bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ADD It Up: An Evaluation of Antibiotic Duration at Hospital Discharge at a Community Hospital
Authors: Conner Morgan , Harris William H , Bomkamp John P 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Background
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients admitted to the hospital are commonly discharged on antibiotic therapy with prolonged courses of therapy, which contributes to excessive antibiotic exposure and adverse events. The purpose of this study was to evaluate total antibiotic duration of therapy at hospital discharge at Indiana University Health Arnett, White Memorial, and Frankfort hospitals.

Methods
A multicenter, retrospective electronic health record review was conducted from 1 January to 30 June 2019. Patients were included if they were at least 18 years of age, began antibiotic therapy while admitted, and continued antibiotic therapy at hospital discharge for 1 of the following indications: skin/soft tissue infection (SSTI), urinary tract infection (UTI), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), or acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The number of days of therapy (DOT) of each inpatient and outpatient antibiotic prescribed was collected to calculate the total DOT, which was utilized to determine the appropriateness of the duration of therapy.

Results
Of the 547 patients included, 233 patients (42.6%) had CAP, 120 (21.9%) had UTI, 101 (18.5%) had SSTI, and 93 (17%) had AECOPD. The median duration of antibiotic therapy across all indications was 9 days (interquartile range [IQR], 7–11). Median duration for CAP was 9 days (IQR, 7–10), AECOPD was 7 days (IQR, 5–9), UTI was 8 days (IQR, 6–10), and SSTI was 12 days (IQR, 10–14).

Conclusions
Excess antimicrobial duration at hospital discharge represents an unmet need of antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Machine learning-enabled phenotyping for GWAS and TWAS of WUE traits in 869 field-grown sorghum accessions
Authors: Ferguson John N , Fernandes Samuel B , Monier Brandon , Miller Nathan D , Allen Dylan , Dmitrieva Anna , Schmuker Peter , Lozano Roberto , Valluru Ravi , Buckler Edward S , Gore Michael A , Brown Patrick J , Spalding Edgar P , Leakey Andrew D B 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a model C4 crop made experimentally tractable by extensive genomic and genetic resources. Biomass sorghum is studied as a feedstock for biofuel and forage. Mechanistic modeling suggests that reducing stomatal conductance (gs) could improve sorghum intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) and biomass production. Phenotyping to discover genotype-to-phenotype associations remains a bottleneck in understanding the mechanistic basis for natural variation in gs and iWUE. This study addressed multiple methodological limitations. Optical tomography and a machine learning tool were combined to measure stomatal density (SD). This was combined with rapid measurements of leaf photosynthetic gas exchange and specific leaf area (SLA). These traits were the subject of genome-wide association study and transcriptome-wide association study across 869 field-grown biomass sorghum accessions. The ratio of intracellular to ambient CO2 was genetically correlated with SD, SLA, gs, and biomass production. Plasticity in SD and SLA was interrelated with each other and with productivity across wet and dry growing seasons. Moderate-to-high heritability of traits studied across the large mapping population validated associations between DNA sequence variation or RNA transcript abundance and trait variation. A total of 394 unique genes underpinning variation in WUE-related traits are described with higher confidence because they were identified in multiple independent tests. This list was enriched in genes whose Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) putative orthologs have functions related to stomatal or leaf development and leaf gas exchange, as well as genes with nonsynonymous/missense variants. These advances in methodology and knowledge will facilitate improving C4 crop WUE.
