| 1. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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In: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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| 2. |
- Dudding, Tom, et al.
(author)
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Genome wide analysis for mouth ulcers identifies associations at immune regulatory loci
- 2019
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In: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2041-1723. ; 10, s. 1-12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mouth ulcers are the most common ulcerative condition and encompass several clinical diagnoses, including recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Despite previous evidence for heritability, it is not clear which specific genetic loci are implicated in RAS. In this genome-wide association study (n = 461,106) heritability is estimated at 8.2% (95% CI: 6.4%, 9.9%). This study finds 97 variants which alter the odds of developing non-specific mouth ulcers and replicate these in an independent cohort (n = 355,744) (lead variant after meta-analysis: rs76830965, near IL12A, OR 0.72 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.73); P = 4.4e-483). Additional effect estimates from three independent cohorts with more specific phenotyping and specific study characteristics support many of these findings. In silico functional analyses provide evidence for a role of T cell regulation in the aetiology of mouth ulcers. These results provide novel insight into the pathogenesis of a common, important condition.
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| 3. |
- Becker, Joel, et al.
(author)
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Resource profile and user guide of the Polygenic Index Repository
- 2021
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In: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Nature Research (part of Springer Nature). - 2397-3374. ; 51:6, s. 694-695
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Polygenic indexes (PGIs) are DNA-based predictors. Their value for research in many scientific disciplines is growing rapidly. As a resource for researchers, we used a consistent methodology to construct PGIs for 47 phenotypes in 11 datasets. To maximize the PGIs’ prediction accuracies, we constructed them using genome-wide association studies—some not previously published—from multiple data sources, including 23andMe and UK Biobank. We present a theoretical framework to help interpret analyses involving PGIs. A key insight is that a PGI can be understood as an unbiased but noisy measure of a latent variable we call the ‘additive SNP factor’. Regressions in which the true regressor is this factor but the PGI is used as its proxy therefore suffer from errors-in-variables bias. We derive an estimator that corrects for the bias, illustrate the correction, and make a Python tool for implementing it publicly available. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
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| 4. |
- Birznieks, Ingvars, et al.
(author)
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Tactile sensory channels over-ruled by frequency decoding system that utilizes spike pattern regardless of receptor type
- 2019
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In: eLIFE. - Cambridge, United Kingdom : ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 2050-084X. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The established view is that vibrotactile stimuli evoke two qualitatively distinctive cutaneous sensations, flutter (frequencies amp;lt; 60 Hz) and vibratory hum (frequencies amp;gt; 60 Hz), subserved by two distinct receptor types (Meissners and Pacinian corpuscle, respectively), which may engage different neural processing pathways or channels and fulfil quite different biological roles. In psychological and physiological literature, those two systems have been labelled as Pacinian and non-Pacinian channels. However, we present evidence that low-frequency spike trains in Pacinian afferents can readily induce a vibratory percept with the same low frequency attributes as sinusoidal stimuli of the same frequency, thus demonstrating a universal frequency decoding system. We achieved this using brief low-amplitude pulsatile mechanical stimuli to selectively activate Pacinian afferents. This indicates that spiking pattern, regardless of receptor type, determines vibrotactile frequency perception. This mechanism may underlie the constancy of vibrotactile frequency perception across different skin regions innervated by distinct afferent types.
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| 5. |
- Chew, Michelle, et al.
