bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 mortality prediction model, 3C-M, built for use in resource limited settings - understanding the relevance of neutrophilic leukocytosis in predicting disease severity and mortality
Authors: Agarwal Niharika , Dua Devika , Sud Ritika , Yadav Madhur , Agarwal Aparna , Vijayan Vijesh 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn this study, a combination of clinical and hematological information, collected on day of presentation to the hospital with pneumonia, was evaluated for its ability to predict severity and mortality outcomes in COVID-19. Ours is a retrospective, observational study of 203 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. All of them were confirmed RT-PCR positive cases. We used simple hematological parameters (total leukocyte count, absolute neutrophil count, absolute lymphocyte count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ration and platelet to lymphocyte ratio); and a severity classification of pneumonia (mild, moderate and severe) based on a single clinical parameter, the percentage saturation of oxygen at room air, to predict the outcome in these cases. The results show that a high absolute neutrophil count on day of onset of pneumonia symptoms correlated strongly with both severity and survival in COVID-19. In addition, it was the primary driver of an initial high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) observed in patients with severe disease. The effect of low lymphocyte count was not found to be very significant in our cohort. Multivariate logistic regression was done using Python 3.7 to assess whether these parameters can adequately predict survival. We found that clinical severity and a high neutrophil count on day of presentation of pneumonia symptoms could predict the outcome with 86% precision. This model is undergoing further evaluation at our centre for validation using data collected during the second wave of COVID-19. We present the relevance of an elevated neutrophil count in COVID-19 pneumonia and review the advances in research which focus on neutrophils as an important effector cell of COVID-19 inflammation.
Rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a university setting in Ireland: learning from a 6-week pilot study
Authors: Barry Gerald , McCarney Catherine , Farrelly Marc , Breathnach Rory , Mooney Carmel , More Simon J. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractObjectivesWith the ongoing circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in countries across the world it is essential to identify effective ways to reduce the risk of infection while allowing society to function as close to ‘normal’ as possible. Serial testing using rapid lateral flow antigen tests is a possible way to do this by screening populations in a targeted way, identifying infectious (both symptomatic and asymptomatic) people and removing them from circulation while infectious. To make rapid antigen testing effective, high levels of participation are important. This study was designed to evaluate the establishment of a testing programme in a university setting and assess some of the factors that impact participation in such a study among both staff and students.Study DesignObservational, surveyMethodsA trial period of SARS-CoV-2 rapid testing using the Abbott Panbio rapid antigen test was set up and staff and students based in the University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital were asked to take part voluntarily for 6 weeks. Following the trial period, we used a questionnaire to evaluate satisfaction and to understand some reasons behind participation or lack thereof.ResultsOverall, almost all respondents to the survey stated that they were happy with having a testing programme present in the workplace and it helped to reduce anxiety associated with COVID-19. Findings indicated that staff and students did not participate equally in the voluntary testing programme. The findings also highlighted that intrinsic motivations and extrinsic motivations for participation differ. For example, participation among staff was much higher than among students, motivational messaging focused on protecting others did not resonate with students as much as staff, convenience was a key factor driving participation in both cohorts and the pressure of being forced to miss class (if positive) close to exam time provided motivation to students to avoid testing.ConclusionsIntroducing antigen testing into a workplace helped to reduce overall anxiety associated with the potential impact of COVID-19, but achieving good participation was challenging. Participation is key to a successful, campus wide antigen testing programme but reaching high levels of participation is not straightforward and can not be taken for granted. Different motivations drive participation in different cohorts and different messaging/incentivisation is needed to encourage participation in those different cohorts. The findings reported here should inform any SARS-CoV-2 testing programme that will run in these types of settings in the future.
