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10.1101/19003004
The Paradox of Female Obesity in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries
SettingObesity, once considered an epidemic of the developed world, is now becoming an even more prominent problem than underweight in low and lower middle income countries (LLMICs). Ample literature has shown that as a countrys income increases, the burden of obesity shifts from the rich to the poor. This is known as ...
epidemiology
10.1101/19003301
Real-time Hearing Threshold Determination of Auditory Brainstem Responses by Cross-correlation Analysis
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) serves as an objective indication of auditory perception at given sound level and is nowadays widely used in hearing function assessment. Despite efforts for automation over decades, hearing threshold determination by machine algorithm remains unreliable and thereby still rely on visua...
otolaryngology
10.1101/19006858
Secrets of the hospital underbelly: patterns of abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in hospital wastewater vary by specific antimicrobial and bacterial family
BackgroundHospital wastewater is a major source of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) outflow into the environment. This study uses metagenomics to study how hospital clinical activity impacts antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) abundances in hospital wastewater. MethodsSewage was collected over a 24-hour period from mu...
infectious diseases
10.1101/19008581
Memory recovery is related to default mode network impairment and neurite density during brain tumours treatment
ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to test brain tumour interactions with brain networks thereby identifying protective features and risk factors for memory recovery after surgical resection. MethodsSeventeen patients with diffuse non-enhancing glioma (aged 22-56 years) were longitudinally MRI-scanned before and after ...
radiology and imaging
10.1101/19010082
DeepProg: an ensemble of deep-learning and machine-learning models for prognosis prediction using multi-omics data
Multi-omics data are good resources for prognosis and survival prediction, however, these are difficult to integrate computationally. We introduce DeepProg, a novel ensemble framework of deep-learning and machine-learning approaches that robustly predicts patient survival subtypes using multi-omics data. It identifies ...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/19011312
Long-Term Effects of Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke and Botulinum Neurotoxin on Wrist and Finger Passive Mechanical Properties
BackgroundNeural impairments that follow hemiparetic stroke may negatively affect passive muscle properties, further limiting recovery. However, factors such as hypertonia, spasticity, and botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a common clinical intervention, confound our understanding of muscle properties in chronic stroke. Ob...
rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy
10.1101/19011221
Influence of sexual risk behaviour and STI co-infection dynamics on the evolution of HIV set point viral load in MSM.
HIV viral load (VL) is an important predictor of HIV progression and transmission. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has been reported to reduce HIV transmission by lowering VL. However, apart from this beneficial effect, increased levels of population mean set-point viral load (SPVL), an estimator for HIV virulence, have ...
hiv aids
10.1101/19013136
Metagenomic analysis of common intestinal diseases reveals relationships among microbial signatures and powers multi-disease diagnostic models
Common intestinal diseases such as Crohns disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), share clinical symptoms and altered gut microbes, necessitating cross-disease comparisons and the use of multi-disease models. Here, we performed meta-analyses on thirteen fecal metagenome datasets of the three ...
gastroenterology
10.1101/2019.12.10.19014266
What is the best evidence for graft choice in ACL reconstruction? Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
IntroductionAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most commonly performed sports medicine procedures. A variety of grafts are currently used for reconstruction, including both allograft and autograft. Despite numerous meta-analyses, there exists no high-quality quantitative synthesis of all rand...
orthopedics
10.1101/2019.12.19.19015255
Alterations in Brain Morphology by MRI in Adults with Neurofibromatosis 1
ObjectiveTo characterize alterations in brain morphology by MRI in adults with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). MethodsPlanar (2D) MRI measurements of 29 intracranial structures were compared in 389 adults with NF1 and 112 age- and sex-matched unaffected control subjects. The 2D measurements were correlated to volumetric (3...
neurology
10.1101/2019.12.26.19015909
Accurate and reproducible prediction of ICU readmissions
Readmission in the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with poor clinical outcomes and high costs. Traditional scoring methods to help clinicians deciding whether a patient is ready for discharge have failed to meet expectations, paving the way for machine learning based approaches. Freely available datasets such a...
intensive care and critical care medicine
10.1101/2019.12.27.19016006
Comparison of first trimester dating methods for gestational age estimation and their implication on preterm birth classification in a North Indian cohort
BackgroundDifferent formulae have been developed globally to estimate gestational age (GA) by ultrasonography in the first trimester of pregnancy. In this study, we develop an Indian population-specific dating formula and compare its performance with published formulae. Finally, we evaluate the implications of the choi...
