bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistence of serum and saliva antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike antigens in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Isho Baweleta , Abe Kento T. , Zuo Michelle , Jamal Alainna J. , Rathod Bhavisha , Wang Jenny H. , Li Zhijie , Chao Gary , Rojas Olga L. , Bang Yeo Myong , Pu Annie , Christie-Holmes Natasha , Gervais Christian , Ceccarelli Derek , Samavarchi-Tehrani Payman , Guvenc Furkan , Budylowski Patrick , Li Angel , Paterson Aimee , Yue Feng Yun , Marin Lina M. , Caldwell Lauren , Wrana Jeffrey L. , Colwill Karen , Sicheri Frank , Mubareka Samira , Gray-Owen Scott D. , Drews Steven J. , Siqueira Walter L. , Barrios-Rodiles Miriam , Ostrowski Mario , Rini James M. , Durocher Yves , McGeer Allison J. , Gommerman Jennifer L. , Gingras Anne-Claude
Published: July 2021

Saliva is an alternative biofluid to serum for detecting and monitoring IgG to SARS-CoV-2 spike and RBD antigens in COVID-19.
KIR3DL3-HHLA2 is a human immunosuppressive pathway and a therapeutic target
Authors: Wei Yao , Ren Xiaoxin , Galbo Phillip M. , Moerdler Scott , Wang Hao , Sica R. Alejandro , Etemad-Gilbertson Bijan , Shi Lei , Zhu Liqiang , Tang Xudong , Lin Qi , Peng Mou , Guan Fangxia , Zheng Deyou , Chinai Jordan M. , Zang Xingxing
Published: July 2021

Blockade of KIR3DL3 is an immunotherapy for human cancers.
Complete Genome Sequence of Isolate Bari 1, a Mild Strain of Cauliflower Mosaic Virus
Authors: Ohshima Kazusato , Ishibashi Rikako , Kawakubo Shusuke
Published: July 2021

We present here the complete genome sequence of isolate Bari 1, a mild strain of
Cauliflower mosaic virus
(CaMV). The isolate was collected from
Diplotaxis tenuifolia
(perennial wall-rocket) in Bari, Italy. The genome was 8,020 nucleotides long and shared ≤85.4% nucleotide identity to other CaMV isolates.
Social and ethnic group differences in healthcare use by children aged 0–14 years: a population-based cohort study in England from 2007 to 2017
Authors: Coughlan Charles Hamish , Ruzangi Judith , Neale Francesca K , Nezafat Maldonado Behrouz , Blair Mitch , Bottle Alex , Saxena Sonia , Hargreaves Dougal
Published: July 2021

Objective

To describe social and ethnic group differences in children’s use of healthcare services in England, from 2007 to 2017.

Design

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting/Patients

We performed individual-level linkage of electronic health records from general practices and hospitals in England by creating an open cohort linking data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics. 1 484 455 children aged 0–14 years were assigned to five composite ethnic groups and five ordered groups based on postcode mapped to index of multiple deprivation.

Main outcome measures

Age-standardised annual general practitioner (GP) consultation, outpatient attendance, emergency department (ED) visit and emergency and elective hospital admission rates per 1000 child-years.

Results

In 2016/2017, children from the most deprived group had fewer GP consultations (1765 vs 1854 per 1000 child-years) and outpatient attendances than children in the least deprived group (705 vs 741 per 1000 child-years). At the end of the study period, children from the most deprived group had more ED visits (447 vs 314 per 1000 child-years) and emergency admissions (100 vs 76 per 1000 child-years) than children from the least deprived group.

In 2016/2017, children from black and Asian ethnic groups had more GP consultations than children from white ethnic groups (1961 and 2397 vs 1824 per 1000 child-years, respectively). However, outpatient attendances were lower in children from black ethnic groups than in children from white ethnic groups (732 vs 809 per 1000 child-years). By 2016/2017, there were no differences in outpatient, ED and in-patient activity between children from white and Asian ethnic groups.

Conclusions

Between 2007 and 2017, children living in more deprived areas of England made greater use of emergency services and received less scheduled care than children from affluent neighbourhoods. Children from Asian and black ethnic groups continued to consult GPs more frequently than children from white ethnic groups, though black children had significantly lower outpatient attendance rates than white children across the study period. Our findings suggest substantial levels of unmet need among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Further work is needed to determine if healthcare utilisation among children from Asian and black ethnic groups is proportionate to need.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis aggravated by goitrogenic diet presenting as rhabdomyolysis worsened by alcohol intake
Authors: Manappallil Robin George , Muralidharan Rajesh , Shalu Sneha , Haneef Fathima
Published: July 2021

