2,538 results
Search Results
2. Paper biosensors for detecting elevated IL-6 levels in blood and respiratory samples from COVID-19 patients
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Marcio Borges, María Berman-Riu, Mercedes García-Gasalla, Enrique Barón, Alejandra Alba-Patiño, Giulia Santopolo, J. M. Ferrer, Steven M. Russell, Andreu Vaquer, María Aranda, Roberto de la Rica, Cristina Adrover-Jaume, María del Mar González del Campo, and Antonio Clemente
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Paper-based ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,Systemic inflammation ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,Prognosis biomarker ,Wide dynamic range ,Materials Chemistry ,Medicine ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Interleukin 6 ,Respiratory samples ,Instrumentation ,ComputingMethodologies_COMPUTERGRAPHICS ,Detection limit ,IL-6 ,biology ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Metals and Alloys ,COVID-19 ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,0104 chemical sciences ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,biology.protein ,Smartphone ,medicine.symptom ,0210 nano-technology ,business ,Biosensor ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Graphical abstract, Highlights • Detection of cytokine storm biomarkers with mobile biosensors. • Immunosensors are made solely of cellulose modified with antibody-decorated nanoparticles. • Turnaround time under 10 min. • Detection of biomarkers in respiratory samples allows monitoring local inflammation. • Compatible with decentralized health care schemes., Decentralizing COVID-19 care reduces contagions and affords a better use of hospital resources. We introduce biosensors aimed at detecting severe cases of COVID-19 in decentralized healthcare settings. They consist of a paper immunosensor interfaced with a smartphone. The immunosensors have been designed to generate intense colorimetric signals when the sample contains ultralow concentrations of IL-6, which has been proposed as a prognosis biomarker of COVID-19. This is achieved by combining a paper-based signal amplification mechanism with polymer-filled reservoirs for dispensing antibody-decorated nanoparticles and a bespoken app for color quantification. With this design we achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 10−3 pg mL-1 and semi-quantitative measurements in a wide dynamic range between 10−3 and 102 pg mL-1 in PBS. The assay time is under 10 min. The low LOD allowed us to dilute blood samples and detect IL-6 with an LOD of 1.3 pg mL-1 and a dynamic range up to 102 pg mL-1. Following this protocol, we were able to stratify COVID-19 patients according to different blood levels of IL-6. We also report on the detection of IL-6 in respiratory samples (bronchial aspirate, BAS) from COVID-19 patients. The test could be easily adapted to detect other cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-8 by changing the antibodies decorating the nanoparticles accordingly. The ability of detecting cytokines in blood and respiratory samples paves the way for monitoring local inflammation in the lungs as well as systemic inflammation levels in the body.
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- 2021
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3. Critical observations on and suggested ways forward for healthcare communication during COVID-19: pEACH position paper
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Shakaib Rehman, Cinzia Colombo, Demi Krystallidou, Serena Barello, Eugenia Cao di San Marco, Thanakorn Jirasevijinda, Guendalina Graffigna, Conor Gilligan, Paola Mosconi, Sarah J. White, Judy Mullan, Sara Rubinelli, Elena Vegni, Edgard Eeckman, and UZB Other
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Communication with masks ,Health Personnel ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Settore M-PSI/06 - PSICOLOGIA DEL LAVORO E DELLE ORGANIZZAZIONI ,Health literacy ,Health Promotion ,Telehealth ,Health Promotion/methods ,Risk communication ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Political science ,Health care ,Experiential knowledge ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Bereavement conversations ,Health communication ,Health Personnel/psychology ,Pandemics ,media_common ,Engagement ,Infodemic ,Public health communication ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,030503 health policy & services ,Uncertainty ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Public relations ,Health promotion ,Public Health Practice ,Position paper ,Psychological resilience ,telemedicine ,Disease names ,0305 other medical science ,business ,health literacy - Abstract
Objective Communication in healthcare has influenced and been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this position paper, we share observations based on the latest available evidence and experiential knowledge that have emerged during the pandemic, with a specific focus on policy and practice. Methods This is a position paper that presents observations relating to policy and practice in communication in healthcare related to COVID-19. Results Through our critical observations as experts in the field of healthcare communication, we share our stance how healthcare communication has occured during the pandemic and suggest possible ways of improving policy and professional practice. We make recommendations for policy makers, healthcare providers, and communication experts while also highlighting areas that merit further investigation regarding healthcare communication in times of healthcare crises. Conclusion We have witnessed an upheaval of healthcare practice and the development of policy on-the-run. To ensure that policy and practice are evidence-based, person-centred, more inclusive and equitable, we advocate for critical reflection on this symbiotic relationship between COVID-19 and the central role of communication in healthcare. Practice implications This paper provides a summary of the key areas for development in communication in healthcare during COVID-19. It offers recommendations for improvement and a call to review policies and practice to build resilience and inclusive and equitable responsiveness in communication in healthcare.
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- 2021
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4. Determination of glutamate using paper-based microfluidic devices with colorimetric detection for food samples
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Kaewta Danchana, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Kenta Ochiai, Haruka Namba, and Takashi Kaneta
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Enzymatic reaction ,Paper-based analytical device ,Glutamate ,Spectroscopy ,Analytical Chemistry - Abstract
A paper-based device (PAD) capable of colorimetric detection was developed to determine the presence of glutamate in various food samples. The PAD employs an enzymatic reaction with glutamate followed by an oxidation reaction with N-benzoyl leucomethylene blue (BLMB) in the presence of horseradish peroxidase. The designed PAD consists of a sample introduction zone connected to a channel that transports a sample solution to three detection zones. The detection zones contain pre-deposited reagents: glutamate oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, BLMB, a phosphate buffer, and poly(acrylic acid). The PAD is perpendicularly immersed into a sample solution and bent at a right angle using a 3D-printed holder to allow the sample to simultaneously flow into three different detection zones. When the PAD is immersed into a sample containing glutamate, glutamate oxidase produces hydrogen peroxide, which changes the pale blue color of BLMB to a deep blue color in the presence of horseradish peroxidase. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration curve between the logarithm of the glutamate concentrations and the color intensity was linear within a range of from 5 x 10(-6) mol L-1 to 10(-2) and with a correlation coefficient of 0.994. Using this system, the PAD successfully determined glutamate in soup stocks, sauces, snacks, and tomato juice without the need of complicated sample pretreatment. These results agreed with those of a commercially available glutamate assay kit, which was employed as a certification method (t(stat )= 1.95, t(crit )= 2.57). The developed PAD is simple, easy to fabricate, portable, and could be used outside of equipped laboratories to determine the presence of glutamate in food samples.
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- 2022
5. Israeli Position Paper
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Ephrat Levy-Lahad, Charles L. Sprung, Tami Karni, and Avraham Steinberg
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Bioethics ,medicine.disease ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Triage ,Pandemic ,Position paper ,Medicine ,Medical emergency ,business ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Health policy - Published
- 2020
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6. White paper on Ivermectin as a potential therapy for COVID-19
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V.K. Arora, Agam Vora, Surya Kant Tripathy, and Digambar Behera
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Tuberculosis ,Pneumonia, Viral ,medicine.disease_cause ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,Betacoronavirus ,Ivermectin ,White paper ,Risk Factors ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Antiviral ,Pandemics ,Coronavirus ,Panel discussion ,0303 health sciences ,Antiparasitic Agents ,030306 microbiology ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,COVID-19 ,medicine.disease ,Antiparasitic agent ,Treatment Outcome ,PCR ,Infectious Diseases ,Tolerability ,Family medicine ,business ,Coronavirus Infections ,Infection ,medicine.drug - Abstract
A group of senior doctors with vast clinical experience met on 19th July’20 under the aegis of Academy of Advanced Medical Education. The panel looked at Ivermectin, one of the old molecule and evaluated it's use in COVID 19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019) management. After critical panel discussion, all the attending doctors came to a conclusion that Ivermectin can be a potential molecule for prophylaxis and treatment of people infected with Coronavirus, owing to its anti-viral properties coupled with effective cost, availability and good tolerability and safety., Highlights “Ivermectin in the dose of 12 mg BD alone or in combination with other therapy for 5–7 days may be considered as safe therapeutic option for mild moderate or severe cases of Covid-19 infection. It is cost effective especially when the other drugs are very costly & not easily available”.
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- 2020
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7. Development of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device for magnesium determination in saliva samples
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Juliana I.S. Aguiar, Mafalda T.S. Silva, Helena A.G. Ferreira, Elisabete C.B. Pinto, Marta W. Vasconcelos, António O.S.S. Rangel, Raquel B.R. Mesquita, and Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Magnesium quantification ,Disposable device ,Point-of-care analysis ,Saliva samples ,Analytical Chemistry ,Salivary magnesium correlation with serum magnesium - Abstract
In this work, a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) was developed for magnesium determination in saliva samples. The idea was to develop a fast and simple method for biological magnesium quantification targeting saliva as an easy to collect and non-invasive alternative to blood or urine samples. The μPAD approach was chosen due to its advantages, namely ideally suited to conduct on-location determinations, and not requiring trained operators or specialized laboratory equipment. The developed μPAD was based on the colorimetric reaction between eriochrome cyanine and magnesium to form an intense orange/reddish colour product. The colour intensity was determined by image processing after digital scanning, made within 10 to 90 min after sample loading. Under optimal conditions, the dynamic concentration range was 82–247 μM, with detection and quantification limits of 62 μM and 81 μM, respectively. The device is stable for up to 3 months when stored in vacuum or in a modified nitrogen atmosphere. An accuracy assessment was made by comparing the results obtained using the developed μPAD with those from atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The relative difference between the two sets of results was below 5%.
