Linkage Strategies Research Articles

Addressing barriers to implementing and scaling PrEP in carceral settings: Applying insights from implementation science.

Within the United States, individuals experiencing incarceration are at higher risk for HIV acquisition compared to the general population, yet may face additional difficulty engaging in HIV prevention clinical services. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective approach to preventing HIV transmission, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that PrEP be offered in carceral settings, particularly during the vulnerable community re-entry period. However, there have been few efforts to scale PrEP in this setting. Based on our experience implementing PrEP in Rhode Island's state carceral system, we have identified potential approaches to overcoming barriers to PrEP use in this unique practice environment by utilizing the implementation research logic model (IRLM). We then evaluated specific implementation determinants and barriers as well as strategies used to overcome those barriers to effectively scale PrEP in this setting. We developed a "toolkit," or 14-step guide, for others in the field to use for implementing PrEP in carceral settings including the development and use of clinical protocols as well as community linkage strategies. Our experiences with barriers in the carceral setting, identifying and leveraging implementation strategies, allowed us to develop a "toolkit" to guide other PrEP implementation projects in carceral settings. We encourage others to scale-out our work to other carceral settings to better reach and engage a group of individuals both at elevated risk for HIV and currently underserved by HIV prevention strategies, including PrEP.

Building access to linked data for program evaluation: lessons and opportunities from the evaluation of a pan-Canadian skills training initiative

In recent years, Canada’s statistical agency (Statistics Canada) has developed sophisticated linkage infrastructure through their Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE), linking internal data sets held by Statistics Canada and external data held by researchers. While the SDLE presents an opportunity for better measurement of the effectiveness of policies and programs, to date it has not been used for this purpose outside of government, instead largely supporting academic research projects. This session presents a novel approach to program evaluation in the Canadian context, using the SDLE Statistics Canada administrative data alongside independently collected program data from multiple service providers to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of a portfolio of skills training programs. Our approach aims to both rigorously evaluate the long-term outcomes of participants in this portfolio of public skills training programs, and develop a replicable proof-of-concept for using linked data infrastructure in Canada to support program evaluations. Through this initiative, we identify the key design features needed to support this use case for linked data, including study design parameters, necessary datasets and linkage processes, and privacy and data governance policies. Finally, we identify opportunities for future replication of this approach in Canada, including strategies for expedited linkage and analysis of evaluation results that maintain privacy requirements. We find that using the SDLE infrastructure for program evaluation is both feasible and desirable, however barriers exist to replicating this approach, including sectoral capacity for collecting linkable data, and transposing linkage and confidentiality rules from an academic research to a program evaluation context.

Leveraging Fuzzy Match: Building an Automated Record Linkage Template in SAS Dataflux

Background ICES has conducted Probabilistic Record Linkage (PRL) for heath and non-health data for over 15 years. The PRL process has made data linkable to many ICES data holdings. However, due to the manual gray area resolution, record linkages for large datasets are time consuming with inconsistent results. ApproachAdapting from many years of experience with PRL methodology, record linkage templates were built in SAS Dataflux. By using combination of deterministic linkage and fuzzy match algorithms, the multi-pass linkage strategy is maintained by passing unlinked records in subsequent linkage comparison cycles. The new template uses personal identifiers of multiple given names, surnames, date of birth, death date (if applicable) and sex. In each pass, the pool of possible matched pairs is created by merging on low sensitive matchcodes with different conditions. Then, using a rule-based approach, possible pairs are examined, flags are assigned, and survival rules are applied to select the best matched records. ResultsBy feeding a pre-prepared linkage file along with updating the input and output file names, the record linkage job will be conducted automatically in SAS Dataflux through submitting a “run” command. It significantly reduces the turnaround time with no clerical review required, achieves a similar linkage rate as PRL consistently, and is utilized by various research projects. ConclusionThe automated SAS Dataflux record linkage template is more efficient than the traditional PRL process. It eliminates the human intervention of gray area resolution, while reducing project turnaround times, and maintaining a comparable accuracy and linkage rate.

Enhancing linkage to care for hepatitis B, D, and C patients: A retrospective-prospective study.