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common form of primary hypothyroidism. Several muscular manifestations like pain, weakness, stiffness and elevated muscle enzymes have been noticed in hypothyroidism. Alcohol is also known to cause myositis and rhabdomyolysis. Patients with thyroid should avoid certain foods like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage as they contain goitrogens. This is a case of a young man who presented with severe muscle aches and pain and was found to have rhabdomyolysis. Further evaluation revealed an underlying HT. Moreover, he had been consuming raw broccoli, which is goitrogenic, and alcohol which worsened the rhabdomyolysis. He was managed with levothyroxine and intravenous fluids, following which he improved.
Accurate prenatal discrimination of placenta accreta spectrum from uterine dehiscence is necessary to ensure optimal management
Authors: Adu-Bredu Theophilus Kofi , Owusu-Bempah Atta , Collins Sally
Published: July 2021

Uterine scar dehiscence with underlying placenta is often misdiagnosed as placenta accreta spectrum both prenatally and intraoperatively due to the absence of myometrial tissue in the area. Misdiagnosis generates obstetric anxiety and results in overtreatment which carries a risk of iatrogenic injury. We present a case of the antenatal diagnosis of uterine dehiscence in a 36-year-old woman with a history of two caesarean deliveries and a low-lying placenta. We further describe the sonographic features useful for differentiating this condition from placenta accreta spectrum in instances where the placenta lies under an area of full thickness uterine scar dehiscence.
Association between health behaviours and cardiometabolic dysregulation: a population-based survey among healthy adults in Hong Kong
Authors: Yu Esther Yee Tak , Yeung Caitlin Hon Ning , Wan Eric Yuk Fai , Tang Eric Ho Man , Wong Carlos King Ho , Cheung Bernard Man Yung , Lam Cindy Lo Kuen
Published: July 2021

Objective

To explore the association between cardiometabolic dysregulation, an integral component of allostatic load, and health risk behaviours (HRBs) of the Hong Kong healthy adult population.

Design

Secondary analysis of cross-sectional anonymous data.

Setting

Data on sociodemographics, self-reported health status, HRBs and biomarkers were extracted from the Hong Kong Population Health Survey 2014/2015.

Participants

One thousand five hundred and fifty-one participants aged 18–64 years without self-reported diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment or cancer.

Primary outcome measures

Cardiometabolic dysregulation index (CMDI), ranging from 0 to 6, was calculated by counting the number of biomarkers including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist to hip ratio, glycated haemoglobin, total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and triglycerides that were above the respective normal level suggested by international guidelines and literature. HRBs including smoking, dietary habits and sleeping hours were collected by self-report questionnaire. Alcohol consumption was assessed by the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, while physical activity level was measured using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. A composite HRB score, ranging from 0 to 5, was calculated as the cumulative number of HRBs. The effect of HRB on CMDI was evaluated by negative binomial regression with adjustment for socioeconomic status, health awareness and comorbidities of the participants.

Results

The mean CMDI of the studied population was 1.6; 29.5% had a CMDI of 0, whereas 1.5% had a CMDI of 6. Significant difference was observed in mean CMDI between gender and different age groups. Sleeping less than 6 hours (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.26, p<0.001), smoking (IRR=1.15, p=0.027), insufficient physical activity (IRR=1.12, p=0.007) and higher composite HRB score (IRR=1.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.18) were significantly associated with higher CMDI.

Conclusion

Smoking, physical inactivity and inadequate sleep—an essential yet often overlooked health behaviour—were associated with higher CMDI in the Hong Kong healthy adult population.
Trends in cardiovascular disease in Scottish military veterans: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Bergman Beverly P , Mackay Daniel F , Pell Jill P
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To examine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Scottish military veterans in comparison with people who had never served in long-term follow-up to 2017, and to compare the findings with our earlier study to 2012 to assess trends.

Design

Retrospective cohort study with up to 37 years follow-up.

Setting

Pseudo-anonymised extract of computerised Scottish National Health Service records and national vital records.

Participants

78 000 veterans and 253 000 people with no record of service matched for age, sex and area of residence.

Outcome measures

Risk of first occurrence of acute myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease and stroke in veterans compared with non-veterans, overall and by sex and birth cohort.

Results

A first episode of CVD was recorded in 5.7% of veterans and 4.8% of non-veterans overall, Cox proportional HR 1.16, 95% CIs 1.12 to 1.20, p=0.001. The difference was only significant for men, and for veterans born before 1960, and was highest in veterans with the shortest service. In all categories, the difference in risk was less than at the end of 2012.

Conclusions

The excess burden of CVD in veterans which was evident at the end of 2012 has reduced in the following 5 years from 23% to 16% overall. The increased risk continues to affect only those veterans born prior to 1960, suggesting that improvements in military health promotion since 1978, when veterans born from 1960 joined the armed forces, have had an important and ongoing beneficial effect on the long-term health of veterans.
Changing relationships: how does patient involvement transform professional identity? An ethnographic study
Authors: Codsi Marie-Pierre , Karazivan Philippe , Rouly Ghislaine , Leclaire Marie , Boivin Antoine
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To understand identity tensions experienced by health professionals when patient partners join a quality improvement committee.

Design

Qualitative ethnographic study based on participatory observation.