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- 2022
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8. Achieving Universal Health Care in the Pacific: The need for nursing and midwifery leadership. Review Paper
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Rumsey, Michele, Leong, Margaret, Brown, Di, Larui, Michael, Capelle, Moralene, and Rodrigues, Nathalia
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Review ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Summary: The quality of healthcare services and outcomes in the Pacific vary widely, with some countries enjoying some of the world's longest life expectancies, others have high rates of maternal and child mortality and relatively low life expectancy. Nurses and midwives make up more than two thirds of the regional regulated healthcare workforce. This paper argues that if countries are to meet Universal Health Coverage nursing and midwifery leaders need to be explicitly involved in shaping policy at the highest levels of government to optimise individual and community health both now and in the future. Using United Nations 2019 declaration towards building a healthier world, this paper provides a rationale for inclusion of these leaders into national and regional decisionmaking forums related to health policy to provide an informed voice in ministerial deliberations on health policy. We suggest that following several comprehensive regional and global studies, South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alliance and the newly developed Pacific Heads of Nurses and Midwifery provide a vehicle for this to occur. As outlined in the WHO Strategic Directions, it is now time to embed Chief Nurses in national and regional health policy development.
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- 2022
9. Ambient ion focusing for paper spray ionisation
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Barry L. Smith, Cedric Boisdon, Yufeng Zhou, Tung-Ting Sham, Simon Maher, Stephen J McWilliam, B Bastani, David Romero-Perez, and Abraham K. Badu-Tawiah
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business.industry ,Chemistry ,Substrate (electronics) ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Mass spectrometry ,Taylor cone ,Ion ,law.invention ,Lens (optics) ,law ,Ionization ,Electric field ,Electric potential ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Process engineering ,business ,Instrumentation ,Spectroscopy - Abstract
Paper Spray (PS) is an ambient ionisation technique that is conceptually simple, economical, direct and versatile. In its simplest form, the procedure for operation relies on the application of an electric potential to a triangular-shaped paper substrate with the addition of an extraction/spray solvent to generate charge droplets, without requiring any pneumatic assistance. Despite its promise and rapidly growing popularity, there are some practical challenges associated with PS implementation with scope to enhance its performance further. One such challenge relates to only a small fraction of the Taylor cone expansion being sampled at the MS inlet. In this work we propose a new arrangement for PS, which retains the inherent advantages of this popular technique without introducing additional variables, by using an ambient ion focusing lens that is held at the same potential as the paper substrate. A thorough investigation, consisting of visual spray inspection, electric field simulations and analytical evaluation, including analysis of paracetamol from saliva, shows that ambient ion focusing can provide up to a 50% improvement in spray stability, 60% increase in signal intensity and a 30% improvement in detection limits for routine paper spray mass spectrometry analysis.
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- 2022
10. Editorial paper for pattern recognition letters VSI on multi-view representation learning and multi-modal information representation
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Dan Song, Wenshu Zhang, Tongwei Ren, and Xiaojun Chang
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Artificial Intelligence ,Signal Processing ,Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing ,Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Software ,0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing, 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 1702 Cognitive Sciences - Published
- 2022
11. Fungal pigments on paper: Raman and quantum chemistry studies of Alternaria Sp
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Carole C. Perry and Victor V. Volkov
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Spectral signature ,Chemistry ,Process Chemistry and Technology ,General Chemical Engineering ,Chromophore ,Quantum chemistry ,Protein filament ,Pigment ,symbols.namesake ,Alternaria sp ,Chemical physics ,visual_art ,visual_art.visual_art_medium ,symbols ,Raman spectroscopy ,High humidity - Abstract
To advance our understanding of the molecular biochemistry of fungi which impact cultural heritage in libraries, museums and archives we investigated the diagnostic capacity of Raman spectroscopy to identify the composition of colored chromophores of fungi on paper. In this study we explored the diagnostic capacity of resonant Raman to distinguish chromophores in fungal filaments stimulated to grow on paper under high humidity with a focus on characterizing chromophores of Alternaria group species. To facilitate molecular analysis, we conducted quantum chemistry calculations of representative metabolites having optical absorption in the ultraviolet–visible spectral range. Comparing theory and experiment we show that fonsecin, erythroglaucin and aurasperone type chromophores occur in mature hyphal filaments with β-carotene dominant in yeast depositions on paper surfaces. Resonant Raman of mature filaments suggests a further contribution of carotenes longer than β-carotene to the spectral signature. Using microscopic resolution, we distinguish rich sets of Raman signatures that we assign to lignin, flavoglaucin, riboflavin, cycloleucomelon(e) and asperyellone molecular components in the spatial regions where filaments initiate from yeast depositions. In such regions, where filament microstructures stimulate development of a mature three-dimensional scaffold, the diversity of Raman resonances confirms a rich biochemistry of the developing structures. The library of computed optical and spectroscopic responses of characteristic fungal chromophores and metabolites presented here is essential for understanding the effect of fungi on a wide range of objects made from paper including books, prints, drawings, watercolors, engravings and even sculptures as well as designing next generation materials based on fungal hyphal mats.
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- 2021
12. Nanos gigantium humeris insidentes: old papers informing new research into Toxoplasma gondii
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David J. P. Ferguson, Nicholas Smith, Dominique Soldati-Favre, Melissa B. Lodoen, and Giel G. van Dooren
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Host immunity ,0303 health sciences ,Life Cycle Stages ,biology ,Mechanism (biology) ,Intracellular parasite ,030231 tropical medicine ,Toxoplasma gondii ,Mycology & Parasitology ,biology.organism_classification ,Key features ,Coleoptera ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Infectious Diseases ,Evolutionary biology ,Research community ,Parasite hosting ,Animals ,0605 Microbiology, 0608 Zoology, 0707 Veterinary Sciences ,Parasitology ,Rabbits ,Toxoplasma ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Since Nicolle, Manceaux and Splendore first described Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite of rodents and rabbits in the early 20th century, a diverse and vigorous research community has been built around studying this fascinating intracellular parasite. In addition to its importance as a pathogen of humans, livestock and wildlife, modern researchers are attracted to T. gondii as a facile experimental system to study many aspects of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, host-microbe interactions, and host immunity. For new researchers entering the field, the extensive literature describing the biology of the parasite, and the interactions with its host, can be daunting. In this review, we examine four foundational studies that describe various aspects of T. gondii biology, presenting a 'journal club'-style analysis of each. We have chosen a paper that established the beguiling life cycle of the parasite (Hutchison et al., 1971), a paper that described key features of its cellular biology that the parasite shares with related organisms (Gustafson et al., 1954), a paper that characterised the origin of the unique compartment in which the parasite resides within host cells (Jones and Hirsch, 1972), and a paper that established a key mechanism in the host immune response to parasite infection (Pfefferkorn, 1984). These interesting and far-reaching studies set the stage for subsequent research into numerous facets of parasite biology. As well as providing new researchers with an entry point into the literature surrounding the parasite, revisiting these studies can remind us of the roots of our discipline, how far we have come, and the new directions in which we might head.
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- 2021
13. Breastfeeding in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper
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Karen Walker, Lisa Whiting, Cathrine Fowler, Patricia Bromley, Lynette Staff, Linda Jones, Janet Green, and Julia Petty
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Breastfeeding ,1110 Nursing, 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine ,COVID-19 ,Context (language use) ,Avoiding separation ,Disease ,Nursing ,Pediatrics ,Article ,Pandemic ,Health care ,Global health ,Medicine ,Neonatal nurses ,Support ,business ,Protective benefits - Abstract
Breastfeeding offers one of the most fundamental global health benefits for babies. Breastmilk is lifesaving, providing not only nutrition but immunologic benefits and as such is strongly supported by the World Health Organization and leading healthcare associations worldwide. When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, the impact of the restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease created challenges and questions about provision of safe, quality care, including breastfeeding practices, in a new 'normal' environment. Mothers were temporarily separated from their babies where infection was present or suspected, parents were prevented from being present on neonatal units and vital breastfeeding support was prevented. This discussion paper provides an overview of essential areas of knowledge related to practice for neonatal nurses and midwives who care for breastfeeding mothers and babies, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest global guidance. Three areas will be discussed; the protective benefits of breastfeeding, keeping breastfeeding mothers and babies together and supporting mothers to breastfeed their babies. Finally, care recommendations are presented to serve as a summary of key points for application to practice for neonatal nurses and midwives.
- Published
- 2021
14. Exploring modifiable risk-factors for premature birth in the context of COVID-19 mitigation measures: A discussion paper
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Lisa Whiting, Janet Green, Cathrine Fowler, and Julia Petty
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Gerontology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Neonatal intensive care unit ,business.industry ,MEDLINE ,Context (language use) ,medicine.disease ,Pediatrics ,Article ,Unit (housing) ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Premature birth ,030225 pediatrics ,Pandemic ,medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Neonatology ,business ,Personal protective equipment - Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents with sick or premature babies have faced challenges following admission to a neonatal unit due to the imposed lock-down restrictions on social contact, hospital visitation and the wearing of personal protective equipment. The negative short-term impact on neonatal care in relation to the prevention of close proximity, contact and bonding between parents and babies is potentially significant. However, an interesting finding has been reported of a reduction in premature birth admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit during the pandemic, raising important questions. Why was this? Was it related to the effect of the modifiable risk-factors for premature birth? This discussion paper focuses on an exploration of these factors in the light of the potential impact of COVID-19 restrictions on neonatal care. After contextualising both the effect of premature birth and the pandemic on neonatal and parental short-term outcomes, the discussion turns to the modifiable risk-factors for premature birth and makes recommendations relevant to the education, advice and care given to expectant mothers.