Capturing in-field root system dynamics with RootTracker
Authors: Aguilar Jeffrey J , Moore Matt , Johnson Logan , Greenhut Rachel F , Rogers Eric , Walker Drew , O’Neil Fletcher , Edwards Jake L , Thystrup Jake , Farrow Sam , Windle Jesse B , Benfey Philip N 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Optimizing root system architecture offers a promising approach to developing stress tolerant cultivars in the face of climate change, as root systems are critical for water and nutrient uptake as well as mechanical stability. However, breeding for optimal root system architecture has been hindered by the difficulty in measuring root growth in the field. Here, we describe the RootTracker, a technology that employs impedance touch sensors to monitor in-field root growth over time. Configured in a cylindrical, window shutter-like fashion around a planted seed, 264 electrodes are individually charged multiple times over the course of an experiment. Signature changes in the measured capacitance and resistance readings indicate when a root has touched or grown close to an electrode. Using the RootTracker, we have measured root system dynamics of commercial maize (Zea mays) hybrids growing in both typical Midwest field conditions and under different irrigation regimes. We observed rapid responses of root growth to water deficits and found evidence for a “priming response” in which an early water deficit causes more and deeper roots to grow at later time periods. Genotypic variation among hybrid maize lines in their root growth in response to drought indicated a potential to breed for root systems adapted for different environments. Thus, the RootTracker is able to capture changes in root growth over time in response to environmental perturbations.
International Police Liaison Officers: An Examination of the Experiences of New Zealand Police International Liaison Officers
Authors: den Heyer Garth 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSince the early 1970s, international police liaison officers have been a pivotal resource in building and maintaining relationships and cooperation between the police and other law enforcement organizations. Their role and their contribution to investigating transnational crime and terrorism have not been examined. This research includes a survey of 18 serving police officers, who were, or had been appointed to international liaison posts, by the New Zealand Police. The participants claimed that their role was to establish networks, gather information and intelligence followed by undertaking inquiries in relation to criminal and drug investigations. To a lesser extent, the participants thought that the purpose of their role was to counter terrorism, undertake immigration inquiries, and to attend social events.
Bisphenol A and Male Murine Reproductive System: Finding a Link between Plasticizer and Compromised Health
Authors: Mondal Shirsha , Bandyopadhyay Arindam 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
The global burden of male infertility is rising at an alarming rate affecting the lives of millions in terms of physical, emotional, and societal perspectives. Among several existing endocrine-disrupting chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported by many to inflict male reproductive toxicity in different experimental models, especially in mice. This review article critically discusses the overall reproductive toxicity of BPA with a special note to its ubiquitous existence, contamination route, effects on the reproductive system, and toxicity mechanisms in male mice. Disturbed redox status in germ cells and spermatozoa plays a pivotal role in BPA-induced male reproductive toxicity. In this context, the involvement of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum is also of grave importance. Induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis is the extreme consequence that leads to deterioration of cellular parameters. Besides the oxidative cellular and histoarchitectural damages, perturbed endocrine regulation, subsequent impaired hormonal and cellular genesis program, epigenetic alterations, and inflammation cumulatively reflect poor sperm quality leading to compromised reproduction. Moreover, several key issues have also been highlighted that, if addressed, will strengthen our understanding of BPA-mediated male reproductive toxicity.
Association of lipid-lowering drugs with COVID-19 outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization study
Authors: Huang Wuqing , Xiao Jun , Ji Jianguang , Chen Liang-Wan 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundLipid metabolism plays an important role in viral infections. Large cohort study suggested a protective potential of lipid-lowering drugs in COVID-19 outcomes, but the nature of observational study precludes it to draw a causal inference.ObjectivesTo assess the causal effect of lipid-lowering drugs (HMGCR inhibitors, PCSK9 inhibitors and NPC1L1 inhibitors) on COVID-19 outcomes using 2-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study.MethodsWe used two kinds of genetic instruments to proxy the exposure of lipid-lowering drugs, including expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) of drugs target genes, and genetic variants within or nearby drugs target genes associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from genome-wide association study (GWAS). GWASs of COVID-19 outcomes (susceptibility, hospitalization and very severe disease) were obtained from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Summary-data-based MR (SMR) and inverse-variance weighted MR (IVW-MR) were used to calculate the effect estimates.ResultsSMR analysis found that a higher expression of HMGCR was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.38, 95%CI=1.06-1.81; P=0.019). Similarly, IVW-MR analysis observed a positive association between HMGCR-mediated LDL cholesterol and COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.32, 95%CI=1.00-1.74; P=0.049). No consistent evidence from both SMR and IVW-MR analyses was found for the association of HMGCR inhibitors with COVID-19 susceptibility or very severe disease, or for the association of PCSK9 inhibitors and NPC1L1 inhibitor with COVID-19 outcomes.ConclusionsIn this 2-sample MR study, we found potential causal evidence that HMGCR inhibitors could reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. Further research is needed to explore the therapeutic role of statins for COVID-19.