(author)
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National outcomes and characteristics of patients admitted to Swedish intensive care units for COVID-19 A registry-based cohort study
- 2021
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In: European Journal of Anaesthesiology. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 0265-0215 .- 1365-2346. ; 38:4, s. 335-343
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Mortality among patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with COVID-19 is unclear due to variable follow-up periods. Few nationwide data are available to compare risk factors, treatment and outcomes of COVID-19 patients after ICU admission. OBJECTIVE To evaluate baseline characteristics, treatments and 30-day outcomes of patients admitted to Swedish ICUs with COVID-19. DESIGN Registry-based cohort study with prospective data collection. SETTING Admissions to Swedish ICUs from 6 March to 6 May 2020 with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 disease. PARTICIPANTS Adult patients admitted to Swedish ICUs. EXPOSURES Baseline characteristics, intensive care treatments and organ failures. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. A multivariable model was used to determine the independent association between potential predictor variables and death. RESULTS We identified 1563 patients with complete 30-day follow-up. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 26.7%. Median age was 61 [52 to 69], Simplified Acute Physiology Score III (SAPS III) was 53 [46 to 59] and 62.5% had at least one comorbidity. Median PaO2/FiO(2) on admission was 97.5 [75.0 to 140.6] mmHg, 74.7% suffered from moderate-to-severe acute respiratory failure. Age, male sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.5 (1.1 to 2.2)], SAPS III score [aOR 1.3 (1.2 to 1.4)], severe respiratory failure [aOR 3.0 (2.0 to 4.7)], specific COVID-19 pharmacotherapy [aOR 1.4 (1.0 to 1.9)] and continuous renal replacement therapy [aOR 2.1 (1.5 to 3.0)] were associated with increased mortality. Except for chronic lung disease, the presence of comorbidities was not independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS Thirty-day mortality rate in COVID-19 patients admitted to Swedish ICUs is generally lower than previously reported despite a severe degree of hypoxaemia on admission. Mortality was driven by age, baseline disease severity, the presence and degree of organ failure, rather than pre-existing comorbidities.
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| 6. |
- Duvernoy, Basil, et al.
(author)
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Human-to-Human Strokes Recordings for Tactile Apparent Motion
- 2022
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In: HAPTICS: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, APPLICATIONS, EUROHAPTICS 2022. - : SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG. - 9783031062490 - 9783031062483 ; , s. 376-378
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main objective of this study is to investigate whether one can use recordings of human-to-human touch, such as a caress, to improve tactile apparent motion interfaces to make them feel more natural. We report here preliminary recordings of natural and continuous human-to-human caresses. To do this, six accelerometers were positioned on the receiving hand next to the stimulated area while a finger gently stroked the skin. The results suggest that we are able to capture signals from real human caresses that can be compared to signals produced by apparent motion stimuli. This is encouraging for our plan to continue the study in the second stage, which consists of tuning vibrotactile actuators to reproduce a similar pattern of vibrational responses in the accelerometers. In this way, the actuators mimic human behavior.
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| 7. |
- Goldsmith, Shona, et al.
(author)
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Cerebral palsy registers around the world: A survey
- 2024
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In: Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. - 0012-1622 .- 1469-8749. ; 66:6, s. 765-777
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: To provide a description of cerebral palsy (CP) registers globally, identify which aim to report on CP epidemiology, and report similarities and differences across topics of importance for the sustainability and collaboration between registers. Method: Representatives of all known CP registers globally (n = 57) were invited to participate. The online survey included 68 questions across aims, methodologies, output/impact, and stakeholder involvement. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Forty-five registers participated, including three register networks. Twenty were newly established or under development, including 12 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). An epidemiological aim was reported by 91% of registers. Funding is received by 85% of registers, most often from not-for-profit organizations. CP definitions are comparable across registers. While the minimum data set of a register network is used by most registers, only 25% of identified items are collected by all three register networks. Ninety per cent of registers measure research activities/output, and 64% measure research impact. People with lived experience are involved in 62% of registers. Interpretation: There has been a recent surge in CP registers globally, particularly in LMICs, which will improve understanding of CP epidemiology. Ongoing efforts to address identified methodological differences are essential to validate comparison of results and support register collaboration.
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| 8. |
- Hauser, Steven C., et al.