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- 2021
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15. Reporting transparency and completeness in trials: Paper 3 - trials conducted using administrative databases do not adequately report elements related to use of databases
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Imran, Mahrukh, Mc Cord, Kimberly, McCall, Stephen J, Kwakkenbos, Linda, Sampson, Margaret, Fröbert, Ole, Gale, Chris, Hemkens, Lars G, Langan, Sinéad M, Moher, David, Relton, Clare, Zwarenstein, Merrick, Juszczak, Edmund, Thombs, Brett D, and CONSORT Extension for Trials Conducted Using Cohorts and Routine
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humanities - Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated reporting completeness and transparency in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted using administrative data based on 2021 CONSORT Extension for Trials Conducted Using Cohorts and Routinely Collected Data (CONSORT-ROUTINE) criteria. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: MEDLINE and the Cochrane Methodology Register were searched (2011 and 2018). Eligible RCTs used administrative databases for identifying eligible participants or collecting outcomes. We evaluated reporting based on CONSORT-ROUTINE, which modified eight items from CONSORT 2010 and added five new items. RESULTS: Of 33 included trials (76% used administrative databases for outcomes, 3% for identifying participants, 21% both), most were conducted in the United States (55%), Canada (18%), or the United Kingdom (12%). Of eight items modified in the extension; six were adequately reported in a majority (>50%) of trials. For the CONSORT-ROUTINE modification portion of those items, three items were reported adequately in >50% of trials, two in
- Published
- 2021
16. The implications of face masks for babies and families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper
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Julia Petty, Patricia Bromley, Lynette Staff, Janet Green, and Linda Jones
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Social distance ,Relational communication ,Context (language use) ,Pediatrics ,Article ,Developmental psychology ,Face masks ,03 medical and health sciences ,Face-to-face ,0302 clinical medicine ,Developmental stage theories ,030225 pediatrics ,Pandemic ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Psychology - Abstract
COVID-19 has changed the way that newborn babies are cared for within the neonatal setting due to the introduction of social distancing and wearing of face masks to limit the spread of the infection. Potential implications exist related to the normal development of bonding and connections with others. This paper discusses the importance of face to face interactions for early attachment between babies and parents within the context of relevant underpinning developmental theory. Mask wearing can also potentially impact relational communication, requiring us to change our current ways of working. Decreasing face to face interactions and relational communication, along with key recommendations for both parents and health professionals are further highlighted to mitigate the potential negative effects of masks on long-term development related to human connection and attachment.
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- 2021
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17. Retracted papers on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
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Mariachiara Ippolito, Antonino Giarratano, Andrea Cortegiani, Anthony Absalom, Sharon Einav, Giulia Catalisano, Cortegiani, Andrea, Catalisano, Giulia, Ippolito, Mariachiara, Giarratano, Antonino, Absalom, Anthony R., Einav, Sharon, and Critical care, Anesthesiology, Peri-operative and Emergency medicine (CAPE)
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2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,preprint ,COVID-19 ,SARS-COV-2 ,Virology ,COVID-19h-indexpreprintpublication ethicsretractionSARS-COV-2 ,publication ethics ,Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine ,Correspondence ,Publication ethics ,Medicine ,h-index ,business ,retraction - Published
- 2021
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18. Respiratory support in patients with COVID-19 (outside intensive care unit). A position paper of the Respiratory Support and Chronic Care Group of the French Society of Respiratory Diseases
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C. Rabec, J. Gonzalez-Bermejo, M. Mercy, L. Grassion, S. Pontier, M. Patout, R. Luque, C. Delafosse, C. Raherison-Semjen, B. Maître, L. Duthoit, A. Mendoza, L. Jacquin, J.C. Borel, P. Cervantes, J.-P. Janssens, J.-F. Chabot, C. Morelot-Panzini, and D. Jaffuel
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Emergency Medical Services ,Critical Care ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Severity of Illness Index ,Article ,law.invention ,law ,Oxygen therapy ,medicine ,Emergency medical services ,Pulmonary Medicine ,Humans ,Continuous positive airway pressure ,Intensive care medicine ,Pandemics ,Societies, Medical ,Mechanical ventilation ,Chronic care ,Respiratory Distress Syndrome ,Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ,business.industry ,Nebulizers and Vaporizers ,Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ,COVID-19 ,Respiration Disorders ,Intensive care unit ,Respiration, Artificial ,Intensive Care Units ,Acute Disease ,Chronic Disease ,Breathing ,France ,business - Abstract
With first cases noted towards the end of 2019 in China, COVID-19 infection was rapidly become a devastating pandemic. Even if most patients present with a mild to moderate form of the disease, the estimated prevalence of COVID-19-related severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) is 15-20% and 2-12% needed intubation and mechanical ventilation. In addition to mechanical ventilation some other techniques of respiratory support could be used in some forms of COVID-19 related ARF. This position paper of the Respiratory Support and Chronic Care Group of the French Society of Respiratory Diseases is intended to help respiratory clinicians involved in care of COVID-19 pandemic in the rational use of non-invasive techniques such as oxygen therapy, CPAP, non-invasive ventilation and high flow oxygen therapy in managing patients outside intensive care unit (ICU). The aims are: (1) to focus both on the place of each technique and in describing practical tips (types of devices and circuit assemblies) aimed to limit the risk of caregivers when using those techniques at high risk spreading of viral particles; (2) to propose a step-by-step strategy to manage ARF outside ICU.
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- 2020
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19. From the Editor-in-Chief: Featured Papers in the January Issue
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Herbert, Chen
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General Surgery ,Humans ,Surgery ,General Medicine - Published
- 2021
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20. From the Editor – In – Chief: Top papers from the Southwest Surgical Congress
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Herbert Chen
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2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Editor in chief ,Medicine ,Library science ,Surgery ,General Medicine ,business - Published
- 2020
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21. Editorial: The basics for writing a paper for the International Journal of Project Management
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506009 Organisation theory ,502030 Project management ,506009 Organisationstheorie ,502030 Projektmanagement - Published
- 2020
22. A Video is Worth a Million Words? Comparing a Documentary with a Scientific Paper to Communicate Design Research
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Marlene Moura, Pedro Almeida, David Geerts, Varajao, JEQ, CruzCunha, MM, Martinho, R, Rijo, R, BjornAndersen, N, Turner, R, and Alves, D
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Research design ,Value (ethics) ,030505 public health ,research ,Multimedia ,Computer science ,paper ,05 social sciences ,design ,computer.software_genre ,World Wide Web ,second screen application ,03 medical and health sciences ,Order (business) ,Key (cryptography) ,Documentary ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Second screen ,Science communication ,0509 other social sciences ,050904 information & library sciences ,0305 other medical science ,computer ,General Environmental Science ,Science journalism - Abstract
This paper reports on a study evaluating the value of a documentary as a key medium to communicate design research. We present information from the evaluation of a second screen application using video as well as a scientific paper, in order to assess how the efficacy and usefulness of using such a documentary for science communication is perceived when compared to a scientific paper. Techniques of a method called Design Documentary, developed to inspire design research teams through video, combined with science journalism were the basis of the production. Twelve researchers and students were shown the documentary and asked to read the paper in counter-balanced order. Our qualitative results show that the documentary as a complementary means of communication can bring benefits to research communication, since it delivers information the paper cannot provide. However, the fact the video is not suited for peer review might restrict its place when compared to the paper. On the overall, participants thought both formats are valuable and are complementary. ispartof: pages:747-754 ispartof: Procedia Computer Science vol:100 pages:747-754 ispartof: CENTERIS location:PORTUGAL, Porto 2016 status: published
- Published
- 2016
23. Exploring the interactions between starches, bentonites and plasticizers in sustainable barrier coatings for paper and board
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Christopher Breen, Caisa Johansson, Simon Thompson, Francis Clegg, and Lars Järnström
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Materials science ,Moisture ,Scanning electron microscope ,Starch ,Composite number ,Plasticizer ,food and beverages ,020101 civil engineering ,Geology ,02 engineering and technology ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,0201 civil engineering ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Adsorption ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,13. Climate action ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Bentonite ,0210 nano-technology ,Layer (electronics) - Abstract
Effective food packaging is a major factor in the current global drive to minimise food waste. Starch is an excellent oxygen barrier for packaging but it is brittle and moisture sensitive. The addition of layered minerals and plasticizers can significantly improve the moisture barrier and flexibility of the resulting composite. Some combinations of starch and plasticizer are incompatible but our results show that the addition of bentonite ensures the formation of coherent starch films with much improved moisture barrier regardless of the starch-plasticizer compatibility. It was clearly demonstrated that improvement of the moisture barrier was critically dependent on the layer charge of the bentonite used. Starch was readily accommodated in the interlayer space of bentonites with a layer charge of
- Published
- 2019
24. Open Review in computer science: Elsevier grand challenge on executable papers
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Le Borgne, Yann-Aël, Campo, Alexandre, Computational Modelling, and Informatics and Applied Informatics
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reproducible research ,Peer-review ,Executable papers - Abstract
We present Open Review, a web-based platform aimed at stimulating executable papers by means of post-publication peer-review. Its goal is to bring computer science researchers to collaboratively build their work upon previous research results, in such a way that transparency, reproducibility and sustainability of research results are greatly improved. The main design goals of the platform are clarity, conciseness, and reproducibility. Its main features are to: (i) provide incentives for making research communities to participate, (ii) make papers executable by means of boards' annotations, without necessarily involving the authors of an article, and (iii) give snapshots of the current research state on any given article.
