bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the city of Hyderabad, India in early 2021
Authors: Laxmaiah Avula , Rao Nalam Madhusudhan , Arlappa N. , Babu Jagjeevan , Kumar P. Uday , Singh Priya , Sharma Deepak , Mahesh Anumalla V. , Santhosh Kumar T. , Sabarinathan R. , Santhos Kumar M. , Ananthan R. , Blessy P.P.S. , Kumar D. Chandra , Devaraj P. , Devendra S. , Mahesh Kumar M. , Meshram Indrapal I. , Naveen Kumar B. , Sharma Paras , Raghavendra P. , Raghu P. , Rajender Rao K. , Ravindranadh P. , Santosh Kumar B. , Sarika  , Srinivasa Rao J. , Surekha M.V. , Sylvia F. , Kumar Deepak , Subba Rao G. , Tallapaka Karthik Bharadwaj , Sowpati Divya Tej , Srivastava Surabhi , Murekhar Manoj , Hemalatha Rajkumar , Mishra Rakesh K 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19 emerged as a global pandemic in 2020, rapidly spreading to most parts of the world. The proportion of infected individuals in a population can be reliably estimated via sero-surveillance, making it a valuable tool for planning control measures. We conducted a serosurvey study to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the urban population of Hyderabad at the end of the first wave of infections.MethodsThe cross-sectional survey conducted in January 2021 included males and females aged 10 years and above, selected by multi-stage random sampling. 9363 samples were collected from 30 wards distributed over 6 zones of Hyderabad and tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen.ResultsOverall seropositivity was 54.2%, ranging from 50-60% in most wards. Highest exposure appeared to be among 30-39y and 50-59y olds, with women showing greater seropositivity. Seropositivity increased with family size, with only marginal differences among people with varying levels of education. Seroprevalence was significantly lower among smokers. Only 11% of the survey subjects reported any COVID-19 symptoms, while 17% had appeared for Covid testing.ConclusionOver half the city’s population was infected within a year of onset of the pandemic. However, ∼46% people were still susceptible, contributing to subsequent waves of infection.Highlights⍰National level serosurveys under-estimate localised prevalence in dense urban areas⍰SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Hyderabad city was 54.2% after the first wave⍰A large proportion of the population remains at risk over a year into the pandemic
Evaluation of the antibody response and adverse reactions of the BNT162b2 vaccine of participants with prior COVID-19 infection in Japan
Authors: Mitsunaga Toshiya , Ohtaki Yuhei , Seki Yutaka , Yoshioka Masakata , Mori Hiroshi , Suzuka Midori , Mashiko Syunsuke , Takeda Satoshi , Mashiko Kunihiro 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTIntroductionVaccination programs are important to preventing COVID-19 infection. BNT162b2 is new type of vaccine, and previous studies have shown that the antibody response was significantly elevated in patients with prior COVID-19 infection after the first vaccination. However, no study has evaluated the efficacy of the vaccination or the adverse reactions of people with prior COVID-19 infection in Japan. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antibody titer and adverse reactions of BNT162b2 vaccine among participants with prior COVID-19 infection in Japan.MethodsThe data for this study was collected between April 15, 2021, and June 9, 2021. All of the hospital staff who received the BNT162b2 vaccine were included in this study and were sorted into either the prior infection group or the control group. We collected the data of adverse reactions through self-reporting and calculated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific antibody titer for all participants.ResultsThe antibody titer of the prior-infection group in first antibody test was significantly higher than that of the control group in the second antibody test. There was no significant difference in adverse reactions between the prior infection group receiving its first vaccination and the control group receiving its second vaccination.ConclusionOur study shows that the antibody response following the first vaccination in the prior COVID-19 infection group was found to be comparable to that of the second vaccination in the control group; however, the evaluation of adverse reactions was inadequate and further, large-scale studies are needed.