The WHO has set a goal to decrease viral hepatitis-related fatalities by 65% by 2030. To locate and retrieve to care all individuals diagnosed with hepatitis B, D or C, and investigate why they were not linked to appropriate medical management. We conducted a retrospective-prospective search for patients with hepatitis B, D or C virus (HBV, HDV and HCV) infection in the central laboratory database of the Barcelona northern health area (catchment population, 450,000). We reviewed records and contacted candidates for retrieval who were offered a specialist medical visit. We reviewed records of 3731 patients with viral hepatitis (January 2019-December 2022): 1763 HBsAg+, 69 anti-HDV+ and 1899 HCV-RNA+. Among these, 644 (37%) HBV, 20 (29%) HDV and 1116 (56%) HCV patients were not currently linked to care. The proportion of patients receiving appropriate care was higher in HBV and HDV (p < 0.0001), and a higher percentage of unlinked hepatitis C patients had low life expectancy/comorbidities (39%; p < 0.0001). After implementing the linkage strategy, 254 HBV, 16 HDV and 54 HCV patients were successfully reintegrated into care. Among 1780 patients requiring linkage, 638 (35.8%) had moved to another health area or were missing essential contact data. Among patients with viral hepatitis who required appropriate specialist care and were eligible for contact, 64% with HBV, 100% with HDV and 27% with HCV were successfully reintegrated into care. Overall, 324 (47.2%) eligible patients were linked to care, indicating the success of this strategy.

Covalent Organic Frameworks-Based Fluorescence Sensor Array and QSAR Study for Identification of Energetic Heterocyclic Compounds.

The accurate identification of energetic heterocyclic compounds (EHCs) is of great significance in munition assessment, environmental monitoring, and biosafety but remains largely underexplored. Herein, a covalent organic frameworks-based fluorescence sensor array (COFx sensor array) for efficient screening of EHCs is reported. The topologies of the COFs were rationally designed by modulating the pore sizes and linkage strategies to achieve the simplified sensor array. Eighteen EHC representatives, including single-, dual-, and three-ring EHCs with multivariate substructures, were successfully discriminated ranging from 10 μM to 1 mM. The sensor array showed robust selectivity against a wide range of interferences. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis has been conducted for the mechanistic study of the sensor array. Three multiple linear regression models have been established using molecular descriptors to evaluate and predict Stern-Volmer coefficient values, achieving explicit correlation between EHC structures and the signal outputs of the sensor array. Five molecular descriptors are retained to reveal the governing factors of the sensor array resolution. The QSAR analysis facilitates the design and development of the COFx sensor array, offering a new approach for customized multivariate analysis.

Analyzing Strategies for Climate Resilience: An ISM MICMAC Approach with a Focus on Sustainable Development

In every sector, climate change necessitates proactive strategies that can enhance adaptability. The urgency for efficient frameworks that minimize risks and increase adaptation is further underscored by extreme weather events. In this study, we use Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC (Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification) techniques to investigate the extent of alignment between strategies for building climate resilience and sustainable development goals. This research seeks to comprehend how various measures combine to ensure a society’s resilience and sustainability. A model showing relationships between key strategies is developed using ISM. MICMAC analysis splits these strategies into clusters based on their influence or dependence as well as informs about which strategy has more impacts compared to others in terms of implementation priority. None of the recovery actions fell under ‘Autonomous Variables’ implying their absolute relevance in boosting climatic resilience. However, there are some other variables, such as Carbon Capture &amp; Storage (CCS), Electric Vehicles (EVs), Forest Restoration (FR), Green Manufacturing (GM), etc., which were found to be linkage variables in this system. They build interconnections within the rest of the system. Climate Resilience (CR) was thus identified as the sole dependent variable since none met this criterion better than all others, thereby arguing for a comprehensive approach on how best to integrate these with one another to work best together. Independent variables, including Environment (Env.), Transportation (Trans), Industry (Ind), and Carbon Sequestration (CS) were found to have the highest driving power, serving as key drivers for achieving climate resilience. The study outlines different strategies and their implementation to achieve the objective of climate resilience. The study provides concrete, evidence-based policy recommendations to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Strengthening independent variables and enhancing linkage strategies can have a cascading positive effect, significantly improving climate resilience. The study emphasizes the significance of a cohesive, multi-dimensional approach, informed decision-making, and strategic focus to ensure a sustainable and resilient future. The work presents a clear strategy for implementing climate resilience measures for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners.