- Published
- 2011
25. The virtual special section of active transport papers from the 2017 active living research conference
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James F. Sallis and Rodney Lyn
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Equity (economics) ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Urban design ,Public policy ,Transportation ,Public relations ,Pollution ,Community design ,Active living ,Sustainability ,Social determinants of health ,Sociology ,Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality ,business ,Safety Research ,Recreation - Abstract
Since 2004, the Active Living Research (ALR) Conference has focused on advancing knowledge and practice related to the creation of communities that increase opportunities for physical activity. Communities designed for active living are better for health, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability. The Annual ALR Conference serves as a premier venue for cross-disciplinary learning, as over 30 disciplines are represented among participants. This commentary serves as an introduction to a virtual Special Section of Journal of Transport and Health that includes several of the best transport-related studies that were presented at ALR 2017. The theme of the 2017 ALR Conference, Active Living across the Life Span, placed emphasis on the importance of promoting physical activity from childhood through mature adulthood and offered solutions for achieving this goal. The theme challenged attendees to consider the myriad needs across age cohorts and the ways that community design, policies, and programs affect opportunities for active living. The conference highlighted the importance of policy-relevant research and facilitated cross-sector exchange among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to create and sustain active living environments where residents can grow, live, and thrive at any age. Jana Lyncott from the AARP Public Policy Institute delivered the Keynote Address on creating environments for active and engaged living for all ages. The presentation provided examples from communities across the United States that are promoting livability and fostering healthy, active, and engaged lifestyles. The presentation highlighted AARP's Livability Index, which scores neighborhoods and communities for the services and amenities that have a significant impact on residents. The featured panel included Drs. Adrian Bauman, NiCole Keith, and David Bann and focused on the challenges of integrating equity perspectives in research on active living across the lifespan. Dr. Bauman, from Australia, shared lessons from his research on middle-age-to-older adults and his international collaborations. Dr. Keith, from the United States, described the effort to ensure disadvantaged populations were given high priority in developing the multi-sector strategies of the US National Physical Activity Plan. Dr. Bann, from the UK, presented findings on active living across the lifespan from a large, long-term birth cohort study. The second panel featured Deputy Commissioner Adetokunbo 'Toks' Omishakin, (Tennessee Department of Transportation), Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (City of Toronto, Canada), and Otis Johnson (Former Mayor of Savannah, Georgia) and provided local and state examples of active transportation and lessons learned. A clear takeaway from the keynote and panelists was the need to integrate and apply life-course research and practice/policy lessons learned to most effectively create activity-supportive cities. The concept of active living includes physical activity for all purposes, including transport, recreation, occupation, and household. Active transport continues to be a dominant theme at ALR Conferences, and the link between transport and health outcomes is rising on research and policy agendas internationally, as shown by extensive coverage in Journal of Transport and Health and the 2016 Lancet Series on Urban Design, Transport, and Health. In the Lancet Series, Giles-Corti and colleagues (2016) reviewed a wide range of physical, mental, and social health problems linked with motorized transport. Stevenson and colleagues (2016) reported models that revealed a shift of just 10% of motorized trips to active modes could produce important reductions in mortality in cities as diverse as Copenhagen and Delhi. Thus, as co-chairs of the ALR 2017 Conference we want to thank Dr. Jennifer Mindell, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Transport and Health, for facilitating this virtual special section of papers that will further advance evidence on active transport and health.
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- 2018
26. Sliding-strip microfluidic device enables ELISA on paper
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Verma, Mohit S., Tsaloglou, Maria-Nefeli, Sisley, Tyler, Christodouleas, Dionysios, Chen, Austin, Milette, Jonathan, and Whitesides, George
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This article describes a 3D microfluidic paper-based analytical device that can be used to conduct an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The device comprises two parts: a sliding strip (which contains the active sensing area) and a structure surrounding the sliding strip (which holds stored reagents—buffers, antibodies, and enzymatic substrate—and distributes fluid). Running an ELISA involves adding sample (e.g. blood) and water, moving the sliding strip at scheduled times, and analyzing the resulting color in the sensing area visually or using a flatbed scanner. We demonstrate that this device can be used to detect C-reactive protein (CRP)—a biomarker for neonatal sepsis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and inflammatory bowel diseases—at a concentration range of 1-100 ng/mL in 1000-fold diluted blood (1-100 µg/mL in undiluted blood). The accuracy of the device (as characterized by the area under the receiver operator characteristics curve) is 89% and 83% for cut-offs of 10 ng/mL (for neonatal sepsis and pelvic inflammatory disease) and 30 ng/mL (for inflammatory bowel diseases) CRP in 1000-fold diluted blood respectively. In resource limited settings, the device can be used as a part of a kit (containing the device, a fixed-volume capillary, a pre-filled tube, a syringe, and a dropper); this kit would cost ~$0.50 when produced in large scale (>100,000 devices/week). This kit has the technical characteristics to be employed as a pre-screening tool, when combined with other data such as patient history and clinical signs., Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Accepted Manuscript
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- 2018
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27. Editorial Port Management Studies: Selected papers from The Conference of International Association of Maritime Economists Theme: 'The Role of Maritime Clusters and Innovation in Shaping Future Global Trade' August 24-26, 2015
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Dooms, Michael, Parola, Francesco, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, and Business
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- 2016
28. Metabolic response of lung cancer cells to radiation in a paper-based 3D cell culture system
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Simon, Karen Alambra, Mosadegh, Bobak, Minn, Kyaw Thu, Lockett, Matthew, Mohammady, Marym R., Boucher, Diane M., Hall, Amy B., Hillier, Shawn M., Udagawa, Taturo, Eustace, Brenda K., and Whitesides, George
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tumor hypoxia ,radiation response ,3D cell culture ,oxygen gradients ,radioresistance - Abstract
This work demonstrates the application of a 3D culture system - Cells-in-Gels-in-Paper (CiGiP) - in evaluating the metabolic response of lung cancer cells to ionizing radiation. The 3D tissue-like construct - prepared by stacking multiple sheets of paper containing cell-embedded hydrogels - generates a gradient of oxygen and nutrients that decreases monotonically in the stack. Separating the layers of the stack after exposure enabled analysis of the cellular response to radiation as a function of oxygen and nutrient availability; this availability is dictated by the distance between the cells and the source of oxygenated medium. As the distance between the cells and source of oxygenated media increased, cells show increased levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha, decreased proliferation, and reduced sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Each of these cellular responses are characteristic of cancer cells observed in solid tumors. With this setup we were able to differentiate three isogenic variants of A549 cells based on their metabolic radiosensitivity; these three variants have known differences in their metastatic behavior in vivo. This system can, therefore, capture some aspects of radiosensitivity of populations of cancer cells related to mass-transport phenomenon, carry out systematic studies of radiation response in vitro that decouple effects from migration and proliferation of cells, and regulate the exposure of oxygen to subpopulations of cells in a tissue-like construct either before or after irradiation., Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Accepted Manuscript
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- 2016
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29. A Paper-Based Invasion Assay: Assessing Chemotaxis of Cancer Cells in Gradients of Oxygen
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Mosadegh, Bobak, Lockett, Matthew, Minn, Kyaw Thu, Simon, Karen Alambra, Gilbert, Karl, Hillier, Shawn, Newsome, David, Li, Howard, Hall, Amy B., Boucher, Diane M., Eustace, Brenda K., and Whitesides, George
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Invasion Assay ,Migration ,Cancer ,Oxygen gradients ,Chemotaxis - Abstract
This work describes a 3D, paper-based assay that can isolate subpopulations of cells based on their invasiveness (i.e., distance migrated in a hydrogel) in a gradient of concentration of oxygen (O2). Layers of paper impregnated with a cell-compatible hydrogel are stacked and placed in a plastic holder to form the invasion assay. Stacking the layers of paper assembles them into 3D tissue-like constructs of defined thickness and composition. The plastic holder ensures the layers of paper are in conformal contact; this geometry allows the cells to migrate between adjacent layers through the embedded hydrogel. In most assays, the stack comprises a single layer of paper containing mammalian cells suspended in a hydrogel, sandwiched between multiple layers of paper containing only hydrogel (into which the cells migrate). Cells in the stack consume and produce small molecules; these molecules diffuse throughout the stack to generate gradients both in the stack, and between the stack and the bulk culture medium. Placing the cell-containing layer in different positions of the stack, or modifying the permeability of the holder to oxygen or proteins, alters the profile of the gradients within the stack. Physically separating the layers after culture isolates subpopulations of cells that migrated different distances, and enables their subsequent analysis or culture. Using this system, three independent cell lines derived from A549 cancer cells are shown to produce distinguishable migration behavior in a gradient of oxygen. This result is the first experimental demonstration that oxygen acts as a chemoattractant for cancer cells., Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Accepted Manuscript
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- 2015
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30. V. Lifschitz, ed., formalizing common sense: papers by John McCarthy
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Varol Akman
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Computation theory ,Problem solving ,Artificial intelligence ,Advice-taker systems ,Learning systems ,Knowledge representation ,Pattern recognition ,Computer programming ,Formal logic ,Common-sense reasoning - Abstract
A review is presented of Lifschitz's collection of seventeen papers written by McCarthy on the subject of common sense. The book opens with a fine overview of McCarthy's research in artificial intelligence (AI). Lifschitz offers an admirably succinct account of the development of McCarthy's ideas on common sense from the early days of AI to his current work. Lifschitz's introduction is especially useful in appreciating the dramatically original and permanently influential nature of McCarthy's work. While McCarthy's papers collected in this volume were written over the span of almost three decades, Lifschitz correctly observes that the underlying concern has always been the same: to understand and model the intellectual ability realized by human common sense.
