Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission

AbstractUnderstanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics.</jats:p

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

The elements of writing

[Extract] As an aspiring writer, you should understand the foundations of our language, whether you plan to be a journalist, scriptwriter, public relations practitioner or a producer. As your career progresses you may well subvert everything you learn here, but only people who understand the rules can break them and not compromise their ability to convey meaning. The theme throughout this chapter is the need to analyse and hone your own writing to make it grammatically correct. This theme will be further developed in Chapter 15, Subediting, News Language and Convention, which will examine professional style and convention. English grammar is a large subject, and not all of it is covered here. This chapter provides an overview of the key points that the educated writer should know

Subediting, news language and convention

People new to media writing often bristle at the notion that they have to follow someone else's writing rules. A common argument is that rules stifle people's creativity through prescriptive and arbitrary pedantry imposed by people who have no life, and anyway grammar rules keep changing so why should we have to learn them? We don't speak the same way as William Shakespeare did. English evolves. Yes, it does evolve, and it is a wonderful process, and one that continually enriches our primary communication tool. But a language without rules, even transitory ones, is not a language at all, because it cannot be fully understood by all who use it. Rules are there to create meaning, and meaning is vital in all media professions. Also, high-quality media of all kinds value consistency, which boosts the overall quality of the product. Consistency helps to put the reader or the listener at ease as it removes irritation or confusion over trifles and leaves them free to consider the main point of what you have written. Many media settings require employees to adhere to a style, which helps ensure consistency. The subeditor is often the custodian of a publication's language and style, but all subs appreciate the reporters taking pains in this area as well, so they don't have to spend too much time making annoying small corrections

Radio: the tribal drum

[Extract] Listen to the radio—really listen to it. What do you hear? Voices talking, voices singing, instruments playing music, maybe machinery, maybe animals: the sounds of life in various forms. Your ears are picking up soundwaves that have been created and sent by some surprisingly simple electronic equipment into your brain, into your mind. You then construct the meaning according to your own unique brain wiring, according to the sounds that have significance for you. This is the medium that Marshall McLuhan (1967) called a 'tribal drum' that turns society into a 'single echo chamber' and thus, he claimed, was more buried in our psyche than any other medium. Even the advent of digital recording and editing equipment in most Australian radio newsrooms some years ago hardly changed the medium, and radio remains a simple technology that works best when people understand its essential simplicity and therefore can tap into its strength. This chapter discusses the place that radio occupies in mass media

Radio: the tribal drum

Listen to the radio; really listen to it. What do you hear? Voices talking, voices singing, instruments playing music, maybe machinery, maybe animals: the sounds of life in various forms. Your ear is picking up soundwaves that have been created and sent by some surprisingly simple electronic equipment into your brain, into your mind. You then construct the meaning according to your own unique brain 'wiring'; according to the sounds that have significance for you. This is the medium that Marshall McLuhan (1967) called a 'tribal drum' that turns society into a 'single echo chamber' and thus, he claimed, was more buried in our psyche than any other medium. Even the advent of digital recording and editing equipment in most Australian radio newsrooms some years ago hardly changed the medium, and radio remains a simple technology that works best when people understand its essential simplicity and therefore can tap into its strength. Notice that you imagine things when you listen to sound from the radio. You might picture the lead singer of the band whose music is playing, or you might imagine a forest or a beach or a cityscape or a farmyard depending on the sound that is being sent to you. You might picture the DJ or the guest who is speaking, even if you have never seen either of these people before. You might only be half aware that you are doing this, but in some way your brain is filling in the gaps of an enticing little world that is being created for you. All you have to do is provide the imagination

The elements of writing

All aspiring writers should understand the foundations of our language, whether you plan to be a journalist, scriptwriter, public relations practitioner or a producer. As your career progresses you may well subvert everything you learn here, but only people who understand the rules can break them and not compromise their ability to convey meaning. The theme throughout this chapter is the need to analyse and hone your own writing, both to make it grammatically correct and to conform to professional style and convention. This chapter should be read in conjunction with Chapter 14. English grammar is a very large subject, and it is not all covered here. This chapter is intended to provide an overview of the subject, with special reference to what professional writers of all kinds will find helpful to know

Broadcast news: keep it simple

One of the defining characteristics of the broadcast media is its immediacy: its drive to be on the spot and first with the sound and pictures from wherever news is breaking. This places pressures on broadcast journalists to work quickly, because in another hour's time the story has moved on and the journalist may have been left behind. The two dominant broadcast media, radio and television, are mass media capable of bringing the news almost instantly to a mass audience, supplemented increasingly by the Internet. The broadcast media provide a crucial source of news for millions of people. While radio and television have some obvious differences, they have more in common with each other than they do with print. This chapter is most concerned with writing broadcast news, rather than the specific technicalities of, for example, TV visuals or radio audio editing. The first thing, and often the hardest thing, that must be mastered in broadcast media is the writing style. This chapter will help you through that process

Broadcast news: keep it simple

[Extract] One of the defining characteristics of the broadcast media is its immediacy: its drive to be on the spot and first with the sound and pictures from wherever news is breaking. This imperative places pressure on broadcast journalists to work quickly, so that they do not fall behind the story. The two dominant broadcast media, radio and television, continue to bring the news almost instantly to a mass audience and millions of people rely upon them for their news. They have been fundamentally challenged by social media, particularly Twitter, which now breaks news fastest. But people still turn to radio and television to see and hear what is going on, to obtain more detailed coverage of events. While radio and television have some obvious differences, they have more in common with each other than they do with print. This chapter is most concerned with writing broadcast news, rather than the specific technicalities of, for example, television visuals or radio audio editing. The first thing, and often the hardest thing, that must be mastered in broadcast media is the writing style. This chapter will help you through that process

Radio: the tribal drum

[Extract] Listen to the radio—really listen to it. What do you hear? Voices talking, voices singing, instruments playing music, maybe machinery, maybe animals: the sounds of life in various forms. Your ears are picking up soundwaves that have been created and sent by some surprisingly simple electronic equipment into your brain, into your mind. You then construct the meaning according to your own unique brain wiring, according to the sounds that have significance for you. This is the medium that Marshall McLuhan (1967) called a 'tribal drum' that turns society into a 'single echo chamber' and thus, he claimed, was more buried in our psyche than any other medium. Even the advent of digital recording and editing equipment in most Australian radio newsrooms some years ago hardly changed the medium, and radio remains a simple technology that works best when people understand its essential simplicity and therefore can tap into its strength. This chapter discusses the place that radio occupies in mass media