Generating synthetic identifiers to support development and evaluation of data linkage methods

IntroductionCareful development and evaluation of data linkage methods is limited by researcher access to personal identifiers. One solution is to generate synthetic identifiers, which do not pose equivalent privacy concerns, but can form a 'gold-standard' linkage algorithm training dataset. Such data could help inform choices about appropriate linkage strategies in different settings. ObjectivesWe aimed to develop and demonstrate a framework for generating synthetic identifier datasets to support development and evaluation of data linkage methods. We evaluated whether replicating associations between attributes and identifiers improved the utility of the synthetic data for assessing linkage error. MethodsWe determined the steps required to generate synthetic identifiers that replicate the properties of real-world data collection. We then generated synthetic versions of a large UK cohort study (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; ALSPAC), according to the quality and completeness of identifiers recorded over several waves of the cohort. We evaluated the utility of the synthetic identifier data in terms of assessing linkage quality (false matches and missed matches). ResultsComparing data from two collection points in ALSPAC, we found within-person disagreement in identifiers (differences in recording due to both natural change and non-valid entries) in 18% of surnames and 12% of forenames. Rates of disagreement varied by maternal age and ethnic group. Synthetic data provided accurate estimates of linkage quality metrics compared with the original data (within 0.13-0.55% for missed matches and 0.00-0.04% for false matches). Incorporating associations between identifier errors and maternal age/ethnicity improved synthetic data utility. ConclusionsWe show that replicating dependencies between attribute values (e.g. ethnicity), values of identifiers (e.g. name), identifier disagreements (e.g. missing values, errors or changes over time), and their patterns and distribution structure enables generation of realistic synthetic data that can be used for robust evaluation of linkage methods.

Results of the Sukuma Ndoda ("Stand up, Man") HIV Self-Screening and Assisted Linkage to Care Project in Johannesburg: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Evaluation.

HIV testing rates among South African men lag behind rates for women and national targets. Community-based HIV self-screening (HIVSS) distribution and follow-up by community health workers (CHWs) is a scalable option to increase testing coverage, diagnosis, and treatment initiation. We provided HIVSS and assisted linkage to care to men not recently tested (within the past 12 months) residing in high-HIV-burden areas of Johannesburg. CHWs distributed HIVSS in 6 clinic catchment areas. Follow-up to encourage confirmatory testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation was conducted through personal support (PS) or an automated short message service (SMS) follow-up and linkage system in 3 clinic areas each. Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, we compared differences in the proportion of men testing in the clinic catchment areas during the HIVSS campaign (June-August 2019) to the 3 months prior (March-May 2019) and compared treatment initiations by assisted linkage strategy. Among 4793 participants accepting HIVSS, 62% had never tested. Among 3993 participants with follow-up data, 90.6% reported using their HIVSS kit. Testing coverage among men increased by 156%, from under 4% when only clinic-based HIV testing services were available to 9.5% when HIVSS and HIV testing services were available (z = -11.6; P < 0.01). Reported test use was higher for men followed through PS (99% vs. 68% in SMS); however, significantly more men reported reactive self-test results in the SMS group compared with PS (6.4% vs. 2.0%), resulting in more antiretroviral therapy initiations in the SMS group compared with PS (23 vs. 9; P < 0.01). CHW HIVSS distribution significantly increases testing among men. While PS enabled personalized follow-up, reporting differences indicate SMS is more acceptable and better aligned with expectations of privacy associated with HIVSS.

Missed Opportunities: A Retrospective Study of Hepatitis C Testing in Hospital Inpatients.

