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Abstract Objective Examining the distribution of breast cancer (BC) stage and molecular subtype among women aged below ( 65 years) the recommended screening age range helps to understand the screening program's characteristics and contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of BC screening programs. Methods In this retrospective study, female patients with newly diagnosed BC from 2010 to 2020 were identified. The distribution of cases in terms of TNM stages, severity classes, and subtypes was analysed according to age groups. Results A total of 3282 women diagnosed with BC were included in the analysis. Among these cases 51.4% were detected outside the screening age group, and these were characterized by a higher TNM stage compared to those diagnosed within the screening age band. We observed significantly higher relative frequency of advanced BC in the older age group compared to both the screening age population and women younger than 45 years (14.9% vs. 8.7% and 7.7%, P

ABSTRACT Despite their potential vulnerability and untapped work potential, research on the group of women without a paid job and social benefits is limited. This study is the first to identify profiles among women in this group based on their intersecting economic, sociodemographic and contextual characteristics. A cluster analysis conducted on Dutch population register data from 2019 challenges previous research that lumped women without a paid job and social benefits into a single group. Rather, we reveal three distinct profiles: ‘Dutch empty nesters (i.e., mothers with adult children) in affluent households’, ‘Migrant women in urban living areas’ and ‘Dutch, educated mothers with affluent partners’. The identification of these three profiles can mark a significant step in developing tailored active labour market policies for women without a paid job and social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental models underlying hormonal physiological regulation and homeostasis remain poorly understood. We aimed to derive quantitative evidence regarding these models from the study of population data of balance points of different parameters and their respective controlling hormones. We studied the slopes of correlations between concentrations of circulating free thyroxine and thyrotropin, calcium and parathyroid hormone, hemoglobin and erythropoietin, and glucose and insulin in such population data, as well as the slopes of the limbs of various feedback loops estimated empirically and by reverse engineering of the population data. We used computer simulations to model the factors that influence the slopes derived from the population data, and then matched these simulations with the empirically derived slopes. Our simulations showed that changes to the population distribution of feedback loop limbs may alter the slopes of correlations within population data in specific ways. Non-random (interdependent) associations of the limbs of feedback loops may also have this effect, as well as producing discrepancies between the slopes of feedback limb loops determined experimentally and the same slopes determined by derivation from population data. Our corresponding empirical findings were consistent with the presence of such interdependence in the free thyroxine/thyrotropin, hemoglobin/erythropoietin, and glucose/insulin systems. The glucose/insulin data provided evidence consistent with increasing interdependence with age in childhood. Our findings therefore provide strong evidence that the interdependence of the limbs of feedback loops is a general feature of endocrine homeostatic regulation. This interdependence potentially bestows evolutionary homeostatic and regulatory advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have found early detection of autism is protective for an individual and their family. Fewer Pacific children are diagnosed with autism compared with non-Pacific children, and those who have significantly higher needs, suggesting an undercount of those diagnosed. The purpose of this study was to explore any association between parental education and autism in Pacific children living in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This was a national cross-sectional study using data from New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure, including Pacific and non-Māori non-Pacific children in the 2013 Census. A novel method was employed to capture autism, while years of parents' education was estimated from their highest attained qualification level. Apposite regression models were used to analyse the relationship between parental education and autism. We found that autism was identified in 1.1% of Pacific children compared with 1.6% of non-Māori, non-Pacific children. A year of education among parents of Pacific children was associated with increased identification of autism (odds ratio = 1.10; 95% confidence interval = 1.06–1.15). The findings show education plays a positive role in receiving a diagnosis for Pacific autistic children but suggest a systemic failure to support Pacific parents to navigate existing health systems for themselves or their children. Previous studies of autism in Aotearoa, New Zealand, suggest that fewer Pacific children receive an autism diagnosis compared to European children. This study aimed to explore if formal education qualification of parents is related to receiving an autism diagnosis for their Pacific child. Our findings show that autism was identified in 1.1% of Pacific children compared with 1.6% among non-Māori, non-Pacific children. Parents with higher levels of education were more likely to receive an autism diagnosis for their Pacific child. While the study findings indicate education plays a positive role in receiving a diagnosis for autistic children, they suggest a systemic failure of supporting Pacific parents and communities to navigate the health and education systems that exist in Aotearoa, New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients discharged against medical advice have been shown to have worse outcomes across a host of different conditions. However, risk factors related to increased odds of discharge against medical advice remain understudied in patients who suffer from acute cerebral infarction. Methods: We retrospectively examined the 2019 National Emergency Department Sample Database for stroke patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations between patient- and hospital-level factors and the outcome of discharge against medical advice. Results: Of the 603,623 encounters for acute ischemic stroke, 8,858 (1.5%) were discharged against medical advice. Predictors of discharge against medical advice were lower income quartile and having either Medicaid insurance (odds ratio [OR] 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.58) or being uninsured (OR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03–1.58). Vascular comorbidities associated with discharge against medical advice included prior tobacco use (OR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.45–1.78) and coronary artery disease (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04–1.35). Treatment with thrombectomy (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.13–0.78) or systemic thrombolysis (OR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23–0.66) was inversely associated with discharge against medical advice. A high modified Charlson comorbidity index (3+ vs. 0, OR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.42–0.56) was also associated with a lower odds of discharge against medical advice. Presenting to a Northeastern hospital had the highest rate of discharge against medical advice, when compared to other regions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Certain patient-level, socioeconomic, and regional factors were associated with discharge against medical advice following acute stroke. These patient- and systems-level factors warrant heightened attention in order to optimize acute care and secondary prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 17.7 million people in the U.S. care for older adults. Analyzing population datasets can increase our understanding of the needs of family caregivers of older adults. We reviewed 14 U.S. population-based datasets (2003–2023) including older adults' and caregivers' data to assess inclusion and measurement of 8 caregiving science domains, with a focus on whether measures were validated and/or unique variables were used. Challenges exist related to survey design, sampling, and measurement. Findings highlight the need for consistent data collection by researchers, state, tribal, local, and federal programs, for improved utility of population-based datasets for caregiving and aging research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examining the distribution of breast cancer (BC) stage and molecular subtype among women aged below (< 45 years), within (45–65 years), and above (> 65 years) the recommended screening age range helps to understand the screening program's characteristics and contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of BC screening programs. Methods: In this retrospective study, female patients with newly diagnosed BC from 2010 to 2020 were identified. The distribution of cases in terms of TNM stages, severity classes, and subtypes was analysed according to age groups. Results: A total of 3282 women diagnosed with BC were included in the analysis. Among these cases 51.4% were detected outside the screening age group, and these were characterized by a higher TNM stage compared to those diagnosed within the screening age band. We observed significantly higher relative frequency of advanced BC in the older age group compared to both the screening age population and women younger than 45 years (14.9% vs. 8.7% and 7.7%, P < 0.001). HR−/HER2− and HER+ tumours were relatively more frequent among women under age 45 years (HR−/HER2−: 23.6%, HER2+: 20.5%) compared to those within the screening age range (HR−/HER2−: 13.4%, HER2+: 13.9%) and the older age group (HR−/HER2−: 10.4%, HER2+: 11.5%). Conclusions: The findings of our study shed light on potential areas for the improvement of BC screening programs (e.g., extending screening age group, adjusting screening frequency based on molecular subtype risk status) in Hungary and internationally, as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anatomical method is considered the most accurate stature estimation method, however, research has concluded that the soft-tissue correction factors associated with this method may be sex- and population-specific. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the applicability of these soft-tissue correction factors for the estimation of stature in White South African males. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of 30 White South African male volunteers, between 21 and 59 years of age, were used to collect skeletal measurements of bones that contribute to total skeletal height. The soft-tissue correction factors within the literature were subsequently applied to estimate the living stature of each individual. Paired t-tests were used to compare the accuracies of these estimates of living stature to the measured heights of the participants. Living stature was significantly underestimated using the soft-tissue correction factors of Fully (1956; 6.14 cm), Raxter and colleagues (2006; 4.80 cm), and Brits and colleagues (2017; 0.96 cm), and significantly overestimated by Bidmos and Manger (2012; 9.65 cm). Cloete's (2017) equation overestimated stature by 0.65 cm, however, this was not significant. These results suggest population-specific soft-tissue correction factors associated with stature estimation and, therefore, the newly derived stature estimation equations should be used to estimate stature of White South African males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Birth cohorts are valuable resources for studying early life, the determinants of health, disease, and development. They are essential for studying life course. Dynamic longitudinal electronic cohorts use routinely collected data, are live, and can reduce selection bias specifically associated with direct recruitment in traditional birth cohorts. However, they are limited to health and administrative data and may lack contextual information. The MIREDA (Mother and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis) partnership creates a UK-wide birth cohort by aligning existing electronic birth cohorts to have the same structure, content, and vocabularies, enabling UK-wide federated analyses. Objectives 1) Create a core dynamic, live UK-wide electronic birth cohort with approximately 500,000 new births per year using a common data model (CDM). 2) Provide data linkage and automation for long-term follow up of births from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MuM-PreDiCT and the `Born in' initiatives of Bradford, Wales, Scotland, and South London for comparable analyses. Methods We will establish core data content and collate linkable data. A suite of extraction, transformation, and load (ETL) tools will be used to transform data for each birth cohort into the CDM. Transformed datasets will remain within each cohort's trusted research environment (TRE). Metadata will be uploaded for the public to the Health Data Research (HDRUK) Innovation Gateway. We will develop a single online data access request for researchers. A cohort profile will be developed for researchers to reference the resource. Ethics Each cohort has approval from their TRE through compliance with their project application processes and information governance. Dissemination We will engage with researchers in the field to promote our resource through partnership networking, publication, research collaborations, conferences, social media, and marketing communications strategies.

