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AncestryGeni : a novel genetic ancestry classification pipeline for small and noisy sequence data
No full textMotivation Efforts to address health disparities are often limited by the lack of robust computational tools for inferring genetic ancestry by calculating an individual's genetic similarity to continental groups. We have already shown that a preferred alternative to self-described race is using ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) that can be classified into ancestral components and used to estimate their similarity to those of known populations to identify continental groups. However, real-world genomic data can present challenges, including limited availability of germline DNA, a small number of AIMs for each sample, and the use of different variant calling software, limiting the application of existing solutions. Results Here, we describe a novel supervised machine-learning tool AncestryGeni, which infers genetic ancestry for samples with even a hundred markers and is applicable to any genomic data, including whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data. Applying AncestryGeni to a real-world genomic dataset obtained from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) CoMMpass study, we show that it is more accurate than the commonly used FastNGSadmix when using nonstandard genomic material. We also demonstrate that when using AncestryGeni, the tumor-derived sequence obtained from WES and RNA-Seq can be a robust data source to accurately estimate an individual's genetic similarity to a continental group
Instruments for assessing social support in social networks and in the self-management and rehabilitation process of persons poststroke : a scoping review protocol
No full textIntroduction As care and rehabilitation poststroke are increasingly moving into persons’ home environment, the importance of support from social networks in self-management and rehabilitation has emerged as an important topic for research and practice. While there are instruments used to assess social support and collective efficacy, a clearer scope of the availability and quality of these instruments is needed. This clarification will enable the development of interventions integrating social network perspectives in poststroke rehabilitation. Methods and analysis To assess the availability and quality of instruments assessing social support and collective efficacy, a scoping review will be conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines (PRISMA-ScR). Literature searches conducted between 14 November 2024 and 15 November 2024 in the CINAHL and PubMed/Medline databases resulted in 4631 articles potentially eligible. After removing duplicates, 4121 articles’ titles and abstracts were initially screened. Full-text screening, searches of reference lists and data extraction started in June 2025. Starting August 2025, two reviewers will assess the full texts against the inclusion criteria in Covidence using a coding template. Identified instruments will be appraised following the COSMIN (Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guidelines) and analysed using a narrative descriptive method. Results will be reported in February 2026 according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review, as it does not involve primary data. However, this review follows established ethical guidelines and best practices, and included studies will be reviewed to ensure that they received ethical approval and included informed consent. Results from the review will be disseminated through an article in a scientific journal, at relevant conferences and surmised to stroke organisations. A policy brief will be developed for health and social care professionals and policy makers
Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging as a precision diagnostic at prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy : Modeling long-term survival
No full textBackground: Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA-PET/CT) is affecting the management of patients with prostate cancer with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. The long-term outcomes of tailoring salvage treatment on the basis of PSMA-PET/CT status remain to be determined. Methods: A decision-analytic model was developed to project incremental life-years of strategies that allocate treatments at biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy on the basis of PSMA-PET/CT status (PSMA-metastatic vs. PSMA-nonmetastatic). Modeled treatments are local/regional (radiation) or systemic (hormone therapy and doublet therapy), administered immediately or delayed. PSMA-metastatic status was assumed to lead to treatment intensification, whereas PSMA-nonmetastatic status would lead to deintensification. To project survival, data on progression to metastasis from a clinical cohort were combined with registry data on postmetastasis survival. Because of the lack of data on long-term treatment benefits by PSMA status, survival was projected by varying the hazard ratio (HR) for disease-specific death among PSMA-metastatic versus PSMA-nonmetastatic patients under delayed or local/regional regimens (HR1) and under immediate systemic regimens (HR2). Results: Mean life-years are projected to be 15.5 under the non–PSMA-tailored strategy, and mean incremental life-years range from 0.38 to 0.81 depending on HR1 and HR2. A greater benefit is projected when PSMA-metastatic status is more adverse under salvage regimens that do not include systemic agents. Conclusions: This decision-analytic modeling study projects that PSMA-PET/CT–guided management at biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy yields a modest survival benefit under the specified model inputs and assumptions regarding treatment distributions. These findings may complement emerging data on the corresponding economic costs and health-related quality of life