Increasing testing is key to achieving hepatitis C elimination. This retrospective study aimed to assess the testing cascade of patients at a regional hospital in Victoria, Australia, who inject drugs or are living with hepatitis C, to identify missed opportunities for hepatitis C care. Adult hospital inpatients and emergency department (ED) attendees from 2018 to 2021 with indications for intravenous drug use (IDU) or hepatitis C on their discharge or ED summary were included. Data sources: hospital admissions, pathology, hospital pharmacy, and outpatients. We assessed progression through the testing cascade and performed logistic regression analysis for predictors of hepatitis C care, including testing and treatment. Of 79,923 adults admitted, 1345 (1.7%) had IDU-coded separations and 628 (0.8%) had hepatitis C-coded separations (N = 1892). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) status at the end of the study was unknown for 1569 (82.9%). ED admissions were associated with increased odds of not providing hepatitis C care (odds ratio 3.29, 95% confidence interval 2.42-4.48). More than 2% of inpatients at our hospital have an indication for testing, however, most are not being tested despite their hospital contact. As we work toward HCV elimination in our region, we need to incorporate testing and linkage strategies within hospital departments with a higher prevalence of people at risk of infection.

Netflix s Cross-Screen Linkage and Cross-Platform Media Content Distribution Strategy: The Path to Innovation Leadership in the Digital Age

Amidst the continuous advancement of science and technology and the deepening of globalization, Netflix, a pioneering streaming media service provider, has garnered widespread attention within the industry for its cross-screen interlinkage and cross-platform media content dissemination strategy. This article commences with an overview of Netflix s core strategy, which encompasses multi-platform support, personalized recommendations, social integration, original content, global expansion, offline downloads, and collaborations with third-party platforms. Subsequently, the implications of these strategies on user experience, market competition, and business models are explored. Furthermore, the paper delves into the challenges that Netflix confronts in content generation and copyright, technology, user behavior, competitive pressures, and regional cultural disparities. Ultimately, the future growth trajectory of Netflix is prognosticated.

Abstract PO5-27-05: Computational design and validation of a novel peptide-drug conjugate for treatment of triple negative breast cancer

Abstract Sortilin (SORT1) is a member of the vacuolar protein sorting 10 protein (Vps10p) family that functions as a receptor regulating peptide and protein trafficking between the plasma membrane, lysosomes, and trans-golgi network. As a cell surface receptor, SORT1 is able to mediate efficient endocytosis of extracellular ligands to the lysosomal compartment. Numerous reports have identified enriched SORT1 expression in a variety of tumor types, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype of breast cancer associated with aggressive clinical behavior and poor disease outcomes. We sought to exploit SORT1-dependent internalization of peptides as a platform for rapid and specific chemotherapy delivery into TNBC cells. Using ProteinStudio (our proprietary computation-enabled design capabilities), we generated high-affinity SORT1 targeting peptides that exhibit efficient receptor dependent internalization and lysosomal localization. Alternative computational approaches such as AlphaFold2 failed to recapitulate the peptide design. Peptide drug conjugates (PDCs) were generated via a linkage strategy that combines our designed peptides to the antimitotic agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). Our PDC molecules exhibit potent tumor regression in a MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell derived xenograft model, thereby highlighting the potential of SORT1-engaging PDCs as an efficacious targeted chemotherapeutic delivery strategy. Citation Format: Francine Liu, Andrew Zhai, Ozge Yoluk, Aron Broom, Tracy Stone, Glenn Butterfoss, Serban Popa, Tianyu Li, Lucas Siow, Christopher Ing, David White. Computational design and validation of a novel peptide-drug conjugate for treatment of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-27-05.

Exploring the Use of Customized Links to Improve Electronic Engagement With Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Among Young African American Male Individuals: Web-Based Survey Study.

