bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Febrile neutropenia management and outcomes in hematopoietic cell transplantation for chronic granulomatous disease
Authors: Parta Mark , Cuellar‐Rodriguez Jennifer , Gea‐Banacloche Juan , Qin Jing , Kelly Corin , Zerbe Christa S. , Holland Steven M. , Malech Harry L. , Kang Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2022

Objective

We analyzed events and therapies related to febrile neutropenia in patients receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).

Methods

Three protocols for HCT were used to extract the relation between conditioning and infectious complications during transplantation for CGD, especially the relation of fever and neutropenia to microbiological events and antibiotic therapy.

Results

Sixty‐nine recipients received either reduced intensity conditioning with matched related or unrelated donors or conditioning specific to haploidentical‐related donors utilizing posttransplant cyclophosphamide. Fever prior to neutropenia was common (52) and in eight recipients, Gram negative bacterial infection occurred prior to neutropenia, and in nine during neutropenia. Alemtuzumab as conditioning was associated with preneutropenic infection.

Empiric therapy (noncarbapenem) by institutional guideline was given in 40. Carbapenems were given before neutropenia (8) or as empiric therapy in neutropenia (18), or a switch to a carbapenem (n = 22) occurred in 48 cases.

No deaths related to infection associated with neutropenia occurred.

Conclusion

The management of febrile neutropenia in HCT for CGD led to no deaths related to infection associated with neutropenia. Bacteremias occurred both prior to neutropenia and during neutropenia. Bacteria isolated may have represented the recrudescence of prior infection, representing the population transplanted and the platform for HCT. The treatment of prior infections may have had an influence on the necessity of carbapenem use as either empiric or directed therapy for bacterial infections.
Passive transfer of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies with platelet transfusions
Authors: Ramirez Guillermo A. , Gautam‐Goyal Pranisha , Shariatmadar Sherry , Khatri Akshay , McCann‐Pineo Molly , Rasul Rehana , Karkenny Gabriel , Chang Tylis , Sfakianos Maria , Cassiere Hugh , Epstein Marcia
Published: February 2022

Background

Although over 5000 platelet transfusions occur daily in the United States, the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies in platelet units is not commonly evaluated for. The effects of platelet transfusions with SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies remain largely unknown. We evaluated single‐donor (apheresis) platelet units for SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies and determined if platelet transfusions passively transferred antibodies to seronegative recipients.

Study Design and Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis as part of a quality assurance initiative during February to March 2021 at a tertiary referral academic center in suburban New York. Platelet units and platelet recipients were evaluated for the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies using the DiaSorin LIASON SARS‐CoV‐2 S1/S2 IgG assay. There were 47 platelet recipients eligible for study inclusion. The primary outcome was the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein IgG antibodies in the recipient's blood after platelet transfusion.

Results

Twenty‐three patients received platelets with SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein IgG antibodies; 13 recipients had detection of SARS‐COV‐2 antibodies (56.5%), and 10 recipients did not. The median antibody titer in the platelet units given to the group with passive antibodies detected was significantly higher compared to the median antibody titer in the platelet units given to the group without antibodies detected (median [interquartile range]: 306 AU/ml [132, 400] vs. 96.1 AU/ml [30.6, 186], p = .027).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated a significant rate of passive transfer of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein IgG antibodies through platelet transfusions. Considering the volume of daily platelet transfusions, this is something all clinicians should be aware of.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND FRACTURE PREDICTION OF CONCRETES CONTAINING OIL PALM SHELL AND EXPANDED CLAY FOR FULL REPLACEMENT OF CONVENTIONAL AGGREGATES
Authors: Tan Wei Li , Lee Yeong Huei , Tan Cher Siang , Lee Yee Yong , Kueh Ahmad Beng Hong
Published: February 2022

In order to reduce the continual depletion and exploitation of natural resources, this paper examines the mechanical properties and fracture prediction of sustainable lightweight aggregates concretes comprising agro-industrial waste or/and artificial aggregate, considering a full replacement of conventional coarse aggregate. The fresh and hardened properties are examined, from which three out of the five design mixes can achieve structural concrete specifications. It is observed that compression, tensile, and flexural strengths of the mixes exhibit a similar behaviour trend, as relatively higher values can be obtained from homogenous coarse aggregates compared to heterogeneous aggregates for different proportions of oil palm shell (OPS) and expanded clay replacement. The experimental results showed compression strength of 13 to 32 MPa, splitting tensile strength of 1.32 to 2.97 MPa and flexural strength of 1.67 to 5.24 MPa for the investigated mixes at concrete age of 28 day. Most of the mixes able to achieve structural use. Amongst the mixes, those containing expanded clay lowered the corresponding sorptivity values. Although statistics prove that the prediction models of tensile and flexural strengths can represent existing experimental findings, further investigations are recommended for a better properties forecasting of lightweight aggregate concrete containing OPS and expanded clay.
Expert decision support system for aeroacoustic source type identification using clustering
Authors: Goudarzi A. , Spehr C. , Herbold S.
Published: February 2022