obstetrics and gynecology
10.1101/2019.12.27.19016006
Comparison of first trimester dating methods for gestational age estimation and their implication on preterm birth classification in a North Indian cohort
BackgroundDifferent formulae have been developed globally to estimate gestational age (GA) by ultrasonography in the first trimester of pregnancy. In this study, we develop an Indian population-specific dating formula and compare its performance with published formulae. Finally, we evaluate the implications of the choi...
obstetrics and gynecology
10.1101/2020.01.17.20017939
Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Causal Directed Acyclic Graphs among Epidemiologists and Medical Researchers: a qualitative research project
BackgroundCausal graphs provide a key tool for optimizing the validity of causal effect estimates. Although a large literature exists on the mathematical theory underlying the use of causal graphs, less literature exists to aid applied researchers in understanding how best to develop and use causal graphs in their rese...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.01.17.20017897
Implicit and explicit motor learning interventions for gait in people after stroke: a process evaluation of a randomized controlled trial
BackgroundGait training within stroke rehabilitation can be applied using implicit or explicit motor learning approaches. Explicit learning is a more conscious approach to learning, in which many detailed instructions about the movement are provided to the learner. Implicit learning strives to take place in a more auto...
rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy
10.1101/2020.01.22.20018408
miRNA biomarkers for diagnosis of ALS and FTD, developed by a nonlinear machine learning approach
The neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) reside on a clinical and pathological continuum. Heterogeneity in clinical presentation too often delays clinical diagnosis and calls for molecular biomarkers to assist diagnosis, including cell free microRNAs (miRNA)....
neurology
10.1101/2020.01.22.20018408
miRNA biomarkers for diagnosis of ALS and FTD, developed by a nonlinear machine learning approach
The neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) reside on a clinical and pathological continuum. Heterogeneity in clinical presentation too often delays clinical diagnosis and calls for molecular biomarkers to assist diagnosis, including cell free microRNAs (miRNA)....
neurology
10.1101/2020.01.23.20018523
Integrated genomics identify novel immunotherapy targets for malignant mesothelioma
BackgroundMalignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with limited effective therapies. MethodsIn order to identify therapeutic targets, we integrated SNP genotyping, sequencing and transcriptomics from tumours and low-passage patient-derived cells. ResultsPreviously unrecognised losses of SUFU l...
oncology
10.1101/2020.01.25.20016832
Two-stage biologically interpretable neural-network models for liver cancer prognosis prediction using histopathology and transcriptomic data
PurposePathological images are easily accessible data with the potential as prognostic biomarkers. Moreover, integration of heterogeneous data types from multi-modality, such as pathological image and gene expression data, is invaluable to help predicting cancer patient survival. However, the analytical challenges are ...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.01.27.20018929
Simultaneous estimation of bi-directional causal effects and heritable confounding from GWAS summary statistics
Mendelian Randomisation (MR), an increasingly popular method that estimates the causal effects of risk factors on complex human traits, has seen several extensions that relax its basic assumptions. However, most of these extensions suffer from two major limitations; their under-exploitation of genome-wide markers, and ...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.01.27.20019091
Artificial Intelligence Assisted Early Warning System for Acute Kidney Injury Driven by Multi-Center ICU Database
BackgroundTo improve the performance of early acute kidney injury (AKI) prediction in intensive care unit (ICU), we developed and externally validated machine learning algorithms in two large ICU databases. MethodsUsing eICU(R) Collaborative Research Database (eICU) and MIMIC-III databases, we selected all adult patie...
intensive care and critical care medicine
10.1101/2020.02.04.20019380
Differential vulnerability of the cerebellum in healthy ageing and Alzheimer's disease
Recent findings challenge the prior notion that the cerebellum remains unaffected by Alzheimers disease (AD). Yet, it is unclear whether AD exacerbates age-related cerebellar grey matter decline or engages distinct structural and functional territories. We performed a meta-analysis of cerebellar grey matter loss in nor...
neurology
10.1101/2020.02.04.20020404
Distinguishing Viruses Responsible for Influenza-Like Illness
The many respiratory viruses that cause influenza-like illness (ILI) are reported and tracked as one entity, defined by the CDC as a group of symptoms that include a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a cough and/or a sore throat. In the United States alone, ILI impacts 9-49 million people every year. While tracking I...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.02.08.20021311
Assessing the plausibility of supercritical transmission for an emerging or re-emerging pathogen
Rapid assessment of the transmission potential of an emerging or reemerging pathogen is a cornerstone of public health response. A simple approach is shown for using the number of disease introductions and secondary cases to determine whether the upper bound of the reproduction number exceeds the critical value of one.
