bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in disparities in COVID hospitalizations among community‐dwelling residents of two counties in Connecticut, before and after vaccine introduction, March 2020–September 2021
Authors: McWilliams Caroline , Bothwell Laura , Yousey‐Hindes Kimberly , Hadler James L. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundPrior to the introduction of vaccines, COVID‐19 hospitalizations of non‐institutionalized persons in Connecticut disproportionately affected communities of color and individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES). Whether the magnitude of these disparities changed 7–9 months after vaccine rollout during the Delta wave is not well documented.MethodsAll initially hospitalized patients with laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 during July–September 2021 were obtained from the Connecticut COVID‐19‐Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network database, including patients' geocoded residential addresses. Census tract measures of poverty and crowding were determined by linking geocoded residential addresses to the 2014–2018 American Community Survey. Age‐adjusted incidence and relative rates of COVID‐19 hospitalization were calculated and compared with those from July to December 2020. Vaccination levels by age and race/ethnicity at the beginning and end of the study period were obtained from Connecticut's COVID vaccine registry, and age‐adjusted average values were determined.ResultsThere were 708 COVID‐19 hospitalizations among community residents of the two counties, July–September 2021. Age‐adjusted incidence was the highest among non‐Hispanic Blacks and Hispanic/Latinx compared with non‐Hispanic Whites (RR 4.10 [95% CI 3.41–4.94] and 3.47 [95% CI 2.89–4.16]). Although RR decreased significantly among Hispanic/Latinx and among the lowest SES groups, it increased among non‐Hispanic Blacks (from RR 3.2 [95% CI 2.83–3.32] to RR 4.10). Average age‐adjusted vaccination rates among those ≥12 years were the lowest among non‐Hispanic Blacks compared with Hispanic/Latinx and non‐Hispanic Whites (50.6% vs. 64.7% and 66.6%).ConclusionsAlthough racial/ethnic and SES disparities in COVID‐19 hospitalization have mostly decreased over time, disparities among non‐Hispanic Blacks increased, possibly due to differences in vaccination rates.
Ligation‐based assay for variant typing without sequencing: Application to SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern
Authors: Nelson Dalton J. , Shilts Meghan H. , Pakala Suman B. , Das Suman R. , Schmitz Jonathan E. , Haselton Frederick R. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundCOVID‐19 prevalence has remained high throughout the pandemic with intermittent surges, due largely to the emergence of genetic variants, demonstrating the need for more accessible sequencing technologies for strain typing.MethodsA ligation‐based typing assay was developed to detect known variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) by identifying the presence of characteristic single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). General principles for extending the strategy to new variants and alternate diseases with SNPs of interest are described. Of note, this strategy leverages commercially available reagents for assay preparation, as well as standard real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrumentation for assay performance.ResultsThe assay demonstrated a combined sensitivity and specificity of 96.6% and 99.5%, respectively, for the classification of 88 clinical samples of the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants relative to the gold standard of viral genome sequencing. It achieved an average limit of detection of 7.4 × 104 genome copies/mL in contrived nasopharyngeal samples. The ligation‐based strategy performed robustly in the presence of additional polymorphisms in the targeted regions of interest as shown by the sequence alignment of clinical samples.ConclusionsThe assay demonstrates the potential for robust variant typing with performance comparable with next‐generation sequencing without the need for the time delays and resources required for sequencing. The reduced resource dependency and generalizability could expand access to variant classification information for pandemic surveillance.
Recruitment, mortality and growth in semi‐arid conifer‐eucalypt forest: Small trees insure against fire and drought
Authors: Neumann Mathias , Eastaugh Chris S. , Adams Mark A. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAimWell‐managed semi‐arid forests help offset global change by storing significant amounts of carbon above‐ and belowground and maintaining hydrological cycles. Larger trees have been the focus of many studies due to their carbon storage and habitat quality, yet recruitment and small trees are important components of ecosystem resilience and recovery. Here, we study the impacts of disturbances (including harvesting) on recruitment, mortality and growth for a mixed conifer‐broadleaf semi‐arid forest type using long‐term data.LocationPilliga Forest in New South Wales, inland eastern Australia.TaxonCallitris‐Eucalyptus forests.MethodsWe used data from permanent sample plots (PSPs) spanning 55 years, calculated stand structure, gains and losses and determined reasons for tree death (harvesting, fire, wind, drought and other effects). We extracted climate and fire data for the PSP locations using spatial analysis.ResultsStocking of studied forests remained stable (modest increase in basal area and stem density), despite harvesting and wildfires over 6 decades. Compared to stands in the 1940s and prior to European settlement, current forests are composed of more trees per unit area, and these trees have smaller diameters. Recruitment and sustained presence of small trees have buffered impacts of recurring drought, fire and harvesting. Fires are a common feature of the studied ecosystems and fire impacts have increased in the past 20 years, especially in unmanaged stands, where fires have reduced tree carbon by >50%.Main conclusionsRecruitment and growth of small trees are critical to offset carbon losses due to fire, drought and harvesting. All size classes have important ecological values in semi‐arid forests and must be included in long‐term monitoring programmes. Long‐term data offer unique insights into combined effects of climate change, management and disturbances, especially for fire‐prone ecosystems, where small trees are often susceptible to fire.