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- 1995
31. The Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended in 2007) reform – How proposed changes potentially impact personality disorder services
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Veena Kumari, Santoshkumar Mudholkar, Alexander Sumich, and Nadja Heym
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Referral ,Mental Health Act ,Psychological intervention ,RC435-571 ,personality disorder ,Context (language use) ,white paper ,White paper ,Nursing ,treatability ,mental health act ,medicine ,Psychiatry ,Government ,Personality disorder ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Personality disorders ,detention of personality disorder offenders ,Treatability ,Mental health act ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Psychology (miscellaneous) ,Psychology ,Law ,Detention of personality disorder offenders - Abstract
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). At the beginning of this year, the UK government released a White Paper on Reforms of the 1983 Mental Health Act (MHA) aiming to achieve higher quality, accessible mental health care, as well as empowering people detained under MHA during the process and continuation of detention. In this piece, we focus on the potential impact of the proposal around appropriate care, management and detention of people with Personality Disorder (PD) within the criminal justice system (CJS), psychiatric service provision and community routes. We briefly review the historical context of reforms of PD services in the UK and discuss the proposed changes and issues in relation to the criteria of least restriction, detention and therapeutic benefit. We highlight the complexity around referral routes and logistics barriers for secure PD services that might hamper speeded referral routes and raise concerns around responsibility for authorisation of transfers in the context of risk of serious harm to the public. We emphasise the complex treatment needs of individuals with PDs and how these are potentially not met. We also discuss the shift of focus from reactive care to preventative measures and early intervention in the community for individuals with mild-to-moderate levels of PD. We highlight the need for appropriate integrative services in the community to facilitate assessment across services, identification of complex needs and support options including earlier routine screening and potential digital interventions to optimise specialised care for PD.
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- 2021
32. COVID-19 and transport: Findings from a world-wide expert survey
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Yoshitsugu Hayashi, Junyi Zhang, and Lawrence D. Frank
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Distancing ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Geography, Planning and Development ,Lifestyles ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Transportation ,02 engineering and technology ,Expert survey ,Transport sector ,Political science ,0502 economics and business ,medicine ,Society ,021108 energy ,Pandemics ,media_common ,Public health ,050210 logistics & transportation ,Executive summary ,Public economics ,Invited Research Paper ,05 social sciences ,COVID-19 ,Measures ,Field (geography) ,Modal ,Impacts ,Sustainability ,Psychological resilience - Abstract
Impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the transport sector and the corresponding policy measures are becoming widely investigated. Considering the various uncertainties and unknowns about this virus and its impacts (especially long-term impacts), it is critical to understand opinions and suggestions from experts within the transport sector and related planning fields. To date, however, there is no study that fills this gap in a comprehensive way. This paper is an executive summary of the findings of the WCTRS COVID-19 Taskforce expert survey conducted worldwide between the end of April and late May 2020, obtaining 284 valid answers. The experts include those in the field of transport and other relevant disciplines, keeping good balances between geographic regions, types of workplaces, and working durations. Based on extensive analyses of the survey results, this paper first reveals the realities of lockdowns, restrictions of out-of-home activities and other physical distancing requirements, as well as modal shifts. Experts' agreements and disagreements to the structural questions about changes in lifestyles and society are then discussed. Analysis results revealed that our human society was not well prepared for the current pandemic, reaffirming the importance of risk communication. Geographical differences of modal shifts are further identified, especially related to active transport and car dependence. Improved sustainability and resilience are expected in the future but should be supported by effective behavioral intervention measures. Finally, policy implications of the findings are discussed, together with important future research issues.
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- 2021
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33. Outlier knowledge management for extreme public health events: Understanding public opinions about COVID-19 based on microblog data
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Wuyue An, Jiaze Li, Huosong Xia, and Zuopeng Justin Zhang
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Vocabulary ,Economics and Econometrics ,Knowledge management ,Computer science ,Microblogging ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Strategy and Management ,Geography, Planning and Development ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Context (language use) ,02 engineering and technology ,Management Science and Operations Research ,Invited Paper ,Public opinion ,Analysis of public opinion ,0502 economics and business ,Outlier knowledge management ,Social media ,050207 economics ,Complex adaptive system ,media_common ,021103 operations research ,business.industry ,Natural language processing ,05 social sciences ,COVID-19 ,Governance suggestion ,Knowledge sharing ,Knowledge base ,Outlier ,Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty ,business - Abstract
Based on complex adaptive system theory and information theory for investigating heterogeneous situations, this paper develops an outlier knowledge management framework based on three aspects—dimension, object, and situation—for dealing with extreme public health events. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we apply advanced natural language processing (NLP) technology to conduct data mining and feature extraction on the microblog data from the Wuhan area and the imported case province (Henan Province) during the high and median operating periods of the epidemic. Our experiment indicates that the semantic and sentiment vocabulary of words, the sentiment curve, and the portrait of patients seeking help were all heterogeneous in the context of COVID-19. We extract and acquire the outlier knowledge of COVID-19 and incorporate it into the outlier knowledge base of extreme public health events for knowledge sharing and transformation. The knowledge base serves as a think tank for public opinion guidance and platform suggestions for dealing with extreme public health events. This paper provides novel ideas and methods for outlier knowledge management in healthcare contexts., Highlights • Develop an outlier knowledge management framework for dealing with extreme public health events. • Conduct data mining and feature extraction on the microblogs from Wuhan and nearby areas. • Analyze the semantic and sentiment vocabulary, the sentiment curve, and the portraits of patients. • Acquire outlier knowledge of COVID-19 and incorporate it into the outlier knowledge base.
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- 2020
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34. Safety of mass drug coadministration with ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, albendazole, and azithromycin for the integrated treatment of neglected tropical diseases: a cluster randomized community trial
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James Wangi, Reman Kolmau, Michael Marks, Lucy N John, Wendy Houinei, Oriol Mitjà, Martí Vall-Mayans, and Camila González-Beiras
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Population ,integration ,Diethylcarbamazine ,Albendazole ,Internal medicine ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Clinical endpoint ,Adverse effect ,education ,lymphatic filariasis ,Lymphatic filariasis ,mass drug administration ,education.field_of_study ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,Standard treatment ,yaws ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,medicine.disease ,trachoma ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Regimen ,Infectious Diseases ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Geriatrics and Gerontology ,business ,co-administration ,medicine.drug ,Research Paper - Abstract
Summary: Introduction: Neglected tropical diseases control programmes run separately. For settings with more than one endemic disease, combined mass drug administration (MDA) has potential practical advantages compared with separate programmes but needs confirmation of safety. We assessed the safety of combined MDA for multiple neglected tropical diseases using ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, albendazole (IDA) and azithromycin (AZI). Methods: We conducted an open-label, cluster-randomized trial involving individuals living in 34 wards (smaller administrative division) in two study sites, Namatanai District and Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea. We randomly assigned wards to the combined treatment arm (which received a single dose of the triple combination IDA and a single dose of AZI at the same visit) or the control arm (which received IDA separately followed by AZI separately one week after). All participants underwent safety assessments one day after drug administration. Methodology for collecting the adverse events (AEs) was a general question (in Namatanai) and individual questions about specific AEs (in Lihir). The primary endpoint was the prevalence of AEs. Safety of combined treatment was taken to be non-inferior to that of IDA if the upper limit of the two-sided CI for the difference in rates was equal or lower than 5%. Findings: The study enrolled 15,656 participants. Of those enrolled, 7,281 (46.3%) received the combined regimen and 8,375 (53.3%) received standard treatment with IDA for lymphatic filariasis between Nov 1, 2018, and Apr 15, 2019. Of the individuals in the control group, 4,228 (50.5%) attended a second visit one week apart to receive AZI for yaws. In Namatanai, the proportion of AEs was similar in the combined group (0.8%) compared to the IDA group (1.3%, difference 0.5% [95CI -2.5% to 1.4%]) or the AZI group (3.6%, d -2.8% [95CI -8.6% to 2.8%]). In Lihir, the proportion of AEs was higher in the combined group (23.0%) compared to the IDA group (12.2%, d 10.8% [95% CI 1.5% to 20.2%]) or the AZI group (11.1%, d 11.9% [95% CI 2.7% to 21.1%]).We observed 21 (0.3%) grade-2 AEs in the combined treatment group, 33 (0.4%) in the IDA separately group, and 18 (0.2%) in the AZI separately group. No participants required treatment for any AE. We observed no deaths, serious AEs, or AEs of special interest. Interpretation: In the largest trial so far involving coadministration of regimens based on IDA and AZI, the combination was safe and feasible in a population of more than 15,000 people. Combined MDA based on these two regimens opens up new potential for the control of neglected tropical diseases in the Western Pacific region. Funding: International Trachoma Initiative, “la Caixa” Foundation, Kern Pharma.
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- 2022
35. 'The weather is not good': exploring the menstrual health experiences of menstruators with and without disabilities in Vanuatu
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Luke Bambery, Jamie Tanguay, Relvie Poilapa, Islay Mactaggart, Sally Baker, Chloe Morrison, Judith Iakavai, Jeanine Shem, Lena Morgon Banks, Philip Sheppard, and Jane Wilbur
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Psychiatry and Mental health ,Infectious Diseases ,Health Policy ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Internal Medicine ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Geriatrics and Gerontology ,Research Paper - Abstract
Summary: Background: Menstrual health is essential for gender equality and achieving the sustainable development goals. Though currently lacking, understanding and addressing menstrual health and social related inequalities requires comparison of experiences between menstruators with and without disabilities. Methods: We completed a mixed-methods population-based study of water, sanitation and hygiene, disability and menstrual health in TORBA and SANMA Provinces, Vanuatu. Methods included a census, nested case-control study, in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), PhotoVoice and structured observations. We undertook a population census of 11,000+ households and recruited 164 menstruators with and 169 without disabilities (aged 10-45) into a nested case-control study. 20 menstruators across both groups were selected for the qualitative component. Findings: Menstruators with disabilities were five times (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 5.5, 95% Confidence Interval 1.8 – 16.5) more likely to use different bathing facilities to others in the household, nearly twice as likely (1.8, 1.1 – 3.1) to miss social activities, and three times (3.0, 1.6 – 5.7) more likely to eat alone during menstruation. Menstrual restrictions were widespread for all, but collecting water and managing menstrual materials was harder for menstruators with disabilities, particularly those requiring caregivers’ support. These factors negatively impacted menstruators with disabilities’ comfort, safety and hygiene, yet they reported less interference of menstruation on participation. Interpretation: Negative factors affecting all menstruators disproportionately impact those with disabilities, compounding existing inequalities. Menstruators with disabilities may have reported less interference because they are accustomed to greater participation restrictions than others. Funding: Australian Government's Water for Women fund and public donations.