Incidence of Lyme disease in the United Kingdom and association with fatigue: a population-based, historical cohort study
Authors: Brellier Florence , Pujades-Rodriguez Mar , Powell Emma , Mudie Kathleen , Lacerda Eliana , Nacul Luis , Wing Kevin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate incidence rates of Lyme disease in the UK and to investigate a possible association with subsequent fatigueDesignPopulation-based historical cohort study with a comparator cohort matched by age, sex, and general practiceSettingPatients treated in UK general practices contributing to IQVIA Medical Research DataParticipants2,130 patients with a first diagnosis of Lyme disease between 2000 and 2018, and 8,510 randomly-sampled matched comparators, followed-up for a median time of 3 years and 8 months.Main outcome measuresTime from Lyme disease diagnosis to consultation for any fatigue-related symptoms or diagnosis and for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox models.ResultsAverage incidence rate for Lyme disease across the UK was 5.18 per 100,000 py between 2000 and 2018, increasing from 2.55 in 2000 to 9.33 in 2018. In total 929 events of any types of fatigue were observed, i.e. an incidence rate of 307.90 per 10,000 py in the Lyme cohort (282 events) and 165.60 in the comparator cohort (647 events). Effect of Lyme disease on any subsequent fatigue varied by index season with highest adjusted HRs in autumn [3.14 (95%CI: 1.92 to 5.13)] and winter [2.23 (1.21 to 4.11)]. Incidence rates of ME/CFS were 11.16 per 10,000 py in Lyme patients (12 events) and 1.20 in comparators (5 events), corresponding to an adjusted HR of 16.95 (5.17 to 55.60). Effect on any types of fatigue and ME/CFS was attenuated 6 months after diagnosis but still clearly visible.ConclusionsUK primary care records provided strong evidence that Lyme disease was associated with acute and chronic fatigue. Albeit weaker, these effects persisted beyond 6 months, suggesting that patients and healthcare providers should remain alert to fatigue symptoms months to years following Lyme disease diagnosis.Key messages boxWhat is already known on this topicIncidence rates of Lyme disease in the UK are increasing but estimations vary according to data sources used.Reports investigating the association between Lyme disease and long-term fatigue are contradictory.What this study addsAverage incidence rate for Lyme disease across the UK was estimated at 5.18 per 100,000 py between 2000 and 2018, and followed an increasing trend.In patients with Lyme disease, a 2- and 3-fold increase in any subsequent fatigue was observed in winter and autumn, respectively, and a 16-fold increase in ME/CFS (all seasons combined), compared to a non-Lyme cohort matched by sex, age, and general practice.
Change in Symptoms and Immune Response in People with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-Cov-2 Infection (PASC) After SARS-Cov-2 Vaccination
Authors: Massey Daisy , Berrent Diana , Akrami Athena , Assaf Gina , Davis Hannah , Harris Karen , McCorkell Lisa , Ring Aaron M , Schulz Wade L , Wei Hannah , Krumholz Harlan M , Iwasaki Akiko 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTAs more people are vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, many of those already infected are still suffering from Post-Acute Sequelae (PASC). Although there is no current treatment for PASC, reports from patients that the vaccine itself improves, and in some reports, worsens, PASC symptoms may lead to a deeper understanding of the causes of PASC symptoms and viable treatments. As such, we are conducting a study that measures the changes in PASC symptoms after vaccination. We are collecting baseline self-report and biospecimens for immune assays and then are following up with participants to collect the same data at 2-weeks, 6-weeks, and 12-weeks post-vaccination (first dose). Immune assays using blood specimens will include B-cell, T-cell, and myeloid cell panels; evaluation of T-cell responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 peptides and antigen specific response; autoantibody screening (of IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies that attack human proteins); and TCR sequencing and antigen mapping of CD8+ T-cells. Mucosal immunity will be measured using saliva specimens. The study aims to provide answers for people with PASC, especially regarding the causes of their symptoms and how the vaccine may affect them, and clues for PASC treatment.