Research has shown that heterosexual African American male individuals aged 18-24 years have a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. There is a critical need to promote sexual reproductive health (SRH) services among this population, especially in urban settings. Young African American male individuals use social media platforms to access health information, showcasing the potential of social media and web-based links as tools to leverage electronic engagement with this population to promote SRH care. This study aims to explore electronic engagement with young African American male individuals in discussions about SRH care. This paper focuses on the recruitment and social media marketing methods used to recruit young, heterosexual African American male individuals aged 18-24 years for the Stay Safe Project, a larger study that aims to promote SRH services among this population in Detroit, Michigan. We investigate the use of TinyURL, a URL shortener and customized tool, and culturally informed social media marketing strategies to promote electronic engagement within this population. Participants were recruited between December 2021 and February 2022 through various modes, including email listserves, Mailchimp, the UMHealthResearch website, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. Images and vector graphics of African American male individuals were used to create social media advertisements that directed participants to click on a TinyURL that led to a recruitment survey for the study. TinyURL metrics were used to monitor demographic and user data, analyzing the top countries, browsers, operating systems, and devices of individuals who engaged with the customized TinyURL links and the total human and unique clicks from various social media platforms. Mailchimp was the most successful platform for electronic engagement with human and unique clicks on the custom TinyURL link, followed by Instagram and Facebook. In contrast, X, traditional email, and research recruiting websites had the least engagement among our population. Success was determined based on the type of user and follower for each platform, whether gained in the community through sign-ups or promoted at peak user time and embedded and spotlighted on nontraditional media (eg, social media sites, blogs, and podcasts) for the user. Low engagement (eg, traditional email) from the target population, limited visibility, and fewer followers contributed to decreased engagement. This study provides insight into leveraging customized, shortened URLs, TinyURL metrics, and social media platforms to improve electronic engagement with young African American male individuals seeking information and resources about SRH care. The results of this study have been used to develop a pilot intervention for this population that will contribute to strategies for encouraging sexual well-being, clinic use, and appropriate linkage to SRH care services among young, heterosexual African American male individuals.

Understanding effective post-test linkage strategies for HIV prevention and care: a scoping review.

Following HIV testing services (HTS), the World Health Organization recommends prompt linkage to prevention and treatment. Scale-up of effective linkage strategies is essential to achieving the global 95-95-95 goals for maintaining low HIV incidence by 2030 and reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Whereas linkage to care including same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for all people with HIV is now routinely implemented in testing programmes, linkage to HIV prevention interventions including behavioural or biomedical strategies, for HIV-negative individuals remains sub-optimal. This review aims to evaluate effective post-HTS linkage strategies for HIV overall, and highlight gaps specifically in linkage to prevention. Using the five-step Arksey and O'Malley framework, we conducted a scoping review searching existing published and grey literature. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE databases for English-language studies published between 1 January 2010 and 30 November 2023. Linkage interventions included as streamlined interventions-involving same-day HIV testing, ART initiation and point-of-care CD4 cell count/viral load, case management-involving linkage coordinators developing personalized HIV care and risk reduction plans, incentives-financial and non-financial, partner services-including contact tracing, virtual-like social media, quality improvement-like use of score cards, and peer-based interventions. Outcomes of interest were linkage to any form of HIV prevention and/or care including ART initiation. Of 2358 articles screened, 66 research studies met the inclusion criteria. Only nine linkage to prevention studies were identified (n = 9/66, 14%)-involving pre-exposure prophylaxis, voluntary medical male circumcision, sexually transmitted infection and cervical cancer screening. Linkage to care studies (n = 57/66, 86%) focused on streamlined interventions in the general population and on case management among key populations. Despite a wide range of HIV prevention interventions available, there was a dearth of literature on HIV prevention programmes and on the use of messaging on treatment as prevention strategy. Linkage to care studies were comparatively numerous except those evaluating virtual interventions, incentives and quality improvement. The findings give insights into linkage strategies but more understanding of how to provide these effectively for maximum prevention impact is needed.

Religious Ideology and Clientelist Linkage in the Middle East and North Africa

The literature on clientelism, the informal exchange of benefits for political support, has proliferated over the last three decades. However, the existing literature largely ignores the role of religion in shaping clientelism in contemporary politics. In particular, few attempts have been made to explore the relationship between religious ideology and clientelism at the party level: How does political parties’ religious ideology impact their clientelist linkages with citizens? This study uses cross-national data of parties in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the V-Party database (1970–2019) to answer this question. Our findings reveal that religious parties are more clientelist than secular parties in the MENA. Particularly, parties’ ties with social organizations mediate the relationship between religious ideology and clientelism. This study extends the literature on the impact of religion on informal political institutions by focusing on the ideology and linkage strategy of political parties in the MENA.

