The role of geomorphology, rainfall and soil moisture in the occurrence of landslides triggered by 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines

In 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut (locally known as Typhoon Ompong) triggered thousands of landslides in the Itogon region of the Philippines. A landslide inventory of the affected region is compiled for the first time, comprising 1101 landslides over a 570 km2 area. The inventory is used to study the geomorphological characteristics and land cover more prone to landsliding as well as the hydrometeorological conditions that led to widespread failure. The results showed that landslides mostly occurred on grassland and wooded slopes of clay superficial geology, predominantly facing eastsoutheast. Rainfall (Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement, IMERG GPM) associated with Typhoon Mangkhut is compared with 33 highintensity rainfall events that did not trigger regional landslide events in 2018. Results show that landslides occurred during high-intensity rainfall that coincided with the highest soil moisture values (estimated clays saturation point), according to Soil Moisture Active Passive level 4 (SMAP-L4) data. Our results demonstrate the potential of SMAP-L4 and GPM IMERG data for landslide hazard assessment and early warning where ground-based data are scarce. However, other rainfall events in the months leading up to Typhoon Mangkhut that had similar or higher rainfall intensities and also occurred when soils were saturated did not trigger widespread landsliding, highlighting the need for further research into the conditions that trigger landslides in typhoons

Brave New World: Imperial and Democratic Nation-Building in Britain between the Wars

After WWI, Britain faced a number of challenges as it sought to adapt to domestic conditions of mass democracy whilst maintaining its position in the empire in the face of national independence movements. As politicians at home and abroad sought to legitimise their position, new efforts were made to conceptualise nationality and citizenship, with attempts to engage the public using mass media and greater emphasis on governing in the public interest. Brave New World reappraises the domestic and imperial history of Britain in the inter-war period, investigating how ‘nation building’ was given renewed impetus by the upheavals of the First World War. The essays in this collection address how new technologies and approaches to governance were used to forge new national identities both at home and in the empire, covering a wide range of issues from the representation of empire on film to the convergence of politics and ‘star culture’. The book is an invaluable resource for scholars of British social, political and imperial history, as well as being of interest to the general reader

Improved clinical investigation and evaluation of high-risk medical devices: the rationale and objectives of CORE-MD (Coordinating Research and Evidence for Medical Devices)

: In the European Union (EU) the delivery of health services is a national responsibility but there are concerted actions between member states to protect public health. Approval of pharmaceutical products is the responsibility of the European Medicines Agency, whereas authorizing the placing on the market of medical devices is decentralized to independent 'conformity assessment' organizations called notified bodies. The first legal basis for an EU system of evaluating medical devices and approving their market access was the medical device directives, from the 1990s. Uncertainties about clinical evidence requirements, among other reasons, led to the EU Medical Device Regulation (2017/745) that has applied since May 2021. It provides general principles for clinical investigations but few methodological details-which challenges responsible authorities to set appropriate balances between regulation and innovation, pre- and post-market studies, and clinical trials and real-world evidence. Scientific experts should advise on methods and standards for assessing and approving new high-risk devices, and safety, efficacy, and transparency of evidence should be paramount. The European Commission recently awarded a Horizon 2020 grant to a consortium led by the European Society of Cardiology and the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, that will review methodologies of clinical investigations, advise on study designs, and develop recommendations for aggregating clinical data from registries and other real-world sources. The CORE-MD project (Coordinating Research and Evidence for Medical Devices) will run until March 2024; here we describe how it may contribute to the development of regulatory science in Europe

Further analysis on the validation of a usability inspection method for model-driven web development

Currently, there is a lack of empirically validated usability evaluation methods that can properly be integrated during the early stages of Web development processes. This has motivated us to propose a usability inspection method called WUEP that can be integrated into different model-driven Web development processes. In previous work, we presented the operationalization and validation of WUEP in a specific process based on the Object-Oriented Hypermedia (OO-H) method. In this paper, we present further analysis of the empirical validation of the operationalization of WUEP into WebML, which is one of the most well-known industrial model-driven Web development process. The effectiveness, efficiency, perceived ease of use, and satisfaction of WUEP was evaluated in comparison to Heuristic Evaluation. The results show that WUEP is more effective and efficient than heuristic evaluation in the detection of usability problems. The inspectors were also satisfied when applying WUEP, and found it easier to use than heuristic evaluation

The long-term efficacy of tick-borne encephalitis vaccines available in Europe - a systematic review

Abstract Background Despite the availability of vaccination, TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) remains a global public health problem. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the long-term efficacy of vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis using vaccines available on the European market. Methods The analysis was conducted on the results of a systematic review conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The search was performed in three databases, namely Medline (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Ovid), and the Cochrane Library database. The authors followed the PRISMA method and the selection of the articles was performed with two independent researchers. Results From a total of 199 citations, 9 studies were included in this review. According to the primary studies identified in the search, the efficacy of available anti-TBE vaccines ranges from 90.1% to 98.9%; however, in individuals above the age of 60, the protection wanes as early as one year after vaccination. Administration of a booster dose 3 years after completion of the basic vaccination schedule significantly extended the period of protection against TBE. Conclusions Anti-TBE vaccines available in Europe have a high level of efficacy. However, the level of protection against TBE is decreasing after vaccination. Therefore, in addition to the conventional schedule, booster vaccines should be administered every 5 years in individuals before the age of 60 and more frequently, e.g. every 3 years, in individuals aged 60 and beyond