Identification of Parkinson PACE subtypes and repurposing treatments through integrative analyses of multimodal clinical progression, neuroimaging, genetic, and transcriptomic data
Authors: Su Chang , Hou Yu , Xu Jielin , Xu Zhenxing , Xu Jie , Brendel Matthew , Maasch Jacqueline R. M. A. , Bai Zilong , Zhang Haotan , Zhu Yingying , Cincotta Molly C. , Shi Xinghua , Henchcliffe Claire , Leverenz James B. , Cummings Jeffrey , Okun Michael S. , Bian Jiang , Cheng Feixiong , Wang Fei 
Published: July 2021

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by significant clinical and progression heterogeneity resulting from complex pathophysiological mechanisms. This study aimed at addressing heterogeneity of PD through the integrative analysis of a broad spectrum of data sources. We analyzed clinical progression data spanning over 5 years from individuals withde novoPD, using machine learning and deep learning, to characterize individuals’ phenotypic progression trajectories for subtyping. We discovered three pace subtypes of PD which exhibited distinct progression patterns and were stable over time: the Inching Pace subtype (PD-I) with mild baseline severity and mild progression speed; the Moderate Pace subtype (PD-M) with mild baseline severity but advancing at a moderate progression rate; and the Rapid Pace subtype (PD-R) with the most rapid symptom progression rate. We found that cerebrospinal fluid P-tau/α-synuclein ratio and atrophy in certain brain regions measured by neuroimaging might be indicative markers of these subtypes. Furthermore, through genetic and transcriptomic data analyses enhanced by network medicine approaches, we detected molecular modules associated with each subtype. For instance, the PD-R-specific module suggestedSTAT3,FYN,BECN1,APOA1,NEDD4, andGATA2as potential driver genes of PD-R. Pathway analysis suggested that neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, metabolism, AD, PI3K/AKT, and angiogenesis pathways may drive rapid PD progression (i.e., PD-R). Moreover, we identified candidate repurposable drugs via targeting these subtype-specific molecular modules and estimated their treatment effects using two large-scale real-world patient databases. The real-world evidence we gained revealed metformin’s potential in ameliorating PD progression. In conclusion, our findings illuminated distinct PD pace subtypes with differing progression patterns, uncovered potential biological underpinnings driving different subtypes, and predicted repurposable drug candidates. This work may help better understand clinical and pathophysiological complexity of PD progression and accelerate precision medicine.
Comparative immunogenicity and effectiveness of mRNA-1273, BNT162b2 and Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Naranbhai Vivek , Garcia-Beltran Wilfredo F. , Chang Christina C. , Mairena Cristhian Berrios , Thierauf Julia C. , Kirkpatrick Grace , Onozato Maristela L. , Cheng Ju , St. Denis Kerri J. , Lam Evan C. , Kaseke Clarety , Tano-Menka Rhoda , Yang Diane , Pavlovic Maia , Yang Wendy , Kui Alexander , Miller Tyler E. , Astudillo Michael G. , Cahill Jennifer E. , Dighe Anand S. , Gregory David J. , Poznansky Mark C. , Gaiha Gaurav D. , Balazs Alejandro B. , Iafrate A. John 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding immunogenicity and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is critical to guide rational use.MethodsWe compared the immunogenicity of mRNA-1273, BNT-162b2 or Ad26.COV2.S in ambulatory adults in Massachusetts, USA. To correlate immunogenicity with effectiveness of the three vaccines, we performed an inverse-variance meta-analysis of population level effectiveness from public health reports in >40 million individuals.ResultsA single dose of either mRNA vaccine yielded comparable antibody and neutralization titers to convalescent individuals. Ad26.COV2.S yielded lower antibody concentrations and frequently negative neutralization titers. Bulk and cytotoxic T-cell responses were higher in mRNA1273 and BNT162b2 than Ad26.COV2.S recipients, and <50% of vaccinees demonstrate CD8+ T-cell responses to spike peptides. Antibody concentrations and neutralization titers increased comparably after the first dose of either vaccine, and further in recipients of a second dose. Prior infection was associated with high antibody concentrations and neutralization even after a single dose and regardless of vaccine. Neutralization of beta, gamma and delta strains were poorer regardless of vaccine. Relative to mRNA1273, the effectiveness of BNT162b2 was lower against infection and hospitalization; and Ad26COV2.S was lower against infection, hospitalization and death.ConclusionsVariation in the immunogenicity correlates with variable effectiveness of the three FDA EUA vaccines deployed in the USA.