Efficacy of the Web-Based Swedish Individualized Active Communication Education (I-ACE) Program in First-Time Hearing Aid Users : Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textBackground: Hearing loss is estimated to affect more than 20% of the global population. Hearing aid fitting is a common intervention in audiological rehabilitation; however, there are still those who struggle with remaining communication difficulties that require additional intervention. The group rehabilitation program Active Communication Education (ACE) has been shown to be an effective alternative for addressing these remaining difficulties. To increase accessibility, the ACE program was modified to an individual version. The effects of the Individualized Active Communication Education (I-ACE) are yet to be explored in a randomized controlled trial. Objective: This study aims to explore the effects of the internet-based Swedish I-ACE program on the use of communication strategies, self-perceived hearing difficulties, and the emotional effects of hearing loss, as well as whether these effects persist long-term. Methods: First-time hearing aid users with 6‐12 months of experience with hearing aids were invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial. The participants were allocated to either the Swedish I-ACE intervention program or the delayed intervention control group. The 5 chapters of the I-ACE were delivered over a 5-week period through the nationally available online health portal for the public health system, 1177.se. Each week, feedback was provided through the platform by a clinician. The efficacy of the I-ACE was determined by change of the primary outcome of emotional consequences and acceptance of hearing loss, and use of communication strategies. The secondary outcome measures included perceived hearing difficulties, hearing aid efficacy, and intervention efficacy. Participants completed the self-assessed outcome measures at baseline (T0), post intervention (T1), and 6 months post intervention (T2) through the platform. Results: A total of 57 participants (I-ACE, n=29 and delayed intervention control, n=28) were included in the analyses. Compared with the control group, the Swedish I-ACE improved the emotional consequences and acceptance of hearing loss, as well as use of communication strategies (the Communication and Acceptance Scale, F1, 54=7.26, P=.01 and the Communication Strategies Scale, F1, 53=6.35, P=.02). There were no differences in perceived hearing difficulties or hearing aid efficacy between the two groups. All outcomes remained stable at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: The results suggest that the I-ACE program can be an effective alternative for reducing emotional consequences of hearing loss and increasing the use of communication strategies to reduce remaining communication difficulties
Dendrokronologisk analys av prover från flera byggnader på Höboda, Nybro kommun, Småland
No full textConvergence of the Dirichlet–Neumann alternating method for semilinear elliptic equations
No full textThe Dirichlet–Neumann alternating method is a common domain decomposition method for nonoverlapping domain decompositions without cross-points, and the method has been studied extensively for linear elliptic equations. However, for nonlinear elliptic equations, there are only convergence results for some specific cases in one spatial dimension. The aim of this manuscript is therefore to prove that the Dirichlet–Neumann alternating method converges for a class of semilinear elliptic equations on Lipschitz continuous domains in two and three spatial dimensions. This is achieved by first proving a new result on the convergence of nonlinear iterations in Hilbert spaces and then applying this result to the Steklov–Poincaré formulation of the Dirichlet–Neumann alternating method
How consistent are sick leave assessments? Variation among primary care physicians in Sweden
No full textIntroduction: Assessing work capacity and determining appropriate sick leave is a complex process. Despite the importance of fair and consistent assessments, evidence suggests that evaluations may vary. However, previous studies have been inconclusive and have mainly focused on whether sick leave should be recommended or not. The present study examined the medical reliability and consistency of physicians’ assessments of work capacity, as indicated by the reported percentage of reduced work capacity and the recommended length of sick leave. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 142 primary care physicians from four Swedish counties. Participants assessed six anonymised, authentic medical certificates related to mental health and pain-related conditions. For each case, they estimated the degree of reduced work capacity and the recommended sick leave duration, which were combined into a sick leave score. Physician characteristics (e.g. gender, professional status) and perceived managerial support were also measured. Results: There was considerable variation in sick leave scores, both across physicians and between certificates. Male physicians and those with more years of experience recommended longer sick leave for pain-related cases, while specialists showed less variation in their assessments. Perceived support from frontline managers was associated with lower scores. No significant associations were found for patient involvement. Conclusions: The findings suggest that sick leave assessments may lack consistency and be influenced by physician-related factors, particularly for pain-related conditions. Stronger support structures, opportunities for knowledge exchange, and clearer guidelines may help reduce unwarranted variation and promote more reliable assessments
Torsion elements in branch pro-p groups
No full textIn this paper, we show that the set of torsion elements of a topological group admitting a branch pro-p quotient has Haar measure zero
Income taxes and redistribution in the early twentieth century
No full textThis paper examines the distributive effects of personal income taxation in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. We estimate the evolution of marginal and average effective tax rates across the income distribution and calculate the corresponding indices of progressivity and redistribution. Our results show that redistribution through income taxation increased during the period with varying intensity and mechanisms. During the First World War, this was a joint effect of increases in the amount of revenue collected and progressivity. In contrast, during the Second World War, revenue increased again, but progressivity diminished