bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Logistic Curve in the SEIR Model and the Basic Reproduction Number of COVID-19 in Japan
Authors: Saito Takesi , Shigemoto Kazuyasu 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe SEIR model is one of modified models of SIR, especially taken into account of exposed people. SEIR equations can be solved numerically, but it is hard to obtain analytically. Here, we propose some approximate solutions of SEIR equations, one of which is related with the logistic formula in Biology. As the second aim, the SEIR model is applied to the 7th-wave of COVID-19 in Japan. The basic reproduction number (α) in the SEIR model is estimated for the Omicron wave. We make use of data of the removed number R(t) rather than that of the infective number, because the latter seems to be ambiguous. This analysis gives α = 10 with γ = 1 and σ = 0.5.
Sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge of common eye diseases: a cross-sectional study in Afghanistan
Authors: Hosaini Farooq , Padhi Bijaya Kumar , Mohanty Parimala , Razaqi Nosaibah , Neyazi Mehrab , Noorzad Elhama , Rahmani Adina , Yousufi Marjan , Afzali Habibah , Bhattacharyya Aritro , Neyazi Ahmad 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundEye diseases are a major global health concern but are often neglected. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic determinants of knowledge on common eye diseases among the adult population in Afghanistan.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was designed and conducted between August and October, 2021, including 509 adult population in the Herat province of Afghanistan. Participants’ sociodemographics and knowledge of common eye diseases were recorded through an in-person interview. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with understanding common eye diseases among study participants.ResultThe mean age of the study participant was 34.96 years, with males making up nearly 53.4% of the total sample. Of the 509 respondents, 76.8% of them did not have enough information on common eye diseases; 79% of the participants did not know the definition of glaucoma disease. Only 47.3% of the participants of this study knew the meaning of cataract disease. The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) revealed that participants over 35 years of age had significantly higher odds of knowledge of eye disease [AOR: 3.629; 95%CI:1.770, 7.442] compared to the relatively younger age group of 18-34 years. A significant association was found between awareness about eye diseases and higher levels of education. Participants receiving higher education were found to have higher odds of being aware of the knowledge of eye disease.ConclusionsResults showed low awareness about common eye disease among the younger adult population. The study, therefore, consolidates the need for promoting health literacy regarding common eye diseases in Herat province of Afghanistan.
The impact of prior COVID-19 on vaccine response and the resultant hybrid immunity are age-dependent
Authors: Nakagama Sachie , Nakagama Yu , Komase Yuko , Kudo Masaharu , Imai Takumi , Nitahara Yuko , Kaku Natsuko , Tshibangu-Kabamba Evariste , Kido Yasutoshi 
Published: September 2022

ABSTRACTBackgroundMore people with a history of prior infection are receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Understanding the magnitude of protectivity granted by ‘hybrid immunity’, the combined response of infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, may impact vaccination strategies.MethodsA total of 36 synchronously infected (‘prior infection’) and, 33 SARS-CoV-2 naïve (‘naïve’) individuals participated. Participants provided sera six months after completing a round of BNT162b2 vaccination, to be processed for anti-spike antibody measurements and neutralization assays. The relationships between antibody titer, groups and age were explored.ResultsAnti-spike antibody titers at 6 months post-vaccination were significantly higher, reaching 13- to 17-fold, in the ‘prior infection’ group. Linear regression models showed that the enhancement in antibody titer attributable to positive infection history increased from 8.9- to 9.4- fold at age 30 to 19- to 32-fold at age 60. Sera from the ‘prior infection’ group showed higher neutralizing capacity against all six analyzed strains, including the Omicron variant.ConclusionsPrior COVID-19 led to establishing enhanced humoral immunity at 6 months after vaccination. Antibody fold-difference attributed to positive COVID-19 history increased with age, possibly because older individuals are prone to symptomatic infection accompanied by potentiated immune responses. Durable protection of hybrid immunity deserves reflection in vaccination campaigns.
Wastewater based epidemiology beyond SARS-CoV-2: Spanish wastewater reveals the current spread of Monkeypox virus
Authors: Girón-Guzmán Inés , Díaz-Reolid Azahara , Truchado Pilar , Carcereny Albert , Garcia-Pedemonte David , Hernaez Bruno , Bosch Albert , María Pintó Rosa , Guix Susana , Allende Ana , Alcamí Antonio , Pérez-Cataluña Alba , Sánchez Gloria 
Published: September 2022