Assessment of the effectiveness of clinical PSA concentration measurements in early prostate cancer detection

Introduction.Prostate cancer is a malignant neoplasm originating primarily in the peripheral zone of the prostate gland. A patient’s survival depends largely on the stage of the disease and the treatment method used, which is why early detection of the tumour plays an important role. One of the methods used for screening for prostate cancer is the measurement of prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration. Material and methods.The analysis was based on the results of the research found in the systematic review. The fol­lowing sources of medical information were searched for secondary research: Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library. The time range has been set to articles published between July 2011 and July 2021. Results.The inclusion criteria for a systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of PSA measurements in the early detection of prostate cancer were met by 5 secondary scientific evidence articles. Most of the evidence found showed an increase in the detection of prostate cancer after PSA testing. In case of stage III or IV tumours and the metastatic prostate cancer (CaP) variant, a statistically significant reduction in tumour detection was demonstrated. Most of the scientific evidence indicates a statistically insignificant effect of PSA screening on the risk of death due to CaP (with a diagnostic threshold of ≥4 ng/ml). Conclusions.Screening in the opportunistic variant aimed at prostate cancer with the use of PSA concentration is justified in men between 50 and 69 years of age, and in men <50 years of age should they have additional risk factors. Conversely, it seems unjustified to conduct population-based screening for prostate cancer

Assessment of the effectiveness of clinical PSA concentration measurements in early prostate cancer detection

Introduction.Prostate cancer is a malignant neoplasm originating primarily in the peripheral zone of the prostate gland. A patient’s survival depends largely on the stage of the disease and the treatment method used, which is why early detection of the tumour plays an important role. One of the methods used for screening for prostate cancer is the measurement of prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration. Material and methods.The analysis was based on the results of the research found in the systematic review. The fol­lowing sources of medical information were searched for secondary research: Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library. The time range has been set to articles published between July 2011 and July 2021. Results.The inclusion criteria for a systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of PSA measurements in the early detection of prostate cancer were met by 5 secondary scientific evidence articles. Most of the evidence found showed an increase in the detection of prostate cancer after PSA testing. In case of stage III or IV tumours and the metastatic prostate cancer (CaP) variant, a statistically significant reduction in tumour detection was demonstrated. Most of the scientific evidence indicates a statistically insignificant effect of PSA screening on the risk of death due to CaP (with a diagnostic threshold of ≥4 ng/ml). Conclusions.Screening in the opportunistic variant aimed at prostate cancer with the use of PSA concentration is justified in men between 50 and 69 years of age, and in men <50 years of age should they have additional risk factors. Conversely, it seems unjustified to conduct population-based screening for prostate cancer

Clinical Effectiveness of Faecal Immunochemical Test in the Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer—An Umbrella Review

Introduction: The colorectal cancer prognosis depends on the stage of the neoplasm; therefore, its early detection plays an important role. The aim of the study is evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity, and clinical effectiveness of the faecal immunochemical test in the early colorectal cancer detection. Methods: The clinical analysis was based on the results of the studies included in a systematic review conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The following medical information sources were searched: Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library. Results: From 241 citations, 13 studies were included in this review. All included studies had a low risk of bias. The faecal immunochemical test is highly specific in all analysed populations ranging from 85% to 97%. In most of the found studies, sensitivity is over 75%. The faecal immunochemical test screening also determines a reduction in death (10–59%) due to colorectal cancer. Conclusions: The faecal immunochemical test is an effective and cost-effective method of conducting population-wide colorectal cancer screening. It is an alternative or complementary to other screening tests, including colonoscopy

Additional file 1 of The long-term efficacy of tick-borne encephalitis vaccines available in Europe - a systematic review

Additional file 1: Table S1. Search strategy Cochrane. Table S2. Search strategy Medline (via PubMed). Table S3. Search strategy Embase (via Ovid). Table S4. List of studies included and excluded after full-text analysis

Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Dyspnea in Patients Hospitalized due to COVID-19: Contribution to Clinical Course and Mortality

Gastrointestinal manifestations may accompany the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. Abdominal pain (AP) without nausea and vomiting is one of the most common. To date, its role and prognostic value in patients with COVID-19 is still debated. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of 2184 individuals admitted to hospital due to COVID-19. We divided the patients into four groups according to presented symptoms: dyspnea, n = 871 (39.9%); AP, n = 97 (4.4%); AP with dyspnea together, n = 50 (2.3%); and patients without dyspnea and AP, n = 1166 (53.4%). The patients with AP showed tendency to be younger than these with dyspnea, but without AP (63.0 [38.0–70.0] vs. 65.0 [52.0–74.0] years, p = 0.061), and they were more often females as compared to patients with dyspnea (57.7% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.013, for females). Patients with AP as a separate sign of COVID-19 significantly less often developed pneumonia as compared to individuals with dyspnea or with dyspnea and AP together (p p = 0.003 and p = 0.031, respectively). Individuals with AP alone or with dyspnea had significantly lower rate of mortality as compared to patients with dyspnea (p = 0.003). AP as a separate symptom and also as a coexisting sign with dyspnea does not predispose the patients with COVID-19 to the worse clinical course and higher mortality