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.02.13.20022475
Evaluating quality improvement at scale: routine reporting for executive board governance in a UK National Health Service organisation
PurposeQuality improvement (QI) in healthcare is a cultural transformation process that requires long-term commitment from the executive board. As such, an overview of QI applications and their impact needs to be made routinely visible. We explored how routine reporting could be developed for QI governance. DesignWe d...
health systems and quality improvement
10.1101/2020.02.17.20021949
Auditory tests for characterizing hearing deficits in listeners with various hearing abilities: The BEAR test battery
The Better hEAring Rehabilitation (BEAR) project aims to provide a new clinical profiling tool - a test battery - for hearing loss characterization. Whereas the loss of sensitivity can be efficiently measured using pure-tone audiometry, the assessment of supra-threshold hearing deficits remains a challenge. In contrast...
otolaryngology
10.1101/2020.02.18.20024653
Return to play after treating acute muscle injuries in elite football players with a multimodal therapy approach that includes a specific protocol of (almost) daily radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy
AimTo compare lay-off times achieved by treating acute muscle injuries in elite football players with a multimodal therapy approach that includes a specific protocol of almost daily radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT)) with corresponding data reported in the literature. MethodsWe performed a retrospective...
sports medicine
10.1101/2020.02.18.20024554
Is migraine associated to brain anatomical alterations? New data and coordinate-based meta-analysis.
A growing number of studies investigate brain anatomy in migraine using voxel-(VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM), as well as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The purpose of this article is to identify consistent patterns of anatomical alterations associated with migraine. First, 19 migraineurs without aura and 19...
neurology
10.1101/2020.02.20.20025528
Estimating population level disease prevalence using genetic risk scores
Clinical classification is essential for estimating disease prevalence but is difficult, often requiring complex investigations. The widespread availability of population level genetic data makes novel genetic stratification techniques a highly attractive alternative. We propose a generalizable mathematical framework f...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.02.20.20025528
Estimating population level disease prevalence using genetic risk scores
Clinical classification is essential for estimating disease prevalence but is difficult, often requiring complex investigations. The widespread availability of population level genetic data makes novel genetic stratification techniques a highly attractive alternative. We propose a generalizable mathematical framework f...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.02.20.20025528
Estimating population level disease prevalence using genetic risk scores
Clinical classification is essential for estimating disease prevalence but is difficult, often requiring complex investigations. The widespread availability of population level genetic data makes novel genetic stratification techniques a highly attractive alternative. We propose a generalizable mathematical framework f...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.02.26.20028274
Testing the association between tobacco and cannabis use and cognitive functioning: Findings from an observational and Mendelian randomization study
BackgroundAlthough studies have examined the association between tobacco and cannabis use in adolescence with subsequent cognitive functioning, study designs are usually not able to distinguish correlation from causation. MethodsSeparate patterns of tobacco and cannabis use were derived using longitudinal latent class...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.03.01.20029660
The long-term impact on health status from lower limb apophysitis: Protocol of a cross-sectional study
Lower limb apophysitis cause long-term pain, decrease in function, and can reduce or completely hinder participation in sports and physical activity. Yet, there is little knowledge on the long-term consequences for health. Our objective with this investigation is to capture self-reported health-status for all adults di...
orthopedics
10.1101/2020.03.06.20032235
Have associations between mental health and health related behaviours changed between 2005 and 2015? A population based cross-cohort study
Background Adolescent mental ill-health is a growing concern. There is little understanding of changes over time in the associations between mental health and health-related behaviours and outcomes such as substance use, anti-social behaviour and obesity. We investigate whether the associations between different health...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.03.05.20031617
Which assessments are used to analyze neuromuscular control after an anterior cruciate ligament injury to determine readiness to return to sports?A systematic review.
