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Article
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Comparative epidemic expansion of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Omicron in the Brazilian State of Amazonas
The Amazonas region has been the most heavily affected by COVID-19 in Brazil. In this study, the authors conduct phylodynamic analyses to assess SARS-CoV-2 lineage replacement dynamics in the region and infer the impact of population immunity on the spread and severity of the Delta and Omicron variants.
- Ighor Arantes
- , Gonzalo Bello
- & Felipe Gomes Naveca
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Article
| Open Access
Effectiveness of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines among older adults in Shanghai: retrospective cohort study
Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines have been widely used in China, but there is limited real-world evidence for their effectiveness in this setting. Here, the authors estimate effectiveness of inactivated vaccines for people aged 60 or older in Shanghai during a period when Omicron was the dominant circulating variant.
- Zhuoying Huang
- , Shuangfei Xu
- & Weibing Wang
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Article
| Open Access
The evolution and international spread of extensively drug resistant Shigella sonnei
An increase in shigellosis cases among men who have sex with men in the United Kingdom has been linked to an extensively drug-resistant strain of Shigella sonnei. In this genomic epidemiology study, the authors investigate the genetic basis, evolutionary history, and international dissemination of the outbreak strain.
- Lewis C. E. Mason
- , David R. Greig
- & Kate S. Baker
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Article
| Open Access
Data-driven analysis to understand long COVID using electronic health records from the RECOVER initiative
In this study, the authors characterise post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in two large cohorts based on electronic health records from the USA. They identify a broad range of PASC-related conditions which were only partially replicated across the two cohorts, indicating possible heterogeneity between populations.
- Chengxi Zang
- , Yongkang Zhang
- & Rainu Kaushal
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Article
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Associations between mental health, blood pressure and the development of hypertension
Mental and cardiovascular health interact in complex ways. Here, the authors demonstrate an association of blood pressure with depressive symptoms, well-being, and emotion-related brain activity that may be relevant to the development of hypertension.
- H. Lina Schaare
- , Maria Blöchl
- & Arno Villringer
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Article
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Effectiveness of BNT162b2 after extending the primary series dosing interval in children and adolescents aged 5–17
Extending the interval between doses of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines has been linked with a reduced risk of myocarditis in children and adolescents, but impacts on vaccine effectiveness are not known. Here, the authors perform a nested case-control study using data from Hong Kong and find evidence of reduced risk of infection following a longer dosing interval.
- Francisco Tsz Tsun Lai
- , Min Fan
- & Esther Wai Yin Chan
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Article
| Open Access
Long-term measles antibody profiles following different vaccine schedules in China, a longitudinal study
The timing of measles vaccination in infants affects the risk of infection in young children and the duration of protection provided. Here, the authors investigate optimal vaccination timing by characterising antibody kinetics following different vaccine schedules in two cohorts of children in southern China.
- Qianli Wang
- , Wei Wang
- & Hongjie Yu
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Article
| Open Access
Risk of death following COVID-19 vaccination or positive SARS-CoV-2 test in young people in England
Rare but serious cardiac disease side effects have been linked to COVID-19 vaccinations, especially in young people. Here, the authors find very little evidence of an association between vaccination and mortality, except for in females after a non mRNA vaccine, but show an increased risk of death following COVID-19 infection
- Vahé Nafilyan
- , Charlotte R. Bermingham
- & James C. Doidge
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Article
| Open Access
The genomic epidemiology of Escherichia albertii infecting humans and birds in Great Britain
Escherichia albertii is an emerging gastrointestinal pathogen that causes disease in humans and animals, notably birds. In this genomic epidemiology study, the authors investigate characteristics of isolates sampled from humans and birds in Great Britain and find that they tend to cluster separately.
- Rebecca J. Bengtsson
- , Kate S. Baker
- & Becki Lawson
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Article
| Open Access
Transmission modeling to infer tuberculosis incidence prevalence and mortality in settings with generalized HIV epidemics
Accurately estimating the burden of tuberculosis is challenging due to incomplete registration systems and the relationship with HIV. Here, the authors develop a Bayesian modelling strategy accounting for these factors that estimates age- and country-specific annual risks of infection and the proportion resulting from recent infection.
