Publications by authors named "Robertson M"

Anthropogenic activities have resulted in enormous increases in atmospheric CO concentrations particularly since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, which have potential links with increased global temperatures, rising sea levels, increased prevalence, and severity of natural disasters, among other consequences. To enable a carbon-neutral and sustainable society, various technologies have been developed for CO capture from industrial process streams as well as directly from air. Here, direct air capture (DAC) represents an essential need for reducing CO concentration in the atmosphere to mitigate the negative consequences of greenhouse effects, involving systems that can reversibly adsorb and release CO, in which polymers have played an integral role.

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  • Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare condition caused by a deficiency in the enzyme α-L-iduronidase (IDUA), leading to the buildup of glycosaminoglycans and various health issues.
  • Current treatments like stem cell transplants and enzyme replacement often fall short in addressing all patient symptoms.
  • In a study with MPS I mice, administering a specific viral vector (RGX-111) at a minimal dose of 10 vector genomes showed significant metabolic improvement and reduced severe symptoms, suggesting a promising approach for human therapy.
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Background: Various studies have reported on the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. Here we present the largest population-based investigation of genotype-specific distributions over the decade following implementation of the 4-valent HPV vaccine (HPV6/11/16/18) in the United States.

Methods: Liquid-based cervical cytology samples from individuals aged 15-30 years undergoing cervical screening throughout New Mexico were tested by broad-spectrum HPV genotyping.

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Mu-opioid receptors (MORs) in the amygdala and striatum are important in addictive and rewarding behaviors. The transcription factor Foxp2 is a genetic marker of intercalated (ITC) cells in the amygdala and a subset of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), both of which express MORs in wild-type mice and are neuronal subpopulations of potential relevance to alcohol-drinking behaviors. For the current series of studies, we characterized the behavior of mice with genetic deletion of the MOR gene Oprm1 in Foxp2-expressing neurons (Foxp2-Cre/Oprm1).

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  • The study aimed to investigate myocardial inflammation in patients with desmoplakin (DSP) cardiomyopathy using FDG PET/CT imaging and assess circulating inflammation biomarkers.
  • Ten DSP cardiomyopathy participants and four titin cardiomyopathy participants were recruited; no significant differences in key inflammation markers were found between the groups.
  • The results showed some non-specific myocardial FDG uptake in both groups but no overall differences, suggesting similar inflammation profiles in DSP and titin cardiomyopathies.
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Aims: The enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and its implications for COVID-19 vaccine uptake necessitate comprehensive investigation. We aimed to characterize the persistence of moderate to severe anxiety and depression symptoms from July 2020 to July 2023, explore demographic associations with symptom persistence, and assess how these symptoms affected COVID-19 vaccination uptake between May 2021 and July 2023.

Methods: Participants from the national community-based CHASING COVID Cohort were enrolled between March and June 2020 and completed quarterly follow-ups until December 2023.

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Background: Bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies (BsAbs) are novel agents used to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL); these agents demonstrate a different toxicity profile compared with standard chemoimmunotherapy.

Objective: To describe common adverse events (AEs) experienced by patients with B-NHL during BsAb treatment.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMCARE, and EMBASE were searched for relevant studies.

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  • - The study evaluated a behavior change intervention aimed at reducing dental caries in secondary school children in the UK, involving 4680 participants from 42 schools over 2.5 years, with a focus on schools with higher free school meal eligibility to address low household income.
  • - Data collection included mixed methods such as self-reported questionnaires, staff feedback, and interviews to assess implementation fidelity, acceptability, and contextual factors surrounding the intervention.
  • - While the intervention was mostly implemented as planned, challenges included inconsistent delivery of classroom sessions and technical issues with text messages; despite this, the intervention was generally deemed acceptable by participants.
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Objective: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the consistency and reproducibility of quantitative SPECT/CT by evaluating the maximum SUV (SUV) in normal bone, to provide the reference value of metastatic lesions, and to evaluate the clinical implication of SUV changes of osseous metastasis during treatment.

Material And Methods: This prospective imaging sub-study was performed as part of a phase 2 clinical trial of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) randomized to the combination of pembrolizumab plus radium-223 or to radium-223 alone (NCT03093428). The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) and mean Hounsfield Unit (HU) of normal bone as well as metastases were measured using a 1.

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Atmospheric CO concentrations keep increasing at intensifying rates due to rising energy and material demands. The chemical production industry is a large energy consumer, responsible for up to 935 Mt of CO emissions per year, and decarbonization is its major goal moving forward. One of the primary sources of energy consumption and CO emissions in the chemical sector is associated with the production and use of heat for material synthesis, which conventionally was generated through the combustion of fossil fuels.