Rapid transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 within a religious sect in South Korea: a mathematical modeling study
Authors: Kim Jong-Hoon , Lee Hyojung , Won Yong Sul , Son Woo-Sik , Im Justin 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRapid transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was observed in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a religious sect in South Korea. The index case was confirmed on February 18, 2020 in Daegu City, and within two weeks, 3,081 connected cases were identified. Doubling times during these initial stages (i.e., February 18 – March 2) of the outbreak were less than 2 days. A stochastic model fitted to the time series of confirmed cases suggests that the basic reproduction number (R0) of COVID-19 was 8.5 [95% credible interval (CrI): 6.3, 10.9] among the church members, whereas (R0 = 1.9 [95% CrI: 0.4, 4.4]) in the rest of the population of Daegu City. The model also suggests that there were already 4 [95% CrI: 2, 11] undetected cases of COVID-19 on February 7 when the index case reportedly presented symptoms. The Shincheonji Church cluster is likely to be emblematic of other outbreak-prone populations where R0 of COVID-19 is higher. Understanding and subsequently limiting the risk of transmission in such high-risk places is key to effective control.HighlightsBasic reproduction number (R0) of COVID-19 in a religious community of Shincheonji Church of Jesus was estimated to be 8.5 [95% credible interval (CrI): 6.3, 10.9], which is more than 4 times larger than the general population (R0 = 1.9 [95% CrI: 0.4, 4.4])There were estimated 4 [95% CrI: 2, 11] undetected cases when the index case from the religious community reported symptom on February 7.The Shincheonji Church cluster is likely to be emblematic of other outbreak-prone populations where R0 of COVID-19 is higher. Understanding and subsequently limiting the risk of transmission in such high-risk places is key to effective control.
Fear memory-associated synaptic and mitochondrial changes revealed by deep learning-based processing of electron microscopy data
Authors: Liu Jing , Qi Junqian , Chen Xi , Li Zhenchen , Hong Bei , Ma Hongtu , Li Guoqing , Shen Lijun , Liu Danqian , Kong Yu , Xie Qiwei , Han Hua , Yang Yang 
Published: August 2021

AbstractSerial section electron microscopy (ssEM) can provide comprehensive 3D ultrastructural information of the brain with exceptional computational cost. Targeted reconstruction of subcellular structures from ssEM datasets is less computationally demanding but still highly informative. We thus developed a Region-CNN-based deep learning method to identify, segment, and reconstruct synapses and mitochondria to explore the structural plasticity of synapses and mitochondria in the auditory cortex of mice subjected to fear conditioning. Upon reconstructing over 135,000 mitochondria and 160,000 synapses, we found that fear conditioning significantly increases the number of mitochondria but decreases their size, and promotes the formation of multi-contact synapses comprising a single axonal bouton and multiple postsynaptic sites from different dendrites. Modeling indicates that such multi-contact configuration increases the information storage capacity of new synapses by over 50%. With high accuracy and speed in reconstruction, our method yields structural and functional insight into cellular plasticity associated with fear learning.
The impact of obesity; key features of raised intracranial pressure and clinical sequalae in rodents
Authors: Westgate Connar Stanley James , Hagen Snorre Malm , Israelsen Ida Marchen Egerod , Hamann Steffen , Jensen Rigmor Højland , Eftekhari Sajedeh 
Published: August 2021

AbstractElevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is observed in many brain disorders. Obesity has been linked to ICP pathogenesis in disorders such as idiopathic intracranial pressure (IIH). We investigated the effect of diet induced obesity (DIO) on ICP and clinically relevant sequelae.Rats were fed either a control or high fat diet. Following weight gain long term ICP, headache behavior, body composition and retinal outcome were examined. Post-hoc analysis of retinal histology and molecular analysis of choroid plexus and trigeminal ganglion (TG) were performed.DIO rats demonstrated raised ICP by 55% which correlated with the abdominal fat percentage and increased non-respiratory slow waves, suggestive of altered cerebral compliance. Concurrently, DIO rats demonstrated a specific cephalic cutaneous allodynia which negatively correlated with the abdominal fat percentage. This sensitivity was associated with increased expression of headache markers in TG. Additionally, DIO rats had an in vivo increased retinal nerve fiber layer thickness associated with raised ICP with a subsequent post-hoc demonstration of neuroretinal degeneration.This study demonstrates for the first time that DIO leads to raised ICP and subsequent clinically relevant symptom development. This novel model of non-traumatic raised ICP could expand the knowledge regarding disorders with elevated ICP such as IIH.