Hospitalization Data Supports Correlation of Lower Covid-19 Severity vs. Universal BCG Immunization in the Early Phase of the Pandemic
Authors: Dolgikh Serge 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe possibility of a correlation between universal administration of the bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine and lower severity of Covid-19 by national jurisdiction has been pointed out previously. In this work we examined hospitalization data attributed to Covid-19 cause reported by European national jurisdictions with the conclusion of a clear negative correlation between current or recent BCG vaccination program and reduced impact of the epidemics on the population measured in hospital admissions per capita in the early phase of the pandemic, before variants and vaccines. While there is no evidence that BCG vaccination provides strong individual level protection, the results of this work in combination with the results of other studies appear to support the hypothesis of a certain population-wide protection effect that is correlated with BCG immunization.
Upregulation of TBX1 by genetic variants are associated with human congenital heart disease
Authors: Yu Liwei , Li Binbin , Wang Hongyan 
Published: July 2021

AbstractCongenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common human birth defect worldwide and also an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. The transcription factor of TBX1 early expressed in embryonic cardiac progenitor cells underlys embryo cardiogenesis in a dosage-dependent manner. Imbalanced TBX1 level has been shown to lead to cardiac defects. To study the association of TBX1 genetic variants with CHD susceptibility, we screened genetic variants in 409 CHD patients and 203 healthy controls. One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs41260844, in TBX1 promotor region was identified to be associated with CHD. Functional studies showed the minor allele of rs41260844 is associated with higher CHD risk and increases TBX1 promoter activity through attenuating TBX1 promoter binding affinity with nuclear protein(s). In addition, a novel case-specific missense rare mutation of p.P164L in TBX1 T-box domain was identified and predicted as deleterious mutation, which showed a trend of increased protein function. In summary, we concluded that a higher TBX1 expression level or activity is associated with CHD susceptibility, which could affect TBX1 downstream targets and thus disrupt the balance of the complex regulation network during cardiogenesis. This study deepens our current understanding of embryo cardiogenesis and CHD etiology.
Proteomic and metabolomic signatures associated with the immune response in healthy individuals immunized with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Authors: Wang Yi , Wang Xiaoxia , Wai Luu Laurence Don , Chen Shaojin , Jin Fu , Wang Shufang , Huang Xiaolan , Wang Licheng , Zhou Xiaocui , Chen Xi , Cui Xiaodai , Li Jieqiong , Tai Jun , Zhu Xiong 
Published: July 2021

SummeryCoronaVac (Sinovac), an inactivated vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, has been widely used for immunization. However, analysis of the underlying molecular mechanisms driving CoronaVac-induced immunity is still limited. Here, we applied a systems biology approach to understand the mechanisms behind the adaptive immune response to CoronaVac in a cohort of 50 volunteers immunized with 2 doses of CoronaVac. Vaccination with CoronaVac led to an integrated immune response that included several effector arms of the adaptive immune system including specific IgM/IgG, humoral response and other immune response, as well as the innate immune system as shown by complement activation. Metabolites associated with immunity were also identified implicating the role of metabolites in the humoral response, complement activation and other immune response. Networks associated with the TCA cycle and amino acids metabolic pathways, such as phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism were tightly coupled with immunity. Critically, we constructed a multifactorial response network (MRN) to analyze the underlying interactions and compared the signatures affected by CoronaVac immunization and SARS-CoV-2 infection to further identify immune signatures and related metabolic pathways altered by CoronaVac immunization. These results suggest that protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 can be achieved via multiple mechanisms and highlights the utility of a systems biology approach in defining molecular correlates of protection to vaccination.
