bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within households: a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands and Belgium – Interim results
Authors: Verberk JDM , de Hoog MLA , Westerhof I , Van Goethem S , Lammens C , Ieven M , de Bruin E , Bielicki J , Coenen S , van Beek J , Bonten M , Goossens H , Bruijning-Verhagen PCJL 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundHousehold transmission studies are useful to obtain granular data on SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and to gain insight into the main determinants. In this interim report we investigated secondary attack rates (SAR) by household and subject characteristics in the Netherlands and Belgium.MethodsHouseholds with a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed SARS-CoV-2 index case were enrolled <48 hours following report of the positive test result. Daily symptom follow-up, standardized nose-throat sampling at enrollment and at new-onset acute respiratory illness (ARI) and paired dried blood spots (DBS) were collected from each participant. Children 0-2 years of age were additionally requested to collect a stool sample 7 days after enrollment and at new-onset of ARI. Swabs and stool samples were tested by RT-PCR for virus detection and DBS by multiplex protein microarray for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The SAR was calculated 1) per-household as the proportion of households with ≥1 secondary SARS-CoV-2 case and 2) per-person as the probability of infection in household members at risk. We explored differences in SARs by household and subject characteristics.ResultsThis analysis includes 117 households that completed follow-up between April-December 2020. Among 382 subjects, 74 secondary infections were detected, of which 13 (17.6%) were asymptomatic and 20 (27.0%) infections were detected by seroconversion only. Of cases detected by RT-PCR, 50 (67.6%) were found at enrollment. The household SAR was 44.4% (95%-CI: 35.4-53.9%) and was higher for index cases meeting the ARI case definition (52.3%; 95%-CI 41.4-62.9%) compared to mildly symptomatic (22.2%; 95%-CI: 9.4-42.7%) and asymptomatic index cases (0.0%; 95%-CI: 0.0-80.2%). The per-person SAR was 27.9% (95%-CI: 22.7-33.8%). Transmission was lowest from child to parent (9.1%; 95%-CI: 2.4-25.5%) and highest from parent to child (28.1%; 95%-CI: 19.7-38.4%) and in children 6-12 years (34.2%; 95%-CI: 20.1-51.4%). Among 141 subjects with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, seroconversion was detected in 111 (78.7%).ConclusionWe found a high household SAR, with the large majority of transmissions detected early after identification of the index case. Our findings confirm differential SAR by symptom status of the index. In almost a quarter of RT-PCR positive cases, no antibodies were detected. Other factors influencing transmission will be further explored as more data accumulate.
Exploring the Behavioral Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among an Urban Population in Bangladesh: Implications for Behavior Change Interventions
Authors: Kalam Md Abul , Davis Thomas P. , Shano Shahanaj , Uddin Nasir , Islam Md. Ariful , Kanwagi Robert , Islam Ariful , Hassan Mohammad Mahmudul , Larson Heidi J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundWhile vaccines ensure individual protection against COVID-19 infection, delay in receipt or refusal of vaccines will have both individual and community impacts. The behavioral factors of vaccine hesitancy or refusal are a crucial dimension that need understanding to implicate appropriate interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the behavioral determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and to provide recommendations to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Bangladesh.MethodsWe employed a Barrier Analysis (BA) approach to examine twelve potential behavioral determinants (drawn from the Health Belief Model and Theory of Reasoned Action [TRA]) of intended vaccine acceptance. We conducted 45 interviews with those who intended to take the vaccine (Acceptors) and another 45 interviews with those who did not have that intention (Non-acceptors). We performed data analysis to find statistically significant differences and to identify which beliefs were most highly associated with acceptance and non-acceptance with COVID-19 vaccines.ResultsCOVID-19 vaccine Acceptors in Dhaka were different from Non-acceptors in terms of many of their beliefs and responses. The behavioral determinants associated with the behavior included perceived social norms, perceived safety of COVID-19 vaccines and trust in them, perceived risk/susceptibility, perceived self-efficacy, perceived positive and negative consequences, perceived action efficacy, perceived severity of COVID-19, access, and perceived divine will. In line with the Health Belief Model, beliefs about the disease itself were highly correlated with vaccine acceptance, although not the only determinant. Other responses of Acceptors provide clues such as providing vaccination through government health facilities, schools, and kiosks, and having vaccinators maintain proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols as to ways to make it easier to boost acceptance.ConclusionAn effective behavior change strategy for COVID-19 vaccines uptake will need to address multiple beliefs and behavioral determinants, reducing barriers and leveraging enablers identified in this study. The national plans on COVID-19 vaccination should adopt culturally and community label acceptable and appropriate evidence-based behavior change interventions strategies to promote high vaccination coverage and acceptance in all societal structures across the country.