Setting

An interdisciplinary quality improvement committee of a Canadian urban academic family medicine clinic with little previous experience in patient partnership.

Participants

Two patient partners, seven health professionals (two family physicians, two residents, one pharmacist, one nurse clinician and one nurse practitioner) and three members of the administrative team.

Data collection

Data collection included compiled participatory observations, logbook notes and semi-structured interviews, collected between the summer of 2017 to the summer of 2019.

Data analysis

Ghadiri’s identity threats theoretical framework was used to analyse qualitative material and to develop conceptualising categories, using QDA Miner software (V.5.0).

Results

All professionals with a clinical care role and patient partners (n=9) accepted to participate in the ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews (RR=100%). Transforming the ‘caregiver–patient’ relationship into a ‘colleague–colleague’ relationship generated identity upheavals among professionals. Identity tensions included competing ideals of the ‘good professional’, challenges to the impermeability of the patient and professional categories, the interweaving of symbols associated with one or the other of these identities, and the inner balance between the roles of caregiver and colleague.

Conclusion

This research provides a new perspective on understanding how working in partnership with patients transform health professionals’ identity. When they are called to work with patients outside of a simple therapeutic relationship, health professionals may feel tensions between their identity as caregivers and their identity as colleague. This allows us to better understand some underlying tensions elicited by the arrival of different patient engagement initiatives (eg, professionals’ resistance to working with patients, patients’ status and remuneration, professionals’ concerns toward patient ‘representativeness’). Partnership with patients imply the construction of a new relational framework, flexible and dynamic, that takes into account this coexistence of identities.
Cost savings associated with nutritional support in medical inpatients: an economic model based on data from a systematic review of randomised trials
Authors: Schuetz Philipp , Sulo Suela , Walzer Stefan , Vollmer Lutz , Brunton Cory , Kaegi-Braun Nina , Stanga Zeno , Mueller Beat , Gomes Filomena
Published: July 2021

Background and aims

Nutritional support improves clinical outcomes during hospitalisation as well as after discharge. Recently, a systematic review of 27 randomised, controlled trials showed that nutritional support was associated with lower rates of hospital readmissions and improved survival. In the present economic modelling study, we sought to determine whether in-hospital nutritional support would also return economic benefits.

Methods

The current economic model applied cost estimates to the outcome results from our recent systematic review of hospitalised patients. In the underlying meta-analysis, a total of 27 trials (n=6803 patients) were included. To calculate the economic impact of nutritional support, a Markov model was developed using transitions between relevant health states. Costs were estimated accounting for length of stay in a general hospital ward, hospital-acquired infections, readmissions and nutritional support. Six-month mortality was also considered. The estimated daily per-patient cost for in-hospital nutrition was US$6.23.

Results

Overall costs of care within the model timeframe of 6 months averaged US$63 227 per patient in the intervention group versus US$66 045 in the control group, which corresponds to per patient cost savings of US$2818. These cost savings were mainly due to reduced infection rate and shorter lengths of stay. We also calculated the costs to prevent a hospital-acquired infection and a non-elective readmission, that is, US$820 and US$733, respectively. The incremental cost per life-day gained was −US$1149 with 2.53 additional days. The sensitivity analyses for cost per quality-adjusted life day provided support for the original findings.

Conclusions

For medical inpatients who are malnourished or at nutritional risk, our findings showed that in-hospital nutritional support is a cost-effective way to reduce risk for readmissions, lower the frequency of hospital-associated infections, and improve survival rates.
Protocol for development of a reporting guideline (TRIPOD-AI) and risk of bias tool (PROBAST-AI) for diagnostic and prognostic prediction model studies based on artificial intelligence
Authors: Collins Gary S , Dhiman Paula , Andaur Navarro Constanza L , Ma Jie , Hooft Lotty , Reitsma Johannes B , Logullo Patricia , Beam Andrew L , Peng Lily , Van Calster Ben , van Smeden Maarten , Riley Richard D , Moons Karel GM
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model of Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) statement and the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST) were both published to improve the reporting and critical appraisal of prediction model studies for diagnosis and prognosis. This paper describes the processes and methods that will be used to develop an extension to the TRIPOD statement (TRIPOD-artificial intelligence, AI) and the PROBAST (PROBAST-AI) tool for prediction model studies that applied machine learning techniques.

