bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immunity post-COVID-19 recovery boosts the antibody immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
Authors: Ebrahim Fawzi , Tabal Salah , Lamami Yosra , Alhudiri Inas M , El Meshri Salah Edin , Al Dwigen Samira M , Arfa Ramadan , Alboeshi Asma , Alemam Hafsa A. , Abuhtna Fauzia , Altrhouni Rabeeah , Milad Mohamed B , Elgriw Nada A , Ruaua Mahmoud A , Abusrewil Zakarya , Harroush Warda , Jallul Mwada , Ali Fouziyah S , Eltaib Farag , Elzaghied Adam 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMeasurement of strength and durability of SARS-COV-2 antibody response is important to understand the waning dynamics of immune response to both vaccines and infection. The study aimed to evaluate the level of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and their persistence in recovered, naïve and vaccinated individuals. We randomly investigate Anti-spike RBD IgG antibody responses in 10,000 individuals, both following infection with SARS-CoV-2 and immunization with SARS-COV-2 adenoviral-vector and killed vaccines. Overall, antibody titres in recovered vaccinated individuals and naïve vaccinee persists beyond 20 weeks. The mean levels of anti-spike IgG antibodies were higher in vaccinated participants with prior COVID-19 infections than in individuals without prior infection. Decline for IgG antibodies were faster in vaccinated individuals without previous COVID-19 infection compared to those with previous COVID-19 infection. Vaccination with adenoviral–vector vaccines generates higher antibody titers than for killed virus vaccine. Slightly over half of asymptomatic unvaccinated individuals develops antibody response. Previous COVID-19 infection elicited robust and sustained levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in vaccinated individuals. A single dose of the vaccine is likely to provide greater protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, than in SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals. This study also underlines that asymptomatic infection equally generates antibodies as symptomatic infection. Those vaccinated with inactivated vaccine may require more frequent boosters than those vaccinated with an adenoviral vaccine. These findings are important for formulating public health vaccination strategies during COVID-19 pandemic.ImportanceMeasurement of strength and durability of SARS-COV-2 antibody response is important to understand the waning dynamics of immune response to both vaccines and infection. We randomly surveyed 10,000 people for SARS-COV-2 antibodies. One vaccine dose with prior infection generated stronger immune response than two vaccine doses. Overall, antibody titres in recovered vaccinated individuals and naïve vaccinee persists beyond 20 weeks. Vaccination with adenoviral–vector vaccines generates higher antibody titers than for killed virus vaccine slightly over half of asymptomatic unvaccinated individuals develops antibody response. This study emphasise on the benefit of vaccination in inducing strong immune response. These findings are important for formulating public health vaccination strategies during COVID-19 pandemic.
BIRC6 modifies risk of invasive bacterial infection in Kenyan children
Authors: Gilchrist James J , Kariuki Silvia , Watson James A , Band Gavin , Uyoga Sophie , Ndila Carolyne M , Mturi Neema , Mwarumba Salim , Mohammed Shebe , Mosobo Moses , Rockett Kirk A , Mentzer Alexander J , Kwiatkowski Dominic P , Hill Adrian VS , Maitland Kathryn , Scott J Anthony G , Williams Thomas N 
Published: February 2022

AbstractInvasive bacterial disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in African children. Despite being caused by diverse pathogens, children with sepsis are clinically indistinguishable from one another. In spite of this, most genetic susceptibility loci for invasive infection that have been discovered to date are pathogen specific and are not therefore suggestive of a shared genetic architecture of bacterial sepsis. Here we utilise probabilistic diagnostic models to identify children with a high probability of invasive bacterial disease among critically unwell Kenyan children with P. falciparum parasitaemia. We construct a joint dataset including 1,445 bacteraemia cases and 1,143 severe malaria cases, and population controls, among critically unwell Kenyan children that have previously been genotyped for human genetic variation. Using these data we perform a cross-trait genome-wide association study of invasive bacterial infection, weighting cases according to their probability of bacterial disease. In doing so we identify and validate a novel risk locus for invasive infection secondary to multiple bacterial pathogens, that has no apparent effect on malaria risk. The locus identified modifies splicing of BIRC6 in stimulated monocytes, implicating regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the pathogenesis of sepsis in Kenyan children.