Association of long-term body weight variability with dementia: a prospective study
Authors: Chen Hui , Zhou Tianjing , Guo Jie , Ji John S. , Huang Liyan , Xu Weili , Zuo Guangmin , Lv Xiaozhen , Zheng Yan , Hofman Albert , Ma Yuan , Yuan Changzheng 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTIntroductionWe aimed to investigate whether long-term body weight variability (BWV) is associated with late-life dementia and to further assess their potential temporal relationships.MethodsIn 5,547 participants in Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population-based prospective cohort, we quantified BWV as coefficient of variation using self-reported body weight from 1992 to 2008 and followed their dementia status from 2008 to 2016.ResultsA total of 427 incident dementia cases were identified. Larger long-term BWV was significantly associated with higher risk of dementia (HR comparing extreme quartiles: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.48-2.72; HR of each SD increment: 1.21, 95% CI,1.10-1.32; p-trend<0.001). This significant association was even observed for BWV estimated approximately 15 years preceding dementia diagnosis (HR of each SD increment: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03-1.23) and was more pronounced for that closer to diagnosis.DiscussionOur findings suggested that large BWV could be a novel risk factor for dementia.
Low cost, injection molded, nasopharyngeal swabs for addressing global diagnostic supply shortages
Authors: Martinez Manuel Ramses , Mendoza Rachelle , Perry David , Gabutan Elmer , Fyke William , Faber Eve , Saggi Subodh J , Tam Jenny , Chico-Calero Isabel , Centner Heather , Engelthaler David M. , Goetz Laura H. , McDaniel Timothy K. , Murakami Noriyuki , Libien Jenny , Ingber Donald E. , Novak Richard 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic revealed the fragility of global supply chains, resulting in shortages of essential clinical supplies for the detection and treatment of COVID-19, including nasopharyngeal swabs (NP) commonly used to collect clinical samples for respiratory disease diagnostics. Groups around the world led a response to find alternatives to these shortages. Here, we describe the development of a single-component nasopharyngeal swab (GrooveSwab) composed of medical grade polypropylene that can be mass manufactured using conventional injection molding. The design inspired by cat tongue papillae consists of a non-absorbent stacked ring structure that allows for efficient and comfortable collection of viscous mucus samples and faster release into collection medium compared to traditional absorbent swabs. GroveSwabs were evaluated in 2 clinical studies in the US and Peru and demonstrated 90% or better concordance with commercial swabs. The simplified NP swab offers a reliable, lower cost, and more manufacturable alternative to absorbent swabs to avoid future shortages.