SummaryBesides nasopharyngeal swabs, monkeypox virus (MPXV) DNA has been detected in a variety of samples such as saliva, semen, urine and fecal samples. Using the environmental surveillance network previously developed in Spain for the routine wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 (VATar COVID-19), we have analyzed the presence of MPXV DNA in wastewater from different areas of Spain. Samples (n=312) from 24 different wastewater treatment plants were obtained between May 9 (week 22_19) and August 4 (week 22_31), 2022. Following concentration of viral particles by flocculation, a qPCR procedure allowed us to detect MPXV DNA in 63 wastewater samples collected from May 16 to August 4, 2022, with values ranging between 2.2 × 103 to 8.7 × 104 genome copies (gc)/L. This study shows that MPXV DNA can be reproducibly detected by qPCR in longitudinal samples collected from different Spanish wastewater treatment plants. According to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE) in Spain a total of 6,119 cases have been confirmed as of August 19, 2022. However, and based on the wastewater data, the reported clinical cases seem to be underestimated and asymptomatic infections may be more frequent than expected.
Evaluating the accuracy of self-collected swabs for the diagnosis of monkeypox
Authors: Ubals Maria , Tarín-Vicente Eloy José , Oller Xènia , Mendoza Adrià , Alemany Andrea , Hernández-Rodríguez Águeda , Casañ Cristina , Rivero Ángel , Coll Pep , Cabrera José Miguel , Vall Martí , Agud-Dios Manuel , Gil-Cruz Elena , de Leon Alexia Paris , Ramírez Aída , Folgueira María Dolores , Melendez María Angeles , Buhiichyk Vira , Galván-Casas Cristina , Paredes Roger , Prat Nuria , Farre Maria-Rosa Sala , Bonet-Simó Josep Maria , Ortiz-Romero Pablo L , Clotet Bonaventura , Cardona Pere-Joan , Blanco Ignacio , Marks Michael , Suñer Clara , Mitjà Oriol 
Published: September 2022

AbstractWe evaluated the accuracy of patient-collected skin lesions, pharyngeal, and rectal swabs amongst 50 individuals enrolled in a study of monkeypox viral dynamics. We found that the performance of self-collected samples was similar to that of physician-collected samples, suggesting that self-sampling is a reliable strategy for diagnosing monkeypox.
Knowledge and attitudes towards thalassemia among university students in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Jubayer , Towhid Syeda Tasneem , Sultana Sabia , Mukta Sumaiya Akter , Gulshan Rubaiya , Miah Sharif 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundThalassemia is the most common congenital single-gene condition. It is marked by a lack of or reduced synthesis of either the alpha- or beta-globin chains and passed down from parents to offspring. This study aimed to determine how healthy students in Bangladeshi public universities were aware of thalassemia and how they felt about it.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive online survey was conducted on public university students in Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire between June and November 2020. Students completed structured questionnaires consisting of three sections: demographic information, ten multiple-choice knowledge questions rated on a scale of 0 to 10, and ten attitude questions. The data were analyzed using Python. Descriptive statistics methods such as frequencies and percentages were used to present data.ResultsA total of 681 students participated in the online survey. The average age of the respondents in this study was 21.97 years, with a standard deviation of 2.9. Most of the students, 611(89.72%), had heard about thalassemia. Only 248 (36.42%) of the students had a fair understanding of thalassemia, with 138 (22.62%) being male and 110 (18.03%) being female (P-value = 0.0819). Students’ knowledge level did not differ significantly by gender (P-value = 0.0819), marital status (P-value = 0.2281), or academic year (P-value = 0.4619), but there was a substantial variation by field of study (0.0042). However, 478 (78.36%) participants showed a positive attitude toward “Premarital Screening” to prevent thalassemia.ConclusionsIn Bangladesh, where the rate of family marriage is high, it is recommended that university students and the general public engage in long-term, goal-oriented prevention measures. These initiatives would provide crucial information and increase people’s awareness of thalassemia when married and after becoming parents, reducing the impacts of illnesses.
Genetic incompatibilities in reciprocal hybrids between populations ofTigriopus californicuswith low to moderate mitochondrial sequence divergence
Authors: Healy Timothy M. , Burton Ronald S. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractAll mitochondrial-encoded proteins and RNAs function through interactions with nuclear-encoded proteins. These interactions are critical for mitochondrial function and eukaryotic fitness, and coevolution maintains inter-genomic (i.e., mitonuclear) compatibility within taxa. Hybridization can disrupt coevolved interactions, resulting in hybrid breakdown, and mitonuclear incompatibilities may be important mechanisms underlying reproductive isolation and, potentially, speciation. Recently, signatures of strong selection to maintain compatible mitonuclear genotypes in hybrids have been detected in at least some inter-population crosses. However, this work has only been conducted in crosses between populations with extremely high levels of genetic divergence in both their mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, leaving the generality of strong selection for mitonuclear compatibility unclear. Here we address this limitation with reciprocal inter-population F2hybrids between relatively low-divergence populations of the intertidal copepodTigriopus californicus. Our results show that the dominance of mitonuclear effects consistent with coevolved mitonuclear genotypes in fast-developing (i.e., high-fitness) hybrids is reduced in low-divergence crosses, but that selection to maintain mitonuclear compatibility is still observed on some nuclear chromosomes. Consequently, we demonstrate that, even at low levels of genetic divergence between taxa, mitonuclear incompatibilities may play a key role in the early stages of reproductive isolation.
Structural equation models suggest that on-farm non-crop vegetation removal is not associated with improved food safety outcomes but is linked to impaired water quality
Authors: Weller Daniel L. , Love Tanzy M.T. , Weller Donald E. , Murphy Claire M. , Rahm Brian G. , Wiedmann Martin 
Published: September 2022