Model Predictive Control on Transient Flux Linkage and Reactive Power Compensation of Doubly Fed Induction Wind Generator

For weak grid scenario with high new energy proportion, large fluctuations of load are prone to cause low-voltage ride through. Moreover, stator transient magnetic flux will cause overvoltage and overcurrent problems in the rotor of doubly fed induction generator. Based on model predictive control, a control strategy for transient flux linkage and reactive power compensation is proposed. Firstly, regarding the issue of reactive power allocation of grid side converters (GSC) and rotor side converters (RSC), an allocation strategy is derived under minimizing winding energy loss on case of low-voltage ride through, enabling the wind energy conversion system to provide reactive power support during grid voltage recovery process. Meanwhile, an improved mixed second- and third-order generalized integrator (MSTOGI) phase-locked loop (PLL) is used to extract the positive and negative sequence components of the power grid voltage, further for RSC control. Secondly, in response to power grid faults, considering the influence of stator DC transient flux and negative sequence flux components on rotor current, by injecting rotor transient compensation current and stator flux feedforward compensation into RSC, the rotor impulse voltage and loop current are reduced. Moreover, combined with model predictive control algorithm, a control strategy of rotor current is designed. Finally, a simulation platform is built to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method based on comparing with several traditional vector control low-voltage ride through methods.

HyperVein: A Hyperspectral Image Dataset for Human Vein Detection.

HyperSpectral Imaging (HSI) plays a pivotal role in various fields, including medical diagnostics, where precise human vein detection is crucial. HyperSpectral (HS) image data are very large and can cause computational complexities. Dimensionality reduction techniques are often employed to streamline HS image data processing. This paper presents a HS image dataset encompassing left- and right-hand images captured from 100 subjects with varying skin tones. The dataset was annotated using anatomical data to represent vein and non-vein areas within the images. This dataset is utilised to explore the effectiveness of dimensionality reduction techniques, namely: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Folded PCA (FPCA), and Ward's Linkage Strategy using Mutual Information (WaLuMI) for vein detection. To generate experimental results, the HS image dataset was divided into train and test datasets. Optimum performing parameters for each of the dimensionality reduction techniques in conjunction with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) binary classification were determined using the Training dataset. The performance of the three dimensionality reduction-based vein detection methods was then assessed and compared using the test image dataset. Results show that the FPCA-based method outperforms the other two methods in terms of accuracy. For visualization purposes, the classification prediction image for each technique is post-processed using morphological operators, and results show the significant potential of HS imaging in vein detection.

Using Linkage-enhancement Strategies to Bridge Treatment Gap among Inmates and Former Inmates in Correctional Settings with Inadequate Mental Health Care

Abstract: Service linkage and skill enhancement strategies were devised in Nigerian prisons with inadequate mental health resources to support the provision of psycho-legal services, including the assessments, identification, and care of inmates and former inmates with mental illness. Over the study period, 74 individuals, consisting of 64 (86.5%) males with a mean age of 33.25 (SD=11.2) years received care or psycho-legal services through these strategies. Clinically, 49% of the participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis code: F20.0–9), 66.7% had first formal clinical diagnosis of mental illness, and as many as 56.1% of the participants endorsed using psychoactive substances. Most participants (73.0%) were assessed and treated within the prison's general medical services with support from a multidisciplinary team from a regional psychiatric hospital. Of the 50 psycho-legal assessments conducted, eight (10.8%) and 12 (16.2%) participants were not criminally responsible and unfit to stand trial, respectively. We included an action-plan to support the implementation of collaborative care, skill-enhancement, and linkage of services as viable strategies in correctional settings with inadequate mental health care.