Reopen or redistribute? - Modeling years of life lost due to Covid-19, socioeconomic status, and non-pharmaceutical interventions
Authors: John Jari 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTResearch in the current pandemic has put a sharp focus on the health burden of Covid-19, thereby largely neglecting the cost to life from the socioeconomic consequences of its containment. The paper develops a model for assessing their proportionality. It compares the years of life lost (YLL) due to Covid-19 and the socioeconomic consequences of its containment. The model reconciles the normative life table approach with de facto socioeconomic realities by correcting YLL estimates for socioeconomic differences in life expectancy. It thereby aims to improve on the attribution of YLL due to immediate and fundamental sources of inequalities in life expectancy. The application of the approach to the pandemic suggests that the socioeconomic consequences of containment measures potentially come with a much higher life tag than the disease itself and therefore need urgent attention, especially in poorer and more unequal societies. Avoiding 3 million additional cases of extreme poverty may come with a similar life tag as protecting 1 million people from dying from Covid-19.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Park Use in U.S. Cities
Authors: Jay Jonathan , Heykoop Felicia , Hwang Linda , de Jong Jorrit , Kondo Michelle 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic focused attention on city parks as important public resources. However, it is unknown how city park use in 2020 compared to prior years and whether COVID-19 may have exacerbated racial/ethnic inequities in access. Moreover, traditional methods of measuring park use present major drawbacks.MethodsWe analyzed monthly mobility data derived from a large panel of smartphone devices, cross-referenced with a database of parks locations sourced from local agencies. We assessed park use trends in 44 of the 50 most populous U.S. cities from January 2018 to November 2020 using interrupted time series regressions. We also compared parks to other city amenities (e.g., gyms and libraries).ResultsBased on a sample of 5,559 city parks, park visits declined by 14.6% (95% CI [9.2, 19.7], p < 0.001) from March through November 2020, compared to prior levels and trends. When we segmented the COVID-19 period by time of widespread closures (March-April) and partial-to-full reopenings (May-November), we estimated a larger reduction during closures (35.7% reduction, 95% CI [33.5, 37.8], p < 0.001) compared to the reduction during reopenings (8.0% reduction, 95% CI [1.9, 13.7], p = 0.001). Reductions for other amenities were more prolonged. In park service areas where a greater proportion of residents were White, reopening was associated with more visits, suggesting that racial privilege influenced access.ConclusionsSmartphone mobility data can address a data availability gap for monitoring park use. Park use only declined modestly in 2020. Opportunities exist to make access more racially equitable.Significance statementParks are public resources that promote health. Little is known about how parks have been used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parks have become particularly important public spaces. This study introduces an approach to monitor park use over time, using location data from smartphones. This approach enabled the authors to evaluate trends in park use during the pandemic, including major gaps in visits to parks according to whether they mostly served White residents or residents of color. This big data approach offers advantages over traditional methods for monitoring park use and can help city officials to identify and address inequities in park access.