Abstract Tandem repeat genetic profiles used in forensic applications varies between populations. Despite the diversity and security issues in the Sahel that require the identification of victims (soldiers and civilians), Burkina Faso (BF) remains understudied. To fill this information gap, 396 unrelated individuals from BF were genotyped using a MICROREADER 21 ID System kit. All 20 short tandem repeat (STR) loci tested passed the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. The combined powers of exclusion for duos (CPE duos) and trios (CPE trios) for the 20 tested loci were 0.9999998 and 0.9999307, respectively. The probability that two individuals would share the same DNA profiles among the BF population was 9.80898 × 10–26. For the X-chromosome STR analysis, 292 individuals were included in this study using a MICROREADER 19X Direct ID System kit. Among the 19 loci, no significant deviations from HWE test were observed in female samples after Bonferroni correction (p

Tandem repeat genetic profiles used in forensic applications varies between populations. Despite the diversity and security issues in the Sahel that require the identification of victims (soldiers and civilians), Burkina Faso (BF) remains understudied. To fill this information gap, 396 unrelated individuals from BF were genotyped using a MICROREADER 21 ID System kit. All 20 short tandem repeat (STR) loci tested passed the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. The combined powers of exclusion for duos (CPE duos) and trios (CPE trios) for the 20 tested loci were 0.9999998 and 0.9999307, respectively. The probability that two individuals would share the same DNA profiles among the BF population was 9.80898 × 10–26. For the X-chromosome STR analysis, 292 individuals were included in this study using a MICROREADER 19X Direct ID System kit. Among the 19 loci, no significant deviations from HWE test were observed in female samples after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05/19 = 0.0026), except for loci GATA165B12 and DXS7423. The results showed that the combined power of exclusion (CPE) and the combined power of discrimination in females (CPDF) and males (CPDM) were 0.999999760893, 0.999999999992, and 1, respectively. Comparison with other African sub-populations showed that geographical proximity is a reliable indicator of genetic relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstra: Osteological collections are an important resource for the development of methods to assist in the study of skeletal remains in archeological and/or forensic contexts. The aim is to describe the current characteristics of the Identified Skeletal Collection of the School of Legal Medicine and its historical context. The Identified Skeletal Collection of the School of Legal Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid consists of 138 male and 95 female individuals, born between 1880 and 1980 and deceased between 1970 and 2009. The minimum age of the sample is perinatal and the maximum age is 97 years. The collection is an essential tool for forensic research, given that its population characteristics can be extrapolated to those of present-day Spain. Access to this collection offers unique teaching opportunities as well as provides the information necessary to develop various lines of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent and young adults (AYA) with germ cell tumours (GCT) have poorer survival rates than children and many older adults with the same cancers. There are several likely contributing factors to this, including the treatment received. The prognostic benefit of intended dose intensity is well documented in GCT from trials comparing regimens. However, evidence specific to AYA is limited by poor recruitment of AYA to trials and dose delivery outside trials not being well examined. We examined the utility of cancer registration data and a clinical trials dataset to investigate the delivery of relative dose intensity (RDI) in routine National Health Service practice in England, compared to within international clinical trials. Linked data from the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD) and the Systemic Anti‐Cancer Therapy (SACT) dataset, and data from four international clinical trials were analysed. Survival over time was described using Kaplan‐Meier estimation; overall, by age category, International Germ‐Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) classification, stage, tumour subtype, primary site, ethnicity and deprivation. Cox regression models were used to determine the fully adjusted effect of RDI on mortality risk. The quality of both datasets was critically evaluated and clinically enhanced. RDI was found to be well maintained in all datasets with higher RDIs associated with improved survival outcomes. Real‐world data demonstrated several strengths, including population coverage and inclusion of sociodemographic variables and comorbidity. It is limited in GCT however, by the poor completion of data items enabling risk classification of patients and a higher proportion of missing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Results Analysis Base of Navarre (BARDENA) is a population data warehouse in Spain that provides access to health care decision makers and researchers. It integrates individual-level information from 97% of the Navarre population, including administrative, sociodemographic, geographical, clinical, and other data. BARDENA is a comprehensive resource that includes modules such as the Population Information System, primary care information, pharmaceutical data, hospital medical records, laboratory data, and vaccination information. It has been used for various research projects and studies, and is interoperable with national and international databases. However, access to BARDENA requires approval from an ethical research committee, and there are limitations related to data completeness and accuracy. Data visualization and mining tools are available for analysis. [Extracted from the article]