This paper presents an Expert Decision Support System for the identification of time-invariant, aeroacoustic source types. The system comprises two steps: first, acoustic properties are calculated based on spectral and spatial information. Second, clustering is performed based on these properties. The clustering aims at helping and guiding an expert for quick identification of different source types, providing an understanding of how sources differ. This supports the expert in determining similar or atypical behavior. A variety of features are proposed for capturing the characteristics of the sources. These features represent aeroacoustic properties that can be interpreted by both the machine and by experts. The features are independent of the absolute Mach number, which enables the proposed method to cluster data measured at different flow configurations. The method is evaluated on deconvolved beamforming data from two scaled airframe half-model measurements. For this exemplary data, the proposed support system method results in clusters that mostly correspond to the source types identified by the authors. The clustering also provides the mean feature values and the cluster hierarchy for each cluster, and for each cluster member, a clustering confidence. This additional information makes the results transparent and allows the expert to understand the clustering choices.
Septuagenarians Approach 4 Times the Basal Metabolic Rate During Race Across America
Authors: Rosales Alejandro M. , Keck Nathan A. , Shriver Tim C. , Schoeller Dale A. , Ruby Brent C.
Published: February 2022

Background: Previous data have demonstrated that Tour de France riders maintain total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) between 3.5 and 5.5 times the basal metabolic rate (×BMR). In contrast, TDEE for healthy male septuagenarians has been reported to average 1.3 to 2.0 ×BMR. Purpose: Measure the TDEE and water efflux during ultraendurance work in an older population during the cross-continent cycling Race Across America. Methods: A 4-man septuagenarian team (70 [1.6] y, 72.0 [5.1] kg) received an oral dose of doubly labeled water prior to completing the Race Across America (4817 km, 51,816 m of climbing) for TDEE calculation. Nude body weight measures were coupled with collected urine samples. Results: The race was completed in approximately 6.5 days (official time: 6 d, 13 h, and 13 min) with an average speed of 30.6 (0.7) km·h−1 (age-group course record). Body weight remained unchanged (prerace: 70.4 [5.8] kg, postrace: 70.0 [5.3] kg). TDEE was calculated over 3 race segments. TDEE varied between individual riders and segments throughout the continuous event (24.7 [4.2] MJ·24 h−1, 5900 [1015] kcals·24 h−1, 3.4 [0.5] ×BMR). Water efflux averaged 10.2 (0.8) L·24 h−1 resulting in a total turnover of 45.3 (3.9) L amounting to 1.5 (0.2) times initial total body water during the race. Conclusions: Highly active septuagenarians maintain body weight prerace to postrace, suggesting near energy balance when TDEE approaches 4 ×BMR. These values exceed twice those of previously observed healthy but less active septuagenarian men and are comparable to professional riders during portions of the Tour de France. Advanced age and high metabolic output are not mutually exclusive.
Surface haptic rendering of virtual shapes through change in surface temperature
Authors: Choi Changhyun , Ma Yuan , Li Xinyi , Chatterjee Sitangshu , Sequeira Sneha , Friesen Rebecca F. , Felts Jonathan R. , Hipwell M. Cynthia
Published: February 2022

Compared to relatively mature audio and video human-machine interfaces, providing accurate and immersive touch sensation remains a challenge owing to the substantial mechanical and neurophysical complexity of touch. Touch sensations during relative lateral motion between a skin-screen interface are largely dictated by interfacial friction, so controlling interfacial friction has the potential for realistic mimicry of surface texture, shape, and material composition. In this work, we show a large modulation of finger friction by locally changing surface temperature. Experiments showed that finger friction can be increased by ~50% with a surface temperature increase from 23° to 42°C, which was attributed to the temperature dependence of the viscoelasticity and the moisture level of human skin. Rendering virtual features, including zoning and bump(s), without thermal perception was further demonstrated with surface temperature modulation. This method of modulating finger friction has potential applications in gaming, virtual and augmented reality, and touchscreen human-machine interaction.
Guiding the design of superresolution tactile skins with taxel value isolines theory
Authors: Sun Huanbo , Martius Georg
Published: February 2022

Tactile feedback is essential to make robots more agile and effective in unstructured environments. However, high-resolution tactile skins are not widely available; this is due to the large size of robust sensing units and because many units typically lead to fragility in wiring and to high costs. One route toward high-resolution and robust tactile skins involves the embedding of a few sensor units (taxels) into a flexible surface material and the use of signal processing to achieve sensing with superresolution accuracy. Here, we propose a theory for geometric superresolution to guide the development of tactile sensors of this kind and link it to machine learning techniques for signal processing. This theory is based on sensor isolines and allows us to compute the possible force sensitivity and accuracy in contact position and force magnitude as a spatial quantity before building a sensor. We evaluate the influence of different factors, such as elastic properties of the material, structure design, and transduction methods, using finite element simulations and by implementing real sensors. We empirically determine sensor isolines and validate the theory in two custom-built sensors with 1D and 2D measurement surfaces that use barometric units. Using machine learning methods to infer contact information, our sensors obtain an average superresolution factor of over 100 and 1200, respectively. Our theory can guide future tactile sensor designs and inform various design choices.
Efficacy and Safety of SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody JS016 in Hospitalized Chinese Patients with COVID-19: a Phase 2/3, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Controlled Trial
Authors: Dong Run , Jiang Li , Yang Ting , Wang Changsong , Zhang Yi , Chen Xu , Xie Jianfeng , Guo Yuanbin , Weng Li , Kang Yan , Yu Kaijiang , Qiu Haibo , Du Bin ,   for the China Critical Care Clinical Trials Group (CCCCTG)
Published: February 2022