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- 2022
36. Treatment of greenhouse wastewater for reuse or disposal using monovalent selective electrodialysis
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Yvana D. Ahdab, Georg Schücking, John H. Lienhard, Danyal Rehman, Rohsenow Kendall Heat Transfer Laboratory (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Chemistry ,Mechanical Engineering ,General Chemical Engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,General Chemistry ,Electrodialysis ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Pulp and paper industry ,Desalination ,Membrane ,020401 chemical engineering ,Wastewater ,General Materials Science ,Sewage treatment ,0204 chemical engineering ,0210 nano-technology ,Reverse osmosis ,Magnesium ion ,Effluent ,Water Science and Technology - Abstract
© 2021 Elsevier B.V. Minimal liquid discharge (MLD) in greenhouses minimizes the volume of discharged wastewater, thereby increasing the volume of effluent that may be reused. Sodium accumulation in wastewater is often considered the main bottleneck to achieving 100% reuse. Consequently, greenhouses have begun adopting reverse osmosis (RO), the most commonly used desalination technology for wastewater treatment. RO removes ions from wastewater indiscriminately, including multivalent nutrients to crops (Ca[superscript 2+], Mg[superscript 2+], SO[subscript 4][superscript 2−], PO[subscript 4][superscript 3−]). In contrast, monovalent selective electrodialysis (MSED) selectively removes monovalent sodium while retaining multivalent nutrients in solution. For greenhouses that have not achieved MLD, MSED has an alternative application of reducing levels of nitrate, a monovalent ion and agricultural pollutant, in wastewater for disposal. This paper investigates the monovalent selectivity and potential of the widely-used Neosepta MSED membranes and the new Fujifilm MSED membranes to treat wastewater in greenhouses for reuse or discharge. Eight effluent compositions are tested as feedwater in a laboratory MSED system. Both membranes demonstrate selectivity towards sodium and nitrate across the tested compositions. Fujifilm cation-exchange membranes remove two to six sodium ions, compared to Neosepta's two to eight, for every magnesium ion. Fujifilm anion-exchange membranes remove two to seven nitrate ions, compared to Neosepta's two to six, for every sulfate ion.
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- 2021
37. Uncertainty risks and strategic reaction of restaurant firms amid COVID-19: Evidence from China
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Jaewook Kim, Jewoo Kim, and Yiqi Wang
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Mainland China ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Social distance ,Strategy and Management ,05 social sciences ,Restaurant industry ,COVID-19 ,Quality signaling cues ,Empirical research ,Service (economics) ,Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management ,0502 economics and business ,Realm ,Sustainability ,Food delivery ,Uncertainty reduction theory ,050211 marketing ,Business ,Brand ,Marketing ,China ,050203 business & management ,Research Paper ,media_common - Abstract
Highlights • Delivery service contributed to the sales of restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Casual and fast casual dining restaurants had more benefit from delivery service than fine dining ones after COVID-19 restrictions were eased. • Discount options failed to increase sales during the pandemic. • Brand effects on restaurant financial performance were stronger after the COVID-19 outbreak., To contain the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19), social distancing, self-isolation and travel restrictions have been imposed globally. To shed light on how COVID-19 is affecting restaurant industry, this study aims to explore the factors that affect restaurant firms’ financial turnaround for their sustainability after the business shutdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By utilizing a total of 86,507 small- and medium-sized restaurant firms’ sales data collected from nine cities in Mainland China, the exploratory approach of this study successfully determines positive impacts of three aspects of operational characteristics (i.e., delivery, discounts, and service type) and brand effects as uncertainty minimizing factors amid distinctive business shutdowns and restrictions. This is the first empirical study in the management realm on the impacts of COVID-19 on restaurant industry. This paper strengthens the extant literature by highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry after the business restrictions are lifted.
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- 2021
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38. Modeling and optimization of biodiesel synthesis using TiO2–ZnO nanocatalyst and characteristics of biodiesel made from waste sunflower oil
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Mohammad Ali Zahed, Meysam Revayati, Yasaman Tabari, N. Shahcheraghi, and Farhaneh Maghsoudi
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Biodiesel ,Materials science ,food.ingredient ,Sunflower oil ,RSM ,Transesterification ,Renewable fuels ,Pulp and paper industry ,Nanomaterial-based catalyst ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Diesel fuel ,Chemistry ,food ,chemistry ,Biofuel ,Nanocatalyst ,Biodiesel production ,Materials Chemistry ,Environmental Chemistry ,Methanol ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
Biodiesel as a renewable fuel is made from renewable materials such as animal fats, plant oils, and can be used in compression ignition (diesel) engines by mixing with conventional diesel. Recently, nanocatalysts are being used to generate biodiesel, as they are able to make these reactions more sufficient by having a large surface-to-volume ratio. TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles are categorized as metal oxide nanoparticles. Each of them has its own special characteristics. Besides, they show a level of cooperation which is discussed below. In this paper, in addition to the surface method employed for numerical analysis, the experiments on the biodiesel production from waste sunflower oil are implemented by transesterification method using TiO2ZnO nanocatalyst. Effective process parameters, including the reaction temperature, oil: alcohol molar ratio, catalyst percentage, and optimal conditions are determined and optimized accordingly. The highest product yield was 96.4% in the ratio of 1–6 methanol to oil, 60 °C, and 200 mg/L TiO2–ZnO nanocatalyst. An optimization study shows that the highest biodiesel production is possible using nanocatalysts of 264 mg/L at a temperature of 66 °C.
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- 2021
39. The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on domestic tourism: A DEMATEL method analysis on quarantine decisions
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Mehmet Şahin Gök and Fatma Altuntas
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2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Turkey ,business.industry ,Strategy and Management ,05 social sciences ,COVID-19 pandemic ,Domestic tourism ,Hospitality industry ,law.invention ,law ,Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management ,0502 economics and business ,Quarantine ,Pandemic ,050211 marketing ,Economic impact analysis ,DEMATEL method ,Marketing ,business ,050203 business & management ,Tourism ,Quarantine decisions ,Research Paper - Abstract
Highlights • Quarantine decisions during a pandemic directly affect the hospitality industry. • A DEMATEL method is proposed for quarantine decision due to COVID-19 Pandemic. • A real life case study in Turkey is conducted in this paper. • Istanbul has an essential impact on the rest of all regions in Turkey., Countries' most effective methods to reduce the impact of outbreaks are quarantine the regions during the pandemic periods. Quarantine decisions during a pandemic directly affect the hospitality industry. There is no universal guideline regarding the quarantine decision during a pandemic. There is a gap in the literature on making the right quarantine decisions to decrease the negative effect of a pandemic on the hospitality industry. To fill this gap, this study uses a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to help countries for quarantine decisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the critical hospitality industry indicators is the inter-regional travel flow between regions for local tourism. Data from the household domestic tourism survey obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) is used to acquire the number of people entering and exiting among regions. This study's findings indicate that Istanbul has an essential impact on Turkey's rest. The results also demonstrate that the DEMATEL method provides convenient solutions for quarantine decisions during a pandemic. The DEMATEL application results concerning the COVID-19 pandemic effect might shed light on the hospitality industry’s prospects and challenges. This study's findings might be adopted to prepare the hospitality industry for the COVID-19 pandemic and similar pandemic.
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- 2021
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40. Identification of potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease from tropane alkaloids from Schizanthus porrigens: A molecular docking study
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Constanza Angel, Ignacio Alfaro, and Marco Alfaro
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viruses ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,General Physics and Astronomy ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,medicine ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Schizanthus porrigens ,ADME ,ComputingMethodologies_COMPUTERGRAPHICS ,Protease ,SARS-CoV-2 ,fungi ,Tropane alkaloids ,virus diseases ,Lopinavir ,Tropane ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Protease inhibitor (biology) ,0104 chemical sciences ,body regions ,Papain ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,Molecular docking ,0210 nano-technology ,medicine.drug ,Research Paper - Abstract
Graphical abstract, Highlights • Antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 are needed. • The papain-like protease represents an important target for antivirals. • We investigated tropane alkaloids from Schizanthus porrigens. • By molecular docking and MS simulations we identified two leads. • Shizanthine Z has favorable ADME properties and can be considered a lead., This paper presents identification of potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease from tropane alkaloids from Schizanthus porrigens, using molecular docking method. Binding affinities were compared with those obtained with Lopinavir as a SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease inhibitor. Overall, our findings indicate that Schizanthine Z binds to the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease with relatively high affinity and favorable ADME properties. Therefore, Schizanthine Z may represent an appropriate compound for further evaluation in antiviral assays.
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- 2020
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41. Information management hits and misses in the COVID19 emergency in Brazil
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Edimara Mezzomo Luciano
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Information management ,Government ,business.industry ,Process (engineering) ,Computer Networks and Communications ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Public relations ,Library and Information Sciences ,Payment ,Identification (information) ,Emergency aid ,State (polity) ,Opinion Paper ,Social implications ,COVID19 emergence in Brazil ,Information treating issues ,business ,Set (psychology) ,Data-driven policies ,media_common ,Information Systems - Abstract
Brazilian Federal Government created an emergency aid to face the COVID19 emergency. This aid provides monthly payments to low-income or unemployed citizens, informal workers, or individual micro-entrepreneurs. An intricate set of criteria made too complex the identification of all citizens eligible for emergency aid, considering there is no an integrated database to which they could apply these criteria. Consequently, lots of people who fulfilled the criteria were not able to receive the aid, and lots of people who were not supposed to get it ended up receiving it. In this context, the goal of this opinion paper is to discuss the process effectiveness and which issues related to information management hindered the positive program impact. Additionally, a less complex but relevant case of Rio Grande do Sul State is discussed. Both cases – the Federal Government and the state government – show the importance of effective information management to face very demanding situations and avoid the high social price to be paid by those who need this aid the most.