Large field-of-view incoherent volumetric imaging in living human retina by confocal oblique scanning laser ophthalmoscopy
Authors: Shao Wenjun , Yi Ji 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThree-dimensional (3D) volumetric imaging of the human retina is instrumental to monitor and diagnose blinding conditions. Although coherent retinal imaging is well established by optical coherence tomography, it is still a large void for incoherent volumetric imaging in the human retina. Here, we report confocal oblique scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CoSLO), to fill that void and harness incoherent optical contrast in 3D. CoSLO uses oblique scanning laser and remote focusing to acquire depth signal in parallel, avoid the lengthy z-stacking, and image a large field of view (FOV). In addition, confocal gating is introduced by a linear sensor array to improve the contrast and resolution. For the first time, we achieved incoherent 3D human retinal imaging with >20° viewing angle within only 5 seconds. The depth resolution is ∼45 micronsin vivo. We demonstrated label-free incoherent contrast by CoSLO, revealing unique features in the retina. CoSLO will be an important technique for clinical care of retinal conditions and fundamental vision science, by offering unique volumetric incoherent contrasts.
Evidence Accumulates for Individual Attributes during Value-Based Decisions
Authors: Lee Douglas G. , Hare Todd A. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractWhen choosing between different options, we tend to consider specific attribute qualities rather than deliberating over some general sense of the options’ overall values. The importance of each attribute together with its quality will determine our preference rankings over the available alternatives. Here, we test the hypothesis that the most prominent class of model for simple decisions – sequential sampling or evidence accumulation to bound – can be bolstered by explicitly incorporating variables related to individual attributes in addition to the standard usage of overall value estimates. We examine six datasets in which participants evaluated snack foods both in terms of overall value and individual attributes, then chose between pairs of the same snacks, and show that only models that explicitly incorporate information about the individual attributes are able to reproduce fundamental patterns in the choice data, such as the influence of attribute disparity on decisions, and such models provide quantitatively better fits to the choice outcomes, response times, and confidence ratings compared to models based on overall value alone. Our results provide important evidence that incorporating attribute-level information into computational models helps us to better understand the cognitive processes involved in value-based decision- making.
Transduction mechanisms for cold temperature in mouse trigeminal and vagal ganglion neurons innervating different peripheral organs
Authors: Gers-Barlag Katharina , Hernández-Ortego Pablo , Quintero Eva , Viana Félix 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThermal signals are critical elements in the operation of interoceptive and exteroceptive neural circuits, essential for triggering thermally-driven reflexes and conscious behaviors. A fraction of cutaneous and visceral sensory endings are activated by cold temperatures. Compared to somatic (DRG and TG) neurons, little is known about the mechanisms underlying cold sensitivity of visceral vagal neurons. We used molecular, pharmacological and genetic tools for a side-by-side characterization of cold-sensitive (CS) neurons in adult mouse trigeminal (TG) and vagal ganglia (VG).We found that CS neurons are larger in size and more abundant in VG than in TG. In VG, the majority of CS neurons co-express TRPA1 markers and cold-evoked responses are severely blunted inTrpa1KO mice. Cold sensitivity was evident in neurons with the highest TRPA1 expression. In contrast, TRPM8 deletion or pharmacological TRPM8 blockade had little impact on VG cold sensitivity. Consistent with these findings, inTrpm8eYFPreporter mice we found limited expression of TRPM8 in VG and restricted to the rostral