Recombinant human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) monoclonal antibody JS016 showed neutralizing and therapeutic effects in preclinical studies. The clinical efficacy and safety of the therapy needed to be evaluated.
Clinical and Public Health Implications of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Infection
Authors: Legrand Nicolas , McGregor Skye , Bull Rowena , Bajis Sahar , Valencia Braulio Mark , Ronnachit Amrita , Einsiedel Lloyd , Gessain Antoine , Kaldor John , Martinello Marianne
Published: February 2022

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is estimated to affect 5 to 10 million people globally and can cause severe and potentially fatal disease, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The burden of HTLV-1 infection appears to be geographically concentrated, with high prevalence in discrete regions and populations.
Quantitative and qualitative assessment of anterior segment optical coherence tomography capture of disease state in childhood anterior uveitis
Authors: Etherton Katie , Rahi Jugnoo S , Petrushkin Harry , Dick Andrew D , Akbarali Saira , Pattani Reshma , Hau Scott , Lacassagne Sandrine , Liu Xiaoxuan , Denniston Alastair K , Solebo Ameenat Lola
Published: February 2022

Background/aims

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) assessment of anterior chamber inflammation is an emerging tool. We describe the performance of AS-OCT in a paediatric population.

Methods

A mixed-methods prospective study, using routine clinical assessment as reference standard, and AS-OCT, with Tomey CASIA2 or Heidelberg Spectralis HS1, as index test, with data collected on patient perceptions of imaging. Repeatability, diagnostic indices, responsiveness to clinical change and clinical correlations of imaging-based metrics (image cell count, size, density and brightness) were assessed, with construction of receiver operated characteristic curves. Exploratory thematic analysis of responses from families was undertaken.

Results

A total of 90 children (180 eyes) underwent imaging. Bland Altman limits of agreement for CASIA2 repeatability ranged from +17 cells (95% CI 13.6 to 21.1) to −19 cells (95% CI −15.6 to −23.2) and HS1 from +1 (95% CI 0.9 to 1.2) to −1.0 (−1.2 to −0.8) cells. CASIA2 imaging had higher sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.97) vs HS1 imaging 0.17 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.34), with positive correlation between clinical grade and CASIA2 cell count (coefficient 12.8, p=0.02, 95% CI 2.2 to 23.4). Change in clinical grade at follow-up examinations correlated with change in image based ‘cell’ count (r2=0.79, p<0.001). Patients reported a potential positive impact of seeing their disease activity.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that OCT-based imaging holds the promise of deeper understanding of disease, improved patient experience and more granular monitoring of activity with resultant improved outcomes, but further work is needed to refine acquisition and analysis protocols.
Findability of UK health datasets available for research: a mixed methods study
Authors: Griffiths Emily , Joseph Rebecca M , Tilston George , Thew Sarah , Kapacee Zoher , Dixon William , Peek Niels
Published: February 2022

Objective

How health researchers find secondary data to analyse is unclear. We sought to describe the approaches that UK organisations take to help researchers find data and to assess the findability of health data that are available for research.

Methods

We surveyed established organisations about how they make data findable. We derived measures of findability based on the first element of the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reproducible). We applied these to 13 UK health datasets and measured their findability via two major internet search engines in 2018 and repeated in 2021.

Results

Among 12 survey respondents, 11 indicated that they made metadata publicly available. Respondents said internet presence was important for findability, but that this needed improvement. In 2018, 8 out of 13 datasets were listed in the top 100 search results of 10 searches repeated on both search engines, while the remaining 5 were found one click away from those search results. In 2021, this had reduced to seven datasets directly listed and one dataset one click away. In 2021, Google Dataset Search had become available, which listed 3 of the 13 datasets within the top 100 search results.

Discussion

Measuring findability via online search engines is one method for evaluating efforts to improve findability. Findability could perhaps be improved with catalogues that have greater inclusion of datasets, field-level metadata and persistent identifiers.