Resurgence of malaria in Uganda despite sustained indoor residual spraying and repeated long lasting insecticidal net distributions
Authors: Epstein Adrienne , Maiteki-Ssebuguzi Catherine , Namuganga Jane F. , Nankabirwa Joaniter I. , Gonahasa Samuel , Opigo Jimmy , Staedke Sarah G. , Rutazaana Damian , Arinaitwe Emmanuel , Kamya Moses R. , Bhatt Samir , Rodríguez-Barraquer Isabel , Greenhouse Bryan , Donnelly Martin J. , Dorsey Grant 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFive years of sustained indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticide from 2014 to 2019, first using a carbamate followed by an organophosphate, was associated with a marked reduction in the burden of malaria in five districts of Uganda. We assessed malaria burden over an additional 21 months, corresponding to a change in IRS formulations using clothianidin with and without deltamethrin and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We document an unprecedented resurgence in malaria burden: in years 4-5 of sustained IRS cases were 84% lower than the pre-IRS period, in year 6 this increased to a 43% reduction, and in the first 9 months of year 7, cases were 39% higher than pre-IRS levels. The timing of this resurgence corresponded to a change of active ingredient to clothianidin, a new IRS active ingredient. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms leading to this resurgence.
Functional Connections Among Neurons within Single Columns of Macaque V1
Authors: Trepka Ethan B. , Zhu Shude , Xia Ruobing , Chen Xiaomo , Moore Tirin 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRecent developments in high-density neurophysiological tools now make it possible to record from hundreds of single neurons within local, highly interconnected neural networks. Among the many advantages of such recordings is that they dramatically increase the quantity of identifiable, functional connections between neurons thereby providing an unprecedented view of local circuit interactions. Using high-density, Neuropixels recordings from single neocortical columns of primary visual cortex in nonhuman primates, we identified 1000s of functionally connected neuronal pairs using established crosscorrelation approaches. Our results reveal clear and systematic variations in the strength and synchrony of functional connections across the cortical column. Despite neurons residing within the same column, both measures of functional connectivity depended heavily on the vertical distance separating neuronal pairs, as well as on the similarity of stimulus tuning. In addition, we leveraged the statistical power afforded by the large numbers of connected pairs to categorize functional connections between neurons based on their crosscorrelation functions. These analyses identified distinct, putative classes of functional connections within the full population. These classes of functional connections were corroborated by their unique distributions across defined laminar compartments and were consistent with known properties of V1 cortical circuitry, such as the lead-lag relationship between simple and complex cells. Our results provide a clear proof-of-principle for the use of high-density neurophysiological recordings to assess circuit-level interactions within local neuronal networks.
Urocortin-3 neurons in the perifornical area mediate the impact of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior
Authors: Abdelmesih Brenda , Anderson Robyn , Carta Ilaria , Autry Anita E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractInfant avoidance and aggression are promoted by activation of the Urocortin-3 expressing neurons of the perifornical area of hypothalamus (PeFAUcn3) in male and female mice. PeFAUcn3neurons have been implicated in stress, and stress is known to reduce maternal behavior. We asked how chronic restraint stress (CRS) affects infant-directed behavior in virgin and lactating females and what role PeFAUcn3neurons play in this process. Here we show that infant-directed behavior increases activity in the PeFAUcn3neurons in virgin and lactating females. Chemogenetic inhibition of PeFAUcn3neurons facilitates pup retrieval in virgin females. CRS reduces pup retrieval in virgin females and increases activity of PeFAUcn3neurons but does not affect maternal behavior in mothers. Inhibition of PeFAUcn3neurons blocks stress-induced deficits in pup-directed behavior in virgin females. Together, these data illustrate the critical role for PeFAUcn3neuronal activity in mediating the impact of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior.Significance statementWhile a large body of research has studied the impact of maternal stress on offspring, few studies have focused on the neural circuitry underlying reduced maternal behavior in stressed mothers. In this study, we examine the neural substrates involved in reduced infant-directed behavior caused by chronic stress. We find that perifornical area neurons expressing the neuropeptide urocortin-3 are critical mediators of the impact of stress on infant-directed behavior in females.