BackgroundAdequate neuromuscular control of the knee could be one element to prevent secondary injuries after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. To assess neuromuscular control in terms of time, amplitude and activity, electromyography (EMG) is used. However, it is unclear which assessments using EMG could be ...
rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy
10.1101/2020.03.06.20032425
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Acute Posttraumatic Stress Disorder during the COVID-19 Outbreak
BackgroundTo exam the prevalence of and risk factors for acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Chinese people shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak. MethodsAn online questionnaire survey was conducted between 30 January and 3 February, 2020. The survey included two self-administered questionnaires: one was desig...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.03.13.20035436
Clinical Characteristics and Durations of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Beijing: A Retrospective Cohort Study
ObjectiveTo give the information on clinical characteristics and different durations of COVID-19 and to identify the potential risk factors for longer hospitalization duration. MethodsIn this retrospective study, we enrolled 77 patients (mean age: 52{+/-}20 years; 44.2% males) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitt...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.03.16.20036913
Assessment of menstrual hygiene practice and associated factor among High school female students in Harar Eastern Ethiopia 2019
BackgroundMenstruation is a visible manifestation of cyclic uterine bleeding as a result of the interaction of different hormones. During menstruation, girls face gender problems. These are, early marriage, premature childbirth, higher infant mortality and potential vaginal infections resulting in infertility. Objecti...
sexual and reproductive health
10.1101/2020.03.19.20039099
A Novel Triage Tool of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis Aid System for Suspected COVID-19 pneumonia In Fever Clinics
BackgroundCurrently, the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside Hubei province in China, and other countries have become more and more critically serious. We developed and validated a diagnosis aid model without computed tomography (CT) images for early identification of suspected CO...
emergency medicine
10.1101/2020.03.20.20039537
The Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of cases due to gatherings and groups with relevance to COVID-19 mitigation strategies
BackgroundMany countries have banned groups and gatherings as part of their response to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Although there are outbreak reports involving mass gatherings, the contribution to overall transmission is unknown. MethodsWe used data from a survey of social contact behaviour t...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.03.24.20042648
One size does not fit all. Genomics differentiates among binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa
ObjectiveGenome-wide association studies have identified multiple genomic regions associated with anorexia nervosa. Relatively few or no genome-wide studies of other eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, have been performed, despite their substantial heritability. Exploratively, we aimed ...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.03.22.20040964
A Review of Dosages of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 in registered Clinical Trials during First Quarter of 2020
BackgroundThe novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been causing a massive global public health havoc. Use of quinolones for treatment of COVID-19 was a matter of huge discussion in scientific community. Falsified data about efficacy of the drug against COVID-19 disseminated. This review was designed ...
pharmacology and therapeutics
10.1101/2020.03.30.20045591
Phenotypically independent profiles relevant to mental health are genetically correlated
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and family-based studies have revealed partly overlapping genetic architectures between various psychiatric disorders. Given clinical overlap between disorders, our knowledge of the genetic architectures underlying specific symptom profiles and risk factors is limited. Here, we ai...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.03.25.20043166
Risk assessment of progression to severe conditions for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: a single-center retrospective study
BackgroundManagement of high mortality risk due to significant progression requires prior assessment of time-to-progression. However, few related methods are available for COVID-19 pneumonia. MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 338 adult patients admitted to one hospital between Jan 11, 2020 to Feb 29, 2020. The final ...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.03.28.20046235
Current State and Predicting Future Scenario of Highly Infected Nations for COVID-19 Pandemic
Since the first report of COVID-19 from Wuhan China, the virus has rapidly spread across the globe now presently reported in 177 countries with positive cases crossing 400 thousand and rising. In the current study, prediction is made for highly infected countries by a simple and novel method using only cumulative posit...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.03.30.20044438
Congenital disorder of glycosylation caused by starting site-specific variant in syntaxin-5
The SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) protein syntaxin-5 (Stx5) is essential for Golgi transport. In humans, the STX5 mRNA encodes two protein isoforms, Stx5 Long (Stx5L) from the first starting methionine and Stx5 Short (Stx5S) from an alternative starting methionine at posi...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.03.30.20044438
Congenital disorder of glycosylation caused by starting site-specific variant in syntaxin-5
The SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) protein syntaxin-5 (Stx5) is essential for Golgi transport. In humans, the STX5 mRNA encodes two protein isoforms, Stx5 Long (Stx5L) from the first starting methionine and Stx5 Short (Stx5S) from an alternative starting methionine at posi...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.03.30.20047993
Double trouble? When a pandemic and seasonal virus collide
As healthcare capacities in the US and Europe reach their limits due to a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, both regions enter the 2020-2021 influenza season. Southern hemisphere countries that had suppressed influenza seasons provide a hopeful example, but the lack of reduction in influenza in the 2019-2020 influenza se...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.03.30.20048223
Wave Reflection: More Than A Round Trip
Reflected pressure waves are key to the understanding of vascular ageing, a prominent factor in major cardiovascular events. Several different metrics have been proposed to index the effect of wave reflection on the pressure waveform and thereby serve as an indicator of vascular ageing. The extent to which these indice...