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The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had profound consequences on people's wellbeing, societies and economy worldwide. This manuscript discusses public exposure to chemicals of concern in personal care products (parabens and benzophenones) during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. These were monitored for two years in four catchments (two cities and two towns) in South West England accounting for >1 million people.

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Background: Patients with heart failure and iron deficiency have diverse causes for hospitalization and death that might be affected by iron repletion.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore causes of hospitalizations and deaths in a randomized trial (IRONMAN) of heart failure comparing intravenous ferric derisomaltose (FDI) (n = 568) and usual care (n = 569).

Methods: Patients with heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45%, and either transferrin saturation <20% or serum ferritin <100 μg/L were enrolled.

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  • Age-Friendly Community Initiatives (AFCIs) are becoming crucial for addressing the needs of the aging population, but there is a lack of effective tools to measure their development and sustainability.
  • This study developed and validated a survey tool for evaluating AFCIs, using interviews and regional workshops to identify key themes and refine survey items.
  • The final survey, confirmed with strong reliability, offers a standardized yet flexible way to assess AFCIs, benefiting community leaders and policymakers in their planning and evaluation efforts.
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This study identifies biochemical markers (BCIs) that can be used as population markers in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and compares their estimates with other established population size estimation (PE) methods, including census data (PE). Several groups of BCIs (64 targets: genetic and chemical markers) were investigated in an intercity study, including 10 cities/towns within England equating to a population of ∼7 million people. Several selection criteria were applied to identify the best BCIs to provide robust estimation of population size at a catchment level: (1) excellent performance with analytical methods; (2) excellent fit of the linear regression model which indicates PE-driven BCI daily loads; (3) low temporal variability in usage; (4) human-linked origin.

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  • - A collaborative effort was made to address the lack of equitable research practices in dance for dementia, aiming to involve those with lived experience in shaping research priorities.
  • - Various methods were employed, including in-person and online workshops with a diverse group of participants, such as people living with dementia, health professionals, and researchers.
  • - The resulting agenda highlights three key themes: enhancing access to dance, emphasizing co-produced methods, and fostering innovation in research techniques, serving as a foundation for future studies in this area.
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Developing effective recycling pathways for polyolefin waste, enabling a move to a circular economy, is an imperative that must be met. Postuse modification has shown promising results in upcycling polyolefins, removing the limitation of inertness, and improving the final physical properties of the recycled material while extending its useful lifetime. Grafting of maleic anhydride groups to polypropylene is an established industrial process that enhances its reactivity and provides a convenient route to further functionalization and upcycling.

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Purpose: Explore the potential utility of a Cooperative Extension-specific program to support post-active treatment cancer survivors.

Methods: A user-centered study was conducted to identify barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of a program for adult cancer survivors living post primary cancer treatment ("cancer survivors") via Cooperative Extension ("Extension"), including interviews analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Participants included Cooperative Extension Educators and adult cancer survivors in Oklahoma who completed data collection from July 2023 to September 2023.

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Background: The presence of dental caries impacts on children's daily lives, particularly among those living in deprived areas. There are successful interventions across the United Kingdom for young children based on toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. However, evidence is lacking for oral health improvement programmes in secondary-school pupils to reduce dental caries and its sequelae.

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Background: Fear learning is a core component of conceptual models of how adverse experiences may influence psychopathology. Specifically, existing theories posit that childhood experiences involving childhood trauma are associated with altered fear learning processes, while experiences involving deprivation are not. Several studies have found altered fear acquisition in youth exposed to trauma, but not deprivation, although the specific patterns have varied across studies.

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Platelets contribute to a variety of physiological processes, including inflammation, sepsis, and cancer. However, because of their primary role in hemostasis, platelet transfusions are largely restricted to managing thrombocytopenia and bleeding. One way to expand the utility of platelet transfusions would be to genetically engineer donor platelets with new or enhanced functions.

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Background: Older adult women often do not engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) and can encounter biological changes that exacerbate the negative effects of inadequate activity. Wearable activity monitors can facilitate PA initiation, but evidence of sustained behavior change is lacking. Supplementing wearable technologies with intervention content that evokes enjoyment, interest, meaning, and personal values associated with PA may support long term adherence.

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Background: Serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol shows marked interindividual variation in response to the replacement of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) with unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs).

Objectives: To demonstrate the efficacy of United Kingdom guidelines for exchanging dietary SFAs for UFAs, to reduce serum LDL cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and to identify determinants of the variability in LDL cholesterol response.

Methods: Healthy males (n = 109, mean ± SD age 48 ± 11 y; BMI 25.

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The scientific method is predicated on transparency-yet the pace at which transparent research practices are being adopted by the scientific community is slow. The replication crisis in psychology showed that published findings employing statistical inference are threatened by undetected errors, data manipulation and data falsification. To mitigate these problems and bolster research credibility, open data and preregistration practices have gained traction in the natural and social sciences.

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