Conclusion

UK organisations recognised the importance of the internet for finding data for research. However, health datasets available for research were no more findable in 2021 than in 2018.
Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) in a Queensland Chronic Kidney Disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort: a study protocol
Authors: Mutatiri Clyson , Ratsch Angela , McGrail Matthew R , Venuthurupalli Sree , Kondalsamy Chennakesavan Srinivas
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a rapidly increasing and global phenomenon which carries high morbidity and mortality. Although timely referral from primary care to secondary care confers favourable outcomes, it is not possible for every patient with CKD to be managed at secondary care. With 1 in 10 Australians currently living with markers of CKD against a workforce of about 600 nephrology specialists, a risk stratification strategy is required that will reliably identify individuals whose kidney disease is likely to progress.

Methods and analysis

This study will undertake a retrospective secondary analysis of the Chronic Kidney Disease Queensland Registry (CKD.QLD) data of consented adults to examine the referral patterns to specialist nephrology services from primary care providers and map the patient trajectory and outcomes to inform the optimal referral timing for disease mitigation. Patient data over a 5-year period will be examined to determine the impact of the kidney failure risk equation-based risk stratification on the referral patterns, disease progression and patient outcomes. The results will inform considerations of a risk stratification strategy that will ensure adequate predialysis management and add to the discussion of the time interval between referral and initiation of kidney replacement therapy or development of cardiovascular events.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in January 2021 (LNR/2020/QRBW/69707 14/01/2021). The HREC waived the requirement for patient consent as all patients had consented for the use of their data for the purpose of research on recruitment into CKD.QLD Registry. The results will be presented as a component of a PhD study with The University of Queensland. It is anticipated that the results will be presented at health-related conferences (local, national and possibly international) and via publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Cohort profile: the vitamin A and D and nitric oxide (AD-ON) observational cohort on lung development and symptoms in premature and mature children in North Zealand, Denmark
Authors: Goth Fanny Edit Maria , Schmidt Birgitte Johanne , Juul Klaus , Albertsen Per , Agertoft Lone , Jørgensen Inger Merete
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The risk of developing asthma-like symptoms and asthma in childhood is influenced by genetics, environmental exposures, prenatal and early postnatal events, and their interactions. The cohort name refers to vitamins A and D, and nitric oxide (NO) spelt backwards and this cohort profile paper aims to present the data collection and aim of the cohort.

The overall aim when establishing this cohort was to investigate if childhood lung function can be traced back to early neonatal lung function and fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) and investigate prenatal and postnatal risk factors including maternal and neonatal vitamin A and D levels in preterm and term born children.

Participants

One thousand five hundred women and their babies born at Nordsjaellands Hospital in Denmark from 2013 to 2014 were included in the AD-ON research biobank prior to birth.

Neonates from the AD-ON research biobank, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nordsjaellands Hospital, were included in the AD-ON neonatal cohort. The neonatal cohort consisted of 149 neonates hereof 63 preterm and 86 term born. The children in the cohort have been invited to follow-up visits at age 1 and 6 years.

Findings to date

Published data from this cohort includes a validated and clinically applicable method to measure FeNO in neonates. We found an age-specific pattern of association between respiratory symptoms at age 1 and neonatal FeNO in preterm children. Moreover, we found that the respiratory symptoms risk was associated with postnatal factors (Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection and parental smoking) in preterm infants and prenatal factors (parental asthma and maternal infection during pregnancy) in term born infants.

Future plans

In the future, the children will be examined continuously with 3-year to 5-year intervals until the age of 18. Lung function, allergy tests, environmental exposure measurements and questionnaires will be collected at each follow-up visit.
Hypertension in the South African public healthcare system: a cost-of-illness and burden of disease study
Authors: Kohli-Lynch Ciaran N , Erzse Agnes , Rayner Brian L , Hofman Karen J
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To quantify the health and economic burden of hypertension in the South African public healthcare system.

Setting

All inpatient, outpatient and rehabilitative care received in the national public healthcare system.

Participants

Adults, aged ≥20 years, who receive care in the public healthcare system.

Outcomes

Worksheet-based models synthesised data from multiple sources to estimate the burden of disease, direct healthcare costs, and societal costs associated with hypertension. Results were disaggregated by sex.

Results

Approximately 8.22 million (30.8%, 95% CI 29.5% to 32.1%) South African adults with no private health insurance have hypertension. Hypertension was estimated to cause 14 000 (95% CI 11 100 to 17 200) ischaemic heart disease events, 13 300 (95% CI 10 600 to 16 300) strokes and 6100 (95% CI 4970 to 7460) cases of chronic kidney disease annually. Rates of hypertension, hypertension-related stroke and hypertension-related chronic kidney disease were greater for women compared with men.

The direct healthcare costs associated with hypertension were estimated to be ZAR 10.1 billion (95% CI 8.98 to 11.3 billion) or US$0.711 billion (95% CI 0.633 to 0.793 billion). Societal costs were estimated to be ZAR 29.4 billion (95% CI 26.0 to 33.2 billion) or US$2.08 billion (95% CI 1.83 to 2.34 billion). Direct healthcare costs were greater for women (ZAR 6.11 billion or US$0.431 billion) compared with men (ZAR 3.97 billion or US$0.280 billion). Conversely, societal costs were lower for women (ZAR 10.5 billion or US$0.743 billion) compared with men (ZAR 18.9 billion or US$1.33 billion).