Adherence to minimal experimental requirements for defining extracellular vesicles and their functions: a systematic review
Authors: Poupardin Rodolphe , Wolf Martin , Strunk Dirk 
Published: April 2021

AbstractRigorous measures are required to cope with the advance of extracellular vesicle (EV) research, from 183 to 2,309 studies/year, between 2012-2020. The ‘MISEV’ guidelines requested standardizing methods, thereby assuring and improving of EV research quality. We investigated how EV research improved over time.We conducted a keyword search in 5,093 accessible publications over the period 2012-2020 and analyzed the methodology used for EV isolation and characterization. We found a significant improvement over the years particularly regarding EV characterization where recent papers used a higher number of methods and EV markers to check for quantity and purity. Interestingly, we also found that EV papers using more methods and EV markers were cited more frequently cited. Papers citing MISEV criteria were more prone to use a higher number of characterization methods.We therefore established a concise checklist summarizing MISEV criteria to support EV researchers towards reaching the highest standards in the field.Abstract FigureGraphical abstract
Causal neural mechanisms of context-based object recognition
Authors: Wischnewski Miles , Peelen Marius V. 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTObjects can be recognized based on their intrinsic features, including shape, color, and texture. In daily life, however, such features are often not clearly visible, for example when objects appear in the periphery, in clutter, or at a distance. Interestingly, object recognition can still be highly accurate under these conditions when objects are seen within their typical scene context. What are the neural mechanisms of context-based object recognition? According to parallel processing accounts, context-based object recognition is supported by the parallel processing of object and scene information in separate pathways. Output of these pathways is then combined in downstream regions, leading to contextual benefits in object recognition. Alternatively, according to feedback accounts, context-based object recognition is supported by (direct or indirect) feedback from scene-selective to object-selective regions. Here, in three pre-registered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiments, we tested a key prediction of the feedback hypothesis: that scene-selective cortex causally and selectively supports context-based object recognition before object-selective cortex does. Early visual cortex (EVC), object-selective lateral occipital cortex (LOC), and scene-selective occipital place area (OPA) were stimulated at three time points relative to stimulus onset while participants categorized degraded objects in scenes and intact objects in isolation, in different trials. Results confirmed our predictions: relative to isolated object recognition, context-based object recognition was selectively and causally supported by OPA at 160-200 ms after onset, followed by LOC at 260-300 ms after onset. These results indicate that context-based expectations facilitate object recognition by disambiguating object representations in visual cortex.
The false mussels (Mytilopsis leucophaeata) can be mechanical carriers of the shrimp microsporidianEnterocytozoon hepatopenaei(EHP)
Authors: Munkongwongsiri Natthinee , Thepmanee Orawan , Lertsiri Kanokwan , Vanichviriyakit Rapeepun , Itsathitphaisarn Ornchuma , Sritunyalucksana Kallaya 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTEnterocytozoon hepatopenaei(EHP) is an obligate intracellular parasite causing hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) in cultivated shrimp in Asian countries. One strategy to control EHP is to identify and eliminate biological reservoir(s) in shrimp ponds. Several marine and brackish-water organisms, including false mussels (Mytilopsis) have been reported to test positive for EHP using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Thus, we tested samples of commonly found Thai false musselMytilopsis leucophaeatafrom 6 EHP-infected shrimp ponds by PCR for the presence of EHP using the spore wall protein (SWP) gene primers. The mussel samples from all 6 ponds were positive. Subsequent bioassays carried out using naïve mussels cohabitated with EHP-infected shrimp gave 100% SWP-PCR positive mussels at 20 days. One batch of such PCR-positive mussels was transferred for cohabitation with naïve shrimp and gave 37.5% EHP-positive shrimp within 10 days. Tissue analysis of the EHP-PCR-positive mussels using light microscopy,in situhybridization analysis for the SWP gene and electron microscopy did not confirm EHP infection. In summary, we obtained no evidence thatMytilopsis leucophaeatawas itself infected with EHP. However, it was apparently capable carrying infectious spores for some period after ingestion and serving as a mechanical or passive carrier. The results support previous reports warning of the danger of feeding living or fresh bivalves to broodstock shrimp in hatcheries or shrimp in rearing ponds without prior heating or freezing.