This study draw evidence from the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in Nigeria to examine the vitality of population data in resource allocation in Nigeria. The social ecological model of Bronfenbrenner was adopted in this study on the tenets that an individual’s development is influenced by a series of interconnected environmental systems. In-depth interview was adopted to collect data from sixty respondents: Academic staff [N = 15] from three federal Universities in the South-Eastern Nigeria, Palliative Distribution Officials [N = 15], and Residents of the Southeast Region [N = 30]. Thematic analytic method was employed. The findings of the study show that population data in Nigeria is problematic. Most population data in Nigeria are not complete and reliable. This results from the negative attitude of the people and the manipulation of population data for political gains. It was found that it was difficult for the government to utilise the available population data in the distribution of Covid-19 palliatives. Thus, Nigerians did not feel the desired impact of Covid-19 palliatives as most of the people that were supposed to get the palliatives were systematically omitted. We recommend that distribution of social welfare packages can only make a reasonable impact when there is reliable population data.

The Tibetan people are ancient and populous, constituting the seventh-largest of the fifty-five ethnic minority groups in China. The Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (NTQAP), situated on the border of northwest and southwest China, has its distinct group relationships. Short tandem repeat (STR) is extremely polymorphic and extensively used in the application of forensic medicine and population genetics. However, it is not clear the genetic information including linkage disequilibrium (LD) by 36 autosomal STR (A-STR) markers in the Tibetan group from NTQAP. The Tibetan population from NTQAP of southwest China was examined for 36 A-STR loci in the research. Every marker across the 36 A-STR loci was consistent with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). The results of the calculation revealed that the total discrimination power (TDP) is 1–2.2552 × 10−42 and the cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) is 1–1.3031 × 10−16. Subsequently, a total of 345 alleles with allelic frequencies ranging from 0.00382 to 0.55343 were identified, and the allelic numbers varied from 5 in both the TH01 and TPOX markers to 28 in the SE33 locus. The Ngawa Tibetan population, along with other Chinese populations, exhibited influences from historical factors and regional distribution, as indicated by the results of population genetics analysis. We thus first explored the genetic characteristics and correlated forensic parameters of the 36 A-STR markers in NTQAP to fill the gap in the Tibetan population. It was discovered that these 36 autosomal STR markers supplemented forensic STR databases and offered extremely valuable polymorphisms for Chinese forensic applications, such as parentage testing and personal identification. Moreover, the study would contribute additional information regarding the substructure and diversity in the Chinese population.

Short tandem repeat (STR) markers are commonly used in forensic investigations and kinship testing due to their cost-effectiveness and high discriminatory power. In the United Kingdom, STR allele frequency databases are available for different population groups, including the White group, which includes individuals of both English and Irish ethnicity. However, considering differences in historical migrations and influences between England and Ireland, distinct genetic differences might exist between these populations. This study aimed to generate allele frequency data for English and Irish populations using the VeriFiler Express PCR Amplification Kit, which contains loci utilised in national databases. Buccal swabs were collected from 577 English and 500 Irish volunteers with self-proclaimed English and Irish ethnicity respectively. DNA profiling and statistical analyses were performed to assess allele frequencies and forensic parameters, and to perform population comparisons. The results showed minimal genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.0013) between the English and Irish populations. Comparison with other European populations revealed close genetic relationships between the English population and Scandinavian countries, while the Irish population displayed closer genetic links to Western European countries. These findings support historical influences such as Viking migrations and highlight the need for further research using additional markers to explore the genetic makeup and history of the English and Irish populations. Although a single allele frequency database may be suitable due to the observed genetic similarity, the establishment of separate databases should be considered to ensure maximum population representation.