Potential impacts of Washington State’s wildfire worker protection rule on construction workers
Authors: Zuidema Christopher , Austin Elena , Cohen Martin A. , Kasner Edward , Liu Lilian , Isaksen Tania Busch , Lin Ken-Yu , Spector June , Seto Edmund 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTDriven by climate change, wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity across the Western United States. Outdoor workers are being exposed to increasing wildfire-related particulate matter and smoke. Recognizing this emerging risk, Washington adopted an emergency rule and is presently engaged in creating a permanent rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke exposure. While there are growing bodies of literature on the exposure to and health effects of wildfire smoke in the general public and wildland firefighters, there is a gap in knowledge about wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor workers generally, and construction workers specifically, a large category of outdoor workers in Washington totaling 200,000 people. In this study, several data sources were linked including state-collected employment data and national ambient air quality data to gain insight into the risk of PM2.5exposure among construction workers and evaluate the impacts of different air quality thresholds that would have triggered a new Washington emergency wildfire smoke rule aimed at protecting workers from high PM2.5exposure. Results indicate the number of poor air quality days has increased in August and September in recent years. Over the last decade these months with the greatest potential for particulate matter exposure coincided with an annual peak in construction employment that was typically 9.4 to 42.7% larger across Washington counties (one county was 75.8%). Lastly, the “encouraged” threshold of the Washington emergency rule (20.5 μg/m3) would have resulted in 5.5 times more days subject to the wildfire rule on average across all Washington counties compared to its “required” threshold (55.5 μg/m3), and in 2020 the rule could have created demand for 1.35 million N-95 filtering facepiece respirators among construction workers. These results have important implications for both employers and policy makers as rules are developed. The potential policy implications of wildfire smoke exposure, exposure control strategies, and data gaps that would improve understanding of construction worker exposure to wildfire smoke are also discussed.
Increased transmissibility of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is driven either by viral load or probability of infection rather than environmental stability
Authors: Arav Yehuda , Fattal Eyal , Klausner Ziv 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the factors that increase the transmissibility of the recently emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 (such as the Alpha, Epsilon, and Delta variants) can aid in mitigating their spread. The enhanced transmissibility could be attributed to one or more factors: higher stability on surfaces or within droplet nuclei suspended in air, increased maximal viral load or higher probability of infection. The relative importance of these factors on the transmission was examined using a validated stochastic-jump-continuous hybrid model. The transmissibility was quantified in terms of the household secondary attack rate (hSAR) which is the probability of transmission from an infected individual to a susceptible one in a household. We find that an increase in either the maximal viral load or the probability of infection is consistent with the observed hSAR of the variants. Specifically, in order to reach the relative increase in the hSAR of 40%, 55%, and 87% reported for the Epsilon, Alpha, and Delta variants (respectively), the maximal viral load should increase by 56%, 78%, and 125%, respectively. Alternatively, the probability of infection should increase by 34%, 53%, and 193%, respectively. Contrary to these results, even a dramatic increase in environmental stability increases hSAR by no more than 10%.
SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Reveals Little Spread Between a Large University Campus and the Surrounding Community
Authors: Valesano Andrew L. , Fitzsimmons William J. , Blair Christopher N. , Woods Robert J. , Gilbert Julie , Rudnik Dawn , Mortenson Lindsey , Friedrich Thomas C. , O’Connor David H. , Petrie Joshua G. , Martin Emily T. , Lauring Adam S. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractCOVID-19 has had high incidence at institutions of higher education (IHE) in the United States, but the transmission dynamics in these settings are not well understood. It remains unclear to what extent IHE-associated outbreaks have contributed to transmission in nearby communities. We implemented high-density prospective genomic surveillance to investigate these dynamics at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the surrounding community during the Fall 2020 semester (August 16th –November 24th). We sequenced complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from 1659 individuals, including 468 students, representing 20% of cases in students and 25% of total confirmed cases in Washtenaw County over the study interval. Phylogenetic analysis identified over 200 introductions into the student population, most of which were not related to other student cases. There were two prolonged transmission clusters among students that spanned across multiple on-campus residences. However, there were very few genetic descendants of student clusters among non-students during a subsequent November wave of infections in the community. We conclude that outbreaks at the University of Michigan did not significantly contribute to the rise in Washtenaw County COVID-19 incidence during November 2020. These results provide valuable insights into the distinct transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 among IHE populations and surrounding communities.
Association between reactogenicity and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after the second dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Yamamoto Shohei , Fukunaga Ami , Tanaka Akihito , Takeuchi Junko S. , Inoue Yosuke , Kimura Moto , Maeda Kenji , Ueda Gohzoh , Mizoue Tetsuya , Ujiie Mugen , Sugiura Wataru , Ohmagari Norio 
Published: July 2021

AbstractHigh vaccine reactogenicities may reflect stronger immune responses, but the epidemiological evidence for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is sparse and inconsistent. We observed that a fever of ≥38□ after two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine was associated with higher severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike IgG titers.