Safety and efficacy of Pulmonary physiotherapy in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia (PPTCOVID Study): A prospective, randomised, single-blind, controlled trial
Authors: Javaherian Mohammad , Shadmehr Azadeh , Keshtkar Abbasali , Beigmohammadi Mohammad-Taghi , Dabbaghipour Narges , Syed Aabis , Moghadam Behrouz Attarbashi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundPulmonary physiotherapy (PPT) is an important treatment in the management of patients with different types of pulmonary disorders. We aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of PPT in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.MethodsIn this randomised, single-blind, controlled trial, we enrolled hospitalized, non-intubated patients (18 to 75 years with oxygen saturation (Spo2) in free-air breathing ≤90%) with COVID-19 pneumonia at a referral hospital. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PPT (six sessions PPT with breathing exercises and airway clearance techniques) or basic care. The primary outcomes were venous blood O2 (pO2) and CO2 (pCO2) pressures, Spo2, and three-minute walking test (3MWT) that were assessed before and end of sixth session. Secondary outcomes included level of dyspnea, venous blood PH, one-month mortality, three-month mortality and short form-36 (SF-36) after one and three months. The assessor was blinded to the assignment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04357340).FindingsIn April-May 2020, 40 participants were randomly assigned to PPT or basic care groups. While at the end of intervention, pO2 (adjusted mean difference to baseline measure (AMD) 6.43 mmHg [95%CI 2.8, 10.07], P<0.01), Spo2 (AMD 4.43% [95%CI 2.04, 6.83], P=0.0011), and 3MTW (AMD 91.44 m [95%CI 68.88, 113.99], P<0.01) were higher in PPT group and basic care group, pCO2 was not improved (AMD -2.1 mmHg [95%CI-6.36, 2.21], P=0.33). Mortality rate was 20% (OR adjusted to baseline Spo2 .19 [95%CI .03, 1.30], P=.09) and 25% (OR adjusted to baseline Spo2 .16 [95%CI .26, 1.05], P=.056) lower in the PPT group at three-month at one-month and three-month, respectively. There were no significant differences in most SF-36 domains scores after one and three months. No serious adverse event was observed during PPT sessions.ConclusionEarly PPT can be considered a safe and effective therapeutic choice for patients with severe COVID-19.
Reduced Reflex Autonomic Responses following Intradetrusor OnabotulinumtoxinA Injections: A pre/post study in Individuals with Cervical and Upper Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Dorey Tristan W. , Walter Matthias , Krassioukov Andrei V 
Published: April 2021

ABSTRACTImportanceUrodynamic studies (UDS) can provoke autonomic dysreflexia (AD) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) at and above the sixth thoracic (T6) spinal segment potentially leading to profound vagally mediated heart rate reductions. Intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections have been shown to reduce AD events during UDS in this cohort but evidence is lacking whether this treatment can improve reflex autonomic responses.ObjectiveTo assess the effects of intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections on heart rate variability (HRV) responses to UDS in individuals, 18-65 years of age, with chronic (>1-year) SCI at or above T6 with confirmed neurogenic detrusor overactivity and AD during UDS.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study used participants from our recent prospective phase IV clinical trial. Individuals were screened at an academic medical centre between November 2014 and December 2019. After enrollment, participants underwent UDS prior to (i.e., baseline) and one month after intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections (post-treatment).InterventionsOnabotulinumtoxinA (200 U) was injected into the detrusor muscle at 20 sites (10 U/site).Main Outcomes and MeasuresContinuous electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure (BP) recordings were used to assess RR-interval, time and frequency domain metrics of HRV (a surrogate marker of autonomic nervous system activity), and AD pre- and post-intervention.ResultsA total of 19 participants with