The development of complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) reference data for inclusion in publicly available population databases is currently underway, and the generation of more high-quality mitogenomes will only enhance the statistical power of this forensically useful locus. To characterize mitogenome variation in Sweden, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) reads from the SweGen whole genome sequencing (WGS) dataset were analyzed. To overcome the interference from low-frequency nuclear mtDNA segments (NUMTs), a 10% variant frequency threshold was applied for the analysis. In total, 934 forensic-quality mitogenome haplotypes were characterized. Almost 45% of the SweGen haplotypes belonged to haplogroup H. Nearly all mitogenome haplotypes (99.1%) were assigned to European haplogroups, which was expected based on previous mtDNA studies of the Swedish population. There were signature northern Swedish and Finnish haplogroups observed in the dataset (e.g., U5b1, W1a), consistent with the nuclear DNA analyses of the SweGen data. The complete mitogenome analysis resulted in high haplotype diversity (0.9996) with a random match probability of 0.15%. Overall, the SweGen mitogenomes provide a large mtDNA reference dataset for the Swedish population and also contribute to the effort to estimate global mitogenome haplotype frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Pacific children in Aotearoa New Zealand under 20 years of age, this study investigates whether parental education is protective in terms of hospitalisations. For 139,686 Pacific and 659,055 other (non-Māori/non-Pacific) children, a population data extract for them and their parents was used from linked 2013 Census, health and demographic data. Binary indicators of incidence of hospitalisations between 1 March 2013 and 28 February 2018 were analysed using modified Poisson regression models with robust standard errors. The highest parental educational level of either parent ranged from 0 indicating no qualification and increased incrementally to 10 signifying a PhD. Over the study period, 1% of Pacific children were hospitalised in private hospitals and 24% with a potentially avoidable hospitalisation. Highest parental education level was protective for Pacific children, with a single level in parental qualification associated with a small but significantly lower risk of potentially avoidable hospitalisation (RR = 0.97, p < 0.0001), but a higher risk of private hospitalisation (RR = 1.25, p < 0.0001). This finding remained significant, independent from the contribution of increased socioeconomic benefits that accompanied improved education. These findings support ongoing Pacific focused initiatives for promoting continuing education as an investment for the future health of Pacific families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicted loss of function (pLoF) variants are often highly deleterious and play an important role in disease biology, but many pLoF variants may not result in loss of function (LoF). Here we present a framework that advances interpretation of pLoF variants in research and clinical settings by considering three categories of LoF evasion: (1) predicted rescue by secondary sequence properties, (2) uncertain biological relevance, and (3) potential technical artifacts. We also provide recommendations on adjustments to ACMG/AMP guidelines' PVS1 criterion. Applying this framework to all high-confidence pLoF variants in 22 genes associated with autosomal-recessive disease from the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD v.2.1.1) revealed predicted LoF evasion or potential artifacts in 27.3% (304/1,113) of variants. The major reasons were location in the last exon, in a homopolymer repeat, in a low proportion expressed across transcripts (pext) scored region, or the presence of cryptic in-frame splice rescues. Variants predicted to evade LoF or to be potential artifacts were enriched for ClinVar benign variants. PVS1 was downgraded in 99.4% (162/163) of pLoF variants predicted as likely not LoF/not LoF, with 17.2% (28/163) downgraded as a result of our framework, adding to previous guidelines. Variant pathogenicity was affected (mostly from likely pathogenic to VUS) in 20 (71.4%) of these 28 variants. This framework guides assessment of pLoF variants beyond standard annotation pipelines and substantially reduces false positive rates, which is key to ensure accurate LoF variant prediction in both a research and clinical setting. [Display omitted] Our study demonstrates that 27.3% of heterozygous predicted loss-of-function (pLoF) gnomAD variants, in genes associated with autosomal-recessive disease, might not undergo nonsense-mediated decay due to suspected evasion. We provide guidance on how to advance pLoF interpretation in both research and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The complex demographic history of human populations in North Africa has resulted in a high degree of genetic heterogeneity across the region. However, little is known about the pattern of these genetic variations in its current populations. The present study provides new data on the genetic background of Chaouia, an Arabic-speaking North African population in the western center of Morocco. A random sample of 150 unrelated healthy individuals from Chaouia was assessed using the AmpFLSTR Identifiler kit. The most polymorphic markers were D21S11 and D18S51, with 23 and 22 alleles, respectively. After Bonferroni's correction, two loci (TH01 and D18S51) deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The phylogeny analysis separated North African populations into northeastern and northwestern groups. The Chaouia population was clustered with northwestern Africans. It was the closest to the Berbers of Azrou. The Chaouia shared close genetic affinities with populations from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, particularly Iberians, and to a lesser extent with sub-Saharan populations. The pattern of genetic admixture varied across North African populations without a clear correlation between their geographic (northeastern or northwestern) or linguistic identities (Arab or Berber), however, genetic heterogeneity among Berbers was observed. These findings suggest that the diversity observed in North African populations extends geographical and linguistic boundaries. It is further linked to each population's unique and complex demographic history. Human North African population genetics seems to present an intriguing landscape for future studies in the region and its surrounding populations to trace the origins of the genetic heterogeneity observed in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Han nationality is an ancient and populous people, and different places in China may have their distinct group relationships. Luzhou area, as a crossroads of several provinces in Southwest China, lacks autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) research and population genetics research. In this study, 21 autosomal STR loci were evaluated in 1959 Han-Chinese individuals from Luzhou area. There was no substantial linkage disequilibrium (LD) among the 21 autosomal STR markers, and all markers were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). The total discrimination power (TDP) and cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) of the 21 autosomal STR loci were calculated to be 1–9.8505 × 10−16 and 1–1.9406 × 10−9, respectively. There were 333 alleles for 21 STRs with allelic frequencies ranging from 0.00026 to 0.51302, and the number of alleles ranged from 7 in locus TPOX to 29 in locus Penta E. According to the results of population comparison and population differentiation, historical influences, geographical distribution, cultural integration, and economic development may have an impact on the Luzhou Han population and other Chinese populations. These 21 STR loci were found to enrich autosomal STR information in forensic databases and provide highly informative polymorphisms for our forensic practice in China, including personal identification and parentage testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an essential source for acquiring building data, although such data may suffer from quality issues. Many studies have focused on assessing OSM building data quality but few have been carried out on a global scale. This study aims to assess OSM building completeness (a quality measure) for 12,975 cities across the globe. This was achieved by employing population grid data as a proxy for reference building data. Not only the completeness of each city but also that of the grids within that city was assessed. The assessment results were evaluated based on calculating the overall accuracy and the r-square value between estimated and reference OSM building completeness values. Results showed that for 75% of cities, the completeness is lower than 20%; no more than 9% of cities have an estimated completeness higher than 80%. The overall accuracies of most countries were higher than 80%. The estimated completeness was also highly correlated with the reference completeness, which verifies the effectiveness of our approach. These results may be useful for acquiring and updating building data in OSM. A global and open dataset related to OSM building completeness has been made available for public use.

Background The Va (also called “Wa”) people are an ethnic minority living mainly in the southwest of Yunnan Province Aim This study was conducted to obtain the genetic information and forensic statistical parameters of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the AmpFlSTR®Identifiler™ kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) in the Yunnan Va population, with a view to enriching the genetic databases of the Chinese Va population. Subjects and methods A total of 508 unrelated Chinese Va individuals were genotyped with this 15 STR kit, the genetic polymorphisms and associated forensic parameters were calculated. The genetic relationships between Chinese Va and 26 other Chinese populations were also evaluated. Results All of the STR loci reached the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. A total of 159 alleles were observed with allele frequencies ranging from 0.000984 to 0.606299. The combined discrimination power (CDP) and the cumulative probability of excluding (CPE) of the 15 STR loci were 0.999 999 999 999 999 988 126 and 0.999 995 734, respectively. Our results indicated that the geographically adjacent or ethnically close populations showed a higher genetic affinity. Conclusions The results of this study will enrich the forensic databases of the Chinese Va population and could be applied in forensic analysis.

