Comb filters for the removal of transcranial current stimulation artifacts from single channel EEG recordings

The combination of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and electroencephalogram (EEG) for mobile and home-based interventions offers the potential for control and adaptation of stimulation parameters. Yet, during stimulation, the EEG is heavily affected by stimulation artifacts. Spatial filters are often unsuited because too few channels are recorded and hardware capabilities are limited. Due to their speed and as they can be used for single channels, we explore the performance of single-channel weighted comb filters on artifact removal. At any given time point t, the recording r(t) is a superposition of a neurophysiological signal n(t), the stimulation artifact a(t) and noise e(t). Now, we can estimate the artifact a(t) based on the recording from an earlier (or later) time-point shifted by the artifacts period. A weighted estimate based on multiple time points has the potential to improve the signal recovery. Therefore, we explored several approaches and evaluated their performance on simulated and real data. The comb kernel filters were implemented in Matlab (https://github.com/agricolab/ARtACS) and Python (https://github.com/agricolab/pyARtACS), and the code is open access under an X11-license. We found that independent of the weighting function, all comb filters exhibit similarity in their suppression of the DC component, the artifacts frequency, and its harmonics. Yet, different weighting functions exhibit different pass-band performance, evident as ringing and amplification, and their induction of time-domain echoes. Interestingly, we note that a causal uniform filter is comparable to more complex approaches, while offering the option for real-time filtering. Comb filters are able to remove tACS artifacts even if only a single channel is available. As comb filters require no assumptions about the shape of the artifact, they might also be useful for filtering of non-sinusoidal, e.g. pulsed or saw-tooth, transcranial current stimulation.

Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Infection at the Wildlife–Livestock Interface in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, 2015–2019

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease of goats and sheep that occurs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with a severe impact on livelihoods and livestock trade. Many wild artiodactyls are susceptible to PPR virus (PPRV) infection, and some outbreaks have threatened endangered wild populations. The role of wild species in PPRV epidemiology is unclear, which is a knowledge gap for the Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR. These studies aimed to investigate PPRV infection in wild artiodactyls in the Greater Serengeti and Amboseli ecosystems of Kenya and Tanzania. Out of 132 animals purposively sampled in 2015–2016, 19.7% were PPRV seropositive by ID Screen PPR competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA; IDvet, France) from the following species: African buffalo, wildebeest, topi, kongoni, Grant’s gazelle, impala, Thomson’s gazelle, warthog and gerenuk, while waterbuck and lesser kudu were seronegative. In 2018–2019, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected African buffalo and Grant’s gazelle herds was conducted. The weighted estimate of PPRV seroprevalence was 12.0% out of 191 African buffalo and 1.1% out of 139 Grant’s gazelles. All ocular and nasal swabs and faeces were negative by PPRV real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Investigations of a PPR-like disease in sheep and goats confirmed PPRV circulation in the area by rapid detection test and/or RT-qPCR. These results demonstrated serological evidence of PPRV infection in wild artiodactyl species at the wildlife–livestock interface in this ecosystem where PPRV is endemic in domestic small ruminants. Exposure to PPRV could be via spillover from infected small ruminants or from transmission between wild animals, while the relatively low seroprevalence suggests that sustained transmission is unlikely. Further studies of other major wild artiodactyls in this ecosystem are required, such as impala, Thomson’s gazelle and wildebeest.

Prevalence of Face Mask Wearing in Northern Vermont in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives Information on the prevalence of face mask use to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is needed to model disease spread and to assess the effectiveness of policies that encourage face mask use. We sought to (1) estimate the prevalence of face mask use in northern Vermont and (2) assess the effect of age and sex on the likelihood of face mask use. Methods We monitored the entrances to public businesses and visually assessed age, sex, and face mask use. We collected 1004 observations during May 16-30, 2020. We calculated estimates of overall face mask use and odds ratios (ORs) for effects by age and sex. Results Of 1004 observations, 758 (75.5%) sampled people used a face mask. Our census-weighted estimate was 74.1%. A higher percentage of females than males wore face masks (83.8% vs 67.6%). The odds of face mask use were lower among males than among females (OR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.37-0.73). Face mask use generally decreased with decreasing age: 91.4% among adults aged >60, 70.7% among adults aged 26-60, 74.8% among people aged 15-25, and 53.3% among people aged ≤14. The OR of an adult aged >60 wearing a face mask was 14.70 times higher, for young people aged 15-25 was 2.72 times higher, and for adults aged 26-60 was 2.99 times higher than for people aged ≤14. Females aged >60 had the highest percentage of face mask use (96.3%) and males aged ≤14 had the lowest (43.8%). Conclusions Educational efforts promoting the use of face masks should be targeted at males and younger age groups to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Application of Magnetically Controlled Sorbents for Detoxication

This work shows the conditions that ensure the efficiency of the device for extracorporeal detoxification using new technologies using magnetically controlled sorbents. The above technique allows calculating and, accordingly, optimizing the parameters of one of the important components of this device - the unit for sorption and removal of toxins from biofluid. A weighted estimate of the required concentration of magnetically controlled sorbents in the biofluid being purified, the amount and concentration of an emulsion containing a magnetically controlled sorbent, and the duration of the procedure ensures the safety and effectiveness of this method of medical care.