SCI (5 women; mean [SD] age 42 [8.3] years) with complete ECG and BP data sets were suitable for autonomic analysis. During baseline UDS, an increase in RR-interval (adjusted mean difference, -0.08; 95% CI, -0.14 to -0.03; P=0.002) as well as time and frequency domain metrics of HRV were detected. Vagally mediated increases in high frequency (HF) power during UDS were larger in participants with cervical SCI compared to upper thoracic SCI (adjusted mean difference, 20.3; 95% CI, 3.3 to 37.2; P=0.013). Intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections significantly reduced time domain metrics of HRV and HF power (adjusted mean difference, 9.1; 95% CI, 3.1 to 15.1, P<0.01) responses to UDS across all participants.Conclusions and RelevanceChanges in HRV during UDS could be a potential indicator of improved autonomic cardiovascular function following interventions such as intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injections.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02298660
A divergent protein kinase A in the human pathogenLeishmaniais associated with cell cortex microtubules and controls cell shape
Authors: Fischer Weinberger R. , Bachmaier S. , Ober V. , Githure G.B. , Dandugudumula R. , Phan I.Q. , Almoznino M. , Polatoglou E. , Tsigankov P. , Nitzan Koren R. , Myler P.J. , Boshart M. , Zilberstein D. 
Published: April 2021

SummaryParasitic protozoa of the genusLeishmaniacycle between the phagolysosome of mammalian macrophages, where they reside as rounded intracellular amastigotes, and the midgut of female sand flies, which they colonize as elongated extracellular promastigotes. Previous studies indicated that protein kinase A (PKA) plays an important role in the initial steps of promastigote development into amastigotes. Here, we describe a novel regulatory subunit of PKA (which we have named PKAR3) that is unique toLeishmaniaand most (but not all) other Kinetoplastea. PKAR3 is localized to subpellicular microtubules (SPMT) in the cell cortex, where it recruits a specific catalytic subunit (PKAC3). Promastigotes ofPKAR3orPKAC3null mutants lose their elongated shape and are round but remain flagellated. Truncation of an N-terminal formin homology-like domain of PKAR3 results in its detachment from the SPMT, also leading to rounded promastigotes. Thus, the tethering of PKAC3 kinase activity via PKAR3 at the cell cortex is essential for maintenance of the elongated shape of promastigotes. This role of PKAR3 is reminiscent of PKARIβ and PKARIIβ binding to microtubules of mammalian neurons, which is essential for the elongation of dendrites and axons, respectively. Interestingly, PKAR3 does not bind cAMP but nucleoside analogs with a very high affinity similar to the PKAR1 isoform ofTrypanosoma. We propose that these early diverged protists have re-purposed PKA for a novel signaling pathway that spatiotemporally controls microtubule remodeling and cell shapeviaPKA activity.
Structure-activity mapping of the peptide- and force-dependent landscape of T-cell activation
Authors: Feng Yinnian , Zhao Xiang , White Adam K. , Garcia K. Christopher , Fordyce Polly M. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYAdaptive immunity relies on T lymphocytes that use αβ T-cell receptors (TCRs) to discriminate amongst peptides presented by MHC molecules (pMHCs). An enhanced ability to screen for pMHCs capable of inducing robust T-cell responses could have broad applications in diagnosing and treating immune diseases. T cell activation relies on biomechanical forces to initiate triggering of the TCR. Yet, mostin vitroscreening technologies for antigenic peptides test potential pMHCs for T cell binding without force and thus are often not predictive of activating peptides. Here, we present a technology that uses biomechanical force to initiate T cell triggering in high throughput. BATTLES (Biomechanically-AssistedT-cellTriggering forLarge-scaleExogenous-pMHCScreening) displays candidate pMHCs on spectrally encoded ‘smart beads’ capable of applying physiological loads to T cells, facilitating exploration of the force- and sequence-dependent landscape of T-cell responses. BATTLES can be used to explore basic T-cell mechanobiology and T cell-based immunotherapies.