AbstractWhile growers have reported pressures to minimize wildlife intrusion into produce fields through non-crop vegetation (NCV) removal, NCV provides key ecosystem services. To model food safety and environmental tradeoffs associated with NCV removal, published and publicly available food safety and water quality data from the Northeastern USA were obtained. Because data on NCV removal are not widely available, forest-wetland cover was used as a proxy, consistent with previous studies. Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to quantify the effect of forest-wetland cover on (i) food safety outcomes (e.g., detecting pathogens in soil) and (ii) water quality (e.g., nutrient levels). Based on the SEMs, NCV was not associated with or had a protective effect on food safety outcomes (more NCV was associated with a reduced likelihood of pathogen detection). The probabilities of detectingListeriaspp. in soil (Effect Estimate [EE]=-0.17;P=0.005) and enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coliin stream samples (EE=-0.27;P<0.001) were negatively associated with the amount of NCV surrounding the sampling site. Higher amounts of NCV were also associated with lower nutrient, salinity, and sediment levels and higher dissolved oxygen levels. Total phosphorous levels were negatively associated with the amount of NCV in the upstream watershed (EE=-0.27;P<0.001). Similar negative associations (P<0.05) were observed for other physicochemical parameters, such as nitrate (EE=-0.38). Our findings suggest that NCV should not be considered an inherent produce safety risk or result in farm audit demerits. This study also provides a framework for evaluating environmental trade-offs associated with using specific preharvest food safety strategies.ImportanceCurrently, on-farm food safety decisions are typically made independently of conservation considerations, often with detrimental impacts on agroecosystems. Co-managing agricultural environments to simultaneously meet conservation and food safety aims is complicated because farms are closely linked to surrounding environments, and management decisions can have unexpected environmental, economic, and food safety consequences. Thus, there is a need for research on the conservation and food safety trade-offs associated with implementing specific preharvest food safety practices. Understanding these trade-offs is critical for developing adaptive co-management strategies and ensuring the short and long-term safety, sustainability, and profitability of agricultural systems. This study quantifies tradeoffs and synergies between food safety and environmental aims, and outlines a framework for modeling trade-offs and synergies between management aims that can be used to support future co-management research.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and co-occurrence/co-infection with malaria during the first wave of the pandemic (the Burkina Faso case)
Authors: López-Farfán Diana , Yerbanga R. Serge , Parres-Mercader Marina , Torres-Puente Manuela , Gómez-Navarro Inmaculada , Soufiane Sanou Do Malick , Yao Adama Franck , Ouédraogo Jean Bosco , Comas Iñaki , Irigoyen Nerea , Gómez-Díaz Elena 
Published: September 2022