- Peter J. Dodd
- , Debebe Shaweno
- & Helen Ayles
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Article
| Open Access
Predicting vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 over time and against variants: a meta-analysis
In this study, the authors perform a meta-analysis of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness studies and compare observed protection against severe disease with model-based estimates of neutralising antibody titres. Their results show that SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres are predictive of protection against severe COVID-19 disease.
- Deborah Cromer
- , Megan Steain
- & Miles P. Davenport
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Article
| Open Access
Single test-based diagnosis of multiple cancer types using Exosome-SERS-AI for early stage cancers
Early detection of multiple cancers through a single method could be clinically important. Here the authors report the diagnostic performance for early detection for multiple cancers using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) profiles of exosomes from a single blood test and artificial intelligence in a retrospective study design.
- Hyunku Shin
- , Byeong Hyeon Choi
- & Yeonho Choi
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Article
| Open Access
Interoperable slide microscopy viewer and annotation tool for imaging data science and computational pathology
There is a lack of standardisation in slide microscopy imaging data. Here the authors report Slim, an open-source, web-based slide microscopy viewer implementing the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard to achieve interoperability with a range of existing medical imaging systems.
- Chris Gorman
- , Davide Punzo
- & Markus D. Herrmann
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Article
| Open Access
Spatial immunization to abate disease spreading in transportation hubs
Efficient spatial targeting of interventions could reduce the spread of infections in transportation hubs. Here, the authors assess the optimal locations to target in Heathrow airport using disease transmission models informed by a contact network based on anonymised location data from 200,000 individuals.
- Mattia Mazzoli
- , Riccardo Gallotti
- & José J. Ramasco
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Article
| Open Access
PCR-like performance of rapid test with permselective tunable nanotrap
Lateral flow assays are valuable rapid diagnostic tests, but low sensitivity can hinder their precision. Here, the authors report an enrichment method using nanoporous AAO and red blood cell membranes, which when applied to patient samples prior to analysis can improve sensitivity up to 20-fold.
- Seong Jun Park
- , Seungmin Lee
- & Jeong Hoon Lee
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Article
| Open Access
Telomere length associates with chronological age and mortality across racially diverse pulmonary fibrosis cohorts
The association of telomere length with age and mortality across racially diverse pulmonary fibrosis populations is unknown. Here, the authors show that leukocyte telomere length associates with chronologic age and is predictive of mortality in pulmonary fibrosis across racial groups.
- Ayodeji Adegunsoye
- , Chad A. Newton
- & Imre Noth
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Article
| Open Access
Cumulative burden of 144 conditions, critical care hospitalisation and premature mortality across 26 adult cancers
Here the authors evaluate the burden of 144 health conditions in adult cancer survivors, and show that the magnitude of late morbidities experienced by survivors varies according to the type of cancer and treatment, highlighting opportunities for optimising patient care
- Wai Hoong Chang
- , Richard D. Neal
- & Alvina G. Lai
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Article
| Open Access
Non-falciparum malaria infection and IgG seroprevalence among children under 15 years in Nigeria, 2018
Nigeria has a high burden of malaria which mostly results from Plasmodium falciparum infection, but other species are also endemic. Here, the authors estimate the prevalence of active infection and previous exposure to P malariae, P ovale, and P vivax in children in Nigeria in 2018 and determine risk factors.
- Camelia Herman
- , Colleen M. Leonard
- & Eric Rogier
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Review Article
| Open Access
Smartphone-based platforms implementing microfluidic detection with image-based artificial intelligence
Smartphone-based mobile health platforms have drawn increasing attention from researchers developing point-of-care testing devices. Here the authors summarize recent progress and future directions of approaches combining microfluidics and artificial intelligence.
- Bangfeng Wang
- , Yiwei Li
- & Bi-Feng Liu
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Article
| Open Access
Indoor air surveillance and factors associated with respiratory pathogen detection in community settings in Belgium
Surveillance of respiratory pathogens in air may improve understanding of indoor transmission risks but impacts of context-specific factors on pathogen abundance are not well understood. Here, the authors investigate factors associated with 29 respiratory pathogens through surveillance of 21 community settings in Belgium.