Genome assembly and isoform analysis of a highly heterozygous New Zealand fisheries species, the tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus)
Authors: Papa Yvan , Wellenreuther Maren , Morrison Mark A. , Ritchie Peter A. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAlthough being some of the most valuable and heavily exploited wild organisms, few fisheries species have been studied at the whole-genome level. This is especially the case in New Zealand, where genomics resources are urgently needed to assist fisheries management attains its sustainability goals. Here we generated 55 Gb of short Illumina reads (92× coverage) and 73 Gb of long Nanopore reads (122×) to produce the first genome assembly of the marine teleost tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus), a highly valuable fisheries species in New Zealand. An additional 300 Mb of Iso-Seq RNA reads were obtained from four tissue types of another specimen to assist in gene annotation. The final genome assembly was 568 Mb long and consisted of 1,214 scaffolds with an N50 of 3.37 Mb. The genome completeness was high, with 97.8% of complete Actinopterygii BUSCOs. Heterozygosity values estimated through k-mer counting (1.00%) and bi-allelic SNPs (0.64%) were high compared to the same values reported for other fishes. Repetitive elements covered 30.45% of the genome and 20,169 protein-coding genes were annotated. Iso-Seq analysis recovered 91,313 unique transcripts (isoforms) from 15,515 genes (mean ratio of 5.89 transcripts per gene), and the most common alternative splicing event was intron retention. This highly contiguous genome assembly along with the isoform-resolved transcriptome will provide a useful resource to assist the study of population genomics, as well as comparative eco-evolutionary studies in other teleost and related organisms.
Coupling of metataxonomics and culturing improves bacterial diversity characterization and identifies a novel Rhizorhapis sp. with metal resistance potential in a multi-contaminated waste sediment
Authors: Siles José A. , Hendrickson Andrew J. , Terry Norman 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLong-term contaminated environments have been recognized as potential hotspots for bacterial discovery in taxonomic and functional terms for bioremediation purposes. Here, bacterial diversity in waste sediment collected from a former industrial dumpsite and contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metals was investigated through the parallel application of culture-independent (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) and -dependent (plate culturing followed by colony picking and identification of isolates by 16S rRNA gene Sanger sequencing) approaches. The bacterial diversities retrieved by both approaches greatly differed. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were dominant in the culture-independent community, while Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were the main culturable groups. Only 2.7% of OTUs (operational taxonomic units) in the culture-independent dataset were cultured. Most of the culturable OTUs were absent or in very low abundances in the culture-independent dataset, revealing that culturing is a useful tool to study the rare bacterial biosphere. One culturable OTUs (comprising only the isolate SPR117) was identified as a potential new species in the genus Rhizorhapis (class Alphaproteobacteria) and was selected for further characterization. Phytopathogenicity tests showed that Rhizorhapis sp. strain SPR117 (ATCC TSD-228) is not pathogenic for lettuce, despite the only described species within this genus, Rhizorhapis suberifaciens, is causal agent of the lettuce corky root disease. The genome of the strain SPR117 was sequenced, assembled in 256 contigs, with a length of 4,419,522 bp and a GC content of 59.9%), and its further annotation revealed the presence of genes related to the resistance to arsenic, copper, iron, and mercury, among other metals. Therefore, the coupling of metataxonomics and culturing is a useful tool to obtain not only an improved description of bacterial communities in contaminated environments, but also to isolate microorganisms with bioremediation potential.
