regimes of the sort identified by Ostrom and colleagues typically ensure that individual resource users do not operate independently. Taking a quantum approach to the theory of games, we argue that the institutional arrangements involved in common pool resource management imply the “entanglement” of the strategies of resource users. For a very simple case — two firms exploiting a common pool fishery — we show that there exists an “entanglement” mechanism that assures the cooperative outcome.
On groups Gnk and Γnk: A study of manifolds, dynamics, and invariants
Authors: Manturov Vassily O. , Fedoseev Denis A. , Kim Seongjeong , Nikonov Igor M. 
Published: February 2021

Recently, the first named author defined a 2-parametric family of groups [Formula: see text] [V. O. Manturov, Non–reidemeister knot theory and its applications in dynamical systems, geometry and topology, preprint (2015), arXiv:1501.05208]. Those groups may be regarded as analogues of braid groups. Study of the connection between the groups [Formula: see text] and dynamical systems led to the discovery of the following fundamental principle: “If dynamical systems describing the motion of [Formula: see text] particles possess a nice codimension one property governed by exactly [Formula: see text] particles, then these dynamical systems admit a topological invariant valued in [Formula: see text]”. The [Formula: see text] groups have connections to different algebraic structures, Coxeter groups, Kirillov-Fomin algebras, and cluster algebras, to name three. Study of the [Formula: see text] groups led to, in particular, the construction of invariants, valued in free products of cyclic groups. All generators of the [Formula: see text] groups are reflections which make them similar to Coxeter groups and not to braid groups. Nevertheless, there are many ways to enhance [Formula: see text] groups to get rid of this [Formula: see text]-torsion. Later the first and the fourth named authors introduced and studied the second family of groups, denoted by [Formula: see text], which are closely related to triangulations of manifolds. The spaces of triangulations of a given manifolds have been widely studied. The celebrated theorem of Pachner [P.L. homeomorphic manifolds are equivalent by elementary shellings, Europ. J. Combin. 12(2) (1991) 129–145] says that any two triangulations of a given manifold can be connected by a sequence of bistellar moves or Pachner moves. See also [I. M. Gelfand, M. M. Kapranov and A. V. Zelevinsky, Discriminants, Resultants, and Multidimensional Determinants (Birkhäuser, Boston, 1994); A. Nabutovsky, Fundamental group and contractible closed geodesics, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 49(12) (1996) 1257–1270]; the [Formula: see text] naturally appear when considering the set of triangulations with the fixed number of points. There are two ways of introducing the groups [Formula: see text]: the geometrical one, which depends on the metric, and the topological one. The second one can be thought of as a “braid group” of the manifold and, by definition, is an invariant of the topological type of manifold; in a similar way, one can construct the smooth version. In this paper, we give a survey of the ideas lying in the foundation of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] theories and give an overview of recent results in the study of those groups, manifolds, dynamical systems, knot and braid theories.
Some Algebraic Properties of a Class of Integral Graphs Determined by Their Spectrum
Authors: Liu Jia-Bao , Mirafzal S. Morteza , Zafari Ali 
Published: February 2021

Let

Γ
=

V
,
E

be a graph. If all the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix of the graph

Γ

are integers, then we say that

Γ

is an integral graph. A graph

Γ

is determined by its spectrum if every graph cospectral to it is in fact isomorphic to it. In this paper, we investigate some algebraic properties of the Cayley graph

Γ
=
Cay

ℤ

n

,
S

, where

n
=

p

m

(

p

is a prime integer and

m
∈
ℕ

) and

S
=

a
∈

ℤ

n

|

a
,
n

=
1

. First, we show that

Γ

is an integral graph. Also, we determine the automorphism group of

Γ

. Moreover, we show that

Γ

and

K

v

▽
Γ

are determined by their spectrum.
Pathological Angiogenesis Requires Syndecan-4 for Efficient VEGFA-Induced VE-Cadherin Internalization
Authors: De Rossi Giulia , Vähätupa Maria , Cristante Enrico , Arokiasamy Samantha , Liyanage Sidath E. , May Ulrike , Pellinen Laura , Uusitalo-Järvinen Hannele , Bainbridge James W. , Järvinen Tero A.H. , Whiteford James R. 
Published: February 2021

Objective:
VEGFA (Vascular endothelial growth factor A) and its receptor VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2) drive angiogenesis in several pathologies, including diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration, and cancer. Studies suggest roles for HSPGs (heparan sulfate proteoglycans) in this process, although the nature of this involvement remains elusive. Here, we set to establish the role of the HSPG SDC4 (syndecan-4) in pathological angiogenesis.

Approach and Results:
We report that angiogenesis is impaired in mice null for SDC4 in models of neovascular eye disease and tumor development. Our work demonstrates that SDC4 is the only SDC whose gene expression is upregulated during pathological angiogenesis and is selectively enriched on immature vessels in retinas from diabetic retinopathy patients. Combining in vivo and tissue culture models, we identified SDC4 as a downstream mediator of functional angiogenic responses to VEGFA. We found that SDC4 resides at endothelial cell junctions, interacts with vascular endothelial cadherin, and is required for its internalization in response to VEGFA. Finally, we show that pathological angiogenic responses are inhibited in a model of wet age-related macular degeneration by targeting SDC4.

Conclusions:
We show that SDC4 is a downstream mediator of VEGFA-induced vascular endothelial cadherin internalization during pathological angiogenesis and a potential target for antiangiogenic therapies.