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- 2020
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42. Unusual purchasing behavior during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: The stimulus-organism-response approach
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Ali Farooq, A. K. M. Najmul Islam, Amandeep Dhir, and Samuli Laato
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Marketing ,Social science: 200::Economics: 210 [VDP] ,Toilet paper ,handel ,Advertising ,Panic buying ,medicine.disease ,Cyberchondria ,Information overload ,Purchasing ,Article ,økonomi ,Stimulus-organism-response ,Unusual purchasing ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Psychology ,Empirical evidence ,Covid-19 ,Consumer behaviour ,pandemi - Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, unusual consumer behavior, such as hoarding toilet paper, was reported globally. We investigated this behavior when fears of consumer market disruptions started circulating, to capture human behavior in this unique situation. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, we propose a structural model connecting exposure to online information sources (environmental stimuli) to two behavioral responses: unusual purchases and voluntary self-isolation. To test the proposed model, we collected data from 211 Finnish respondents via an online survey, and carried out analysis using PLS-SEM. We found a strong link between self-intention to self-isolate and intention to make unusual purchases, providing empirical evidence that the reported consumer behavior was directly linked to anticipated time spent in self-isolation. The results further revealed exposure to online information sources led to increased information overload and cyberchondria. Information overload was also a strong predictor of cyberchondria. Perceived severity of the situation and cyberchondria had significant impacts on people's intention to make unusual purchases and voluntarily self-isolate. Future research is needed to confirm the long-term effects of the pandemic on consumer and retail services., Highlights • We investigate people's purchase and isolation behavior during the COVID19 pandemic. • Information source exposure leads to information overload (IO) and cyberchondria. • IO had a negative effect on perceived severity, whereas cyberchondria had a positive impact. • Perceived severity (PS) positively affected intentions to self-isolate and unusual purchases. • Purchase self-efficacy reinforces the influence of PS on unusual purchases.
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- 2020
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43. Novel spatiotemporal feature extraction parallel deep neural network for forecasting confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019
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Yung-Hsiang Chen, Yamin Shen, Ping-Huan Kuo, and Chiou-Jye Huang
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2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Economics and Econometrics ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Mean squared error ,Computer science ,Strategy and Management ,Feature extraction ,Geography, Planning and Development ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Mean absolute error ,COVID-19Net ,02 engineering and technology ,Management Science and Operations Research ,Invited Paper ,Convolutional neural network ,Parallel deep neural network ,0502 economics and business ,Statistics ,050207 economics ,021103 operations research ,Artificial neural network ,05 social sciences ,Mean absolute percentage error ,Feature (computer vision) ,Confirmed cases forecasting ,Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty - Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues as of March 26 and spread to Europe on approximately February 24. A report from April 29 revealed 1.26 million confirmed cases and 125 928 deaths in Europe. To refer government and enterprise to arrange countermeasures. The paper proposes a novel deep neural network framework to forecast the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19Net framework combined 1D convolutional neural network, 2D convolutional neural network, and bidirectional gated recurrent units. COVID-19Net can well integrate the characteristics of time, space, and influencing factors of the COVID-19 accumulative cases. Three European countries with severe outbreaks were studied-Germany, Italy, and Spain-to extract spatiotemporal features and predict the number of confirmed cases. The prediction results acquired from COVID-19Net are compared to those obtained using a CNN, GRU, and CNN-GRU. The mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error, and root mean square error, which is commonly used model assessment indices, were used to compare the accuracy of the models. The results verified that COVID-19Net was notably more accurate than the other models. The mean absolute percentage error generated by COVID-19Net was 1.447 for Germany, 1.801 for Italy, and 2.828 for Spain, which was considerably better than those of the other models. This indicated that the proposed framework could accurately predict the accumulated number of confirmed cases in the three countries and serve as an essential reference for devising public health strategies. And also indicated that COVID-19 has high spatiotemporal relations, it suggests us to keep a social distance and avoid unnecessary trips.
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- 2020
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44. A review on application of enzymatic bioprocesses in animal wastewater and manure treatment
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Dongle Cheng, Wenshan Guo, Shicheng Zhang, Soon Woong Chang, Gang Luo, Yi Liu, Dinh Duc Nguyen, Huu Hao Ngo, and Yiwen Liu
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0106 biological sciences ,Manure management ,Environmental Engineering ,Bioconversion ,Bioengineering ,010501 environmental sciences ,Wastewater ,01 natural sciences ,Bioreactors ,Biogas ,Bioenergy ,010608 biotechnology ,Animals ,Anaerobiosis ,Waste Management and Disposal ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Chemical oxygen demand ,General Medicine ,Pulp and paper industry ,Manure ,Biofuels ,Environmental science ,Sewage treatment ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Enzymatic processing has been considered an interesting technology as enzymes play important roles in the process of waste bioconversion, whilst heling to develop valuable products from animal wastes. In this paper, the application of enzymes in animal waste management were critically reviewed in short with respect to utilization in: (i) animal wastewater treatment and (ii) animal manure management. The results indicate that the application of enzymes could increase both chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency and production of biogas. The enzymatic bioprocesses were found to be affected by the type, source and dosage of enzymes and the operating conditions. Further studies on optimizing the operating conditions and developing cost-effective enzymes for the future large-scale application are therefore necessary.
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- 2020
45. Comprehensive analysis of a hybrid FO-NF-RO process for seawater desalination: With an NF-like FO membrane
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Kangying Guo, Qinyan Yue, Yue Gao, Ho Kyong Shon, Zhining Wang, Hailan Wang, and Baoyu Gao
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Seawater desalination ,Mechanical Engineering ,General Chemical Engineering ,Forward osmosis ,General Chemistry ,Specific energy consumption ,Energy consumption ,Water recovery ,Chemical Engineering ,Pulp and paper industry ,Membrane ,Scientific method ,Environmental science ,General Materials Science ,Nanofiltration ,03 Chemical Sciences, 09 Engineering ,Water Science and Technology - Abstract
Process optimization is a popular strategy to improve efficiency, reduce the energy consumption and total cost of the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO). Forward osmosis (FO) process with a nanofiltration (NF)-like membrane has emerged as a cost-effective technology for seawater desalination pretreatment, due to its high water permeability and low energy consumption compared to RO-like FO membrane. The present work comprehensively evaluated the potential of using an NF-like FO membrane for SWRO pretreatment and analyzed the feasibility of the NF-like membrane-based FO-NF-RO process for seawater desalination. The performance of the FO-NF-RO integrated process was investigated with MgSO4, Na2SO4, and Mg(CH3COO)2 as draw solute, respectively. Besides, the energy consumption and total cost of the hybrid process were also estimated on the laboratory and large scale. The NF-like membrane-based FO process could effectively remove organic molecules and divalent ions effectively. The hybrid process product water could reach the drinking water standard in China (TDS ≤ 1000 mg/L). When water recovery was 42.0%, the hybrid process could produce freshwater with specific energy consumption of 2.99 kWh/m3 and specific water cost of 0.92 $/m3, which were comparable with the conventional SWRO process. Overall, our study revealed the feasibility of the FO-NF-RO process for seawater desalination.