Methods and analysis

TRIPOD-AI and PROBAST-AI will be developed following published guidance from the EQUATOR Network, and will comprise five stages. Stage 1 will comprise two systematic reviews (across all medical fields and specifically in oncology) to examine the quality of reporting in published machine-learning-based prediction model studies. In stage 2, we will consult a diverse group of key stakeholders using a Delphi process to identify items to be considered for inclusion in TRIPOD-AI and PROBAST-AI. Stage 3 will be virtual consensus meetings to consolidate and prioritise key items to be included in TRIPOD-AI and PROBAST-AI. Stage 4 will involve developing the TRIPOD-AI checklist and the PROBAST-AI tool, and writing the accompanying explanation and elaboration papers. In the final stage, stage 5, we will disseminate TRIPOD-AI and PROBAST-AI via journals, conferences, blogs, websites (including TRIPOD, PROBAST and EQUATOR Network) and social media. TRIPOD-AI will provide researchers working on prediction model studies based on machine learning with a reporting guideline that can help them report key details that readers need to evaluate the study quality and interpret its findings, potentially reducing research waste. We anticipate PROBAST-AI will help researchers, clinicians, systematic reviewers and policymakers critically appraise the design, conduct and analysis of machine learning based prediction model studies, with a robust standardised tool for bias evaluation.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been granted by the Central University Research Ethics Committee, University of Oxford on 10-December-2020 (R73034/RE001). Findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-review publications.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019140361 and CRD42019161764.
Maternal depression and loss of children under the one-child family planning policy in China: a cross-sectional study of 300 000 women
Authors: Wang Hanyu , Frasco Eric , Shang Jie , Chen Minne , Xin Tong , Tang Kun
Published: July 2021

Objectives

This study aims to explore the association between maternal depression and the loss of the only child under the family-planning (FP) policy.

Design

Cross-sectional data from a Chinese population-based study were analysed.

Setting

Population from 10 (5 rural and 5 urban) areas in China.

Participants

Around 300 000 females were included in the study. The FP group was defined as women with one or two live births. Those with no surviving child were classified into the loss-of-only-child group. The non-FP group included women who had more than two live births. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and family types, after stratification and adjustment.

Outcome

MDD was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Inventory.

Results

The odds of MDD are 1.42 times higher in the FP group in general (OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.57), as opposed to the non-FP group. In particular, the odds of MDD are 1.36 times greater in the non-loss-of-only-child group (OR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.51) and 2.80 (OR=2.80, 95% CI: 0.88 to 8.94) times greater in the loss-of-only-child group, compared with the non-FP group. The associations between FP groups and MDD appeared to be stronger in the elderly population, in those who were married, less educated and those with a higher household income. The association was found progressively stronger in those who lost their only child.

Conclusions

People in the FP group, especially those who lost their only child, are more susceptible to MDD than their counterparts in the non-FP group. Mental health programmes should give special care to those who lost their only child and take existing social policies and norms, such as FP policies, into consideration.
ACTonDiabetes—a guided psychological internet intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for adults living with type 1 or 2 diabetes: results of a randomised controlled feasibility trial
Authors: Bendig Eileen , Bauereiss Natalie , Schmitt Andreas , Albus Patrick , Baumeister Harald
Published: July 2021

Objectives

This two-group randomised controlled trial evaluates the feasibility of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based internet intervention for diabetes distress in people with diabetes type 1 or type 2. Participants were assigned to a guided self-help intervention (EG) or waitlist control group (CG).

Setting

Recruitment took place following an open recruitment strategy including different diabetes centres, self-help groups and social media platforms.

Participants

Eligibility criteria comprised being 18 years of age or older, self-reported diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, internet access, sufficient German language skills and written informed consent.

Intervention

ACTonDiabetes is an internet-based and mobile-based intervention and comprises an introduction and seven modules (one module per week, processing time about 45–60 min). Intervention contents are based on ACT.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Participants were assessed before and 8 weeks after randomisation. Primary outcome was feasibility (trial recruitment, acceptability). Potential group differences in diabetes distress and other outcomes at follow-up were analysed using linear regression models with baseline values as predictors. All analyses were based on an intention-to-treat principle, potential negative effects were analysed on per-protocol basis.

Results

From October 2017 to April 2018, N=42 people with diabetes consented and were randomised (EG n=21, CG n=21). Forty-three per cent of the EG completed all treatment modules within 8 weeks. Across modules, formative user feedback revealed that contents could be optimised regarding comprehensibility (34%), individualisation (20%) and text amount (21%). Overall, 57% of participants dropped out prior to full treatment completion. There were reductions of diabetes distress in the EG (d=0.65, p=0.042).

Conclusions

Modifications of the intervention content according to the user feedback will be performed to further improve acceptability. Mechanisms to foster intervention adherence should be considered for lowering the attrition rate. ACTonDiabetes is feasible for the implementation in a confirmatory trial.

Trial registration number

WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform via the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) (DRKS00013193).
Portable light therapy in the treatment of unipolar non-seasonal major depressive disorder: study protocol for the LUMIDEP randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cosker Eve , Moulard Marie , Schmitt Samuel , Angioi-Duprez Karine , Baumann Cédric , Laprévote Vincent , Schwan Raymund , Schwitzer Thomas
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects more than 264 million people worldwide and is associated with an impaired quality of life as well as a higher risk of mortality. Current routine treatments demonstrate limited effectiveness. Light therapy (LT) on its own or in combination with antidepressant treatments could be an effective treatment, but the use of conventional LT devices use is restrictive. Portable LT devices allow patients to continue with their day-to-day activities and therefore encourage better treatment compliance. They have not been evaluated in MDD.

