Publications by authors named "Cook A"

Objectives: This study aimed to improve the understanding of seasonal incidence pattern observed in salmonellosis by identifying the most influential weather factors, characterizing the nature of this association, and assessing whether it is geographically restricted or generalizable to other locations.

Methods: A novel statistical model was employed to estimate the incidence of salmonellosis conditional to various combinations of three simultaneous weather factors from 14 available. The analysis utilised daily salmonellosis cases reported from 2000 to 2016 along with detailed spatial and temporal weather data from England and Wales, and the Netherlands.

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species are parasitic organisms of vertebrates with a worldwide distribution. They have an important impact globally upon human and animal health, and livestock productivity. The life cycle of these species is complex and difficult to disrupt to improve human health, animal health, food security and economic growth.

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Accurately predicting the energy consumption plays a vital role in battery electric buses (BEBs) route planning and deployment. Based on the algebraic derivative estimation, we present a novel method to forecast the energy consumption in real time. In contrast to the mainstream machine-learning-based methods, the proposed method does not require access to the historical energy consumption data.

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Combination immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab and ipilimumab) are currently a first-line treatment for mesothelioma; however, not all patients respond. The efficacy of treatment is influenced by the tumor microenvironment. Murine mesothelioma tumors were irritated with various radiotherapy doses.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are intense signals from deep space that last for milliseconds and share some characteristics with pulsars, suggesting they may originate from neutron stars.
  • Despite similarities, FRBs like 20221022A display different patterns in their linear polarization position angle (PA), particularly a 130° rotation that aligns with pulsar behaviors, hinting at magnetospheric origins.
  • This study rules out short-period pulsars as potential sources for FRB 20221022A, supporting the idea that its unique PA evolution fits the rotating vector model commonly used for pulsars.
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Background/aim: Tumors exhibit impaired blood flow and hypoxic areas, which can reduce the effectiveness of treatments. Characterizing these tumor features can inform treatment decisions, including the use of vasculature modulation therapies. Imaging provides insight into these characteristics, with techniques varying between clinical and preclinical settings.

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Platinum-based chemotherapy in combination with anti-PD-L1 antibodies has shown promising results in mesothelioma. However, the immunological mechanisms underlying its efficacy are not well understood and there are no predictive biomarkers to guide treatment decisions. Here, we combine time course RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with pre-treatment tumor transcriptome data from the single-arm, phase 2 DREAM trial (N = 54).

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Background: The association between interpersonal continuity of care (CoC) and progression from the prediabetic state to Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) remains unknown.

Aim: To evaluate the association between interpersonal CoC and the progression to T2D among persons with prediabetes.

Design And Setting: A retrospective cohort study using electronic health record (EHR) data from 6620 patients at Geisinger, a large rural health care system in Danville, PA.

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Unlabelled: Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a non-enveloped picornavirus that can cause systemic inflammatory diseases including myocarditis, pericarditis, pancreatitis, and meningoencephalitis. We have previously reported that following infection, CVB3 localizes to mitochondria, inducing mitochondrial fission and mitophagy, while inhibiting lysosomal degradation by blocking autophagosome-lysosome fusion. This results in the release of virus-laden mitophagosomes from the host cell as infectious extracellular vesicles (EVs) which allow non-lytic viral egress.

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Plasma membrane protein degradation and recycling are regulated by the endolysosomal system, wherein endocytic vesicles bud from the plasma membrane into the cytoplasm and mature into endosomes and then degradative lysosomes. As such, the endolysosomal system plays a critical role in determining the abundance of proteins on the cell surface and influencing cellular identity and function. Highly polarized cells, like neurons, rely on the endolysosomal system for axonal and dendritic specialization and synaptic compartmentalization.

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For 165 million nonelderly Americans, employers provide health insurance either by purchasing a fully insured plan or through self-insurance. By self-insuring, employers bear the financial risk for enrollees' health care spending and are accountable for plan management, either directly or by contracting with a third-party administrator. Using National Association of Insurance Commissioners data, we demonstrate that insurers are deeply entrenched in the provision of administrative services only (ASO) contracts for self-insured employers.

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Background: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is one of the most common cardiac procedures performed worldwide. The longer these patients remain in bed, the greater their risk of postoperative complications and prolonged length of stay.

Local Problem: At the authors' institution, the average length of stay after coronary artery bypass graft surgery was 7.

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Unlabelled: The B cell antigen receptor (BCR) complex, comprised of antigen recognition and signaling components, functions in initiating B cell activation. While structural studies have described BCR domain organization, gaps remain in our understanding of its antigen binding domain (Fab, fragment antigen-binding) disposition, and how antigen binding is sensed to initiate signaling. Here, we report antigen affinity and signaling of the immunoglobulin (Ig) class IgM and IgG BCRs and define conformational states of full-length BCRs of two human broadly neutralizing antibodies, the glycan-specific, heavy chain domain-swapped, I-shaped 2G12, and a canonical Y-shaped antibody, CH31, that recognizes the CD4-binding site on the HIV-1 Envelope protein (Env).