jugular ganglion.In vivoretrograde labelling of airway-innervating vagal neurons demonstrated their enhanced cold sensitivity and a higher expression of TRPA1 compared to neurons innervating the stomach wall.In contrast, the majority of CS TG neurons co-express TRPM8 markers and their cold sensitivity is reduced after TRPM8 deletion or blockade. However, pharmacological or genetic reduction of TRPA1 showed that these channels contribute significantly to high-threshold cold sensitivity in TG, suggestive of a role in noxious cold sensing. In both ganglia, a fraction of CS neurons responded to cooling by a mechanism independent of TRPA1 or TRPM8 yet to be characterized.Finally, in both ganglia, sensitivity to cold varied widely and was enhanced by the potassium channel blocker 4-AP. This effect was independent of the cold sensor expressed by the neuron, suggestive of a common excitability brake mechanism.Significance statementTemperature sensing and its regulation is a critical homeostatic function. Little is known about the molecular mechanism of cold sensing by visceral sensory endings and their relative weight in different visceral organs. This study highlights important differences in thermotransduction mechanisms between somatic (trigeminal) and visceral (vagal) primary sensory neurons, establishing a critical role of TRPA1 channels in visceral cold transduction. The study describes quantitative differences in cold sensitivity of visceral neurons innervating the stomach and the lower airways, suggesting that cold transduction mechanisms may be fine-tuned to the specific needs of different organs. This study significantly advances our understanding of cold sensing in trigeminal and vagal neurons and reveals distinct drug targets for the pharmacological modulation of these thermoreceptors.
Quantitation of human enteric viruses as alternative indicators of fecal pollution to evaluate wastewater treatment processes
Authors: Garcia Audrey , Le Tri , Jankowski Paul , Yanaç Kadir , Yuan Qiuyan , Uyaguari-Díaz Miguel 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTWe investigated the potential use and quantitation of human enteric viruses in municipal wastewater samples of Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) as alternative indicators of contamination and evaluated the processing stages of the wastewater treatment plant. During the fall 2019 and winter 2020 seasons, samples of raw sewage, activated sludge, effluents, and biosolids (sludge cake) were collected from the North End Sewage Treatment Plant (NESTP), which is the largest wastewater treatment plant in the City of Winnipeg. DNA and RNA enteric viruses, as well as theuidAgene found inEscherichia coliwere targeted in the samples collected from the NESTP. Total nucleic acids from each wastewater treatment sample were extracted using a commercial spin-column kit. Enteric viruses were quantitated in the extracted samples via quantitative PCR using TaqMan assays.The average gene copies assessed in the raw sewage were not significantly different (p-values ranged between 0.0547 and 0.7986) than the average gene copies assessed in the effluents for Adenovirus and crAssphage (DNA viruses), Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (RNA virus), anduidAin terms of both volume and biomass. A significant reduction of these enteric viruses was observed consistently in activated sludge samples compared with those for raw sewage. Corresponding reductions in gene copies per volume and gene copies per biomass were also seen foruidAbut were not statistically significant (p-value = 0.8769 and p-value = 0.6353, respectively). The higher gene copy numbers of enteric viruses andE. coliobserved in the effluents may be associated with the 12-hour hydraulic retention time in the facility. Enteric viruses found in gene copy numbers were at least one order of magnitude higher than theE. colimarkeruidA. This indicate that enteric viruses may survive the wastewater treatment process and viral-like particles are being released into the aquatic environment. Our results suggest that Adenovirus, crAssphage, and Pepper mild mottle virus can be used as complementary viral indicators of human fecal pollution.