Cerebral coherence in task-based fMRI hyperscanning: A new trick to an old dog
Authors: Wang Le-Si , Cheng Jen-Tang , Hsu I-Jeng , Liu Shyhnan , Kung Chun-Chia , Chen Der-Yow , Weng Ming-Hung 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACTThis study features an fMRI hyperscanning experiment, mapping the brains of the dyads from two fMRI sites, 305 km apart. There are two conditions: in half of the trials (the cooperation condition), the dyad had to collaborate to win and then split the reward, whereas in the other half (the competition condition), the winner took all the reward, thereby resulting in dynamic strategic interactions. Each subject took alternating turns as senders and receivers. To calculate the cerebral coherence in such jittered event-related fMRI tasks, we first estimated the feedback-related BOLD responses of each trial, using 8 finite impulse response functions (16 seconds), and then concatenated the beta volume series. With the right temporal-parietal junction (rTPJ) as the seed, the interpersonal connected brain areas in the cooperation and competition conditions were separately identified: the former condition with the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) and the latter with the left precuneus (lPrecuneus) (as well as some other regions of interest), both peaking at the designated frequency bin (1/16 s = 0.0625 Hz), but not in permuted pairs. In addition, the extended coherence analyses on shorter (12 s, or .083 Hz) and longer (20 s, or .05 Hz) concatenated volumes verified that only approximately in the trial length were the rTPJ-rSTG and rTPJ-lPrecuneus couplings found. In sum, our approach both showcases a flexible analysis method that widens the applicability of interpersonal coherence in the rapid event-related fMRI hyperscanning, and reveals a context-based interpersonal coupling between pairs in cooperation vs. competition.Author summarySocial neuroscience is gaining momentum, while coherence analysis as one of the interpersonal connectivity measures is rarely applied to the rapid event-related fMRI. The reason could be that the inherent task design (such as the periodicity constraint for Fourier transformation), among others, limits its applicability and usage. In this fMRI hyperscanning study of a two-person strategic interactions, we independently estimated the feedback-related BOLD responses of each trial, and concatenated the beta time series for interpersonal coherence. The main advantage of this method is in its flexibility against the constraints of jittered experimental trials intermixing several task conditions in most task-based fMRI runs. In addition, our coherence results, which highlight two inter-brain couplings (e.g., rTPJ-rSTG between collaborating, and rTPJ-lPrecuneus for competing dyads) among other brain regions, plus its temporal specificity of such seed-brain couplings only between pairs, both replicate previous run-wide fMRI coherence results, and hold great promise in extending its applicability in task-based fMRI hyperscanning.
Linearly polarized excitation enhances signals from fluorescent voltage indicators
Authors: Bloxham William , Brinks Daan , Kheifets Simon , Cohen Adam E. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractVoltage imaging in cells requires high-speed recording of small fluorescent signals, often leading to low signal-to-noise ratios. Because voltage indicators are membrane-bound, their orientations are partially constrained by the plane of the membrane. We explored whether tuning the linear polarization of excitation light could enhance voltage indicator fluorescence. We tested a panel of dye and protein-based voltage indicators in mammalian cells. The dye BeRST1 showed a 73% increase in brightness between the least and most favorable polarizations. The protein-based reporter ASAP1 showed a 22% change in brightness, and QuasAr3 showed a 14% change in brightness. In very thin neurites expressing QuasAr3, improvements were anomalously large, with a 170% increase in brightness between polarization parallel vs perpendicular to the dendrite. Signal-to-noise ratios of optically recorded action potentials were increased by up to 50% in neurites expressing QuasAr3. These results demonstrate that polarization control can be a facile means to enhance signals from fluorescent voltage indicators, particularly in thin neurites or in high-background environments.