- Joren Raymenants
- , Caspar Geenen
- & Emmanuel André
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Article
| Open Access
Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster doses against Omicron severe outcomes
This study investigates the protection provided by mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster doses against Omicron-associated severe disease in adults aged 50 and older. The authors use data from Ontario, Canada, and find that booster doses provide strong protection but that it declined during the period of BA.4/BA.5 predominance.
- Ramandip Grewal
- , Lena Nguyen
- & Jeffrey C. Kwong
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Article
| Open Access
Sequence terminus dependent PCR for site-specific mutation and modification detection
Rapid and facile detection of specific nucleic acid modifications could have numerous applications. Here the authors present Specific Terminal Mediated Polymerase Chain Reaction (STEM-PCR) as a generic and accessible approach, and demonstrate proof-of-principle cancer biomarker detection.
- Gaolian Xu
- , Hao Yang
- & Hongchen Gu
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Article
| Open Access
Maternal SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infant protection against SARS-CoV-2 during the first six months of life
This study investigates the impact of maternal COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy on infant infection during the first six months of life. Using data from California, USA, the authors find that protection against infection during the period of Delta dominance was high, but that it declined during the Omicron period.
- Ousseny Zerbo
- , G. Thomas Ray
- & Nicola P. Klein
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Article
| Open Access
TEFM variants impair mitochondrial transcription causing childhood-onset neurological disease
Van Haute et al describe autosomal recessive TEFM variants that impair mitochondrial transcription elongation and reduce the levels of promoter distal mitochondrial RNA transcripts, leading to heterogeneous mitochondrial diseases with a treatable neuromuscular transmission defect.
- Lindsey Van Haute
- , Emily O’Connor
- & Rita Horvath
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Article
| Open Access
Responsive materials and mechanisms as thermal safety systems for skin-interfaced electronic devices
Minimizing patient risk to thermal failure in wearable electronics typically requires complex circuit control, sensors, or passive materials. Here, Yoo et al. present an active materials system with a self-inflating bladder that delaminates upon excessive heat, mitigating the risk of thermal injury.
- Seonggwang Yoo
- , Tianyu Yang
- & John A. Rogers
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Article
| Open Access
National surveillance data analysis of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in England by women of reproductive age
Women of reproductive age may have specific concerns relating to perceived impacts on fertility and menstrual cycles that make them hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccination. In this study, the authors explore COVID-19 vaccine uptake rates in women of reproductive age using linked data for ~13 million women in England.
- Laura A. Magee
- , Erika Molteni
- & Sara White
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Article
| Open Access
Associations of timing of physical activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study
There is a growing interest in the role of timing of physical activity (PA) in improving health. Here, using a large-scale cohort study, the authors show that moderate-to-vigorous PA at the optimal time of day robustly predicts lower mortality risk and may maximize the beneficial effect of PA.
- Hongliang Feng
- , Lulu Yang
- & Jihui Zhang
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Article
| Open Access
Acoustic metamaterials-driven transdermal drug delivery for rapid and on-demand management of acute disease
Treating acute disease like anaphylaxis is challenging due to the inability to administer therapeutics in a timely manner and regulate pharmacokinetics precisely within a short time window. Here the authors develop active acoustic metamaterials-driven transdermal drug delivery for rapid and on-demand acute disease management.
- Junhua Xu
- , Hongwei Cai
- & Feng Guo
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Perspective
| Open Access
Medical microrobots in reproductive medicine from the bench to the clinic
Microrobotics is an emerging technology with wide implications for medical fields, such as assisted reproduction. Here the authors show how the key challenges regarding materials, processes and engineering as well as ethical and regulatory implications can be addressed towards a clinical adoption.
- Richard Nauber
- , Sandhya R. Goudu
- & Mariana Medina-Sánchez
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Article
| Open Access
Quantifying the direct and indirect protection provided by insecticide treated bed nets against malaria
Long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets (LLINs) provide protection from malaria through both direct effects to the user and indirect community-level effects. Here, the authors use mathematical modelling to assess the relative contributions of these effects under different insecticide resistance and LLIN usage scenarios.