Conclusion

Hypertension exerts a heavy health and economic burden on South Africa. Establishing cost-effective best practice guidelines for hypertension treatment requires further research. Such research will be essential if South Africa is to make progress in its efforts to implement universal healthcare.
Use of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Ethiopia: evidence from retrospective health facility survey data
Authors: Shuka Zemzem , Mebratie Anagaw , Alemu Getnet , Rieger Matthias , Bedi Arjun S
Published: February 2022

Objectives

In recent years, Ethiopia has made enormous strides in enhancing access to healthcare, especially, maternal and child healthcare. With the onset and spread of COVID-19, the attention of the healthcare system has pivoted to handling the disease, potentially at the cost of other healthcare needs. This paper explores whether this shift has come at the cost of non-Covid related healthcare, especially the use of maternal and child health (MCH) services.

Setting

Data covering a 24-month period are drawn from 59 health centres and 29 public hospitals located in urban Ethiopia.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures

The primary outcome measures are the use of MCH services including family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, abortion care, delivery and immunisation. The secondary outcome measures are the use of health services by adults including antiretroviral therapy (ART), tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy and dental services

Results

There is a sharp reduction in the use of both inpatient (20%–27%, p<0.001) and outpatient (27%–34%, p<0.001) care, particularly in Addis Ababa, which has been most acutely affected by the virus. This decline does not come at the cost of MCH services. The use of several MCH components (skilled birth attendant deliveries, immunisation, postnatal care) remains unaffected throughout the period while others (family planning services, antenatal care) experience a decline (8%–17%) in the immediate aftermath but recover soon after.

Conclusion

Concerns about the crowding out of MCH services due to the focus on COVID-19 are unfounded. Proactive measures taken by the government and healthcare facilities to ring-fence the use of essential healthcare services have mitigated service disruptions. The results underline the resilience and agility displayed by one of the world’s most resource-constrained healthcare systems. Further research on the approaches used to mitigate disruptions is needed.
Mapping precision public health definitions, terminology and applications: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Bosward Rebecca , Braunack-Mayer Annette , Frost Emma , Carter Stacy
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Precision public health is an emerging and evolving field. Academic communities are divided regarding terminology and definitions, and what the scope, parameters and goals of precision public health should include. This protocol summarises the procedure for a scoping review which aims to identify and describe definitions, terminology, uses of the term and concepts in current literature.

Methods and analysis

A scoping review will be undertaken to gather existing literature on precision public health. We will search CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, and include all documents published in English that mention precision public health. A critical discourse analysis of the resulting papers will generate an account of precision public health terminology, definitions and uses of the term and the use and meaning of language. The analysis will occur in stages: first, descriptive information will be extracted and descriptive statistics will be calculated in order to characterise the literature. Second, occurrences of the phrase ‘precision public health’ and alternative terms in documents will be enumerated and mapped, and definitions collected. The third stage of discourse analysis will involve analysis and interpretation of the meaning of precision public health, including the composition, organisation and function of discourses. Finally, discourse analysis of alternative phrases to precision public health will be undertaken. This will include analysis and interpretation of what alternative phrases to precision public health are used to mean, how the phrases relate to each other and how they are compared or contrasted to precision public health. Results will be grouped under headings according to how they answer the research questions.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical approval will be required for the scoping review. Results of the scoping review will be used as part of a doctoral thesis, and may be published in journals, conference proceedings or elsewhere.
Purchasing of tobacco-related and e-cigarette-related products within prisons before and after implementation of smoke-free prison policy: analysis of prisoner spend data across Scotland, UK
Authors: Best Catherine Susan , Brown Ashley , Hunt Kate
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To examine the effect of smoke-free prison policy implementation in November 2018 on purchasing patterns in the prison canteen (shop).

Design

Interrupted time series.

Setting

All 12 closed, publicly run prisons in Scotland, UK.

Participants

People in custody (PiC) between August 2018 and end of March 2019 (n=11 944).

Interventions

Implementation of smoke-free prisons policy.

Outcome measures

Total spent on all products, nicotine-related products, and food and beverage products per week.

Methods

Canteen data were provided for the period July 2018–September 2019 by the Scottish Prison Service. In a series of generalised linear mixed effects models, the amount spent before and after implementation of smoke-free prison policy was compared for all purchases in the time period, and for PiC identified as ‘smokers’ and ‘non-smokers’ from their pre-implementation tobacco purchasing patterns.

Results

The amount spent on nicotine-related products significantly decreased from pre-implementation to post implementation (incident rate ratio (IRR) 0.40; 99% CI 0.33 to 0.51, p<0.001). However, total canteen spend did not change over the study period (IRR 0.92; 99% CI 0.84 to 1.00). Post implementation about 25% of previous ‘smokers’ total canteen spend was on nicotine-related products. The amount spent by previous ‘smokers’ on food and beverages increased from £8.67 (99% CI 8.23 to 9.13) pre-implementation to £10.24 in the post implementation period (99% CI 9.58 to 10.90).