Methods and analysis

The study is a single-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial assessing the efficacy of LT delivered via a portable device in addition to usual care (medical care and drug treatment) for inpatients and outpatients with unipolar non-seasonal MDD. Over the course of 8 weeks, patients use the device daily for 30 min at medium intensity as soon as possible after waking up and preferably between 07:00 and 09:00. All patients continue their usual care with their referring physician. N=50 patients with MDD are included. The primary outcome measure is depressive symptom severity assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale between baseline and the eighth week. Secondary outcome measures are sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale and anxiety level assessed on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, between baseline and week 8. Further parameters relating to cognitive function are measured at baseline and after the intervention. An ancillary study aims to evaluate the impact of MDD on the retina and to follow its progression. Main limitations include risk of discontinuation or non-adherence and bias in patient selection.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by Ile de France X’s Ethics Committee (protocol number 34–2018). Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03685942.
In defence of newborns: a response to Kingma
Authors: Colgrove Nicholas
Published: July 2021

Recently, I argued that subjects inside of artificial wombs—termed ‘gestatelings’ by Romanis—share the same legal and moral status as newborns (neonates). Gestatelings, on my view, are persons in both a legal and moral sense. Kingma challenges these claims. Specifically, Kingma argues that my previous argument is invalid, as it equivocates on the term ‘newborn’. Kingma concludes that questions about the legal and moral status of gestatelings remain ‘unanswered’. I am grateful to Kingma for raising potential concerns with the view I have presented. In this essay, however, I argue that (most) of Kingma’s objections are unpersuasive. First, my original argument does not equivocate on terms like ‘newborn’ or ‘neonate’. The terms denote human beings that have been born recently; that is what matters to the argument. Charges of equivocation, I suspect, rest on a confusion between the denotation and connotations of ‘newborn’ (or ‘neonate’). Next, I show that, contra Kingma, it is clear that—under current law in the USA and UK—gestatelings would count as legal persons. Moral personhood is more difficult. On that subject, Kingma’s criticisms have merit. In response, however, I show that my original claim—that gestatelings should count as moral persons—remains true on several (common) philosophical accounts of personhood. Regarding those accounts that imply gestatelings are not moral persons, I argue that advocates face a troubling dilemma. I conclude that regardless of which view of moral personhood one adopts, questions about the moral status of gestatelings are not ‘unanswered’.
Reproductive carrier screening: responding to the eugenics critique
Authors: Dive Lisa , Newson Ainsley J
Published: July 2021

Reproductive genetic carrier screening (RCS), when offered to anyone regardless of their family history or ancestry, has been subject to the critique that it is a form of eugenics. Eugenics describes a range of practices that seek to use the science of heredity to improve the genetic composition of a population group. The term is associated with a range of unethical programmes that were taken up in various countries during the 20th century. Contemporary practice in medical genetics has, understandably, distanced itself from such programmes. However, as RCS becomes more widespread, gains public funding and uses expanded gene panels, there are concerns that such programmes could be perceived as eugenic either in intent or outcome. The typical response to the eugenics critique of RCS is to emphasise the voluntary nature of both participating in screening and making subsequent reproductive choices. While safeguarding individuals’ freedom to choose in relation to screening is essential, we consider this response inadequate. By examining the specific ethical wrongs committed by eugenics in the past, we argue that to avoid the perception of RCS being a form of eugenics it is essential to attend to the broader normative context in which reproductive decisions occur. Furthermore, ethical RCS programmes must recognise and respond to their potential to shift societal norms that shape individual reproductive choices.
Why we should not ‘just use age’ for COVID-19 vaccine prioritisation
Authors: Smith Maxwell J
Published: July 2021

Older age is one of the greatest risk factors for severe outcomes from COVID-19. If we believe it is important to use limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to protect the most vulnerable and prevent deaths, then available doses should be allocated with significant priority to older adults. Yet, we should resist the conclusion that age should be the sole criterion for COVID-19 vaccine prioritisation or that no younger populations (eg, those under the age of 60) should be prioritised until all older adults have been vaccinated. This article examines arguments that are commonly presented to abandon ‘complex’ vaccine prioritisation schemes in favour of ‘just using age’ (eg, prioritising those 80 years of age and older and then decreasing in a 5-year age bands until the entire population has had the opportunity to be vaccinated), and articulates the ethical reasons why these arguments are not persuasive.
Vaccinomics-driven proteome-wide screening of Haemophilus influenzae for the prediction of common putative vaccine candidates
Authors: Bibi Naseeha , Zaidi Najam-us-Sahar Sadaf , Tahir Muhammad , Babar Mustafeez Mujtaba
Published: July 2021

