Managing the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria from Australian blood donations: Recommendation of a new screening strategy.

Background And Objectives: To reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) from transfusible components, Australia tests for malaria antibodies in both travellers returning from and former residents of malaria-endemic areas. The testing is performed a minimum of 120 days after last potential exposure. TTM is an extremely rare event and managing the risk adds considerable complexity.

Optimal malarial screening strategy in Australian blood donors: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background And Objectives: The risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) infections is extremely low in Australia, and the cost-effectiveness of the current screening strategy has not been assessed. This study aims to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of different malaria screening strategies in blood donors as part of the risk-based decision-making framework.

Materials And Methods: A decision tree model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of five alternative malaria screening strategies from a healthcare sector perspective.

Deep learning-based white matter lesion volume on CT is associated with outcome after acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) before endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke might induce intracerebral hemorrhages which could negatively affect patient outcomes. Measuring white matter lesions size using deep learning (DL-WML) might help safely guide IVT administration. We aimed to develop, validate, and evaluate a DL-WML volume on CT compared to the Fazekas scale (WML-Faz) as a risk factor and IVT effect modifier in patients receiving EVT directly after IVT.

Multicentre pilot randomised control trial of a self-directed exergaming intervention for poststroke upper limb rehabilitation: research protocol.

Introduction: Technology-facilitated, self-directed upper limb (UL) rehabilitation, as an adjunct to conventional care, could enhance poststroke UL recovery compared with conventional care alone, without imposing additional resource burden. The proposed pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to assess whether stroke survivors will engage in self-directed UL training, explore factors associated with intervention adherence and evaluate the study design for an RCT testing the efficacy of a self-directed exer-gaming intervention for UL recovery after stroke.

Methods And Analysis: This is a multicentre, internal pilot RCT; parallel design, with nested qualitative methods.

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke patients with atrial fibrillation detected after stroke versus known atrial fibrillation.

We aim to compare the outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation detected after stroke (AFDAS) and their counterparts with known AF (KAF) presenting with large vessel occlusion (LVO) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT). This observational, prospective study included consecutive patients with acute LVO ischemic stroke of the anterior circulation with AFDAS, KAF and without AF. The primary study outcome was functional independence at 90 days after stroke.

Safety and outcomes of different endovascular treatment techniques for anterior circulation ischaemic stroke in the elderly: data from the Imperial College Thrombectomy Registry.

Background: Although previous studies investigated the main predictors of outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients aged 80 years and older, less is known about the impact of the procedural features on outcomes in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of EVT technical procedures on the main 3-month outcomes in a population of patients aged 80 years and older.

Methods: This observational, prospective, single-centre study included consecutive patients with acute LVO ischaemic stroke of the anterior circulation.

Examining Usability, Acceptability, and Adoption of a Self-Directed, Technology-Based Intervention for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke: Cohort Study.

Background: Upper limb (UL) recovery after stroke is strongly dependent upon rehabilitation dose. Rehabilitation technologies present pragmatic solutions to dose enhancement, complementing therapeutic activity within conventional rehabilitation, connecting clinicians with patients remotely, and empowering patients to drive their own recovery. To date, rehabilitation technologies have been poorly adopted.

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy in orally anticoagulated patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion: a propensity-matched analysis of the Imperial College Thrombectomy Registry.

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains an effective treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving oral anticoagulation (OAC) and large vessel occlusion (LVO). However, to date, it remains unclear whether MT is safe in patients on treatment with OAC.

Aims: In our study, we performed a propensity-matched analysis to investigate the safety and efficacy of MT in patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving anticoagulants.

Concurrent Ischemic Lesion Age Estimation and Segmentation of CT Brain Using a Transformer-Based Network.

The cornerstone of stroke care is expedient management that varies depending on the time since stroke onset. Consequently, clinical decision making is centered on accurate knowledge of timing and often requires a radiologist to interpret Computed Tomography (CT) of the brain to confirm the occurrence and age of an event. These tasks are particularly challenging due to the subtle expression of acute ischemic lesions and the dynamic nature of their appearance.

Is dual testing for hepatitis C necessary? Modelling the risk of removing hepatitis C antibody testing for Australian blood donations.