cardiovascular medicine
10.1101/2020.03.29.20046755
Highly tweeted endodontic articles: a network analysis
IntroductionTo identify active journals, authors, institutions and hot topics in the field of Endodontics within the Twittersphere. MethodsOn December 23, 2019, the Altmetric database was searched using the titles of 11 endodontic journals. The bibliometric data of the top 5% of endodontic articles with the highest tw...
dentistry and oral medicine
10.1101/2020.03.31.20049510
Mindfulness related changes in grey matter: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Knowing target regions undergoing structural changes caused by behavioural interventions is paramount in evaluating the effectiveness of such practices. Here, using a systematic review approach, we identified 25 peer-reviewed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies demonstrating grey matter changes related to mindfuln...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.04.01.20048686
The effect of including the Nordic Hamstring exercise on sprint and jump performance in athletes: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analyses
The Nordic Hamstring exercise reduces hamstring strain injuries in football and other sports, but the exercise is not well adopted in practice. Barriers from practitioners include fear of performance decrements, due to lack of specificity of the exercise with high speed running. However, in theory, increased eccentric ...
sports medicine
10.1101/2020.04.05.20054304
Comparing Metapopulation Dynamics of Infectious Diseases under Different Models of Human Movement
Newly available data sets present exciting opportunities to investigate how human population movement contributes to the spread of infectious diseases across large geographical distances. It is now possible to construct realistic models of infectious disease dynamics for the purposes of understanding global-scale epide...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.06.20055574
A systematic framework for assessing the clinical impact of polygenic risk scores
Risk prediction models provide empirical recommendations that ultimately aim to deliver optimal patient outcomes. Genetic information, in the form of a polygenic risk score (PRS), may be included in these models to significantly increase their accuracy. Several analyses of PRS accuracy have been completed, nearly all f...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.04.07.20057265
Polygenic associations and causal inferences between serum immunoglobulins and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Chronic inflammation might contribute to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the relationship between serum immunoglobulins and risk of ALS remains however unclear. In order to overcome limitations like reverse causation and residual confounding commonly seen in the observational studies, we applied...
neurology
10.1101/2020.04.07.20055756
Polar Vantage and Oura physical activity and sleep trackers: A validation and comparison study
BackgroundConsumer-based activity trackers are increasingly used in research as they have potential to increase activity participation and can be used for estimating physical activity. However, the accuracy of newer consumer-based devices is mostly unknown, and validation studies are needed. ObjectiveThe objective of ...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.09.20060103
Acceptance of and preference for COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers: a comparative analysis and discrete choice experiment
BackgroundA major obstacle to successful coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine rollout is vaccine hesitancy. Acceptance of and preferences for COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is critical, because they are a key target group for vaccination programs, and they are also highly influential to vaccine ...
public and global health
10.1101/2020.04.08.20058842
The Epidemiological Implications of Incarceration Dynamics in Jails for Community, Corrections Officer, and Incarcerated Population Risks from COVID-19
COVID-19 is challenging many societal institutions, including our criminal justice systems. Some have proposed or enacted (e.g. the State of New Jersey) reductions in the jail and/or prison populations. We present a mathematical model to explore the epidemiological impact of such interventions in jails and contrast the...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.09.20058537
Observable Variations in Human Sex Ratio at Birth
The human sex ratio at birth (SRB), defined as the ratio between the number of newborn boys to the total number of newborns, is typically slightly greater than 1/2 (more boys than girls) and tends to vary across different geographical regions and time periods. In this large-scale study, we sought to validate previously...
sexual and reproductive health
10.1101/2020.04.11.20056523
The effect of Arbidol Hydrochloride on reducing mortality of Covid-19 patients: a retrospective study of real world date from three hospitals in Wuhan
BACKGROUNDThe worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is increasing exponentially and demands an effective and promising therapy at most emergency. METHODSWe have assembled a cohort consisting 504 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Detailed information on patients characteristics and antiviral medication use during their stay at des...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.12.20063032
Differential Effects of Pathological Beta Burst Dynamics Between Parkinson's Disease Phenotypes Across Different Movements
BackgroundResting state beta band (13 - 30 Hz) oscillations represent pathological neural activity in Parkinsons disease (PD). It is unknown how the peak frequency or dynamics of beta oscillations may change among fine, limb and axial movements and different disease phenotypes. This will be critical for the development...