Efficacy of intrinsic antitachycardia pacing for ventricular tachycardia refractory to conventional burst pacing: A case series
Authors: Kamakura Tsukasa , Ueda Nobuhiko , Wada Mitsuru , Ishibashi Kohei , Kusano Kengo 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIntrinsic antitachycardia pacing (iATP) is a novel automated ventricular ATP algorithm that designs ATP sequences based on the analysis of prior failed ATP. Real‐world data on the efficacy and safety of iATP are lacking. Among 124 ventricular tachycardia (VT) episodes in 130 consecutive patients (mean age at implantation: 63.8 ± 14.9 years; sex, 95 male and 35 female) for whom implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator equipped with iATP algorithm was implanted, we investigated the efficacy and safety of iATP for VT refractory to conventional burst pacing. Eight patients had a total of 17 episodes of iATP therapy after failed conventional burst pacing within 11.2 ± 6.6 months of follow‐up. Eleven VT episodes (64.7%) in seven patients (87.5%) were successfully terminated by iATP, and only one patient (12.5%) experienced VT acceleration. iATP might be useful for VTs refractory to conventional burst pacing with a low risk of VT acceleration.
Annual Research Review: Emotion processing in offspring of mothers with depression diagnoses – a systematic review of neural and physiological research
Authors: Burkhouse Katie L. , Kujawa Autumn 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundTheories of the intergenerational transmission of depression emphasize alterations in emotion processing among offspring of depressed mothers as a key risk mechanism, raising questions about biological processes contributing to these alterations. The objective of this systematic annual research review was to examine and integrate studies of the associations between maternal depression diagnoses and offspring's emotion processing from birth through adolescence across biological measures including autonomic psychophysiology, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), event‐related potentials (ERP), and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsThe review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 standards. A systematic search was conducted in PsycInfo and PubMed in 2022 for studies that included, 1) mothers with and without DSM‐defined depressive disorders assessed via a clinical or diagnostic interview, and 2) measures of offspring emotion processing assessed at the psychophysiological or neural level between birth and 18 years of age.ResultsFindings from 64 studies indicated that young offspring of mothers with depression histories exhibit heightened corticolimbic activation to negative emotional stimuli, reduced left frontal brain activation, and reduced ERP and mesocorticolimbic responses to reward cues compared to offspring of never‐depressed mothers. Further, activation of resting‐state networks involved in affective processing differentiate offspring of depressed relative to nondepressed mothers. Some of these alterations were only apparent among youth of depressed mothers exposed to negative environmental contexts or exhibiting current emotional problems. Further, some of these patterns were observable in infancy, reflecting very early emerging vulnerabilities.ConclusionsThis systematic review provides evidence that maternal depression is associated with alterations in emotion processing across several biological units of analysis in offspring. We present a preliminary conceptual model of the role of deficient emotion processing in pathways from maternal depression to offspring psychopathology and discuss future research avenues addressing limitations of the existing research and clinical implications.