Conclusion

Although the amount of money previous ‘smokers’ in prison spent on nicotine-related products decreased after smoke-free policy, nicotine products still account for a large proportion of canteen spend among PiC in smoke-free prisons in Scotland. Results indicate that many PiC may continue to use nicotine in smoke-free prisons where e-cigarettes are permitted.
Semi-rigid knee splints for injury and risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolism: an exploratory retrospective analysis
Authors: Hunter Ross , Cooper Jamie Gray , Philips Asleigh
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Patients with lower limb injuries are commonly discharged from the ED with the affected area immobilised. Rigid casting of the lower limb is known to be a risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE), making thromboprophylaxis in this population an important consideration for clinicians in the ED. The use of structured risk assessment methods (RAMs) to evaluate VTE risk and recommend thromboprophylaxis to those at higher risk is widespread in the UK. However, the evidence informing this practice is nearly exclusively based on studies of patients with rigid lower limb casts but many patients with knee injuries, including some with significant thrombotic risk factors, are managed in semi-rigid (‘cricket’) knee splints. These are both removable and allow free movement of the ankle, but the baseline risk of VTE and the performance of different RAMs in this population are not known.

Methods

Consecutive patients (≥14 years) discharged from the ED at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2021, in a semi-rigid knee splint were identified retrospectively and followed up to 3 months after splint removal for the development of symptomatic VTE. Secondarily, data permitting the assessment of five different RAMs (NICE, GEMNet, an Aberdeen tool, the Plymouth score (V.2) and the L-TRiP(cast) score) were extracted systematically and compared.

Results

In 510 patients (mean age 32 (SD 16) years, 62% male) none received thromboprophylaxis and all completed follow-up. Two patients developed symptomatic VTE (0.4%, 95% CI 0.1% to 1.4%). The different RAMs varied considerably in the proportions identified for thromboprophylaxis from GEMNet (47%) to the L-TRiP(cast) score (2%), but no RAM was able to identify the two patients who progressed to VTE.

Conclusions

In our cohort of patients managed in semi-rigid removable knee splints, the risk of symptomatic VTE was low, about 1 in 250, and current methods of VTE risk assessment did not prove clinically useful.
Drowning risk and climate change: a state-of-the-art review
Authors: Sindall Rebecca , Mecrow Thomas , Queiroga Ana Catarina , Boyer Christopher , Koon William , Peden Amy E
Published: February 2022

Drowning and climate change are both significant global health threats, yet little research links climate change to drowning risk. Research into the epidemiology, risk factors and preventive strategies for unintentional drowning in high-income and in low-income and middle-income countries has expanded understanding, but understanding of disaster and extreme weather-related drowning needs research focus. As nation states and researchers call for action on climate change, its impact on drowning has been largely ignored. This state-of-the-art review considers existing literature on climate change as a contributor to changes in drowning risks globally. Using selected climate change-related risks identified by the World Meteorological Organization and key risks to the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, we consider the drowning risks associated with heat waves, hydrometeorological hazards, drought and water scarcity, damaged infrastructure, marine ecosystem collapse, displacement, and rising poverty and inequality. Although the degree of atmospheric warming remains uncertain, the impact of climate change on drowning risk is already taking place and can no longer be ignored. Greater evidence characterising the links between drowning and climate change across both high-income and low-income and middle-income contexts is required, and the implementation and evaluation of drowning interventions must reflect climate change risks at a local level, accounting for both geographical variation and the consequences of inequality. Furthermore, collaboration between the injury prevention, disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation sectors is crucial to both prevent climate change from stalling progress on preventing drowning and further advocate for climate change mitigation as a drowning risk reduction mechanism.
Loss of YTHDF1 in gastric tumors restores sensitivity to antitumor immunity by recruiting mature dendritic cells
Authors: Bai Xiaowu , Wong Chi Chun , Pan Yasi , Chen Huarong , Liu Weixin , Zhai Jianning , Kang Wei , Shi Yu , Yamamoto Masami , Tsukamoto Tetsuya , Nomura Sachiyo , Chiu Philip , Yu Jun , Kwok-wai Ng Enders
Published: February 2022

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancer worldwide. We analyzed the expression of m6A regulatory genes in GC cohorts and revealed that YTHDF1 was uniquely upregulated in GC as compared with adjacent normal tissues. In this study, we analyzed the role of YTHDF1 in GC cells and modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment.

Methods

Three GC cohorts (cohort 1, n=101; cohort 2, n=278, and the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort, n=375) were analyzed for YTHDF1 expression. Function of YTHDF1 in GC was determined in GC cell lines. Role of YTHDF1 in antitumor immunity was investigated in allograft models.