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Norwegian 10-14-year-olds: Results from a cross-sectional study

Youth mental health problems is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major public health concern. Prevalence rates are needed for planning preventive interventions and health care services. We here report Norwegian prevalence estimates for youth mental disorders based on findings from the Bergen Child Study cohort. A web-based psychiatric interview; the Development and Well-Being Assessment, was completed by parents and teachers of 2,043 10-14-year-olds from the city of Bergen, Norway. Post-stratification weights were used to account for selective participation related to parental educational in the estimation of prevalence rates. Prevalence rates are presented for the whole sample and stratified by gender and age. The overall population weighted estimate suggests that 6.93% (95% CI 5.06–9.41) of the children met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders. There were no robust indications of age- or gender-related differences in the prevalence. 11.4% of the children fulfilled criteria for more than one diagnosis. The most common comorbid conditions were ADHD and disruptive disorders. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was relatively low among Norwegian 10-14-year-olds, compared to published worldwide prevalence estimates. This is in line with estimates from prior studies from the Nordic countries. These findings raise important questions about the origins of different prevalence rates for psychiatric disorders between societies. The findings also illustrate the importance of locally driven epidemiological studies for planning preventative efforts and appropriately scaling mental health services to meet the need of the population.

Blood pressure and bladder cancer risk in men by use of survival analysis and in interaction with NAT2 genotype, and by Mendelian randomization analysis

The association between blood pressure (BP) and bladder cancer (BC) risk remains unclear with confounding by smoking being of particular concern. We investigated the association between BP and BC risk among men using conventional survival-analysis, and by Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis in an attempt to disconnect the association from smoking. We additionally investigated the interaction between BP and N-acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2) rs1495741, an established BC genetic risk variant, in the association. Populations consisting of 188,167 men with 502 incident BC’s in the UK-biobank and 27,107 men with 928 incident BC’s in two Swedish cohorts were used for the analysis. We found a positive association between systolic BP and BC risk in Cox-regression survival analysis in the Swedish cohorts, (hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation [SD]: 1.14 [95% confidence interval 1.05–1.22]) and MR analysis (odds ratio per SD: 2-stage least-square regression, 7.70 [1.92–30.9]; inverse-variance weighted estimate, 3.43 [1.12–10.5]), and no associations in the UK-biobank (HR systolic BP: 0.93 [0.85–1.02]; MR OR: 1.24 [0.35–4.40] and 1.37 [0.43–4.37], respectively). BP levels were positively associated with muscle-invasive BC (MIBC) (HRs: systolic BP, 1.32 [1.09–1.59]; diastolic BP, 1.27 [1.04–1.55]), but not with non-muscle invasive BC, which could be analyzed in the Swedish cohorts only. There was no interaction between BP and NAT2 in relation to BC on the additive or multiplicative scale. These results suggest that BP might be related to BC, more particularly MIBC. There was no evidence to support interaction between BP and NAT2 in relation to BC in our study.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether serum concentrations and depressive symptomatology in pregnant African American women

ABSTRACTBackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic, persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals often used as flame retardants in products that were widely produced in the United States until 2004. The potential for environmental toxicants such as PBDEs to disrupt normal neuroendocrine pathways resulting in depression and other neurological symptoms has been largely understudied. This study examined whether PBDE exposure in pregnant women was associated with antenatal depressive symptomatology.MethodsThis study is part of a larger longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort study. Data were collected from 193 African American pregnant women at 8-14 weeks gestation. Serum PBDEs were analyzed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) was used to identify depressive symptoms experienced in the last seven days prior to biosampling. The dichotomous depression variable was used to explore varying high-risk EDS cutoffs and illustrated with receiver operating characteristic curves. Logistic regression models were constructed to investigate associations with antenatal depression and a weighted quantile sum (WQS) index was calculated to account for the mixture of PBDE congeners.ResultsOf the total sample, 52 women (26.9%) were categorized as having a high risk of depression. PBDE congeners −47, −99, and −100 were detected in 50% or more of the samples tested. BDE-47 was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β =2.36, p=0.05). The risk of being mild to moderately depressed increased by a factor of 4.52 for BDE-47 (CI 1.50, 13.60) and 1.58 for BDE-99 (CI 1.08, 2.29). The WQS index, a weighted estimate of the body burden of the congener mixture was positively associated with a higher risk of mild to moderate depression using an EDS cutoff ≥10 (OR=2.93; CI 1.18, 7.82).ConclusionBDE-47 and −99 exposures are significantly associated with depressive symptomatology in a pregnant cohort. These exposures will likely continue for years due to slow chemical degradation. Interventions should focus on PBDE mitigation to reduce toxic neuroendocrine effects on vulnerable pregnant women.