AbstractAfrica accounts for 1.5% of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 2.7% of deaths, but this low incidence has been partly attributed to the limited testing capacity in most countries. In addition, the population in many African countries is at high risk of infection with endemic infectious diseases such as malaria. Our aim is to determine the prevalence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the frequency of co-infection with the malaria parasite. We conducted serological tests and microscopy examinations on 998 volunteers of different ages and sexes in a random and stratified population sample in Burkina-Faso. In addition, nasopharyngeal samples were taken for RT-qPCR of SARS-COV-2 and for whole viral genome sequencing. Our results show a 3.2% and a 2.5% of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and PCR positivity; and 22% of malaria incidence, over the sampling period, with marked differences linked to age. Importantly, we found 2 cases of confirmed co-infection and 8 cases of suspected co-infection mostly in children. Finally, we report the genome sequences of 13 SARS-CoV-2 isolates circulating in Burkina Faso at the time of analysis, assigned to lineages A.19, A.21, B.1.1.404, B.1.1.118, B.1 and grouped into clades; 19B, 20A and 20B. This is the first population-based study about SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in Burkina Faso during the first wave of the pandemic, providing a relevant estimation of the real prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and variants circulating in this Sub-Saharan African country. Besides, it highlights the low frequency of co-infection with malaria in African communities.
Rad51 inhibition sensitizes non-replicating quiescent cells to UVB radiation and transcription stress
Authors: Khan Saman , Carpenter M. Alexandra , Kemp Michael G. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractDNA damage induced by environmental, occupational, and chemotherapeutic compounds lead to a variety of cellular responses that are potentially impacted by the proliferation status of the cell. Using small molecule inhibitors of various DNA doublestrand break (DSB) repair pathways in non-replicating, quiescent human cells exposed to UVB radiation, we unexpectedly observed a major role for the recombination protein Rad51 in promoting cell survival. In contrast to a previous report indicating a requirement for nucleotide excision repair (NER) in DSB formation after UV exposure in quiescent cells, we observed DSB formation and Rad51 function to be independent of NER. Moreover, our analyses of DNA damage response kinase signaling in quiescent cells identified protein substrates that were either dependent or independent of both NER and apoptotic signaling. Finally, we observed that Rad51 inhibition sensitized nonreplicating quiescent cells to diverse genotoxic stressors, including those inducing DNA- RNA hybrids and inhibiting transcription. Thus, these findings clarify the mechanisms by which DSBs arise in non-replicating cells and highlight the important role of Rad51 in promoting quiescent cell survival in response to general genotoxic stress.Summary statementDNA double strand breaks are generated independent of nucleotide excision repair in UV-irradiated quiescent cells and require the recombination protein Rad51 to promote cell survival.
The impact of co-creation and co-invention in supply chains: a bibliometric review
Authors: Sarkar Abhrajit , Routroy Srikanta , Sultan Farook Abdullah 
Published: September 2022

PurposeCo-creation and co-invention are two diverse spheres in modern-day supply chains. Despite literature suggesting the existence of similar coherence between these concepts, the availability of published theory favoring these ideal lacks justification. This research aims to investigate the correlation and convergence of these well-known concepts to support a combined impact on research.Design/methodology/approachComprehensive review of published literature using mathematical and statistical tools to measure inherent interrelationships and publication impacts in literature handling co-creation and co-invention.FindingsAn exploratory quantitative and qualitative analysis reveals the conundrums existing in distribution, keyword and adoption of research in the global and scientific community. The research favors a positive correlation existing between concepts such as co-ordination, collaboration, open-innovation, value creation with supply chain management and its development with rising importance of big data and block-chain technologies. Analysis reveals knowledge development with increased user-based interaction, better utilization of resources and enhanced productivity to support the mutual adaptation of co-creation and co-invention.Research limitations/implicationsOutcomes will be a beacon for researchers to develop models and frameworks. Results derived will aid in improving customer participation, enhance decision making in product development, augment value creation and knowledge and resource sharing leading toward innovation.Originality/valueResults will provide a detailed outline of the development and implementation of concepts in both developed and developing countries. Outcomes will also serve as a framework for marketing heads, graphic designers, website designers, supplier management and customer management in the service industry, production supervisors and customer management personnel in manufacturing industries.
The impact of leadership competences, organizational learning and organizational innovation on business performance
Authors: Mai Ngoc Khuong , Do Thanh Tung , Ho Nguyen Dieu Trang 
Published: September 2022

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effects of leadership competences (cognitive, interpersonal, and results-oriented competences) on organizational learning, organizational innovation, and business performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from owners, chief executive officers, top and middle management teams, and other managers of tourism and hospitality firms in Vietnam. A total of 638 valid responses was collected and processed using PLS-SEM technique.FindingsThe findings revealed that only results-oriented competence exerted significant influences on business performance. Organizational learning was affected by all three leadership competences, while only cognitive and interpersonal competences positively affected organizational innovation. The relationships among organizational learning, organizational innovation, and business performance were also confirmed. Moreover, the findings emphasized the mediating roles of organizational learning and organizational innovation in the relationship between leadership competences and business performance. Organizational learning and organizational innovation also acted as a mediator in the relationship between cognitive competence and business performance.Practical implicationsThis study provided some suggestions for tourism and hospitality leaders in exhibiting appropriate leadership competences, strengthening organizational learning, and fostering organization innovation to enhance business performance.Originality/valueAlthough the topics of leadership competences, organizational learning, organization innovation, and business performance have received a great concern among worldwide academia, there is scarce research examining the relationships among these four phenomena together. This paper is among the first study that offers a comprehensive model of the relationships among these domains.