Multicriteria evaluation of novel technologies for organic micropollutants removal in advanced water reclamation schemes for indirect potable reuse

Postprint (author's final draft

Technical report on the enhancement of Millennium Cohort Study data with linked electronic health records; derivation of consent weights

This document applies to the preparation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Wellcome Trust Data Linkage Project regarding the definition of consent weights for linkage to electronic health records between routinely collected data and data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)

The association between childhood hearing loss and self-reported peer victimisation, depressive symptoms, and self-harm: longitudinal analyses of a prospective, nationally representative cohort study

BACKGROUND: Childhood hearing loss (HL) predicts poor mental health and is associated with a higher risk of communication difficulties. The relationship of childhood HL with specific types of poor mental health (such as depressive symptoms or self-harm) and peer victimisation remains unclear. METHODS: We analysed data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a prospective observational cohort study of children living in the UK at age 9 months and born between 2000 to 2002. Data were available on the children and their families at ages 9 months, then at 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years. Participants were 10,858 singleton children with self-reported data on peer victimisation, depressive symptoms, and self-harm at age 14 years. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratios (OR) for HL with peer victimisation, depressive symptoms, and self-harm. HL presence was examined in terms of any HL between ages 9 months and 14 years, as well as by HL trajectory type (defined by onset and persistence). Analyses were adjusted for potential sources of confounding, survey design, and attrition at age 14 years. Interactions between sex and HL were examined in each model and multiple imputation procedures used to address missing data. RESULTS: Children with any HL had increased odds of depressive symptoms (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09–1.60), self-harm (1.41, 1.12–1.78) and, in girls only, peer victimisation (girls: 1.81, 1.29–2.55; boys: 1.05, 0.73–1.51), compared to those without HL. HL with later age at onset and persistence to age 14 years was the only trajectory associated with all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood HL may predict peer victimisation (in girls), depressive symptoms, and self-harm. Further research is needed to identify HL trajectories and methods to facilitate good mental health in children with HL. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13457-6

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in pregnant women delivering live-born infants in North Thames, England in 2012

To estimate HCV seroprevalence in subpopulations of women delivering live-born infants in the North Thames region in England in 2012, an unlinked anonymous (UA) cross-sectional survey of neonatal dried blood spot samples was conducted. Data were available from 31467 samples from live-born infants received by the North Thames screening laboratory. Thirty neonatal samples had HCV antibodies, corresponding to a maternal seroprevalence of 0·095% (95% confidence interval 0·067-0·136). Estimated HCV seroprevalences in women born in Eastern Europe, Southern Asia and the UK were 0·366%, 0·162% and 0·019%, respectively. For women born in Eastern Europe seroprevalence was highest in those aged around 27 years, while in women born in the UK and Asia-Pacific region, seroprevalence increased significantly with age. HCV seroprevalence in UK-born women whose infant's father was also UK-born was 0·016%. One of the 30 HCV-seropositive women was HIV-1 seropositive. Estimated HCV seroprevalence for women delivering live-born infants in North Thames in 2012 (0·095%) was significantly lower than that reported in an earlier UA survey in 1997-1998 (0·191%). Data indicate that the cohort of UK-born HCV-seropositive women is ageing and that, in this area of England, most perinatally HCV-exposed infants were born to women themselves born in Southern Asia or Eastern Europe

Using functional data analysis to understand daily activity levels and patterns in primary school-aged children: Cross-sectional analysis of a UK-wide study

Temporal characterisation of physical activity in children is require df oreffectivs strategie sto increase physical activity(PA)

Gestational diabetes in women living with HIV in the UK and Ireland: insights from population-based surveillance data