Background: The Life-Space Assessment (LSA) can compliment traditional physical performance measures of mobility by accounting for the interaction between individuals and their environment. However, there are no studies that have generated percentile curves showing sex-stratified reference values in a large population-based sample of community-dwelling adults, making its interpretation difficult. Therefore, this study aimed to establish sex-stratified reference values for the LSA in middle-aged and older Canadians. Methods: Baseline data for participants aged 45–84 years old from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) were used (n = 22,154). Quantile regression was used to estimate specific percentiles, with age as the independent variable and LSA scores as the dependent variable. Models were run for the whole sample, then separately for males and females. The models were cross-validated to assess their reliability. CLSA inflation and analytic weights were applied. Results: On average, the sample was 62.5 ± 10.0 y.o. (51.1% males), with a weighted mean LSA score of 89.2 ± 17.0. There was also a decrease in LSA scores with age, where scores were lower for older age groups compared to younger groups, and LSA scores were lower for females relative to males. Discussion and conclusions: Reference data will aid in interpreting, comparing, and making inferences related to LSA scores obtained in clinical and research settings for Canadian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most advanced technologies for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, such as sensor-pump integrated systems or the artificial pancreas, require accurate glucose predictions on a given future time-horizon as a basis for decision-making support systems. Seasonal stochastic models are data-driven algebraic models that use recent history data and periodic trends to accurately estimate time series data, such as glucose concentration in diabetes. These models have been proven to be a good option to provide accurate blood glucose predictions under free-living conditions. These models can cope with patient variability under variable-length time-stamped daily events in supervision and control applications. However, the seasonal-models-based framework usually needs of several months of data per patient to be fed into the system to adequately train a personalized glucose predictor for each patient. In this work, an in silico analysis of the accuracy of prediction is presented, considering the effect of training a glucose predictor with data from a cohort of patients (population) instead of data from a single patient (individual). Feasibility of population data as an input to the model is asserted, and the effect of the dataset size in the determination of the minimum amount of data for a valid training of the models is studied. Results show that glucose predictors trained with population data can provide predictions of similar magnitude as those trained with individualized data. Overall median root mean squared error (RMSE) (including 25% and 75% percentiles) for the predictor trained with population data are { 6.96 [ 4.87 , 8.67 ] , 12.49 [ 7.96 , 14.23 ] , 19.52 [ 10.62 , 23.37 ] , 28.79 [ 12.96 , 34.57 ] , 32.3 [ 16.20 , 41.59 ] , 28.8 [ 15.13 , 37.18 ] } mg/dL, for prediction horizons (PH) of { 15 , 30 , 60 , 120 , 180 , 240 } min, respectively, while the baseline of the individually trained RMSE results are { 6.37 [ 5.07 , 6.70 ] , 11.27 [ 8.35 , 12.65 ] , 17.44 [ 11.08 , 20.93 ] , 22.72 [ 14.29 , 28.19 ] , 28.45 [ 14.79 , 34.38 ] , 25.58 [ 13.10 , 36.60 ] } mg/dL, both training with 16 weeks of data. Results also show that the use of the population approach reduces the required training data by half, without losing any prediction capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper states that although numerous new drugs are available for breast cancer, no population benefit is shown from the year 2000 on. It urges the oncological community to revise the "drug approach strategy" in daily practice and pay more attention to early detection and prevention. Background: Breast cancer treatment has seen tremendous progress since the early 1980s, with the first findings of new chemotherapy and hormone therapies. Screening started in the same period. Methods: A review of population data (SEER and the literature) shows an increase in recurrence-free survival until 2000 and it stagnates afterwards. Results: Over the period 1980-2000, the 15% survival gain was presented by pharma as a contribution of new molecules. The contribution of screening during that same period was not implemented by them, although screening has been accepted as a routine procedure in the States since the 1980s and everywhere else since 2000. Conclusions: Interpretation of breast cancer outcome has largely focused on drugs, whereas other factors, such as screening, prevention, biologics, and genetics, were largely neglected. More attention should now be paid to examining the strategy based on realistic global data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of living undocumented individuals highlights the need for accurate, precise, and reproducible age estimation methods, especially in those cases involving minors. However, when their country of origin is unknown, or it can be only roughly estimated, it is extremely difficult to apply assessment policies, procedures, and practices that are accurate and child-sensitive. The main aim of this research is to optimize the correct classification of adults and minors by establishing new cut-off values for four different continents (Africa, America, Asia, and Europe). For this purpose, a vast sample of 10,701 orthopantomographs (OPTs) from four continents was evaluated. For determination and subsequent validation of the new third molar maturity index (I3M) cut-off values by world regions, a cross-validation by holdout method was used and contingency tables (confusion matrices) were generated. The lower third molar maturity indexes, from both left and right side (I3ML and I3MR) and the combination of both sides (I3ML_I3MR) were calculated. The new cut-off values, that aim to differentiate between a minor and an adult, with more than 74.00% accuracy for all populations were as follows (I3ML; I3MR; I3ML_I3MR, respectively): Africa = (0.10; 0.10; 0.10), America = (0.10; 0.09; 0.09), Asia = (0.15; 0.17; 0.14), and Europe = (0.09; 0.09; 0.09). The higher sensitivity (Se) was detected for the I3ML for male African people (91%) and the higher specificity (Sp) of all the parameters (I3ML; I3MR; I3ML_I3MR) for Europeans both male and female (> 91%). The original cut-off value (0.08) is still useful, especially in discriminating individuals younger than 18 years old which is the goal of the forensic methods used for justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid progress of digital transformation underscores the critical need for robust personal data protection as a guarantee of individual rights, particularly to address the prevalent issues of data leakage and misuse, including population data. This need aligns with Article 28 G of the 1945 Constitution, which is actualized through the provision of access to population data for verification purposes to both state and private institutions. Additionally, data users are mandated to adhere to a Zero Data Sharing Policy that strictly prohibits the dissemination or sharing of population data with third parties. However, challenges persist due to limited legal protections concerning personal data classifications and the delineation of authority between data owners and users, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive personal data protection legislation. Furthermore, the establishment of an Independent Surveillance Authority is essential to ensure effective regulation enforcement. This Authority's roles and powers would align with government efforts to protect population data and be guided by the standards set forth in the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR). Its independent status is crucial to prevent undue influence from parties with vested interests. Functionally, such an authority would enhance the effectiveness of the Zero Data Sharing Policy through its capacity to conduct investigations and enforce collective rights, thus ensuring the protection of human rights. This research employs normative legal research, utilizing legislation and literature reviews alongside descriptive analysis with a deductive approach to manage qualitative data, concluding that legal protections must be bolstered by optimal oversight through an established Independent Surveillance Authority.