neurology
10.1101/2020.04.14.20065326
Fatigue in perinatal stroke is associated with the functional connectivity
Fatigue is prevalent in youth with perinatal stroke, but the causes are unclear. Predictive coding models of adult post-stroke fatigue suggest that fatigue may arise from dysfunction in predictive processing networks. To date, the association between fatigue and neural network connectivity in youth with perinatal strok...
neurology
10.1101/2020.04.14.20065540
The Longevity-Frailty Hypothesis: Evidence from COVID-19 Death Rates in Europe
By the end of spring (May 31st), the COVID-19 death rate was remarkably unevenly distributed across the countries Europe. While the risk of COVID-19 mortality is known to increase with age, age-specific COVID-19 death rates across Europe were similarly aberrantly distributed, implying that differences in age structure ...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.15.20066035
Exploring health in the UK Biobank: associations with sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, lifestyle and environmental exposures
A greater understanding of factors associated with good health may help increase longevity and healthy life expectancy. Here we report associations between multiple health indicators and sociodemographic (age, sex, ethnicity, education, income and deprivation), psychosocial (loneliness and social isolation), lifestyle ...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.17.20069369
Quantitative Trait Loci on Chromosome 21 have Pleiotropic Effects on %FEV1 and Allergen Polysensitization; asthma related traits in the EGEA study
To investigate whether the 21q21 region may contain a quantitative trait locus (QTL) with pleiotropic effect on % predicted FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) and SPTQ (number of positive skin test responses to 11 allergens), in 295 EGEA families ascertained through asthmatic probands, we conducted a bivariate...
respiratory medicine
10.1101/2020.04.17.20069666
Predicting the epidemic curve of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) using artificial intelligence
The aim of our study was to predict the epidemic curves (daily new cases) of COVID-19 pandemic using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), then to compare and validate the predicted models with the observed data. We used the publicly available datasets from the World Health Organization a...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.17.20069047
Spatial scales in human movement between reservoirs of infection
The life cycle of parasitic organisms that are the cause of much morbidity in humans often depend on reservoirs of infection for transmission into their hosts. Understanding the daily, monthly and yearly movement patterns of individuals between reservoirs is therefore of great importance to implementers of control poli...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.18.20070896
Early Evidence and Predictors of Mental Distress of Adults One Month in the COVID-19 Epidemic in Brazil
ObjectiveWe aim to provide early evidence of mental distress and its associated predictors among adults one month into the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil. MethodsWe conducted an online survey of 638 adults in Brazil on March 25-28, 2020, about one month (32 days) cross-sectionally after the first COVID-19 case in South Ame...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.04.18.20071142
Is there evidence that BCG vaccination has non-specific protective effects for COVID 19 infections or is it an illusion created by lack of testing?
The goal of this paper is to showcase that the COVID-19 disease pattern is evolving and to study the relationship between mandatory BCG policy and caseload/million or death/per million. We analyze seven recent publications on the impact of BCG vaccinations on the development of COVID19 illness and extend presented find...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.18.20070417
Plasma lipidomics identifies a signature of NAFLD in children that couples with cardiometabolic outcomes in adults
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common condition in children and adults characterized by insulin resistance and altered lipid metabolism. Affected patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and children with NAFLD are likely to be at risk of premature cardiac events. Eva...
gastroenterology
10.1101/2020.04.20.20045690
Audiometric profiles and patterns of benefit. A data-driven analysis of subjective hearing difficulties and handicaps.
ObjectiveHearing rehabilitation attempts to compensate for auditory dysfunction, reduce hearing difficulties and minimize participation restrictions that can lead to social isolation. However, there is no systematic approach to assess the quality of the intervention at an individual level that might help to evaluate th...
otolaryngology
10.1101/2020.04.19.20071357
Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in men are risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 vulnerability in the elderly
The ongoing pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) has an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 13...
genetic and genomic medicine
10.1101/2020.04.21.20073494
The effect of short-graft preparation with tape suspension and screw fixation on loss of knee extension following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of public hospital cases from 2015 - 2017
IntroductionThe short graft with tape suspension (SGTS) is a technique for ACL reconstruction that has gained popularity in recent years. Though the construct utilises a hamstring tendon, its biomechanical properties more closely resemble a stiffer graft such as bone-patella-bone. Due to these properties, there are con...
orthopedics
10.1101/2020.04.23.20073601
Predictive modeling of secondary pulmonary hypertension in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction
Diastolic dysfunction is a common pathology occurring in about one third of patients affected by heart failure. This condition is not associated with a marked decrease in cardiac output or systemic pressure and therefore is more difficult to diagnose than its systolic counterpart. Compromised relaxation or increased st...
health informatics
10.1101/2020.04.22.20075127
White matter variability, cognition, and disorders: a systematic review.