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Unmeasured confounding is a major concern in many epidemiologic studies that are not randomized. Negative control methods can detect and reduce confounding by leveraging the proxies of the unmeasured confounders, including negative control outcomes (NCO) and exposures (NCE). An NCO is presumably unaffected by the exposure of interest but would be associated with unmeasured confounders; an NCE presumably does not affect the outcome of interest but would be associated with unmeasured confounders.

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Increasing trauma center admission volume is said to decrease mortality. Evidence supporting this position is dependent upon patient groups and the time period studied, and gaps remain. We evaluated the effect of annual volume of critically injured patients on hospital mortality, comparing two time periods.

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In this review, we summarise the ongoing debate surrounding the anatomy of the atrioventricular conduction axis and its relevance to pacing. We highlight previous disagreements and emphasise the importance of understanding the anatomical location of the axis. We give credit and support to the initial descriptions by His and Tawara, in particular their attention to the relationship of the atrioventricular conduction axis with the membranous septum.

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Background: Clustering algorithms can identify distinct heart failure (HF) subgroups. The choice of algorithms, modelling process, and input variables can impact clustering outcomes. Therefore, we reviewed analytical methods and variables used in studies that performed clustering in patients with HF.

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Congenital heart defects (CHDs), the most common congenital anomalies, are considered to have a significant genetic component. However, despite considerable efforts to identify pathogenic genes in patients with CHDs, few gene variants have been proven as causal. The complexity of the genetic architecture underlying human CHDs likely contributes to this poor genetic discovery rate.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wolbachia incompatible insect technique (IIT) programs effectively suppress mosquito populations that carry diseases like dengue and Zika, but repeated releases of infected male mosquitoes are resource-intensive.
  • A process-based model was developed to analyze the dynamics of mosquito populations under various release strategies in Singapore, revealing that reducing release frequency and redistributing mosquitoes can maintain efficacy while lowering resource use.
  • The study suggests that scaling down release events and redistributing mosquito populations can significantly decrease resource needs (up to 44% fewer mosquitoes needed) without compromising the program's effectiveness, providing valuable insights for optimizing future IIT programs.
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Radiation induced damage of extractant molecules is a well-known phenomenon responsible for reducing efficiency and increasing the waste and cost of reprocessing used nuclear fuel (UNF). As such, understanding early-stage (pico- to nanoseconds) radiation-induced reaction mechanisms is essential for informing the design of next generation extractants with enhanced radiation robustness. Here we utilized picosecond and nanosecond electron pulse radiolysis experiments to probe the early-stage radioactive environment experienced by the organic phase extractant ,,','-tetraoctyldiglycolamide (TODGA), proposed for separating highly radioactive trivalent minor actinides (specifically americium and curium) from the trivalent lanthanides.

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In recent decades, women have made historic gains in educational attainment, now outpacing men in terms of college enrollment and degree completion. Yet, despite the ubiquity of policies and programs aimed at advancing women in work organizations, women's educational gains have not yet translated into greater representation in elite corporate roles. The current study seeks to address this puzzle by analyzing the conditions under which women's educational attainment and credentials enable them to overcome gendered barriers to entry into executive positions.

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Article Synopsis
  • CLN3 Batten disease is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by retinal degeneration, seizures, motor decline, and early death, with defects in photoreceptor outer segment (POS) phagocytosis observed in patient-derived cells.
  • Researchers used CRISPR to create stem cell lines and a transgenic pig model to explore the effect of CLN3 mutations on POS phagocytosis.
  • Results showed that mutant RPE cells exhibit reduced POS uptake, leading to less efficient phagocytosis and subsequent loss of photoreceptor cells, indicating that both RPE dysfunction and mutant POS contribute to the disease's progression.
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Background: Centralising prostate cancer surgical and radiotherapy services, requires some patients to travel longer to access treatment, but its impact on actual treatment utilisation and outcomes is unknown.

Methods: Using national cancer registry records linked to administrative hospital data, we identified all patients with high risk and locally advanced prostate cancer diagnosed between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 in the English National Health Service (n = 15,971). Estimated travel times from the patient residential areas to the nearest hospital providing surgery or radiotherapy were estimated for journeys by car and by public transport.

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Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual visiting technologies were rapidly integrated into the care offered by intensive care units (ICUs) in the UK and across the globe. Today, these technologies offer a necessary adjunct to in-person visits for those with ICU access limited by geography, work/caregiving commitments, or frailty. However, few empirical studies explore the ethical issues associated with virtual visiting.

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