Global predictions of short- to medium-term COVID-19 transmission trends : a retrospective assessment
Authors: Bhatia Sangeeta , Parag Kris V , Wardle Jack , Imai Natsuko , Van Elsland Sabine L , Lassmann Britta , Cuomo-Dannenburg Gina , Jauneikaite Elita , Unwin H. Juliette T. , Riley Steven , Ferguson Neil , Donnelly Christl A , Cori Anne , Nouvellet Pierre 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundAs of July 2021, more than 180,000,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the world, with more than 4 million deaths. Mathematical modelling and forecasting efforts have been widely used to inform policy-making and to create situational awareness.Methods and FindingsFrom 8th March to 29th November 2020, we produced weekly estimates of SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility and forecasts of deaths due to COVID-19 for countries with evidence of sustained transmission. The estimates and forecasts were based on an ensemble model comprising of three models that were calibrated using only the reported number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in each country. We also developed a novel heuristic to combine weekly estimates of transmissibility and potential changes in population immunity due to infection to produce forecasts over a 4-week horizon. We evaluated the robustness of the forecasts using relative error, coverage probability, and comparisons with null models.ConclusionsDuring the 39-week period covered by this study, we produced short- and medium-term forecasts for 81 countries. Both the short- and medium-term forecasts captured well the epidemic trajectory across different waves of COVID-19 infections with small relative errors over the forecast horizon. The model was well calibrated with 56.3% and 45.6% of the observations lying in the 50% Credible Interval in 1-week and 4-week ahead forecasts respectively. We could accurately characterise the overall phase of the epidemic up to 4-weeks ahead in 84.9% of country-days. The medium-term forecasts can be used in conjunction with the short-term forecasts of COVID-19 mortality as a useful planning tool as countries continue to relax stringent public health measures that were implemented to contain the pandemic.
Vaccine Approvals and the Role of the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee, 2000-2019
Authors: Kanter Genevieve P. , Vallurupalli Neel , Xu Yao , Gupta Ravi 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a critical role in bolstering public confidence in vaccines and the vaccine review process. An important tool for enhancing transparency and public trust is the FDA’s Vaccine and Biological Related Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), a group of external experts that advises on scientific issues related to the licensure of vaccines.ObjectiveTo analyze key features of VRBPAC meetings convened over 20 years; estimate the probability of advisory committee review of newly approved vaccines, focusing on vaccines targeting emerging diseases; and examine the speed of and variance in approval times as a function of VRBPAC review.MethodsCross-sectional study of VRBPAC meetings convened and new vaccine licensure applications approved between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019. We analyzed the frequency of VRBPAC meetings and sessions; the percentage of newly licensed vaccines reviewed by VRBPAC; and the number of days between the submission of the licensure application and the date of FDA approval.ResultsBetween 2000 and 2019, VRBPAC convened for a mean of 4.1 sessions per year. One-quarter of sessions was devoted to the review of specific vaccine products. During the same period, 44 new vaccine licensures were approved, 20% of which were for vaccines targeting emerging diseases. Almost half (48%) of successful new vaccine applications were reviewed by VRBPAC (n=21), a rate lower than for therapeutic applications. Among new applications targeting emerging diseases, 29% of non-influenza vaccines were reviewed by VRBPAC. There was no difference in the median time to approval as a function of VRBPAC review (364 days with VRBAC review vs. 365 days with no review, p=0.870).ConclusionThe FDA has convened VRBPAC for reviews of about half of its vaccine products, less frequently for vaccines against non-influenza emerging diseases. There is considerable scope for the FDA to increase VRBPAC engagement in the vaccine review process.