Synaptic Location Is a Determinant of the Detrimental Effects of α-Synuclein Pathology to Glutamatergic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala
Authors: Chen Liqiang , Nagaraja Chetan , Daniels Samuel , Fisk Zoe A. , Dvorak Rachel , Meyerdirk Lindsay , Steiner Jennifer A , Galvis Martha L. Escobar , Henderson Michael X. , Rousseaux Maxime W.C. , Brundin Patrik , Chu Hong-Yuan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe presynaptic protein α-synuclein (αSyn) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In PD, the amygdala is prone to develop insoluble αSyn aggregates, and it has been suggested that circuit dysfunction involving the amygdala contributes to the psychiatric symptoms. Yet, how αSyn aggregates affect amygdala function is unknown. In this study, we examined αSyn in glutamatergic axon terminals and the impact of its aggregation on glutamatergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). We found that αSyn is primarily present in the vesicular glutamate transporter 1-expressing (vGluT1+) terminals in mouse BLA, which is consistent with higher levels of αSyn expression in vGluT1+ glutamatergic neurons in the cerebral cortex relative to the vGluT2+ glutamatergic neurons in the thalamus. We found that αSyn aggregation selectively decreased the cortico-BLA, but not the thalamo-BLA, transmission; and that cortico-BLA synapses displayed enhanced short-term depression upon repetitive stimulation. In addition, using confocal microscopy, we found that vGluT1+ axon terminals exhibited decreased levels of soluble αSyn, which suggests that lower levels of soluble αSyn might underlie the enhanced short-term depression of cortico-BLA synapses. In agreement with this idea, we found that cortico-BLA synaptic depression was also enhanced in αSyn knockout mice.In conclusion, both basal and dynamic cortico-BLA transmission were disrupted by abnormal aggregation of αSyn and these changes might be relevant to the perturbed cortical control of the amygdala that has been suggested to play a role in psychiatric symptoms in PD.
Self‐Representation, Community Engagement and Decolonisation in the Museums of Indigenous Communities: Perspectives from Meghalaya, India
Authors: Lyngwa Amorette 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis article is an exploration of the museum practices of the Indigenous communities of Meghalaya, in north‐east India. It uses Bryony Onciul's concept of museums as ‘Engagement Zones’, highlighted in the book Museums, Heritage and Indigenous Voice: Decolonizing Engagement as a conceptual basis for analyses and critique. Presenting a perspective from the Global South, the study aims to locate the limits to self‐representation and community engagement in the museums of Indigenous communities. In doing so, the article aims to make a case for the need for community narratives in museum‐making, particularly for Indigenous communities, in the effort towards decolonised museum practice.
Compromised interhemispheric transfer of information partially mediates cognitive function deficits in adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome
Authors: Biffen Stevie C. , Dodge Neil C. , Warton Christopher M. R. , Molteno Christopher D. , Jacobson Joseph L. , Meintjes Ernesta M. , Jacobson Sandra W. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been associated with compromised interhemispheric transfer of tactile stimuli in childhood and structural changes to the corpus callosum (CC). In this study, we used a finger localization task (FLT) to investigate whether interhemispheric transfer deficits persist in adolescence; whether effects of PAE on perceptual reasoning, working memory, and executive function are mediated by deficits in interhemispheric transfer of information; and whether CC size in childhood predicts FLT performance in adolescence.MethodsParticipants, aged 16 to 17 years, were from the Cape Town Longitudinal Cohort, whose mothers were recruited during pregnancy and interviewed regarding their alcohol use using the timeline follow‐back method. Diagnoses of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial FAS (PFAS) were determined by two expert dysmorphologists; nonsyndromal exposed children were designated as heavily exposed (HE); those born to abstainers or light drinkers, as controls. The FLT was administered to 74 participants (12 FAS, 16 PFAS, 14 HE and 32 controls). CC size at age 9 to 12 years was available for 35 participants (7 FAS, 13 PFAS, 5 HE and 10 control).ResultsAlthough the degree of PAE was similar in the FAS, PFAS, and HE groups, only the adolescents with FAS showed more transfer‐related errors than controls in conditions in which one finger was stimulated. FLT performance mediated the effects of FAS on perceptual reasoning and executive function. In the subsample for which neuroimaging data from childhood were available, there was an association among adolescents with PAE of smaller CC volumes with more transfer‐related errors on the one‐finger/hand hidden condition, suggesting that CC damage previously seen in childhood continues to impact function through adolescence.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence of compromised interhemispheric transfer of information in adolescents with FAS, while those with PFAS or heavy exposed nonsyndromal individuals are apparently spared. It is the first to show that PAE effects on important aspects of cognitive function are partially mediated by deficits in the interhemispheric transfer of information.