Haemophilus influenzae colonizes the respiratory tract and is associated with life-threatening invasive infections. The recent rise in its global prevalence, even in the presence of multiple vaccines, indicates an urgent need to develop effective cross-strain vaccine strategies. Our work focused on identifying the universally conserved antigenic regions of H. influenzae that can be used to develop new vaccines. A variety of bioinformatics tools were applied for the comprehensive geno-proteomic analysis of H. influenzae type a strain, as reference serotype, through which subcellular localization, essentiality, virulence, and non-host homology were determined. B and T cell epitope mapping of the 3D protein structures were performed. Thereafter, molecular docking with HLA_DRB1*0101 and comparative genome analysis established the candidature of the identified regions. Based on the established vaccinomics criteria, five target proteins were predicted as novel vaccine candidates. Among these, nine epitopic regions that could regulate lymphocyte activity through strong protein–protein interactions were identified. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the identified regions were highly conserved among the different strains of H. influenzae. Based on multiple immunogenic factors, five prioritized proteins and their predicted epitopes were identified as ideal common putative vaccine candidates against typeable strains.
Cannabis, the multibillion dollar plant that no genebank wanted
Authors: Torkamaneh Davoud , Jones Andrew Maxwell Phineas
Published: July 2021

Although cannabis is legalized and accepted as an agricultural commodity in many places around the world, a significant lack of public germplasm repositories remains an unresolved problem in the cannabis industry. The acquisition, preservation, and evaluation of germplasm, including landraces and ancestral populations, is key to unleashing the full potential of cannabis in the global marketplace. We argue here that accessible germplasm resources are crucial for long-term economic viability, preserving genetic diversity, breeding, innovation, and long-term sustainability of the crop. We believe that cannabis restrictions require a second look to allow genebanks to play a fuller and more effective role in conservation, sustainable use, and exchange of cannabis genetic resources.
Some Methods for Yager Preference Involved Aggregations in Multi-Criteria and Multi-Sources Evaluation
Authors: Yang Roujian , Pu Xingting , Paternain Daniel , Yager Ronald , Mesiar Radko , Bustince Humberto , Jin Lesheng
Published: July 2021

OWA operators and related aggregation techniques generally focus on input vector with a linear ordering. However, in commonly faced multi-criteria and multi-sources evaluation and decision making, the inputs involved form an evaluation matrix. Considering the fact that the data under evaluation are all with two dimensional meanings, this study explores and proposes four novel preference involved aggregation techniques by using RIM quantifiers and OWA operators. The first two models are both with two steps to carry out the aggregation processes, with one using two times of OWA operators and another considering evaluation matrix as a vector lattice. The last two models come from a whole perspective to direct the aggregation processes, with one arising from a global magnitude view and another based on staggered ordering using two specially defined collections of permutations. Illustrative examples and remarks are also spotted immediately following the proposed models or at suitable positions.
Solving Fractional Fuzzy Impulsive Differential Equations with Uncertainty by Novel Computational Technique
Authors: Najafi Nematallah , Allahviranloo Tofigh , Pedrycz Withold
Published: July 2021

The aim of this paper is to utilize the fuzzy fractional generalized Taylor series for fuzzy fractional impulsive differential equations (FFIDE) with uncertainty in the sense for generalized Hukuhara differentiability. Then, for the FFIDE, the modified fuzzy fractional Euler technique (MFFET) is presented following the fuzzy fractional generalized Taylor series and its local and global truncation errors are defined. Furthermore, the consistency, convergence, and stability for this MFFET are provided in detail. The illustrative examples show that the above technique, owing to its usefulness and efficiency, is used for solving [Formula: see text]th-order nonlinear FFIDES.
The Antibacterial Effect of Bacteriophage-Like Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Huang Xiuzhen , Lu Benben , Zhao Yingxian , Wang Zhiqiang , Wang Hongwei , Yuan Lin
Published: July 2021

The growth of pathogenic bacteria seriously threatens human health. Effective inhibition of pathogenic bacteria in the human body and the surrounding environment is of great urgency. In this work, we propose a strategy in preparing bacteriophage-like gold nanoparticles (B-AuNPs) for antibacterial applications. B-AuNPs were prepared by multiple in-situ reducing reactions on the surface of AuNPs. It was shown that the secondary-reduced AuNPs (B1-AuNPs) have a bacteriophage shaped morphology. Under near infrared laser, B1-AuNPs could almost completely inhibit bacterial growth at low concentrations within 5 min, due to the combined effects of increased temperature and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, B-AuNPs can be easily separated from the dead bacteria and the recycled B-AuNPs remain the high antibacterial efficiency. It is concluded that B-AuNPs have great potentials in the antibacterial researches for biocontrol, biomedicine and environmental engineering.
Facile Synthesis of Bi2S3/MoS2/g-C3N4 Ternary Photocatalysts and Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Zhang Dongen , Jiang Youxiang
Published: July 2021