Prognosis for older people at presentation to emergency department based on frailty and aggregated vital signs
Authors: Kabell Nissen Søren , Rueegg Marco , Carpenter Christopher R. , Kaeppeli Tobias , Busch Jeanette‐Marie , Fournaise Anders , Dreher‐Hummel Thomas , Bingisser Roland , Brabrand Mikkel , Nickel Christian H. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundRisk stratification for older people based on aggregated vital signs lack the accuracy to predict mortality at presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). We aimed to develop and internally validate the Frailty adjusted Prognosis in ED tool (FaP‐ED) for 30‐day mortality combining frailty and aggregated vital signs.MethodsSingle‐center prospective cohort of undifferentiated ED patients aged 65 or older, consecutively sampled upon ED presentation from a tertiary Emergency Center.Vital signs were aggregated using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) as a measure of illness or injury severity and frailty was assessed with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The FaP‐ED was constructed by combining NEWS and CFS in multivariable logistic regression. The primary outcome was 30‐day mortality. Measures of discrimination and calibration were assessed to evaluate predictive performance and internally validated using bootstrapping.Results2250 patients were included, 67 (1.8%) were omitted from analyses due to missing CFS, loss to follow‐up, or terminal illness. Thirty‐day mortality rate was 5.4% (N = 122, 95% CI = 4.5%–6.4%). Median NEWS was 1 (Inter‐Quartile Range (IQR): 0–3) and median CFS was 4 (IQR: 3–5). The Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) for FaP‐ED was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.83–0.90). This was significantly higher than NEWS (0.81, 95% CI = 0.77–0.85, DeLong: Z = 3.5, p < 0.001) or CFS alone (0.82, 95% CI = 0.78–0.86, DeLong: Z = 4.4, p < 0.001). Bootstrapped estimates of FaP‐ED AUROC, calibration slope, and intercept were 0.86, 0.95, and −0.09, respectively, suggesting internal validity. A decision‐threshold of CFS 5 and NEWS 3 was proposed based on qualitative comparison of positive Likelihood Ratio at all relevant FaP‐ED cutoffs.ConclusionCombining aggregated vital signs and frailty accurately predicted 30‐day mortality at ED presentation and illustrated an important clinical interaction between frailty and illness severity. Pending external validation, the Fap‐ED operationalizes the concept of such “geriatric urgency” for the ED setting.
Understandings and future challenges in soybean functional genomics and molecular breeding
Authors: Du Haiping , Fang Chao , Li Yaru , Kong Fanjiang , Liu Baohui 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSoybean (Glycine max) is a major source of plant protein and oil. Soybean breeding has benefited from advances in functional genomics. In particular, the release of soybean reference genomes has advanced our understanding of soybean adaptation to soil nutrient deficiencies, the molecular mechanism of symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and the roles of flowering time in regional adaptation, plant architecture, and seed yield and quality. Nevertheless, many challenges remain for soybean functional genomics and molecular breeding, mainly related to improving grain yield through high‐density planting, maize–soybean intercropping, taking advantage of wild resources, utilization of heterosis, genomic prediction and selection breeding, and precise breeding through genome editing. This review summarizes the current progress in soybean functional genomics and directs future challenges for molecular breeding of soybean.
Assembly rules vary seasonally in stable phytoplankton associations of the Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean Sea)
Authors: Zingone Adriana , Tortora Cristina , D′Alelio Domenico , Margiotta Francesca , Sarno Diana 
Published: December 2022

AbstractCoastal phytoplankton present remarkable variability because of complex patterns and relationships of hydrological parameters at the land–sea interface. We analysed a time series of 917 phytoplankton samples collected in the period 1984–2010 at the coastal station LTER‐MC (Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea) with the aims of determining: (i) whether recurrent species associations are recognizable in this variable coastal environment; (ii) what are their composition and seasonal patterns; (iii) what are the environmental variables driving their distributions, and (iv) to what extent those associations are functionally homogeneous. Using a cluster analysis of a dataset of the 87 more frequent and abundant species in the samples, we identified seven main groups of species. Five of them were recurrent over the years in the same seasons, while two other groups showed a bimodal occurrence or no clear seasonality, respectively. Differences in the occurrence of those assemblages were primarily associated with the season (i.e., temperature), and the coastal nature of the site (mainly salinity). Except for the winter cluster, which included mostly coccolithophores and silicoflagellates, diatoms were present in all associations, along with species belonging to diverse phylogenetic groups. The diversity of morphological features defining ecological traits varied across the different associations, with a maximum divergence in the spring association and a minimum in winter. We conclude that the stability of the associations is related to the marked phenological recurrence of their individual species and their overlap in specific periods of the year, while convergent or divergent trait compositions in the different associations indicate a variable strength of the environmental filtering across the seasonal succession.
Photosynthesis – beyond the leaf
Authors: Lawson Tracy , Milliken Alexandra L. 
Published: December 2022

SummaryAlthough leaves are considered the main site for photosynthesis, other green nonfoliar tissues can carry out considerable amounts of photosynthetic carbon assimilation. With photosynthesis, a potential target for improving crop productivity, physiology and contribution of nonfoliar tissues to overall plant carbon acquisition is gaining increasing attention. This review will provide an overview of nonfoliar photosynthesis, the role of stomata in these tissues and methodologies for quantification and the contribution to overall carbon gain.