Patient‐reported impact of symptoms in schizophrenia scale (PRISS): Development and validation
Authors: Moreno‐Küstner Berta , Fábrega‐Ruz Julia , Gonzalez‐Caballero Juan Luis , Reyes‐Martin Sara , Ochoa Susana , Romero‐Lopez‐Alberca Cristina , Cid Jordi , Vila‐Badia Regina , Frigola‐Capell Eva , Salvador‐Carulla Luis 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundWe report the psychometric properties of the Patient‐Reported Impact of Symptoms in Schizophrenia Scale (PRISS), which assesses the impact of subjective experiences or qualia in outpatients with this condition.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was carried out in 162 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Spain. The PRISS measures the presence, frequency, concern and interference with daily life of self‐reported experiences related to the main symptoms observed in these patients. The psychometric analysis included test‐retest reliability, internal consistency and structural and convergent validity.ResultsThe 28‐item PRISS showed good test‐retest reliability as 64.3% of the intraclass correlation coefficient values were between 0.40 and 0.79, which were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Analysis of the structural validity revealed a three‐factor structure, (1) productive subjective experiences, (2) affective‐negative subjective experiences and (3) excitation, which accounted for 56.11% of the variance. Of the Pearson's correlation coefficients analysed between the PRISS and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO‐DAS), 72.2% were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and ranged from 0.38–0.42, 0.32–0.42 and 0.40–0.42, respectively.ConclusionOur results indicate that the PRISS appears to be a brief, reliable and valid scale to measure subjective experiences in schizophrenia and provides valuable information complementary to clinical evaluation.
Reducing opioid prescribing on discharge after orthopaedic surgery: does a guideline and education improve prescribing practice 1 year later?
Authors: Stanley Beata , Collins Lisa , Norman Amanda , Bonomo Anthony , Bonomo Yvonne 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundAn intervention Prescription Opioid Practice Improvement (POPI), addressing opioid prescribing on discharge following orthopaedic surgery, demonstrated improved practice. Here we report the sustainability of improved practice at 12 months, and the impact of a booster education intervention, POPI SOS (Safe Opioid Supply).MethodsAudits were performed using methodology described in previously published studies.ResultsHigh proportion of patients were discharged on opioids, 89.9% 12 months post‐POPI (n = 149) and 82.2% post‐POPI SOS (n = 169). Twelve months post‐POPI there was a significant reduction in combination immediate (IR) and slow release (SR) opioids, 45.7% at the end of POPI program to 34.3% at 12 months (χ2 (1, N = 364) = 4.47, ρ = 0.034); a significant decrease in opioid‐weaning plans, 87.4% at the end of POPI program to 35.8% at 12 months (χ2 (1, N = 365) = 104.19, ρ = <0.001); and a significant increase in provision of full quantities of SR‐opioids, 6.1% after the POPI program to 15.7% (χ2 (1, N = 364) = 8.95, ρ = 0.003). The POPI SOS booster program significantly improved measures including reduction in combination IR and SR, 34.3–22.3% (χ2 (1, N = 273) = 4.87, ρ = 0.028) and an increase in opioid plans in discharge summaries, from 35.8% to 77.7% (χ2 (1, N = 273) = 48.87, ρ < 0.001).ConclusionBetter practice in relation to opioid prescribing is achievable but, for sustained improvement, opioid stewardship activities are needed to reduce the potential harms associated with prescription opioids.