Bi2S3/MoS2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was synthesized using a solid-state method for the first time. Thiourea and bulk Bi2MoO6 were used as the precursors and were reacted under a nitrogen atmosphere. Bi2S3/MoS2/g-C3N4 was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microcopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The structure of Bi2S3/MoS2/g-C3N4 is a three-dimensional network structure formed by uniform loading of g-C3N4 and MoS2 around the rod-like Bi2S3 framework. The photodegradation performance was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B during irradiation by a 350 W Xe lamp. The degradation rate of Bi2S3/MoS2/g-C3N4 towards rhodamine B reached 95.1% after irradiation for 150[Formula: see text]min. This study will provide new insights into the design of efficient and stable heterostructures for photocatalytic applications.
Bifurcations due to different delays of high-order fractional neural networks
Authors: Huang Chengdai , Cao Jinde
Published: July 2021

This paper expounds the bifurcations of two-delayed fractional-order neural networks (FONNs) with multiple neurons. Leakage delay or communication delay is viewed as a bifurcation parameter, stability zones and bifurcation conditions with respect to them are commendably established, respectively. It declares that both leakage delay and communication delay immensely influence the stability and bifurcation of the developed FONNs. The explored FONNs illustrate superior stability performance if selecting a lesser leakage delay or communication delay, and Hopf bifurcation generates once they overstep their critical values. The verification of the feasibility of the developed analytic results is implemented via numerical experiments.
Trading on online social mood: A machine learning strategy based on Twitter sentiment
Authors: He Chengying , Lin Mason , Wang Ning
Published: July 2021

This paper examines the potential of using online social sentiment data in algorithmic trading strategies. Several machine learning models are tested to produce a trading signal from the sentiment data to forecast the trend of a stock’s price. The algorithms are trained on the features extracted from PsychSignal data (containing bullish and bearish sentiment from Twitter). One most popular model, Random Forest (RF) classifier, is selected to generate a signal for the trading strategy. After backtesting on 1386 stocks listed in both NYSE and NASDAQ, the results show that the proposed model outperforms the baseline model, a simple moving average (SMA) strategy. We use the GridSearchCV to fine-tune the parameters of the classifier and compare the performance with the SMA baseline and the SPY benchmark, showing that our model generates 114.5% return on investment from January 2013 through October 2015. Additionally, the portfolios constructed by the RF classifier appear to produce a higher return than portfolios constructed by an SMA strategy. The results show that Twitter sentiment data is a valuable technical trading indicator for specific sectors.
Authorization of Vaccines in the European Union
Authors: Hidalgo-Simon Ana , Botgros Radu , Cochino Emil
Published: July 2021

The current COVID-19 pandemic has had a vertiginous accelerating effect on the time from identification of a new virus to a vaccine being deployed. A key step in this journey, the marketing authorization process, is under intense scrutiny and time pressure. The marketing authorization is a necessary gateway that protects public health and provides healthcare professionals and the general public with reliable and relevant evidence reflected in the product information to allow the safe and effective use of these vaccines. Regulators have the expertise and the duty to evaluate vaccines’ benefits and risks and, importantly, monitor safety during clinical use. This evaluation is more important than ever during a pandemic—and must be allowed to be as thorough as ever.
Exploration play statistics in the Southern North Sea region of The Netherlands and UK
Authors: Quirk David G. , Archer Stuart G.
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the historical results of onshore and offshore petroleum exploration in the Anglo-Dutch Basin of the Southern North Sea. A total recoverable resource of 220 Tcfe has been discovered within a contiguous area of 85 000 km
2
. 73% of the resource occurs in The Netherlands. The resource is predominantly gas (207 Tcf), sourced from Upper Carboniferous coals, although the youngest play is oil, sourced from Lower Jurassic shales.

There are five plays, partitioned by late Permian-age (Zechstein) salt. In terms of discovered resource they are ranked: (1) Rotliegend aeolian–fluvial sandstones (443 gas discoveries, 417 Bcfe average size); (2) Triassic fluvial sandstones (101 gas discoveries, 140 Bcfe average); (3) Lower Cretaceous paralic–shallow-marine sandstones (61 oil discoveries, 29 MMboe average); (4) Westphalian fluvial sandstones (70 gas discoveries, 88 Bcfe average); and (5) Zechstein carbonates (51 gas discoveries, 83 Bcfe average). Although the main Rotliegend fairway is mature, there are probably discoveries yet to be made in the Westphalian and Zechstein plays, and possibly within the Triassic and Lower Cretaceous plays. There is also potential to extend the Rotliegend play beyond where it is proven: for example, along the northern margin of the basin and towards its centre.
Changing hazard awareness over two decades: the case of Furnas, São Miguel (Azores)
Authors: Lotteri Alessandra , Speake Janet , Kennedy Victoria , Wallenstein Nicolau , Coutinho Rui , Chester David , Duncan Angus , Dibben Christopher , Ferreira Francisco
Published: July 2021