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of gestational diabetes (GD) is increasing globally. While universal risk factors for GD are reasonably well understood, questions remain regarding risks for women living with HIV (WLWH). We aimed to describe GD prevalence, evaluate associated maternal risk factors and assess specific birth outcomes in WLWH in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: We analysed all pregnancies (≥24 weeks' gestation) in women diagnosed with HIV before delivery, reported to the UK-based Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service between 2010 and 2020. Every report of GD was considered as a case. A multivariable logistic regression model, adjusted for women with more than one pregnancy fitted with generalized estimating equations (GEE) assessed the effect of independent risk factors. RESULTS: There were 10,553 pregnancies in 7916 women, of which 460 (4.72%) pregnancies had reported GD. Overall, the median maternal age was 33 years (Q1:29-Q3:37), and 73% of pregnancies were in Black African women. WLWH with GD (WLWH-GD) were older (61% vs. 41% aged ≥35 years, p 350 cells/μl (GEE-aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: GD prevalence increased over time among WLWH but was not significantly different from the general population. Maternal age, ethnicity and CD4 count were risk factors based on available data. Stillbirth and preterm delivery were more common in WLWH-GD than other WLWH over the study period. Further studies are required to build upon these results

Gestational diabetes in women living with HIV in the UK and Ireland: insights from population-based surveillance data

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of gestational diabetes (GD) is increasing globally. While universal risk factors for GD are reasonably well understood, questions remain regarding risks for women living with HIV (WLWH). We aimed to describe GD prevalence, evaluate associated maternal risk factors and assess specific birth outcomes in WLWH in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: We analysed all pregnancies (≥24 weeks' gestation) in women diagnosed with HIV before delivery, reported to the UK-based Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service between 2010 and 2020. Every report of GD was considered as a case. A multivariable logistic regression model, adjusted for women with more than one pregnancy fitted with generalized estimating equations (GEE) assessed the effect of independent risk factors. RESULTS: There were 10,553 pregnancies in 7916 women, of which 460 (4.72%) pregnancies had reported GD. Overall, the median maternal age was 33 years (Q1:29-Q3:37), and 73% of pregnancies were in Black African women. WLWH with GD (WLWH-GD) were older (61% vs. 41% aged ≥35 years, p 350 cells/μl (GEE-aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: GD prevalence increased over time among WLWH but was not significantly different from the general population. Maternal age, ethnicity and CD4 count were risk factors based on available data. Stillbirth and preterm delivery were more common in WLWH-GD than other WLWH over the study period. Further studies are required to build upon these results

Estimating the number of livebirths to Hepatitis C seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018 using Bayesian modelling.

BACKGROUND: The UK National Screening Committee currently recommends against antenatal screening for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in England due to lack of HCV prevalence data and treatment licensed for use in pregnancy. We aimed to produce regional and national estimates of the number and proportion of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018. METHODS: A logistic regression model fitted in the Bayesian framework estimated probabilities of HCV seropositivity among 24,599 mothers delivering in the North Thames area of England in 2012 adjusted by maternal age and region of birth. These probabilities were applied to the underlying population structures of women delivering livebirths in England in 2013 and 2018 to estimate the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in these years nationally and by region. The Bayesian approach allowed the uncertainty associated with all estimates to be properly quantified. RESULTS: Nationally, the estimated number of livebirths to women seropositive for HCV for England was 464 (95% credible interval [CI] 300-692) in 2013 and 481 (95%CI 310-716) in 2018, or 70.0 (95%CI 45.0-104.1) per 100,000 and 76.9 (95%CI 49.5-114.4) per 100,000 in these years respectively. Regions with the highest estimated number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in 2013 and 2018 included London with 118.5 and 124.4 and the South East with 67.0 and 74.0 per 100,000 livebirths. CONCLUSION: Few previous studies have investigated HCV among pregnant women in England. These findings complement and supplement existing research by providing national and regional estimates for the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England. Bayesian modelling allows future national and regional estimates to be produced and the associated uncertainty to be properly quantified

Analytical approach to electromagnetic processes in loosely bound nuclei: application to 8B

In this paper we develop an analytical model in order to study electromagnetic processes involving loosely bound neutron--rich and proton--rich nuclei. We construct a model wave function, to describe loosely bound few--body systems, having the correct behaviour both at large and small distances. The continuum states are approximated by regular Coulomb functions. As a test case we consider the two--body Coulomb dissociation of 8B and, the inverse, radiative capture reaction. The difference between using a pure two--body model and the results obtained when incorporating many--body effects, is investigated. We conclude that the interpretation of experimental data is highly model dependent and stress the importance of measuring few--body channels.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B. Added a comparison with a potential model calculation in Fig.