Scalable Secure Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL) Methods Using Cloud-based Infrastructure

Introduction Bloom Filters (BFs) are a scalable solution for probabilistic privacy-preserving record linkage but BFs can be compromised. Yao’s garbled circuits (GCs) can perform secure multi-party computation to compute the similarity of two BFs without a trusted third party. The major drawback of using BFs and GCs together is poor efficiency. Objectives and Approach We evaluated the feasibility of BFs+GCs using high capacity compute engines and implementing a novel parallel processing framework in Google Cloud Compute Engines (GCCE). In the Yao’s two-party secure computation protocol, one party serves as the generator and the other party serves as the evaluator. To link data in parallel, records from both parties are divided into chunks. Linkage between every two chunks in the same block is processed by a thread. The number of threads for linkage depends on available computing resources. We tested the parallelized process in various scenarios with variations in hardware and software configurations. Results Two synthetic datasets with 10K records were linked using BFs+GCs on 12 different software and hardware configurations which varied by: number of CPU cores (4 to 32), memory size (15GB – 28.8GB), number of threads (6-41), and chunk size (50-200 records). The minimum configuration (4 cores; 15GB memory) took 8,062.4s to complete whereas the maximum configuration (32 cores; 28.8GB memory) took 1,454.1s. Increasing the number of threads or changing the chunk size without providing more CPU cores and memory did not improve the efficiency. Efficiency is improved on average by 39.81% when the number of cores and memory on the both sides are doubled. The CPU utilization is maximized (near 100% on both sides) when the computing power of the generator is double the evaluator. Conclusion/Implications The PPRL runtime of BFs+GCs was greatly improved using parallel processing in a cloud-based infrastructure. A cluster of GCCEs could be leveraged to reduce the runtime of data linkage operations even further. Scalable cloud-based infrastructures can overcome the trade-off between security and efficiency, allowing computationally complex methods to be implemented

Human epidermal keratinocytes death and expression of protein markers of apoptosis after ionizing radiation exposure

Purpose: Knowledge of the pathophysiology of the irradiated skin is important to understand the tolerance and cosmetic response of the human skin to radiation. There are limited studies on the effect of radiotherapy dosage and fraction size in inducing apoptotic cell death in human skin. The expression of apoptotic biomarkers within a controlled population in different fractionation schemes has also never been studied. This study aims to investigate radiation induced apoptotic cell death in human skin cells after fractionated radiation exposure and the expression of unique biomarkers that reflect cell death or biology using multiplexed immunoassays.Methods: Breast skin biopsies were obtained from a single individual and divided into small pieces. Each piece was irradiated under different radiotherapy treatment fractionation schedules to a total dose of 50Gy. The irradiated skin tissues were analysed using Tunnel, immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays for expression of apoptotic keratinocytes and biomarkers (p53, p21, and PCNA). Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) immunostaining was performed to study the morphological changes in the skin cells. Results: Radiation is mostly absorbed by the epidermal layers and observed to damage the epidermal keratinocytes leading to the activation of apoptotic proteins. Apoptotic proteins (p53, p21 and PCNA) were confirmed to be up-regulated in radiation exposed skin cells as compared to normal skin cells with no radiation. There is strong correlation of apoptotic protein expressions with increased radiation dosage and dose fractionation. Statistical analysis with ANOVA revealed a significant increase of PCNA and p21 expression with increased radiation dosage and dose fractionation (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemically, 14 % (range 10.71% to 17.29%) of the keratinocytes were positive for PCNA and 22.5% (range 18.28% to 27.2%) for p21 after 2Gy of irradiation.  The most widespread, intense and uniform staining for PCNA and p21 was observed in skin that had received 50Gy of irradiation. The maximum expression of p53 (range 37.09% to 50.91%) was reached at 10Gy.Conclusion: Findings from this study will assist clinicians in predicting radiation induced skin toxicity with the current changes in radiation fractionation protocols.-----------------------------------Cite this article as: Wong S, Chor HH, Moothy S, Ong CT, Phan TT, Lu JJ. Human epidermal keratinocytes death and expression of protein markers of apoptosis after ionizing radiation exposure. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2013; 1(2):01027.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14319/ijcto.0102.

Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines in Ambulatory and Inpatient Care Settings