Background And Objectives: Parallel testing of blood donations for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and HCV RNA by nucleic acid testing (NAT) has been standard practice in Australia since 2000. Meanwhile, NAT technologies have improved, and HCV has become a curable disease. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the risk and clinical consequences of HCV transmission through transfusion.

Removing hepatitis C antibody testing for Australian blood donations: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background And Objectives: The risk of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is extremely low in Australia. This study aims to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of different testing strategies for HCV infection in blood donations.

Materials And Methods: The four testing strategies evaluated in this study were universal testing with both HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and nucleic acid testing (NAT); anti-HCV and NAT for first-time donations and NAT only for repeat donations; anti-HCV and NAT for transfusible component donations and NAT only for plasma for further manufacture; and universal testing with NAT only.

pH-dependent water permeability switching and its memory in MoS membranes.

Intelligent transport of molecular species across different barriers is critical for various biological functions and is achieved through the unique properties of biological membranes. Two essential features of intelligent transport are the ability to (1) adapt to different external and internal conditions and (2) memorize the previous state. In biological systems, the most common form of such intelligence is expressed as hysteresis.

Endovascular Thrombectomy with or without Intravenous Thrombolysis for Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion in the Imperial College London Thrombectomy Registry.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for eligible patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke. Among patients undergoing MT there has been uncertainty regarding the role of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and previous trials have yielded conflicting results regarding clinical outcomes. We aim to investigate clinical, reperfusion outcomes and safety of MT with or without IVT for ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation LVO.

Opinion amplification causes extreme polarization in social networks.

Extreme polarization of opinions fuels many of the problems facing our societies today, from issues on human rights to the environment. Social media provides the vehicle for these opinions and enables the spread of ideas faster than ever before. Previous computational models have suggested that significant external events can induce extreme polarization.

From evolutionary ecosystem simulations to computational models of human behavior.

We have a wide breadth of computational tools available today that enable a more ethical approach to the study of human cognition and behavior. We argue that the use of computer models to study evolving ecosystems provides a rich source of inspiration, as they enable the study of complex systems that change over time. Often employing a combination of genetic algorithms and agent-based models, these methods span theoretical approaches from games to complexification, nature-inspired methods from studies of self-replication to the evolution of eyes, and evolutionary ecosystems of humans, from entire economies to the effects of personalities in teamwork.

Nature, smells, and human wellbeing.

The link between nature and human wellbeing is well established. However, few studies go beyond considering the visual and auditory underpinnings of this relationship, even though engaging with nature is a multisensory experience. While research linking smell to wellbeing exists, it focuses predominantly on smells as a source of nuisance/offence.

Hyperbaric effects on cold stored whole blood following a military dive mission profile.

Background: Whole blood (WB) is carried by special operations forces as part of a remote damage control resuscitation strategy. The effects of an underwater mission on the quality and coagulation profile of WB were simulated by exposure to hyperbaric pressures in a chamber.

Methods: WB units collected in CPDA-1 were exposed to three different combinations of hyperbaric pressure and duration of exposure: Group A 153.

Cancer during a pandemic: A psychosocial telehealth intervention for young adults.

The SARS-II COVID-19 pandemic has posed pronounced global health threats and prompted assorted transformations in societal engagement and clinical service delivery. For cancer survivors, many of whom are immune-compromised, these pandemic-related health threats pose greater challenges, warranting extra precautions within everyday living. Young adult (YA) cancer survivors already confront many unique physical and emotional challenges specific to their demographic.

Corrigendum to "Error rates in SARS-CoV-2 testing examined with Bayes' theorem" [Heliyon 7, (4), (April 2021), Article e06905].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Self-Directed Exergaming for Stroke Upper Limb Impairment Increases Exercise Dose Compared to Standard Care.

. One of the strongest modifiable determinants of rehabilitation outcome is exercise dose. Technologies enabling self-directed exercise offer a pragmatic means to increase dose, but the extent to which they achieve this in unselected cohorts, under real-world constraints, is poorly understood.

Quantification of Motor Function Post-Stroke Using Novel Combination of Wearable Inertial and Mechanomyographic Sensors.

Subjective clinical rating scales represent the gold-standard for diagnosis of motor function following stroke. In practice however, they suffer from well-recognized limitations including assessor variance, low inter-rater reliability and low resolution. Automated systems have been proposed for empirical quantification but have not significantly impacted clinical practice.