Background: Targeted interventions for suicide prevention rely on adequate identification of groups at elevated risk. Several risk factors for suicide are known, but little is known about the interactions between risk factors. Interactions between risk factors may aid in detecting more specific sub-populations at higher risk. Methods: Here, we use a novel machine learning heuristic to detect sub-populations at ultra high-risk for suicide based on interacting risk factors. The data-driven and hypothesis-free model is applied to investigate data covering the entire population of the Netherlands. Findings: We found three sub-populations with extremely high suicide rates (i.e. >50 suicides per 100,000 person years, compared to 12/100,000 in the general population), namely: (1) people on unfit for work benefits that were never married, (2) males on unfit for work benefits, and (3) those aged 55–69 who live alone, were never married and have a relatively low household income. Additionally, we found two sub-populations where the rate was higher than expected based on individual risk factors alone: widowed males, and people aged 25–39 with a low level of education. Interpretation: Our model is effective at finding ultra-high risk groups which can be targeted using sub-population level interventions. Additionally, it is effective at identifying high-risk groups that would not be considered risk groups based on conventional risk factor analysis.

There has been a recent emphasis to establish and codify large-scale or national Trusted Research Environments (TREs) in the United Kingdom, with a view to limit smaller, local TREs. The basis for this argument is that it avoids duplication of infrastructure, information governance, privacy risks, monopolies and will promote innovation, particularly with commercial partners. However, the work around establishing TREs in the UK largely ignores the long-established local TRE landscape in Scotland, and the way in which local TREs can actually improve data quality, solve technical architecture challenges, promote information governance and risk minimisation, and encourage innovation and collaboration (both academic and commercial). This data centre profile focuses on the Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH),a secure, virtual healthcare data analysis and storage centre located in Aberdeen, Scotland. DaSH was co-established by the NHS Grampian Health Board and University of Aberdeen to allow for the secure processing and linking of health data for the Grampian and Scottish population when it is not practicable to obtain consent from individual patients. As an established trusted research environment now in its 10th operating year, DaSH technology ensures healthcare, social care data and other types of sensitive data, routinely collected and used without individual patient consent, are made accessible for both academic research and clinical service evaluation and improvements whilst protecting individuals' privacy at the local, national and international levels. DaSH has registered almost 600 projects and facilitated over 200 distinct research projects with data hosting, extraction, and novel linkages to completion. Ongoing innovation and collaboration between DaSH and the NHS Grampian Health Board continues to expand researcher access to new types of data and data linkages, introduce new technologies for advanced statistical research methods, and supports interdisciplinary research using population health and social care data for research, clinical and commercial advancements, and real-world practitioner applications. The purpose of this paper is to present DaSH's data population, operating model, architecture and information technology, governance, legislation and management, privacy-by-design principles and data access, data linkage methods, data sources, noteworthy research outputs, and further developments in order to demonstrate the value of local TREs within the data management and access debate.

Background There remain ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in care and outcomes among stroke patients treated in the United States. However, length of stay and inpatient charges warrant further evaluation. Methods The 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, which includes data from roughly 20% of US emergency departments, was queried for patients with cerebral infarction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of prolonged length of hospital stay (>75th percentile) and inpatient charges among various race andethnic groups, including income and insurance status, age, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index, vascular risk factors, and delivery of thrombolysis and thrombectomy. Results Of 617 946 estimated patients with acute ischemic stroke, 398 661 (65.5%) were >65 years, and 386 096 (63.5%) were Medicare beneficiaries. Lower income and Medicaid or self‐pay status were more commonly observed in Black and Hispanic versus White patients (P0.05). Prolonged length of stay was also associated with Medicaid (versus Medicare), higher modified Charlson Comorbidity Index, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy (P

The "Bielefeld conspiracy" has long disputed the existence of Bielefeld, a (supposed) German city. In this paper, an approach is developed to test such a theory empirically by auditing officially reported population numbers, arguing that real cities would not fake these. It is shown that Bielefeld's data, in fact, violate the Benford law, a statistical law that they should follow if they were genuine. This anomaly is found only for Bielefeld, in contrast to all other tested similar and dissimilar cities, across two decades, and with highest significance by five statistical tests. The Bielefeld conspiracy remains as the most or even only plausible explanation for these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ovarian cancer survival in the UK is poorer than other similar countries. Results from the National Ovarian Cancer Audit Feasibility Pilot (OCAFP) showed that approximately 1 in 4 women with advanced stage ovarian cancer (greater than Stage 2) do not receive any anti-cancer treatment and that only 51% will receive both surgery and chemotherapy in England. The audit also showed that the proportions of women receiving treatment varies a lot across different areas in England. In response, a multidisciplinary team from the British Gynaecological cancer society has established Quality performance indicators that can be evaluated regularly using routinely collected data and will help improve cancer outcomes. Ovarian cancer survival in the UK lags behind comparable countries. Results from the ongoing National Ovarian Cancer Audit feasibility pilot (OCAFP) show that approximately 1 in 4 women with advanced ovarian cancer (Stage 2, 3, 4 and unstaged cancer) do not receive any anticancer treatment and only 51% in England receive international standard of care treatment, i.e., the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The audit has also demonstrated wide variation in the percentage of women receiving anticancer treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, be it surgery or chemotherapy across the 19 geographical regions for organisation of cancer delivery (Cancer Alliances). Receipt of treatment also correlates with survival: 5 year Cancer survival varies from 28.6% to 49.6% across England. Here, we take a systems wide approach encompassing both diagnostic pathways and cancer treatment, derived from the whole cohort of women with ovarian cancer to set out recommendations and quality performance indicators (QPI). A multidisciplinary panel established by the British Gynaecological Cancer Society carefully identified QPI against criteria: metrics selected were those easily evaluable nationally using routinely available data and where there was a clear evidence base to support interventions. These QPI will be valuable to other taxpayer funded systems with national data collection mechanisms and are to our knowledge the only population level data derived standards in ovarian cancer. We also identify interventions for Best practice and Research recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Va (also called "Wa") people are an ethnic minority living mainly in the southwest of Yunnan Province This study was conducted to obtain the genetic information and forensic statistical parameters of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the AmpFlSTR®Identifiler™ kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) in the Yunnan Va population, with a view to enriching the genetic databases of the Chinese Va population. A total of 508 unrelated Chinese Va individuals were genotyped with this 15 STR kit, the genetic polymorphisms and associated forensic parameters were calculated. The genetic relationships between Chinese Va and 26 other Chinese populations were also evaluated. All of the STR loci reached the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. A total of 159 alleles were observed with allele frequencies ranging from 0.000984 to 0.606299. The combined discrimination power (CDP) and the cumulative probability of excluding (CPE) of the 15 STR loci were 0.999 999 999 999 999 988 126 and 0.999 995 734, respectively. Our results indicated that the geographically adjacent or ethnically close populations showed a higher genetic affinity. The results of this study will enrich the forensic databases of the Chinese Va population and could be applied in forensic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Padasuka Sub-region in Cimenyan District, Bandung Regency tries to give populace organization and common enlistment administrations to the local area as per the standards of the Service Standard Guidelines. To work on the nature of administration, it is important to have an assistance framework in the kelurahan so it can work with the presentation of specialist co-ops in sub-district and further develop the help nature of the mechanical assembly into a modernized framework and work with information assortment/chronicling of populace organization. information. The subsequent framework can be utilized to perform automated information assortment