BACKGROUND There are limited data on the effectiveness of the vaccines against symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) currently authorized in the United States with respect to hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), or ambulatory care in an emergency department or urgent care clinic. METHODS We conducted a study involving adults (≥50 years of age) with Covid-19–like illness who underwent molecular testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We assessed 41,552 admissions to 187 hospitals and 21,522 visits to 221 emergency departments or urgent care clinics during the period from January 1 through June 22, 2021, in multiple states. The patients’ vaccination status was documented in electronic health records and immunization registries. We used a test-negative design to estimate vaccine effectiveness by comparing the odds of a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated patients with those among unvaccinated patients. Vaccine effectiveness was adjusted with weights based on propensity-for-vaccination scores and according to age, geographic region, calendar time (days from January 1, 2021, to the index date for each medical visit), and local virus circulation. RESULTS The effectiveness of full messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination (≥14 days after the second dose) was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87 to 91) against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to hospitalization, 90% (95% CI, 86 to 93) against infection leading to an ICU admission, and 91% (95% CI, 89 to 93) against infection leading to an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. The effectiveness of full vaccination with respect to a Covid-19–associated hospitalization or emergency department or urgent care clinic visit was similar with the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines and ranged from 81% to 95% among adults 85 years of age or older, persons with chronic medical conditions, and Black or Hispanic adults. The effectiveness of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine was 68% (95% CI, 50 to 79) against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to hospitalization and 73% (95% CI, 59 to 82) against infection leading to an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS Covid-19 vaccines in the United States were highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring hospitalization, ICU admission, or an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. This vaccine effectiveness extended to populations that are disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We conducted a study involving adults (≥50 years of age) with Covid-19-like illness who underwent molecular testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We assessed 41,552 admissions to 187 hospitals and 21,522 visits to 221 emergency departments or urgent care clinics during the period from January 1 through June 22, 2021, in multiple states. The patients' vaccination status was documented in electronic health records and immunization registries. We used a test-negative design to estimate vaccine effectiveness by comparing the odds of a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated patients with those among unvaccinated patients. Vaccine effectiveness was adjusted with weights based on propensity-for-vaccination scores and according to age, geographic region, calendar time (days from January 1, 2021, to the index date for each medical visit), and local virus circulation. Results: The effectiveness of full messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination (≥14 days after the second dose) was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87 to 91) against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to hospitalization, 90% (95% CI, 86 to 93) against infection leading to an ICU admission, and 91% (95% CI, 89 to 93) against infection leading to an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. The effectiveness of full vaccination with respect to a Covid-19-associated hospitalization or emergency department or urgent care clinic visit was similar with the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines and ranged from 81% to 95% among adults 85 years of age or older, persons with chronic medical conditions, and Black or Hispanic adults. The effectiveness of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine was 68% (95% CI, 50 to 79) against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to hospitalization and 73% (95% CI, 59 to 82) against infection leading to an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. Conclusions: Covid-19 vaccines in the United States were highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring hospitalization, ICU admission, or an emergency department or urgent care clinic visit. This vaccine effectiveness extended to populations that are disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Among Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19–Like Illness with Infection-Induced or mRNA Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Immunity — Nine States, January–September 2021

What is already known about this topic? Previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 vaccination can provide immunity and protection against subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection and illness. What is added by this report? Among COVID-19–like illness hospitalizations among adults aged ≥18 years whose previous infection or vaccination occurred 90–179 days earlier, the adjusted odds of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among unvaccinated adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection were 5.49-fold higher than the odds among fully vaccinated recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine who had no previous documented infection (95% confidence interval = 2.75–10.99). What are the implications for public health practice? All eligible persons should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, including unvaccinated persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2

Effectiveness of 2-Dose Vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among Immunocompromised Adults — Nine States, January–September 2021

What is already known about this topic? Studies suggest that immunocompromised persons who receive COVID-19 vaccination might not develop high neutralizing antibody titers or be as protected against severe COVID-19 outcomes as are immunocompetent persons. What is added by this report? Effectiveness of mRNA vaccination against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19–associated hospitalization was lower (77%) among immunocompromised adults than among immunocompetent adults (90%). Vaccine effectiveness varied considerably among immunocompromised patient subgroups. What are the implications for public health practice? Immunocompromised persons benefit from COVID-19 mRNA vaccination but are less protected from severe COVID-19 outcomes than are immunocompetent persons. Immunocompromised persons receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines should receive 3 doses and a booster, consistent with CDC recommendations, practice nonpharmaceutical interventions, and, if infected, be monitored closely and considered early for proven therapies that can prevent severe outcomes

Product reputation manipulation: The characteristics and impact of shill reviews

Online reviews have become a popular method for consumers to express personal evaluation about products. Ecommerce firms have invested heavily into review systems because of the impact of product reviews on product sales and shopping behavior. However, the usage of product reviews is undermined by the increasing appearance of shill or fake reviews. As initial steps to deter and detect shill reviews, this study attempts to understand characteristics of shill reviews and influences of shill reviews on product quality and shopping behavior. To reveal the linguistic characteristics of shill reviews, this study compares shill reviews and normal reviews on informativeness, readability and subjectivity level. The results show that these features can be used as reliable indicators to separate shill reviews from normal reviews. An experiment was conducted to measure the impact of shill reviews on perceived product quality. The results showed that positive shill reviews significantly increased quality perceptions of consumers for thinly reviewed products. This finding provides strong evidence about the risks of shill reviews and emphasizes the need to develop effective detection and prevention methods

Product Reputation Manipulation: The Impact of Shill Reviews on Perceived Quality

Online reviews have become a popular method for consumers to express personal evaluations and buyers to use as a source of product quality information in purchasing decisions. However, integrity of reputation systems is threatened by evidence about the prevalence of shill reviews. To understand the impact of shill reviews, an experiment was conducted to collect shill reviews and measure the impact of shill reviews on perceived product quality. The results showed positive shill reviews significantly increased quality perceptions of consumers for thinly reviewed products. This finding provides strong evidence about the risks of shill reviews and emphasizes the need to develop effective detection and prevention methods

The impact of intergenerational financial transfers on health and wellbeing outcomes: A longitudinal study

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd This paper estimates the impacts of intergenerational financial transfers on the physical health, mental health and perceived financial security of Australian males and females. We distinguish between two key sources of intergenerational financial transfers – inheritances and inter vivos parental cash transfers. Taking nationally representative data from the 2001–2015 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, we develop a two-stage modelling strategy that controls for potential bias in reported health and wellbeing responses that arise due to unobserved heterogeneity. In the first stage, propensity score matching is applied to achieve matched treatment and control groups, where the former is comprised of intergenerational financial transfer beneficiaries while the latter is made up of non-beneficiaries with a matched set of characteristics to the beneficiaries. This is followed by the application of regression models that further control for unobservable heterogeneity, so that the coefficients on the intergenerational financial transfer predictors can be attributed to the effect of the transfers on health and wellbeing. We do not find systematic evidence of a causal link between receipt of intergenerational financial transfers and health and wellbeing outcomes. This applies to both inheritances and inter vivos parental cash transfers, and for both males and females