Prostate cancer screening patterns among LGBT populations.

e19077 Background: More than 10 million Americans identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), and the majority of male-to-female (MTF) transgender individuals still have prostates even after surgical transitions. Guidelines on prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening for LGBT populations are limited, and informed and shared decision making are encouraged by various organizations. However, patterns of care for PSA screening in LGBT populations remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross sectional study to evaluate self-reported PSA screening and decision making among LGBT populations. Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database was queried for LGBT adults from 2014-2016 and 2018. Those with prior prostate cancer were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association of LGBT status with PSA screening, informed and shared decision making, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and survey weights. Results: A total of 164,370 participants were eligible for PSA screening (n = 156,548 for cisgender [CG]+straight, n = 156 for MTF+straight, n = 33 for MTF+gay, n = 52 for MTF+bisexual, n = 51 for MTF+other sexual orientation [SO], n = 3354 for CG+gay, n = 1641 for CG+bisexual, n = 2535 for CG+other SO), representing a weighted estimate of 1.2 million LGBT populations. When compared to CG+straight, CG+gay/bisexual cohorts were more likely to undergo PSA screening within the past 2 years (CG+gay: OR 1.08, p < 0.001; CG+bisexual: OR 1.06, p < 0.001), have ever received PSA screening (CG+gay: OR 1.30, p < 0.001; CG+bisexual: OR 1.12, p < 0.001), and be recommended for PSA screening by their physicians (CG+gay and bisexual: OR 1.16, p < 0.001). All other cohorts were less likely to do so (all OR < 1, p < 0.05). MTF+gay and CG+gay participants were more likely to make informed decision (MTF+gay: OR 3.13, p < 0.001; CG+gay: OR 1.09, p < 0.001), while all other cohorts were less likely to do so (all OR < 1, p < 0.05). CG+gay participants were also more likely to share decision (OR 2.51, p < 0.001), while there were no associations for all other cohorts (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Select gay populations were more likely to undertake PSA screening recommended by their physicians and participate in informed and shared decision making. However, other LGBT populations were less likely to make informed decisions, and transgender participants were less likely to undergo PSA screening. Further research efforts are needed to improve informed and shared decision making for PSA screening in such underserved population.

Breast and cervical cancer screening disparities among transgender patients.

7024 Background: Over a million Americans identify themselves as transgender and this population is growing. Transgender status was a pre-existing condition prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and transgender individuals faced unique disparities in gender-specific cancer screening in part due to discrimination in health insurance coverage. Modern literature for transgender adults’ adherence to cancer screening is limited. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross sectional study to investigate transgender individuals’ self-reported adherence to cancer screening and access to primary care compared to cisgender individuals. Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database was queried for transgender (either male-to-female [MTF] or female-to-male [FTM]) and cisgender adults from 2014-2016 and 2018. Primary endpoints were adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening guidelines and access to primary health care. Those with prior hysterectomy, breast and cervical cancer were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association of transgender status with cancer screening and healthcare access, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and survey weights. Results: A total of 219,665 and 206,446 participants were eligible for breast and cervical cancer screening, respectively. Of those, 614 (0.28%) and 587 (0.29%) transgender participants were eligible for each cancer screening type, respectively, representing a weighted estimate of nearly 200,000 transgender participants total. When compared to cisgender counterparts, transgender participants were less likely to adhere to breast cancer screening (FTM: OR 0.47, p < 0.001; MTF: OR 0.04, p < 0.001) and to have received any breast cancer screening (FTM: OR 0.32, p < 0.001; MTF: OR 0.02, p < 0.001). Similarly, FTM participants were less likely to adhere to cervical cancer screening (OR 0.42, p < 0.001) and to have received any cervical cancer screening (OR 0.26, p < 0.001). In addition, transgender participants were more likely to have no primary care physician (FTM: OR 0.79, p < 0.001; MTF: OR 0.58, p < 0.001) and to be unable to see a physician when needed within the past year due to medical cost (FTM: OR 1.44, p < 0.001; MTF: OR 1.36, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Despite the implementation of the ACA, limited primary care access and poor adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening are evident for transgender populations. Further research efforts to improve the utilization of preventive cancer services are needed for this underserved population.

Investigating the effect of glycaemic traits on the risk of psychiatric illness using Mendelian randomisation

ABSTRACTData from observational studies have suggested an involvement of abnormal glycaemic regulation in the pathophysiology of psychiatric illness. This may be an attractive target for clinical intervention as glycaemia can be modulated by both lifestyle factors and pharmacological agents. However, observational studies are inherently confounded, and therefore causal relationships cannot be reliably established. We employed genetic variants rigorously associated with three glycaemic traits (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and glycated haemoglobin) as instrumental variables in a two-sample Mendelian randomisation analysis to investigate the causal effect of these measures on the risk for eight psychiatric disorders. A significant protective effect of a unit increase in fasting insulin levels was observed for anorexia nervosa after the application of multiple testing correction (OR = 0.48 [95% CI: 0.33-0.71] – inverse-variance weighted estimate. The relationship between fasting insulin and anorexia nervosa was supported by a suite of sensitivity analyses, with no statistical evidence of instrument heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. Further investigation is required to explore the relationship between insulin levels and anorexia.