Abstract Background Previous work has demonstrated that cannabis laws have had a disproportionate impact on Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2019, the New Zealand Government amended cannabis laws, providing police with the power to determine whether a therapeutic or health-centred approach would be more beneficial than a conviction. In the current study, we use population level data to assess whether this law change has ameliorated the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori. Methods Data were drawn from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s national statistics office. In the IDI, we selected individuals who (1) were between 18 and 65, (2) were Māori or Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and, (3) had any cannabis charges that proceeded to the courts. Results Māori ethnicity was a significant predictor of the odds of receiving a cannabis conviction for Māori males (Odds: 1.56), with a marginally significant effect for Māori females (Odds: 1.57). Further, for Māori, there was no reduction in the number of cannabis charges before vs. after the amendment to cannabis laws. Conclusion The current study demonstrates that the bias in cannabis convictions for Māori remain. Given this, the New Zealand Government must follow other countries around the world and move forward on cannabis law reform.

Introduction and Methods: We do not have an accurate count of the number of teachers of students with visual impairments working in the field, and it is a difficult number to estimate. As part of a national survey, states were contacted to estimate how many teachers of students with visual impairments are working in the United States and compared to the estimate developed by the National Plan for Training Personnel to Serve Children with Blindness and Low Vision (NPTP) in 2000. Results and Discussion: The estimate calculated from this process is very similar to the estimate from NPTP (2000), indicating that there are roughly the same number of teachers of students with visual impairments in the field now as there were 20 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We focus on two types of centralised national examinations (the 10th grade tests and Matura examination) that are being carried out in Lithuania for two decades. The aim of the paper is to analyse assessments of mathematics for the entire Lithuanian secondary school population that have no sampling errors while considering the factors of location, school ownership and gender as important indicators when judging about educational effectiveness in terms of quality and equity. We analyse the results of the 10th grade tests for the 2011–2015 period and the results of the same cohorts participating in the Matura examination. We observe that the distribution of the assessments of both exams is asymmetric with a positive skew. The median often is below the middle of the grade scale indicating poor performance or mismatch between knowledge and examination tasks. There are limited differences in assessments with respect to gender and school location, although we detect a tendency to have better mathematics achievement in private schools. The conclusions drawn from national assessment data is somewhat different from international data thus one cannot neglect national information for the development of educational policy. The variables analysed in the analysis has limited predictive power for achievements in mathematics and further analysis is called-for.

Background: Dental age estimation is important in clinical practice for orthodontic treatment, forensic sciences and radiology. The Nolla (1960) classification scheme is one of the most frequently utilized estimation tools in teaching and clinical practice. However, the applicability of the Nolla (1960) classification scheme in determining age in a select KwaZulu-Natal population of South Africa is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the applicability of the Nolla Classification Scheme on a select South African sample of KwaZulu-Natal and develop a regression model to extend the Nolla (1960) maturation and age norm tables beyond 17 years. Materials and methods: 840 digital panoramic radiographs of individuals aged between 5 and 25 years met the inclusion criteria. The 8 maxillary and 8 mandibular teeth in the left quadrant was analysed using the Nolla (1960) Classification Scheme. The paired T-test, Wilcoxon and Polynomial Regression Analysis were performed. Results: The original Nolla (1960) method over-estimated age for the entire sample in this study by −0.39 and −0.57 years in females and males, respectively. While, the modified Nolla (1960), highlighted an overall under-estimation in females, but over-estimation in males aged between 18.00 and 18.99 years. Conclusion: The Nolla Classification scheme over- or under-estimated dental age with the select population group, therefore population-specific tables were developed for the South African Black and Indian population groups of KwaZulu-Natal. This may increase the accuracy of age estimation of the selected South African sample within the KwaZulu-Natal region.

Aim: This systematic review aimed to identify the most important social, environmental, biological, and/or genetic risk factors for intellectual disability (ID). Methods: Eligible were published prospective or retrospective comparative studies investigating risk factors for ID in children 4–18 years. Exclusions were single group studies with no comparator without ID and a sample size <100. Electronic databases (Medline, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Campbell Collaboration, and CINAHL) were searched for eligible publications from 1980 to 2020. Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal instruments, appropriate for study type, were used to assess study quality and risk of bias. Descriptive characteristics and individual study results were presented followed by the synthesis for individual risk factors, also assessed using GRADE. Results: Fifty-eight individual eligible studies were grouped into six exposure topics: sociodemographic; antenatal and perinatal; maternal physical health; maternal mental health; environmental; genetic or biological studies. There were few eligible genetic studies. For half the topics, the certainty of evidence (GRADE) was moderate or high. Conclusion: Multiple studies have examined individual potential determinants of ID, but few have investigated holistically to identify those populations most at risk. Our review would indicate that there are vulnerable groups where risk factors we identified, such as low socioeconomic status, minority ethnicity, teenage motherhood, maternal mental illness, and alcohol abuse, may cluster, highlighting a target for preventive strategies. At-risk populations need to be identified and monitored so that interventions can be implemented when appropriate, at preconception, during pregnancy, or after birth. This could reduce the likelihood of ID and provide optimal opportunities for vulnerable infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early work experience is found to be an influential factor in young people's transitions from school to work. Still, we know little about whether early work experience can protect vulnerable young people from subsequent exclusion from labour and education in early adulthood. Our objective is therefore to examine how early work experience in adolescence influences the risk of being NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), and whether this relationship is stronger for early school leavers and young disabled people. We utilise Norwegian register data covering the entire 1985-birth cohort, followed from age 16 to 29 (n ~ 50 000). Linear probability models are used to estimate the NEET risk at age 25 and age 29. The findings reveal that early work experience is related to a lower NEET risk for everyone, but more strongly for the young people with disabilities or early school leaving. The findings support early work experience as a potentially important protective factor against subsequent NEET status, particularly among vulnerable young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background X-chromosome specific short tandem repeats (X-STR) are indispensable for parentage analysis, kinship determination and forensic casework. Aim To determine allelic frequencies and forensic parameters of the 12 X-STR markers from the Investigator® Argus X-12® kit panel for the population of the Russian Federation. Subjects and methods We analysed 803 unrelated individuals from 58 localities across the Russian Federation. Intra-population genetic diversity was evaluated and comparison of the Russian population with 19 geographically distant populations performed. Results Heterozygosity values across all the loci ranged from 0.685 for DXS7423 to 0.939 for DXS10135. Deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed for DXS10074 (p