Results

YTHDF1 is upregulated in GC compared with adjacent normal tissues, and high YTHDF1 expression was correlated with poor survival of patients with GC at mRNA (p=0.016) and protein levels (p=0.039). Loss of YTHDF1 in human (AGS, BGC823, MKN74) or mouse (YTN16) GC cell lines inhibited cell growth and colony formation in vitro. Strikingly, syngeneic YTN16 tumors with loss of YTHDF1 underwent complete remission in immunocompetent mice, while a lesser effect was found in immunodeficient mice. Consistently, YTHDF1 loss in GC tumors led to recruitment of mature dendritic cells (DCs) with increased MHCII expression and interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion, which in turn, promoted CD4+and CD8+T cells infiltration with increased interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretion. Loss of YTHDF1 mediated the overexpression of IFN-γ receptor 1 and JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway in tumor cells, which might contribute to restored sensitivity to antitumor immunity. In addition, pre-emptive exposure of YTN16 tumors with YTHDF1 loss triggered a potent antitumor immune response on rechallenge with wild-type YTN16 cells, implying that YTHDF1 loss induced a lasting systemic antitumor immunity.

Conclusions

YTHDF1 is overexpressed in GC and promotes GC by inducing cell proliferation and repression of DCs-mediated antitumor immune response. YTHDF1 is a promising therapeutic target for GC treatment.
LLDAS (lupus low disease activity state) and/or remission are associated with less damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from a primarily Mestizo population: data from the Almenara Lupus Cohort
Authors: Ugarte-Gil Manuel Francisco , Gamboa-Cardenas Rocio Violeta , Reátegui-Sokolova Cristina , Pimentel-Quiroz Victor Román , Medina Mariela , Elera-Fitzcarrald Claudia , Zevallos Francisco , Pastor-Asurza Cesar Augusto , Lofland Jeniffer , Zazzetti Federico , Karyekar Chetan S , Alarcón Graciela S , Perich-Campos Risto Alfredo
Published: February 2022

Objective

To determine if achieving lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) or remission prevents damage accrual in a primarily Mestizo population.

Methods

Patients with SLE from a single-centre cohort with at least two visits occurring every 6 months were included. The definitions used were the following: for remission, the 2021 Definition Of Remission In SLE; and for LLDAS, the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration. Damage accrual was ascertained with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). Univariable and three multivariable interval-censored survival regression models were done: (1) remission versus not on remission; (2) LLDAS/remission versus active; and (3) remission and LLDAS (not on remission) versus active. Three similar multivariable models were also examined considering the duration on each state. Possible confounders included in these analyses were gender, age at diagnosis, socioeconomic status, educational level, disease duration, antimalarial use and SDI at baseline.

Results

Two hundred and eighty-one patients were included. Eighty-three patients (29.5%) showed increased SDI during the follow-up. In the analyses of remission, being on remission predicted a lower probability of damage (HR=0.456; 95% CI 0.256 to 0.826; p=0.010). In the analyses of LLDAS/remission, being on LLDAS/remission predicted a lower damage (HR=0.503; 95% CI 0.260 to 0.975; p=0.042). When both states were considered, remission but not LLDAS (not on remission) predicted a lower probability of damage (HR=0.423; 95% CI 0.212 to 0.846; p=0.015 and HR=0.878; 95% CI 0.369 to 2.087; p=0.768, respectively). When the duration of these states was taken into account, remission, LLDAS/remission and LLDAS not on remission were associated with a lower probability of damage accrual.

Conclusions

LLDAS and/or remission were associated with a lower probability of damage accrual.
Social-emotional functioning and dietary intake among children born with a very low birth weight
Authors: Walton Kathryn , McGee Meghan , Sato Julie , Law Nicole , Hopperton Kathryn E. , Bando Nicole , Kiss Alex , Unger Sharon L. , O’Connor Deborah L.
Published: February 2022

Very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g)  infants are at an elevated risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, later obesity and cardiometabolic disease; if and how neurodevelopmental disorders impact chronic disease risk is poorly understood. The most common neurodevelopmental disorders experienced by VLBW children are those of social-emotional functioning. We compared dietary patterns and body composition between VLBW children with poor vs. typical social-emotional functioning using linear mixed models adjusted for sex, gestational age, cognitive impairment, parental education, and body mass index (BMI). VLBW children ( n=158) attending the Donor Milk for Improved Neurodevelopmental Outcomes trial with 5.5-year follow-up participated. Poor social-emotional functioning was based on standardized parent-rated questionnaires and/or parent-reported physician diagnosis of autism spectrum or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Most children had diets categorized as “needs improvement” (67%) or “poor” (27%) and 29% of children exhibited poor social-emotional functioning. Poor social-emotional functioning was positively associated with 100% fruit juice (β=0.3 cup equivalents/day; 95% CI 0.1, 0.5) and energy intake (β=118.1 kcal/day; 95% CI 0.9, 235.2). Children with poor social-emotional functioning were more likely to have a limited food repertoire ( p=0.02), but less likely to exceed dietary fat recommendations ( p=0.04). No differences in overall diet quality or body composition were observed. Diet counselling and research are essential to improving the nutrition of VLBW children to mitigate chronic disease risk. Trial registration — Optimizing Mothers’ Milk for Preterm Infants Program of Research: Study 1 – Impact of Donor Milk at Kindergarten, NCT02759809, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02759809 .