- H. Juliette T. Unwin
- , Ellie Sherrard-Smith
- & Azra C. Ghani
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Article
| Open Access
Efficacy and clinicogenomic correlates of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or with chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
Immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without chemotherapy are now standard of care for non-small cell lung cancer. However, the benefits of combination vs sequential therapy have not been fully explored. Here, the authors analysed 1,133 patient records and show combination therapy showed increased protection against early progression, but similar overall survival.
- Lingzhi Hong
- , Muhammad Aminu
- & Natalie I. Vokes
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Article
| Open Access
A scoping review of the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on vulnerable population groups
Physical distancing measures introduced to control the spread of COVID-19 had socio-economic trade-offs that may have particularly impacted vulnerable population groups. Here, the authors perform a scoping review and summarise the impacts on different vulnerable groups described in 265 studies.
- Lili Li
- , Araz Taeihagh
- & Si Ying Tan
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Article
| Open Access
Quantifying PON1 on HDL with nanoparticle-gated electrokinetic membrane sensor for accurate cardiovascular risk assessment
Measuring proteomic subfractions of HDL can help during cardiovascular risk assessment. Here, the authors show, using a Nanoparticle-Gated Electrokinetic Membrane Sensor, the efficacy of Paroxonase 1 on HDL in its ability to diagnose cardiovascular disease compared to other commonly used methods.
- Sonu Kumar
- , Nalin Maniya
- & Hsueh-Chia Chang
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Article
| Open Access
Rapid emergence of extensively drug-resistant Shigella sonnei in France
There have been increasing reports of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei infections in recent years. In this laboratory surveillance study from France, the authors document the rise of XDR isolates from 2005 to 2021 and perform whole genome sequencing to investigate their genomic diversity and evolutionary history.
- Sophie Lefèvre
- , Elisabeth Njamkepo
- & François-Xavier Weill
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Article
| Open Access
Projected health impact of post-discharge malaria chemoprevention among children with severe malarial anaemia in Africa
Trial data have shown that post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PDMC) reduces the risk of readmission and death in children previously hospitalised with severe malarial anaemia. Here, the authors use mathematical modelling to estimate the potential epidemiological impacts of PDMC in malaria-endemic countries in Africa.
- Lucy C. Okell
- , Titus K. Kwambai
- & Amani Thomas Mori
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Article
| Open Access
Impact of the Euro 2020 championship on the spread of COVID-19
In this Bayesian inference study, the authors aim to quantify the impact of the men’s 2020 UEFA Euro Football Championship on COVID-19 spread in twelve participating countries. They estimate that 0.84 million cases and 1,700 deaths were attributable to the championship, with most impacts in England and Scotland.
- Jonas Dehning
- , Sebastian B. Mohr
- & Viola Priesemann
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Article
| Open Access
Effectiveness of mRNA-1273 vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5
In this study, the authors estimate the effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine for Omicron subvariants using data from the USA on ~31,000 cases and ~92,000 matched controls. They find that effectiveness against infection waned rapidly after third and fourth doses, but effectiveness against hospitalization remained high.
- Hung Fu Tseng
- , Bradley K. Ackerson
- & Lei Qian
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Article
| Open Access
Providing normative information increases intentions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine
The authors show that accurate information about descriptive norms can increase intentions to accept a vaccine for COVID-19. They show that these effects are largely consistent in the 23 included countries and are concentrated among people who were otherwise uncertain about accepting a vaccine.
- Alex Moehring
- , Avinash Collis
- & Dean Eckles
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Article
| Open Access
Evaluation of mortality attributable to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration using national level data from Qatar
This study assesses the probability that deaths following a COVID-19 vaccination are attributable to the vaccine. The authors review all deaths that occurred within 30 days of vaccine receipt in Qatar until June 2022 and find that deaths attributable to vaccination are extremely rare.
- Adeel A. Butt
- , Mylai D. Guerrero
- & Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra
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Comment
| Open Access
Creative arts and digitial interventions as potential tools in prevention and recovery from the mental health consequences of adverse childhood experiences
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can harm mental health across the lifespan and reduce life expectancy. We provide a commentary of evidence on the health impacts, and how creative arts and digital interventions may support prevention and recovery.