Objectives Demographers are interested in the degree to which marriage is driven by prenuptial pregnancy within particular communities. To help answer this question, we present a novel method which links marriage certificates to birth certificates, where the birth-mother is the marriage-bride, considering only births which occur in the first seven months after a marriage. Approach To identify prenuptial births we employed an unsupervised graph-based record linkage method to link birth and marriage certificates. We first extracted related groups of individuals: babies and their parents from birth certificates, and brides, grooms, and their parents from marriage certificates. To link births with marriages, we employed techniques to address challenges such as changing attribute values over time (such as names and addresses), the ambiguity of attribute values giving priority to rare names over common names, and different relationships encountered at different points in time (by applying temporal constraints). Based on the obtained links we then extracted prenuptial births. Results Using two Scottish data sets containing a total of 38,451 births and 8,667 marriage certificates from the period 1861 to 1901 and employing different linkage thresholds we identified between 853 and 945 first birth-marriage links in the smaller (rural) data set, and between 2,165 and 2,232 links in the larger (urban) data set. In the rural data set, between 16.9% and 17.7% of these links were with birth less than 8 months after marriage (i.e. prenuptial births), where the corresponding ground truth contained 17.6% prenuptial births. For the urban data set, we identified between 51.3% and 51.4% prenuptial births. Our results show clear differences between rural and urban prenuptial pregnancies in 19th Century Scotland. Conclusion We have presented an unsupervised graph-based record linkage method that compares attribute values of individuals and their relationships to link records based on the ambiguity of attribute values, attribute value changes, and temporal constraints. This linking process helps us to identify prenuptial births to help us understand the degree to which marriages may have been driven by pregnancy.

Most advanced technologies for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, such as sensor-pump integrated systems or the artificial pancreas, require accurate glucose predictions on a given future time-horizon as a basis for decision-making support systems. Seasonal stochastic models are data-driven algebraic models that use recent history data and periodic trends to accurately estimate time series data, such as glucose concentration in diabetes. These models have been proven to be a good option to provide accurate blood glucose predictions under free-living conditions. These models can cope with patient variability under variable-length time-stamped daily events in supervision and control applications. However, the seasonal-models-based framework usually needs of several months of data per patient to be fed into the system to adequately train a personalized glucose predictor for each patient. In this work, an in silico analysis of the accuracy of prediction is presented, considering the effect of training a glucose predictor with data from a cohort of patients (population) instead of data from a single patient (individual). Feasibility of population data as an input to the model is asserted, and the effect of the dataset size in the determination of the minimum amount of data for a valid training of the models is studied. Results show that glucose predictors trained with population data can provide predictions of similar magnitude as those trained with individualized data. Overall median root mean squared error (RMSE) (including 25% and 75% percentiles) for the predictor trained with population data are {6.96[4.87,8.67], 12.49[7.96,14.23], 19.52[10.62,23.37], 28.79[12.96,34.57], 32.3[16.20,41.59], 28.8[15.13,37.18]} mg/dL, for prediction horizons (PH) of {15,30,60,120,180,240} min, respectively, while the baseline of the individually trained RMSE results are {6.37[5.07,6.70], 11.27[8.35,12.65], 17.44[11.08,20.93], 22.72[14.29,28.19], 28.45[14.79,34.38], 25.58[13.10,36.60]} mg/dL, both training with 16 weeks of data. Results also show that the use of the population approach reduces the required training data by half, without losing any prediction capability.

Vladimir Novotný's approach to identifying skeletal sex entails a deep understanding of anatomy in relation to the evolutionary implications and adaptive constraints that determine the differentiation of the pelvic region in humans. Considering the sacroiliac and ischiopubic traits as regions that are evolutionarily and functionally distinct leads to a better understanding of the significance of the pelvis structures in relation to sexual dimorphism. Although optimal diagnosis implies the whole combination of the characters in the two districts, some features of the pelvis, such as those in the ischiopubic district, are more informative. Among the structures of the sacroiliac district, the greater sciatic notch has been widely analyzed, but it is difficult to assess since its size and morphology may vary greatly due to its dependence on two anatomical subsystems. To facilitate the analysis, Vladimir Novotný, in his "ideal shape analysis of form" formalizes the evaluation of the morphology of the greater sciatic notch by identifying three essential features that define its general architecture: length and proportion of the branches, symmetry of the branches, and recurvate course of the superior ramus of the notch. These three features are visually evaluated and then scored in order to reduce the level of subjectivity of the diagnosis. These features can be quantified through conventional and geometric morphometric procedures. It was therefore verified whether morphometric characterization can detect the information expressed through these three features of the morphology of the notch and whether it may be used for diagnostic purposes. To this end, metrical and morphological characterization of the great sciatic notch was carried out for a series of recent coxal bones from a collection housed at the Istituto di Medicina Legale at Bari University (Italy). A total of 171 isolated coxal bones all belonging to 92 identified adult skeletons (45 males and 47 females) were considered for the study. The projective image of the greater sciatic notch contours in the trait was analyzed, from the base of the ischial spine to the top of the piriform tubercle, both as a whole and by separating the anterior and posterior branches. The sample was initially characterized metrically on the basis of linear and angular measurements, but also by evaluating the development of the branches and the areas underlying them. The data obtained were then used to perform multivariate exploratory and discriminant analysis. By using variables extracted from the notch as a whole and separately from the two branches, certain discriminant functions able to correctly sex between 90% and 93% of cases were defined. Overall differences in shape were also visualized by changes between configuration landmarks. The variables that were most effective in the analysis were re-considered and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]