Bursting emerges from the complementary roles of neurons in a four-cell network
Authors: Sakurai Akira , Katz Paul S. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractReciprocally inhibitory modules that form half-center oscillators require mechanisms for escaping or being released from inhibition. The central pattern generator (CPG) underlying swimming by the nudibranch mollusc, Dendronotus iris, is composed of only four neurons that are organized into two competing modules of a half center oscillator. In this system, bursting activity in left-right alternation is not driven by any of the neurons but is an emergent property of the network as a whole. We found that the unique synaptic actions and membrane properties of the two neurons in each module (Si2 and Si3) play complementary roles in generating stable bursting in this network oscillator. Only Si2 evokes fast and strong inhibition of its contralateral counterpart, the termination of which initiates post-inhibitory rebound in the Si3 of that module. Only Si3 is responsible for the rebound excitation because it has a hyperpolarization-activated inward current. Within each module, the synaptic actions and membrane properties of the two neurons complement each other: Si3 excites Si2, which then feeds back slow inhibition to Si3, terminating the burst. Using dynamic clamp, we showed that the magnitude of the slow inhibition sets the period of the oscillator. Thus, the synaptic actions of Si2 provide the hyperpolarization needed for the other module to rebound stably, whereas the membrane properties of Si3 in each module cause it to rebound first and excite Si2 and maintain the burst until the cycle repeats and the other module becomes active.
Altered interpersonal distance regulation in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Farkas Kinga , Pesthy Orsolya , Guttengéber Anna , Weigl Anna Szonja , Veres András , Szekely Anna , Komoróczy Eszter , Szuromi Bálint , Janacsek Karolina , Réthelyi János M. , Németh Dezső 
Published: August 2021

AbstractInterpersonal distance regulation is an essential element of social communication. Its impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is widely acknowledged among practitioners, but only a handful of studies reported empirical research in real-life settings focusing mainly on children. Interpersonal distance in adults with ASD and related autonomic functions received less attention. Here, we measured interpersonal distance along with heart rate variability (HRV) in adults with ASD, and tested the modulatory effects of eye-contact and attribution. Twenty-two adults diagnosed with ASD and 21 matched neurotypical controls participated in our study from 2019 October to 2020 February. Our experimental design combined the modified version of the stop distance paradigm with HRV measurement controlling for eye contact between the experimenter and the participant to measure interpersonal distance. Our results showed a greater preferred distance in ASD. These results were altered with eye contact. Moreover, we found lower baseline HRV and reduced HRV reactivity in ASD; however, these autonomic measurements could not predict preferred interpersonal distance. Our study highlights the importance of interpersonal space regulation in ASD and the need for sophisticated experimental designs to grasp the complexity and underlying factors of distance regulation in typical and atypical populations.
Preterm birth rates during the COVID-19 lockdown in Queensland Australia
Authors: Jasper Brittany , Stillerova Tereza , Anstey Christopher , Weaver Edward 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundPreventative strategies for preterm birth are lacking. Recent evidence proposed COVID-19 lockdowns may have contributed to changes in preterm birth. We aimed to determine the prevalence of preterm birth during the COVID-19 lockdown on the Sunshine Coast and in the state of Queensland, Australia.MethodsRetrospective cohort analysis of all births in Queensland including the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, during two epochs, April 1–May 31, 2020 (lockdown) and June 1–July 31, 2020 (post-lockdown), compared to antecedent calendar-matched periods in 2018–2019. Prevalence of preterm birth, stillbirth, and late terminations were examined.ResultsThere were 64,989 births in Queensland from April to July 2018–2020. At the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, there was a significantly higher chance of birth at term during both lockdown (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.17, 2.79; P=0.007) and post-lockdown (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.27, 3.18; P=0.003). At the same centre, prevalence of preterm birth was 5.5% (30/547) during lockdown, compared to 9.1% (100/1095) in previous years, a 40.0% relative reduction (P=0.016). At this centre during lockdown, emergency caesareans concurrently decreased (P=0.034) and vacuum-assisted births increased (P=0.036). In Queensland overall, there was a nonsignificant decrease in the prevalence of preterm birth during lockdown.ConclusionsThere is a link between lockdown and a reduction in the prevalence of preterm birth on the Sunshine Coast. The cause is speculative. Further research is needed to determine a causal link and assess if this can be translated into management which provides a sustained reduction in preterm birth and its associated morbidity and mortality.