How did university departments interweave the web: a study of connectivity and underlying factors.

Interacting with Computers, 10 (4): pp. 353-373.This paper presents two studies of the use of the WWW in Scottish universities and American land-grant universities. First, we investigated the relationship between the organisational profile of a university department in Scotland and its structural connectivity on the WWW. A Spearman rank order correlation analysis revealed a number of strong correlation relationships between structural connectivity measures and the organisational profile based on research assessment exercise ratings, teaching quality assessments, student–staff ratios and funding levels. Linkage patterns from 13 Scottish academic sites to commercial sites in Britain and America highlighted the impact of culture and the appropriateness of information technologies on the acceptance of the WWW. The second study is a content survey of WWW-based education activities in American land-grant universities to investigate successful applications of these enabling techniques in education. The two studies together highlighted cultural, political and technological interactions in the use of the WWW

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Collected Works of Allan Ramsay

These are the webpages of the AHRC-funded project to produce a multi-volume edition of Allan Ramsay's works, a monograph on Edinburgh in the first age of Enlightenment, and a range of other activities, relating to both Allan Ramsay the elder (1684-1758) and the younger (1713-84)

Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing (PALOH) trial: a protocol for a prospective observational implementation trial

Introduction In conjunction with a beta-lactam, aminoglycosides are the first-choice antibiotic for empirical treatment of sepsis in the neonatal period. The m.1555A>G variant predisposes to ototoxicity after aminoglycoside administration and has a prevalence of 1 in 500. Current genetic testing can take over 24 hours, an unacceptable delay in the acute setting. This prospective-observational trial will implement a rapid point of care test (POCT), facilitating tailored antibiotic prescribing to avoid hearing loss.Methods and analysis The genedrive POCT can detect the m.1555A>G variant in 26 min from buccal swab. This system will be integrated into the clinical pathways at two large UK neonatal centres over a minimum 6-month period. The primary outcome is the number of neonates successfully tested for the variant out of all babies prescribed antibiotics. As a secondary outcome, clinical timings will be compared with data collected prior to implementation, measuring the impact on routine practice.Ethics and dissemination Approval for the trial was granted by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) and Human Research Authority in August 2019. Results will be published in full on completion of the study.Trial registration number ISRCTN13704894.Protocol version V 1.3

Exploring NICU nurses' views of a novel genetic point-of-care test identifying neonates at risk of antibiotic-induced ototoxicity: A qualitative study.

AimTo explore the views of neonatal intensive care nursing staff on the deliverability of a novel genetic point-of-care test detecting a genetic variant associated with antibiotic-induced ototoxicity.DesignAn interpretive, descriptive, qualitative interview study.MethodsData were collected using semi-structured interviews undertaken between January and November 2020. Participants were neonatal intensive care nursing staff taking part in the Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing trial.ResultsThematic analysis resulted in four themes: perceived clinical utility; the golden hour; point-of-care device; training and support. Recommendations were made to streamline the protocol and ongoing training and support were considered key to incorporating the test into routine care.ConclusionExploring the views of nurses involved in the delivery of the point-of-care test was essential in its implementation. By the study endpoint, all participants could see the value of routine clinical introduction of the point-of care test.Implications for the profession and/or patient careNurses are in a key position to support the delivery of point-of-care genetic testing into mainstream settings. This study has implications for the successful integration of other genetic point-of-care tests in acute healthcare settings.ImpactThe study will help to tailor the training and support required for routine deployment of the genetic point-of-care test. The study has relevance for nurses involved in the development and delivery of genetic point-of-care tests in other acute hospital settings.Reporting methodThis qualitative study adheres to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research EQUATOR guidelines and utilizes COREQ and SRQR checklists.Patient or public contributionAll staff working on the participating neonatal intensive care units were trained to use the genetic point-of-care test. All inpatients on the participating units were eligible to have testing via the point-of-care test. The Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement group provided valuable feedback.Trial and protocol registrationRegistered within the University of Manchester. Ethics approval reference numbers: IRAS: 253102 REC reference: 19/NW/0400. Also registered with the ISRCTN ref: ISRCTN13704894