Furnas (
c.
1500 inhabitants) lies within the caldera of Furnas volcano on the island of São Miguel (Azores) and has the potential to expose its inhabitants to multiple hazards (e.g. landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and degassing). The present population has never experienced a volcanic eruption or a major earthquake, although the catalogue records six eruptions, sub-Plinian in style, over the last 2 kyr. Today, the area experiences strong fumarolic activity. In the case of an eruption, early evacuation would be necessary to prevent inhabitants from being trapped within the caldera. An awareness of potential threats and knowledge of what to do in the case of an emergency would assist in evacuation. In this paper, inhabitants’ awareness of volcanic and seismic threats in 2017 is compared with that revealed in a similar study completed more than two decades ago. It is concluded that whereas awareness of earthquakes and the dangers posed by volcanic gas discharge has increased, knowledge of the threat of volcanic eruptions and the need to prepare for possible evacuation has not. Research suggests that the changing awareness is related to effective collaboration that has developed between the regional government, through its civil protection authorities and scientists, and the people of Furnas.
Integrated Hardware Garbage Collection
Authors: García Andrés Amaya , May David , Nutting Ed
Published: July 2021

Garbage collected programming languages, such as Python and C#, have accelerated software development. These modern languages increase productivity and software reliability as they provide high-level data representation and control structures. Modern languages are widely used in software development for mobile, desktop, and server devices, but their adoption is limited in real-time embedded systems.

There is clear interest in supporting modern languages in embedded devices as emerging markets, like the Internet of Things, demand ever smarter and more reliable products. Multiple commercial and open-source projects, such as Zerynth and MicroPython, are attempting to provide support. But these projects rely on software garbage collectors that impose high overheads and introduce unpredictable pauses, preventing their use in many embedded applications. These limitations arise from the unsuitability of conventional processors for performing efficient, predictable garbage collection.

We propose the Integrated Hardware Garbage Collector (IHGC); a garbage collector tightly coupled with the processor that runs continuously in the background. Further, we introduce a static analysis technique to guarantee that real-time programs are never paused by the collector. Our design allocates a memory cycle to the collector when the processor is not using the memory. The IHGC achieves this by careful division of collection work into single-memory-access steps that are interleaved with the processor’s memory accesses. As a result, our collector eliminates run-time overheads and enables real-time program analysis.

The principles behind the IHGC can be used in conjunction with existing architectures. For example, we simulated the IHGC alongside the ARMv6-M architecture. Compared to a conventional processor, our experiments indicate that the IHGC offers 1.5–7 times better performance for programs that rely on garbage collection. The IHGC delivers the benefits of garbage-collected languages with real-time performance but without the complexity and overheads inherent in software collectors.
Quantum Annealing versus Digital Computing
Authors: Jünger Michael , Lobe Elisabeth , Mutzel Petra , Reinelt Gerhard , Rendl Franz , Rinaldi Giovanni , Stollenwerk Tobias
Published: July 2021

Quantum annealing is getting increasing attention in combinatorial optimization. The quantum processing unit by D-Wave is constructed to approximately solve Ising models on so-called Chimera graphs. Ising models are equivalent to quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problems and maximum cut problems on the associated graphs. We have tailored branch-and-cut as well as semidefinite programming algorithms for solving Ising models for Chimera graphs to provable optimality and use the strength of these approaches for comparing our solution values to those obtained on the current quantum annealing machine, D-Wave 2000Q. This allows for the assessment of the quality of solutions produced by the D-Wave hardware. In addition, we also evaluate the performance of a heuristic by Selby. It has been a matter of discussion in the literature how well the D-Wave hardware performs at its native task, and our experiments shed some more light on this issue. In particular, we examine how reliably the D-Wave computer can deliver true optimum solutions and present some surprising results.
TAMA
Authors: Aligholipour Rashid , Baharloo Mohammad , Farzaneh Behnam , Abdollahi Meisam , Khonsari Ahmad
Published: July 2021

Nowadays, static power consumption in chip multiprocessor (CMP) is the most crucial concern of chip designers. Power-gating is an effective approach to mitigate static power consumption particularly in low utilization. Network-on-Chip (NoC) as the backbone of multi- and many-core chips has no exception. Previous state-of-the-art techniques in power-gating desire to decrease static power consumption alongside the lack of diminution in performance of NoC. However, maintaining the performance and utilization of the power-gating approach has not yet been addressed very well. In this article, we propose TAMA (Turn-Aware Mapping & Architecture) as an effective method to boost the performance of the TooT method that was only powering on a router during turning pass or packet injection. In other words, in the TooT method, straight and eject packets pass the router via a bypass route without powering on the router. By employing meta-heuristic approaches (Genetic and Ant Colony algorithms), we develop a specific application mapping that attempts to decrease the number of turns through interconnection networks. Accordingly, the average latency of packet transmission decreases due to fewer turns. Also, by powering on turn routers in advance with lightweight hardware, the latency of sending packets diminishes. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach, i.e., TAMA achieves more than 13% reduction in packet latency of NoC in comparison with TooT. Besides the packet latency, the power consumption of TAMA is reduced by about 87% compared to the traditional approach.