(author)
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From Human-to-Human Touch to Peripheral Nerve Responses
- 2019
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In: 2019 IEEE WORLD HAPTICS CONFERENCE (WHC). - : IEEE. - 9781538694619 - 9781538694626 ; , s. 592-597
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human-to-human touch conveys rich, meaningful social and emotional sentiment. At present, however, we understand neither the physical attributes that underlie such touch, nor how the attributes evoke responses in unique types of peripheral afferents. Indeed, nearly all electrophysiological studies use well-controlled but non-ecological stimuli. Here, we develop motion tracking and algorithms to quantify physical attributes indentation depth, shear velocity, contact area, and distance to the cutaneous sensory space (receptive field) of the afferent underlying human-to-human touch. In particular, 2-D video of the scene is combined with 3-D stereo infrared video of the touchers hand to measure contact interactions local to the receptive field of the receivers afferent. The combined and algorithmically corrected measurements improve accuracy, especially of occluded and misidentified fingers. Human subjects experiments track a toucher performing four gestures - single finger tapping, multi-finger tapping, multi-finger stroking and whole hand holding - while action potentials are recorded from a first-order afferent of the receiver. A case study with one rapidly-adapting (Pacinian) and one C-tactile afferent examines temporal ties between gestures and elicited action potentials. The results indicate this method holds promise in determining the roles of unique afferent types in encoding social and emotional touch attributes in their naturalistic delivery.
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| 9. |
- Hauser, Steven C., et al.
(author)
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Uncovering Human-to-Human Physical Interactions that Underlie Emotional and Affective Touch Communication
- 2019
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In: 2019 IEEE WORLD HAPTICS CONFERENCE (WHC). - : IEEE. - 9781538694619 - 9781538694626 ; , s. 407-412
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Couples often communicate their emotions, e.g., love or sadness, through physical expressions of touch. Prior efforts have used visual observation to distinguish emotional touch communications by certain gestures tied to ones hand contact, velocity and position. The work herein describes an automated approach to eliciting the essential features of these gestures. First, a tracking system records the timing and location of contact interactions in 3-D between a touchers hand and a receivers forearm. Second, data post-processing algorithms extract dependent measures, derived from prior visual observation, tied to the intensity and velocity of the touchers hand, as well as areas, durations and parts of the hand in contact. Third, behavioral data were obtained from five couples who sought to convey a variety of emotional word cues. We found that certain combinations of six dependent measures well distinguish the touch communications. For example, a typical sadness expression invokes more contact, evolves more slowly, and impresses less deeply into the forearm than a typical attention expression. Furthermore, cluster analysis indicates 2-5 distinct expression strategies are common per word being communicated. Specifying the essential features of touch communications can guide haptic devices in reproducing naturalistic interactions.
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| 10. |
- Karpul, David, et al.
(author)
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Vibrotactile sensitivity of patients with HIV-related sensory neuropathy: An exploratory study
- 2019
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In: Brain and Behavior. - : WILEY. - 2162-3279 .- 2162-3279. ; 9:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: HIV-associated distal polyneuropathy (HIV-PN) affects large and small sensory nerve fibers and can cause tactile insensitivity. This exploratory study forms part of an effort to apply subsensory electrical nerve stimulation (SENS) to improve tactile sensitivity of patients with HIV-PN. This work presented an opportunity to use a robust protocol to quantitatively describe the vibrotactile sensitivity of individuals with HIV-PN on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) and correlate these findings with commonly used clinical vibration testing and scoring grades. Methods: The vibration perception thresholds (VPTs) of 20 patients with HIV-PN at three vibration frequencies (25, 50, and 128 Hz) were measured. We compare the vibration perception threshold (VPT) outcomes to an age- and gender-matched control cohort. We further correlated VPT findings with 128 Hz tuning fork (TF) assessments performed on the HIV-PN participants, accrued as part of a larger study. HIV-PN was defined as having at least one distal symmetrical neuropathic sign, although 18 of 20 had at least two neuropathic signs. Conclusions: HIV-PN participants were found to have lower VPT sensitivity than controls for all three vibration frequencies, and VPT was more sensitive at higher vibration frequencies for both HIV-PN and controls. VPT sensitivity was reduced with older age. Years on ART was correlated with VPT-25 Hz but not with VPT in general. Notably, VPT sensitivity did not correlate with the clinically used 128 Hz TF severity grades. Outcomes of tests for interaction with vibration frequency suggest that HIV-PN pathology does not affect all mechanoreceptors similarly.
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