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- 2021
46. The potential impact of vaccine passports on inclination to accept COVID-19 vaccinations in the United Kingdom: Evidence from a large cross-sectional survey and modeling study
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Alexandre de Figueiredo, Stephen Reicher, Heidi J. Larson, University of St Andrews. School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and University of St Andrews. St Andrews Sustainability Institute
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Potential impact ,Government ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,Cross-sectional study ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Vaccine confidence ,Vaccine passports ,DAS ,General Medicine ,Certification ,Disease cluster ,Vaccination ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Immunity passports ,RA0421 ,RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine ,Medicine ,Human medicine ,business ,Baseline (configuration management) ,Demography ,Research Paper - Abstract
Background: The UK Government is considering the introduction of vaccine passports for domestic use and to facilitate international travel for UK residents. Although vaccine incentivisation has been cited as a motivating factor for vaccine passports, it is unclear whether vaccine passports are likely to increase inclination to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: We conducted a large-scale national survey in the UK of 17,611 adults between 9 and 27 April 2021. Bayesian multilevel regression and poststratification is used to provide unbiased national-level estimates of the impact of the introduction of vaccine passports on inclination to accept COVID-19 vaccines and identify the differential impact of passports on uptake inclination across socio-demographic groups. Findings: We find that a large minority of respondents report that vaccination passports for domestic use (46.5%) or international travel (42.0%) would make them no more or less inclined to accept a COVID-19 vaccine and a sizeable minority of respondents also state that they would 'definitely' accept a COVID-19 vaccine and that vaccine passports would make them more inclined to vaccinate (48.8% for domestic use and 42.9% for international travel). However, we find that the introduction of vaccine passports will likely lower inclination to accept a COVID-19 vaccine once baseline vaccination intent has been adjusted for. This decrease is larger if passports were required for domestic use rather than for facilitating international travel. Being male (OR 0.87, 0.76 to 0.99) and having degree qualifications (OR 0.84, 0.72 to 0.94) is associated with a decreased inclination to vaccinate if passports were required for domestic use (while accounting for baseline vaccination intent), while Christians (OR 1.23, 1.08 to 1.41) have an increased inclination over atheists or agnostics. Change in inclination is strongly connected to stated vaccination intent and will therefore unlikely shift attitudes among Black or Black British respondents, younger age groups, and non-English speakers. Interpretation: Our findings should be interpreted in light of sub-national trends in uptake rates across the UK, as our results suggest that passports may be viewed less positively among socio-demographic groups that cluster in large urban areas. We call for further evidence on the impact of vaccine certification and the potential fallout for routine immunization programmes in both the UK and in wider global settings, especially those with low overall trust in vaccinations. Funding: This survey was funded by the Merck Investigator Studies Program (MISP). (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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- 2021
47. Brine reject dilution with treated wastewater for indirect desalination
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Idris Ibrahim, Daoud Khanafer, Sudesh Yadav, Ali Altaee, John L. Zhou, and Alaa H. Hawari
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Fouling ,Desalination ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Strategy and Management ,0907 Environmental Engineering, 0910 Manufacturing Engineering, 0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering ,Membrane fouling ,Forward osmosis ,Building and Construction ,Wastewater ,Pulp and paper industry ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,Dilution ,FO-MSF hybrid ,Brining ,Environmental science ,Seawater ,Effluent ,Environmental Sciences ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
The forward osmosis (FO) process was suggested as a pretreatment to a multi-stage flashing (MSF) plant to reduce the environmental impact of brine discharge and the chemicals used. Yet, there is no study investigating the performance of the FO process pretreatment to the MSF plant using tertiary sewage effluent (TSE) as a feed solution. Combining MSF brine with the TSE generates a considerable permeation flux, reducing the membrane area and capital cost. This study evaluated the performance of the FO process for indirect desalination of the MSF brine, considering membrane fouling, cleaning, required membrane area and the specific power consumption. The FO process used a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane to dilute the brine reject from the MSF plant by the TSE and hence converting waste solutions into a feasible water resource. A considerable high water flux (±35 L/m2h) was generated and slightly decreased throughout each experiment's 4 cycles. An enhancement in the water permeability was observed in the FO tests with a prefiltration of the brine reject and the wastewater with 20 μm and an osmotic backwash cleaning of the used membrane. The prefiltration of the draw and feed solutions was effective in minimizing the impact of fouling. Maximum power consumption of 0.007 kWh/m³ was consumed in the forward osmosis process without prefiltration and decreased to 0.006 kWh/m³ in the FO process. The proposed FO system successfully diluted the brine reject’ divalent ions, reducing their concentration to 43% in some cases. Depending on the FO membrane orientation, the TSE feed solution resulted in a 276%–473% reduction in the number of FO elements required in the FO process compared to the seawater feed solution. This publication was supported by NPRP grant 10-0117-170176 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation ). Scopus
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- 2021
48. Clinical burden, risk factor impact and outcomes following myocardial infarction and stroke: A 25-year individual patient level linkage study
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Jennifer Logue, Desmond Campbell, Peter J. Gallacher, Atul Anand, James Lewsey, Colin Fischbacher, Jesus A. Rodriguez Perez, Kuan Ken Lee, Rong Bing, Catherine Sudlow, Federica Astengo, Shirjel Alam, Anoop S V Shah, David A. McAllister, Pablo Perel, Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi, Nicholas L. Mills, and David E. Newby
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medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Cholesterol ,Health Policy ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,medicine.disease ,Confidence interval ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Blood pressure ,Oncology ,chemistry ,Internal medicine ,Heart failure ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Cardiology ,Myocardial infarction ,cardiovascular diseases ,Risk factor ,business ,Stroke ,Research Paper - Abstract
Background: \ud Understanding trends in the incidence and outcomes of myocardial infarction and stroke, and how these are influenced by changes in cardiovascular risk factors can inform health policy and healthcare provision.\ud \ud Methods: \ud We identified all patients 30 years or older with myocardial infarction or stroke in Scotland. Risk factor levels were determined from national health surveys. Incidence, potential impact fractions and burden attributable to risk factor changes were calculated. Risk of subsequent fatal and non-fatal events (myocardial infarction, stroke, bleeding and heart failure hospitalization) were calculated with multi-state models.\ud \ud Findings: \ud From 1990 to 2014, there were 372,873 (71±13 years) myocardial infarctions and 290,927 (74±13 years) ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Age-standardized incidence per 100,000 fell from 1,069 (95% confidence interval, 1,024-1,116) to 276 (263-290) for myocardial infarction and from 608 (581-636) to 188 (178-197) for ischemic stroke. Systolic blood pressure, smoking and cholesterol decreased, but body-mass index increased, and diabetes prevalence doubled. Changes in risk factors accounted for a 74% (57-91%) reduction in myocardial infarction and 68% (55-83%) reduction in ischemic stroke. Following myocardial infarction, the risk of death decreased (30% to 20%), but non-fatal events increased (20% to 24%) whereas the risk of both death (47% to 34%) and non-fatal events (22% to 17%) decreased following stroke.\ud \ud Interpretation: \ud Over the last 25 years, substantial reductions in myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke incidence are attributable to major shifts in risk factor levels. Deaths following the index event decreased for both myocardial infarction and stroke, but rates remained substantially higher for stroke.\ud \ud Funding: \ud British heart foundation.
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- 2021
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49. Intermittent water supply impacts on distribution system biofilms and water quality
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Gonzalo Del Olmo, Stewart Husband, Sung Kyu Maeng, Víctor Soria-Carrasco, Isabel Douterelo, Joby Boxall, and Carolina Calero Preciado
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Environmental Engineering ,Microorganism ,0208 environmental biotechnology ,Water supply ,02 engineering and technology ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Distribution system ,Water Supply ,Water Quality ,Ecosystem ,Turbidity ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Biofilm growth ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Water Science and Technology ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,business.industry ,Drinking Water ,Ecological Modeling ,Biofilm ,Pulp and paper industry ,Pollution ,020801 environmental engineering ,Biofilms ,Environmental science ,Water quality ,Water Microbiology ,business - Abstract
Intermittent water supplies (IWS) are routinely experienced by drinking water distribution systems around the world, either due to ongoing operational practices or due to one off interruptions. During IWS events changing conditions may impact the endemic biofilms leading to hydraulic mobilisation of organic and inorganic materials attached to pipes walls with a resulting degradation in water quality. To study the impact of IWS on the microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of drinking water, an experimental full-scale chlorinated pipe facility was operated over 60 days under realistic hydraulic conditions to allow for biofilm growth and to investigate flow resumption behaviour post-IWS events of 6, 48 and 144 hours.\ud \ud \ud \ud Turbidity and metal concentrations showed significant responses to flow restarting, indicating biofilm changes, with events greater than 6 hours generating more turbidity responses and hence discolouration risk. The increase in pressure when the system was restarted showed a substantial increase in total cell counts, while the subsequent increases in flow led to elevated turbidity and metals concentrations. SUVA254 monitoring indicated that shorter times of non-water supply increased the risk of aromatic organic compounds and hence risk of disinfection-by-products formation. DNA sequencing indicated that increasing IWS times resulted in increased relative abundance of potential pathogenic microorganisms, such as Mycobacterium, Sphingomonas, and the fungi Penicillium and Cladosporium.\ud \ud \ud \ud Overall findings indicate that shorter IWS result in a higher proportion of aromatic organic compounds, which can potentially react with chlorine and increase risk of disinfection-by-products formation. However, by minimising IWS times, biofilm-associated impacts can be reduced, yet these are complex ecosystems and much remains to be understood about how microbial interactions can be managed to best ensure continued water safe supply.
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- 2021
50. A diagnostic miRNA signature for pulmonary arterial hypertension using a consensus machine learning approach
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Josephine A. Pickworth, James Iremonger, Christopher J. Rhodes, Robin Condliffe, Luke Howard, John Wharton, Martin R. Wilkins, Nicholas W. Morrell, Niamh Errington, A. A. Roger Thompson, Charles A. Elliot, Alexander M.K. Rothman, Sokratis Kariotis, Dennis Wang, Allan Lawrie, David G. Kiely, Morrell, Nicholas [0000-0001-5700-9792], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, British Heart Foundation, and The Academy of Medical Sciences
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0301 basic medicine ,Adult ,Male ,Medicine (General) ,Microarray ,Hypertension, Pulmonary ,Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ,Translational research ,Disease ,Pulmonary Artery ,Machine learning ,computer.software_genre ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,1117 Public Health and Health Services ,Pathogenesis ,Machine Learning ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,R5-920 ,microRNA ,Medicine ,Humans ,Circulating MicroRNA ,Gene ,Cells, Cultured ,Aged ,Univariate analysis ,business.industry ,Gene Expression Profiling ,1103 Clinical Sciences ,MicroRNA ,General Medicine ,PAH ,Middle Aged ,MicroRNAs ,030104 developmental biology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Female ,Artificial intelligence ,business ,computer ,Biomarkers ,Rare disease ,Research Paper - Abstract
Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but life shortening disease, the diagnosis of which is often delayed, and requires an invasive right heart catheterisation. Identifying diagnostic biomarkers may improve screening to identify patients at risk of PAH earlier and provide new insights into disease pathogenesis. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding molecules of RNA, previously shown to be dysregulated in PAH, and contribute to the disease process in animal models. Methods Plasma from 64 treatment naive patients with PAH and 43 disease and healthy controls were profiled for microRNA expression by Agilent Microarray. Following quality control and normalisation, the cohort was split into training and validation sets. Four separate machine learning feature selection methods were applied to the training set, along with a univariate analysis. Findings 20 microRNAs were identified as putative biomarkers by consensus feature selection from all four methods. Two microRNAs (miR-636 and miR-187-5p) were selected by all methods and used to predict PAH diagnosis with high accuracy. Integrating microRNA expression profiles with their associated target mRNA revealed 61 differentially expressed genes verified in two independent, publicly available PAH lung tissue data sets. Two of seven potentially novel gene targets were validated as differentially expressed in vitro in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Interpretation This consensus of multiple machine learning approaches identified two miRNAs that were able to distinguish PAH from both disease and healthy controls. These circulating miRNA, and their target genes may provide insight into PAH pathogenesis and reveal novel regulators of disease and putative drug targets. Funding This work was supported by a National Institute for Health Research Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration (R29065/CN500) and British Heart Foundation Project Grant (PG/11/116/29288).
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- 2021
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