Novelty:

Overall diet quality and body composition did not differ between VLBW children with poor vs. typical social-emotional functioning. Most had diets “needing improvement” or “poor” according to the Healthy Eating Index-2010. Diet counselling may help mitigate chronic disease risk in this vulnerable population.
Homotopy decompositions of PU(n)-gauge groups over Riemann surfaces
Authors: Theriault Stephen
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we show that the gauge group of a principal [Formula: see text]-bundle over a compact Riemann surface decomposes up to homotopy as the product of factors, one of which is a corresponding gauge group for [Formula: see text] and the others are immediately recognizable spaces. Further, when [Formula: see text] is a prime [Formula: see text], the gauge group for [Formula: see text] decomposes as a product of immediately recognizable factors. These gauge groups have strong connections to moduli spaces of stable vector bundles.
Module Against Power Consumption Attacks for Trustworthiness of Vehicular AI Chips in Wide Temperature Range
Authors: Zhu Zongwei , Geng Jiawei , Zhou Mingliang , Fang Bin
Published: February 2022

Power consumption attacks monitoring on artificial intelligence (AI) chips play a critical role in the vehicular AI systems. However, most of the current monitoring and management methods focus on the trustworthiness of industrial equipment instead of resource-constrained edge devices. To address the above problem, a closed-loop module for monitoring and management of vehicular AI chips based on fitting and filtering to resist power consumption attacks is proposed in this paper. First, considering the characteristics of power, we propose a raw data correction approach for power monitoring to monitor abnormal power consumption. Second, we address the challenging problem of precision temperature monitoring to monitor the abnormal temperature of the chip, especially in a wide temperature range. Finally, the established method is applied to attack surveillance and transformed into a power consumption management problem solved by dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) technology. As the experimental results reveal, compared with existing methods of power and temperature monitoring and power consumption control in wide temperature, our method can achieve significantly improved monitoring and managing performance.
Experimental Study on Seismic Performance of Steel Frame Sheathing with Concrete and Plasterboard Composite Wall
Authors: Wang Weiyong , Ma Jie , Al-Azzani Hisham , Xing Yonghui
Published: February 2022

The current cold-formed steel (CFS) wall is limited to the low-rise cold-formed thin-walled steel structure, which is inappropriate for multi-story constructions due to its low shear resistance and poor corrosion resistance of outer sheathing board. Therefore, a new composite wall of CFS frame sheathing with concrete and plasterboard was proposed, the cast-in situ concrete layer was used for the outer surface in response to the needs of corrosion resistance, and the plasterboard was utilized for the inner surface to reduce weight. This paper presented a quasi-static test on the seismic behavior of one CFS wall and three composite-walls’ sheathings with concrete and plasterboard to obtain different failure modes and investigate the influence of different sheathing and opening sizes. Combined with the finite element model, a large parametric study of composite walls was conducted to analyze the impact of load ratio, reinforcement ratio, sheathing board, and concrete and steel strength. Test and finite element analysis (FEA) results demonstrate that the seismic performance of composite walls with concrete and plasterboard is satisfactory considering their shear strength, ductility, and energy dissipation. Load ratio, opening size, and reinforcement ratio significantly affect the seismic performance of the composite wall, while the concrete and steel strength and sheathing board have minimal effects. The seismic design suggestions of composite walls are given based on this study.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY, GEOPOLITICAL RISK AND STOCK MARKET RETURNS IN SOUTH KOREA: A QUANTILE CAUSALITY ANALYSIS
Authors: ADEBAYO TOMIWA SUNDAY , AKADIRI SEYI SAINT , RJOUB HUSAM
Published: February 2022

In this research, we assess the influence of geopolitical risk (GPR), exchange rate (EXCH) and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on South Korea stock market. Using monthly dataset covering the period from 1997 to 2021, we utilized the novel non-parametric causality-in-quantiles test initiated by Balcilar et al. (2017) to assess these associations. This study discovered that the effect of macroeconomic shocks in South Korea is diverse across the stock market, implying that the influence of these shocks is not consistent across the stock market in South Korea. Furthermore, this study revealed that the causal influence of EPU, GPR on the stock market is visible in mean and variance. Nonetheless, the causal influence of EXCH on the stock market can only be seen in the mean, with no indication of causation in the variance. We consider that these results are significant to South Korean stock market investors for the purposes of foreign portfolio diversification and establishing investing strategies during times of economic uncertainty.
Futures of digital governance
Authors: Gasser Urs , Almeida Virgílio
Published: February 2022

Seeking to increase the interoperability among the technical and social sciences toward new forms of governance associated with digital technology.
Automating data science
Authors: De Bie Tijl , De Raedt Luc , Hernández-Orallo José , Hoos Holger H. , Smyth Padhraic , Williams Christopher K. I.
Published: February 2022

Given the complexity of data science projects and related demand for human expertise, automation has the potential to transform the data science process.