SARS‐CoV‐2 infection during pregnancy and preterm birth in Massachusetts from March 2020 through March 2021
Authors: Darling Anne Marie , Shephard Hanna , Nestoridi Eirini , Manning Susan E. , Yazdy Mahsa M. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundSARS‐CoV‐2 infection during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth, but this association is not well understood.ObjectivesTo examine the association between SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and spontaneous and provider‐initiated preterm birth (PTB), and how timing of infection, and race/ethnicity as a marker of structural inequality, may modify this association.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study among pregnant people who delivered singleton, liveborn infants (22–44 weeks gestation) from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021 (n = 68,288). We used Cox proportional hazards models to compare the hazard of PTB between pregnant people with and without laboratory‐confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection during pregnancy. We evaluated this association according to the trimester of infection, timing from infection to birth, and timing of PTB. We also examined the joint associations of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and race/ethnicity with PTB using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI).ResultsPositive SARS‐CoV‐2 tests were identified for 2195 pregnant people (3.2%). The prevalence of PTB was 7.2% (3.8% spontaneous, 3.6% provider‐initiated). SARS‐CoV‐2 infection during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of PTB overall (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34, 1.74), and provider‐initiated PTB (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.50, 2.12) but not spontaneous PTB (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.89, 1.36). Second trimester infections were associated with an increased risk of provider‐initiated PTB, and third trimester infections were associated with an increased risk of both PTB subtypes. A joint inverse association between White non‐Hispanic race/ethnicity and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and spontaneous PTB (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34, 0.94; RERI −0.6, 95% CI −1.0, −0.2) was also observed.ConclusionsSARS‐CoV‐2 infections were primarily associated with an increased risk for provider‐initiated PTB in this study. These findings highlight the importance of promoting infection‐prevention strategies among pregnant people.
Interpregnancy interval and preterm delivery: An empirical comparison of between‐persons and within‐sibship designs
Authors: Klebanoff Mark A. , Hade Erinn M. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundShort interpregnancy interval has been associated with increased risk of preterm delivery; recent studies employing within‐sibship designs suggest that this risk may be exaggerated. There are unresolved issues regarding properties of this design.ObjectivesTo compare directly the results, for short intervals, of between‐person and within‐sibship analyses when applied to the same target population.MethodsCross‐sectional data are from the National Survey of Family Growth, a statistically representative survey of women and men in the USA, 2006–2015. Participants provided a complete pregnancy history including outcome, duration and ending date, enabling calculation of interval. Conventional analysis employed log‐linear regression, controlling survey design, early life events, demographic variables, pregnancy intendedness, breastfeeding of the previous birth and obstetric history. Within‐sibship analyses, utilising conditional log‐linear regression, controlled the same variables, except those remaining static within each participant.ResultsAmong participants with at least three live‐ or stillbirths, the percentage of pregnancies in each interval, and the percent of deliveries that were preterm following that interval were 9.2%, 14.6% for <6, and 14.7%, 15.4% for 6–11, versus 12.2%, 14.7% for 18–23 months. Among participants with at least three live‐ or stillborn infants, those in the within‐sibship analysis had a higher risk profile than comparably parous, ineligible participants. In a between‐participant analysis, among those included in within‐sibship models, the adjusted risk ratios (vs 18–23 months) for preterm delivery for intervals <6 and 6–11 months were 0.74 (95% CI 0.63, 0.88) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.74, 0.98). The corresponding risk ratios were 0.56 (95% CI 0.14, 2.30) and 0.49 (95% CI 0.13, 1.80) for those ineligible for the within‐sibship models.ConclusionsWhen comparable analyses were employed, the association between interval and preterm delivery was similar between participants included in the within‐sibship analysis and those ineligible for the within‐sibship analysis, but differed from those in the full cohort, perhaps due to different target populations.
Volatile organic compounds as mediators of plant communication and adaptation to climate change
Authors: Abbas Farhat , O'Neill Rothenberg Dylan , Zhou Yiwei , Ke Yanguo , Wang Hui‐Cong 
Published: December 2022

AbstractPlant volatile organic compounds are the most abundant and structurally diverse plant secondary metabolites. They play a key role in plant lifespan via direct and indirect plant defenses, attracting pollinators, and mediating various interactions between plants and their environment. The ecological diversity and context‐dependence of plant–plant communication driven by volatiles are crucial elements that influence plant performance in different habitats. Plant volatiles are also valued for their multiple applications in food, flavor, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. In the current review, we summarize recent advances that have elucidated the functions of plant volatile organic compounds as mediators of plant interaction at community and individual levels, highlighting the complexities of plant receiver feedback to various signals and cues. This review emphasizes volatile terpenoids, the most abundant class of plant volatile organic compounds, highlighting their role in plant adaptability to global climate change and stress‐response pathways that are integral to plant growth and survival. Finally, we identify research gaps and suggest future research directions.