Inter-individual differences can inform treatment procedures and - if accounted for - have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. However, when studying brain anatomy, these inter-individual variations are commonly unaccounted for, despite reports of differences in gross anatomical features, cross-sec...
neurology
10.1101/2020.04.22.20075127
White matter variability, cognition, and disorders: a systematic review.
Inter-individual differences can inform treatment procedures and - if accounted for - have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. However, when studying brain anatomy, these inter-individual variations are commonly unaccounted for, despite reports of differences in gross anatomical features, cross-sec...
neurology
10.1101/2020.04.23.20076612
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Anakinra, Sarilumab, Siltuximab and Tocilizumab for Covid-19
BackgroundThere is accumulating evidence for an overly activated immune response in severe Covid-19, with several studies exploring the therapeutic role of immunomodulation. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, we assess the effectiveness of specific interleukin inhibitors for the treatment of Covid-19. Method...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.23.20076612
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Anakinra, Sarilumab, Siltuximab and Tocilizumab for Covid-19
BackgroundThere is accumulating evidence for an overly activated immune response in severe Covid-19, with several studies exploring the therapeutic role of immunomodulation. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, we assess the effectiveness of specific interleukin inhibitors for the treatment of Covid-19. Method...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.23.20076612
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Anakinra, Sarilumab, Siltuximab and Tocilizumab for Covid-19
BackgroundThere is accumulating evidence for an overly activated immune response in severe Covid-19, with several studies exploring the therapeutic role of immunomodulation. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, we assess the effectiveness of specific interleukin inhibitors for the treatment of Covid-19. Method...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.23.20076075
Small-sample estimation of the mutational support and the distribution of mutations in the SARS-Cov-2 genome
AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWThe problem of estimating unknown features of viral species using a limited collection of observations is of great relevance in computational biology. We consider one such particular problem, concerned with determining the mutational support and distribution of the SARS-Cov-2 viral genome and it...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.22.20074351
Resilient SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics workflows including viral heat inactivation
There is a worldwide need for reagents to perform SARS-CoV-2 detection. Some laboratories have implemented kit-free protocols, but many others do not have the capacity to develop these and/or perform manual processing. We provide multiple workflows for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection in clinical samples by comparing ...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.24.20078808
Reacting to outbreaks at neighboring localities
We study the dynamics of epidemics in a networked metapopulation model. In each subpopulation, representing a locality, the disease propagates according to a modified susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) dynamics. In the modified SEIR dynamics, individuals reduce their number of contacts as a function of the w...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.24.20078949
Reconstructed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the RT-PCR test for COVID-19
Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting select genes of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been the main diagnostic tool in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was aimed at the estimation of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the first RT-PCR test developed by China ...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.25.20079467
Predicting the COVID-19 epidemic in Algeria using the SIR model
The aim of this study is to predict the daily infected cases with Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Algeria. We apply the SIR model on data from 25 February 2020 to 24 April 2020 for the prediction. Following Huang et al (12), we develop two SIR models, an optimal model and a model in a worst-case scenario COVID-19. We estimat...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.26.20080762
Mathematical Modeling of Listeriosis Incorporating Effects of Awareness Programs
Awareness programs by the media play a pivotal role in the control of infectious diseases. In this paper, we formulate and analyse a mathematical model for listeriosis incorporating aware individuals. Mathematical analyses of the model are done and equilibrium points determined. The model has three equilibria; namely; ...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.26.20080820
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19: A quick online cross-sectional survey among Tanzanian residents.