- Kamaldeep Bhui
- , Sania Shakoor
- & Michaela Otis
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Article
| Open Access
Adipose-targeted triiodothyronine therapy counteracts obesity-related metabolic complications and atherosclerosis with negligible side effects
Although thyroid hormone (TH) has anti-obesity potential, systemic administration of TH causes severe adverse effects without obvious weight loss. Here, the authors show that adipose tissue-targeted delivery of TH with liposomes is a safe and efficient strategy to treat obesity and its related complications in mice.
- Kang Chen
- , Lai Yee Cheong
- & Aimin Xu
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Article
| Open Access
A photoacoustic patch for three-dimensional imaging of hemoglobin and core temperature
The authors present a wearable photoacoustic patch, which integrates laser diodes and piezoelectric transducers for three-dimensional imaging of hemoglobin and temperature in deep tissues.
- Xiaoxiang Gao
- , Xiangjun Chen
- & Sheng Xu
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Article
| Open Access
The burden of heatwave-related preterm births and associated human capital losses in China
Frequent heatwaves caused by global warming can lead to an increased risk of preterm birth, however, what remains unknown is the extent to which anthropogenic climate change has contributed to such burdens. Here, the authors combine health impact and economic assessment methods to comprehensively evaluate the entire preterm birth burden of heatwave exposure.
- Yali Zhang
- , Shakoor Hajat
- & Cunrui Huang
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Article
| Open Access
Inferring time-varying generation time, serial interval, and incubation period distributions for COVID-19
The generation time (interval between successive infections in a transmission chain) is an important parameter for epidemiological modeling. Here, the authors develop a framework for estimating this parameter and how it changes over time and apply it to data from China in the first months of the pandemic.
- Dongxuan Chen
- , Yiu-Chung Lau
- & Sheikh Taslim Ali
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Article
| Open Access
Effectiveness of ChAdOx1-S COVID-19 booster vaccination against the Omicron and Delta variants in England
Vaccine effectiveness of a ChAdOx1-S booster was estimated in a test-negative case-control study in England. Protection was found to be moderate against mild disease but remained high and comparable to that of an mRNA booster against hospitalisation with Omicron.
- Freja Cordelia Møller Kirsebom
- , Nick Andrews
- & Jamie Lopez Bernal
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Article
| Open Access
An umbrella review of the evidence linking oral health and systemic noncommunicable diseases
Previous studies have supported a potential bidirectional association between oral diseases and systemic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) Here the authors perform an umbrella review of meta-analyses for the association between oral health and NCDs, and report that 27 NCDs were associated with oral disease, however, the overall strength of evidence was found to be unfavorable and with methodological inconsistencies.
- João Botelho
- , Paulo Mascarenhas
- & Vanessa Machado
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Comment
| Open AccessA call for immediate action to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake to prepare for the third pandemic winter
This Comment piece summarises current challenges regarding routine vaccine uptake in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and provides recommendations on how to increase uptake. To implement these recommendations, the article points to evidence-based resources that can support health-care workers, policy makers and communicators.
- Cornelia Betsch
- , Philipp Schmid
- & Amanda Garrison
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Article
| Open Access
The overlapping burden of the three leading causes of disability and death in sub-Saharan African children
In this disease mapping study, the authors estimate disability-adjusted life year rates for three of the major causes of mortality for children under five 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They identify significant heterogeneity at the subnational level, highlighting the need for a targeted intervention approach.
- Robert C. Reiner Jr.
- , Catherine A. Welgan
- & Simon I. Hay
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Article
| Open Access
Federated learning enables big data for rare cancer boundary detection
Federated ML (FL) provides an alternative to train accurate and generalizable ML models, by only sharing numerical model updates. Here, the authors present the largest FL study to-date to generate an automatic tumor boundary detector for glioblastoma.
- Sarthak Pati
- , Ujjwal Baid
- & Spyridon Bakas
Drivers of SARS-CoV-2 testing behaviour: a modelling study using nationwide testing data in England