BackgroundThe Corona Virus Disease -19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health emergency that requires the adoption of unprecedented measures to control its rapid spread. Tanzanians adherence to control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards the disease. This study was carried ou...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.27.20075531
Indications that Chymotrypsin-like Elastase 1 is Involved in Emphysema
Emphysema is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and there are no disease modifying therapies. Three leading pathophysiologic models are the altered protease/antiprotease balance model, the biomechanical model in which loss of one alveolar wall increases s...
respiratory medicine
10.1101/2020.04.27.20075531
Anti-CELA1 KF4 Antibody Prevents Emphysema by Inhibiting Stretch-Mediated Remodeling
Emphysema is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and there are no disease modifying therapies. Three leading pathophysiologic models are the altered protease/antiprotease balance model, the biomechanical model in which loss of one alveolar wall increases s...
respiratory medicine
10.1101/2020.04.27.20081893
Individual variation in susceptibility or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 lowers the herd immunity threshold
Individual variation in susceptibility and exposure is subject to selection by natural infection, accelerating the acquisition of immunity, and reducing herd immunity thresholds and epidemic final sizes. This is a manifestation of a wider population phenomenon known as "frailty variation". Despite theoretical understan...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.27.20081893
Individual variation in susceptibility or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 lowers the herd immunity threshold
Individual variation in susceptibility and exposure is subject to selection by natural infection, accelerating the acquisition of immunity, and reducing herd immunity thresholds and epidemic final sizes. This is a manifestation of a wider population phenomenon known as "frailty variation". Despite theoretical understan...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.28.20079582
Predicted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tuberculosis deaths in 2020
Policies widely adopted in response to the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19, particularly lockdowns and reassignments of health personnel and equipment, are impacting the performance of TB prevention and care programmes. Estimates of the impact of reductions in the performance of global TB detection and care on TB mortalit...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.28.20080630
Cohort Profile: A national prospective cohort study of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic outcomes in the U.S. - The CHASING COVID Cohort Study
PurposeThe CHASING COVID Cohort study is a U.S.-based prospective cohort study launched during the upswing of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic. The objectives are to: 1) estimate and evaluate determinants of the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease, and deaths; 2) assess the impact of the pandemic on psychos...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.05.04.20082081
ai-corona: Radiologist-Assistant Deep Learning Framework for COVID-19 Diagnosis in Chest CT Scans
Generation of medical assisting tools using recent artificial intelligence advances is beneficial for the medical workers in the global fight against COVID-19 outbreak. In this article we introduce ai-corona, a radiologist-assistant deep learning framework for COVID-19 infection diagnosis using the chest CT scans. Our ...
health informatics
10.1101/2020.04.29.20084707
Pandemic Lock-down, Isolation, and Exit Policies Based on Machine Learning Predictions
The widespread lockdowns imposed in many countries at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic elevated the importance of research on pandemic management when medical solutions such as vaccines are unavailable. We present a framework that combines a standard epidemiological SEIR (susceptible-exposed-infected-removed) mod...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.04.29.20085506
Beyond Deaths per Capita: Comparative CoViD-19 Mortality Indicators
The number of CoViD-19 deaths more reliably tracks the progression of the disease across populations than the number of confirmed cases, but substantial age and sex differences in CoViD-19 mortality imply that the number of deaths should be adjusted for the age-and-sex composition of the population as well as its total...
infectious diseases
10.1101/2020.04.29.20085571
Lack of Evidence for a Reduced Late Positive Potential in Major Depressive Disorder
BackgroundIndividuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) present with deficits in emotional reactivity. Conflicting models have been proposed to explain this effect. We sought to test the emotional context insensitivity hypothesis, which suggests that reactivity to positive and negatively-valenced emotional stimuli i...
psychiatry and clinical psychology
10.1101/2020.05.01.20086801
Using viral load and epidemic dynamics to optimize pooled testing in resource constrained settings
Extensive virological testing is central to SARS-CoV-2 containment, but many settings face severe limitations on testing. Group testing offers a way to increase throughput by testing pools of combined samples; however, most proposed designs have not yet addressed key concerns over sensitivity loss and implementation fe...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.05.01.20087833
Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study
BackgroundPreliminary evidence has shown inequities in COVID-19 related cases and deaths in the US. ObjectiveWe explored the emergence of spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago during the first six months of the pandemic. DesignEc...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.05.01.20087833
Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study
BackgroundPreliminary evidence has shown inequities in COVID-19 related cases and deaths in the US. ObjectiveWe explored the emergence of spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago during the first six months of the pandemic. DesignEc...
epidemiology
10.1101/2020.05.02.20087544
Evaluating growth pattern and assessing future scenario of COVID-19 epidemic of India
COVID-19 the modern pandemic has spread across the world at a rapid pace. SARS-CoV 2 is highly transmissible and the rate of infection is exponential for heavily infected countries. Asymptotic carriers and longer incubation period have been key towards such a large-scale distribution of disease. Data released by offici...
epidemiology