Human intrusion detection for high-speed railway perimeter under all-weather condition

PurposeThe paper aims to solve the problem of personnel intrusion identification within the limits of high-speed railways. It adopts the fusion method of millimeter wave radar and camera to improve the accuracy of object recognition in dark and harsh weather conditions.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts the fusion strategy of radar and camera linkage to achieve focus amplification of long-distance targets and solves the problem of low illumination by laser light filling of the focus point. In order to improve the recognition effect, this paper adopts the YOLOv8 algorithm for multi-scale target recognition. In addition, for the image distortion caused by bad weather, this paper proposes a linkage and tracking fusion strategy to output the correct alarm results.FindingsSimulated intrusion tests show that the proposed method can effectively detect human intrusion within 0–200 m during the day and night in sunny weather and can achieve more than 80% recognition accuracy for extreme severe weather conditions.Originality/value(1) The authors propose a personnel intrusion monitoring scheme based on the fusion of millimeter wave radar and camera, achieving all-weather intrusion monitoring; (2) The authors propose a new multi-level fusion algorithm based on linkage and tracking to achieve intrusion target monitoring under adverse weather conditions; (3) The authors have conducted a large number of innovative simulation experiments to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article.

Outreach strategies to promote HIV testing and linkage-to-care focusing on a young sexual and gender-diverse population in Bangkok, Thailand.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence among young gender-diverse (a wide range of gender identities for people whose gender identity is different from the sex that they were assigned at birth) individuals is high but testing coverage among this key population remains low. We aim to evaluate strategies for outreach, HIV testing, and linkage to proper management in young men-who-have-had-sex-with-men (MSM, homosexual male) and transgender women (TGW) in Bangkok, Thailand. The "YM2M outreach program" consisted of two strategies: 1) online platforms (OP) and 2) physical outreach activities (POA). Participant questionnaires were completed on a voluntary basis during outreach activities during 2018-2021. Demographic and behavioral characteristics were assessed for association with HIV positivity. A total of 3,972 homosexual male and TGW participated in the YM2M program: 2,973 by OP and 999 by POA. Of 2,230 participants who reported gender identity, 603/1,392 (43.3%) of OP and 252/985 (25.6%) of POA were gender diverse. Of 631 (21.2%) participants in OP and 970 (97.1%) in POA who underwent testing, 286 (45.3%) in OP and 41 (4.2%) in POA were HIV-positive. The venue reporting highest HIV yield was the Mor-Lam (11.5%). Among those with an HIV-positive test, 175 (61.2%) from OP and 23 (51.1%) from POA were successfully linked to HIV care. The independent factors associated with HIV positive in OP were being youth (adjusted odd ratio (aOR), 0.37; 95%CI 0.16-0.81; P = 0.01) and suspected or confirmed STI (aOR 15.39; 95%CI 7.17-33.03, P<0.01); while those in in POA at Mor-Lam were being gender diverse (aOR, 8.43; 95%CI 1.94-36.62; P<0.01) and reactive syphilis test (aOR, 5.40;95%CI 2.45-11.88; P<0.01). Linkage to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among HIV-negative participants was low, 4.9% and 2.6% in OP and POA participants, respectively. While uptake of HIV testing was higher in POA while OP was more effective in identifying undiagnosed people living with HIV/AIDS and linking them to care. Neither strategy was considered effective in linkage to PrEP.

Neighbourhood or beggar-thy-neighbour: the spatial effect of regional green credit development on green technology innovation

Green credit is an innovative financial instrument that aims to promote environmentally friendly innovations. However, financial institutions, as carriers of green credit, exhibit noticeable regional differences in the effects of implementation, leading to disparities in the distribution of green credit across regions, which will have a differentiated impact on inter-regional innovation. Unfortunately, the existing literature overlooks the impact of inter-regional differences in green credit distribution on technological innovation. Therefore, this study utilized panel data from 30 provinces and cities in China from 2012 to 2021, and adopted the spatial Durbin model to study the impact of regional differences in green credit development on green technology innovation. Additionally, this paper explores the moderating effect of green credit on the spatial impact of green innovation from the perspectives of environmental regulation and digital finance. The results of this paper indicate that the development of green credit promotes green technology innovation at the local level but has a negative impact on neighboring regions. And the negative spatial spillover effect is more significant in the central and western regions and polluting industries. Through mechanism testing, this study finds that the negative spatial spillover effect on green technology innovation is primarily driven by the migration of polluting industries across regions and the turnover of green technology R&D staff in response to the pressure of green credit. Furthermore, this paper finds that marketization and public participation in environmental regulation, as well as the presence of digital finance, significantly enhance the promotion of local green technology innovation and mitigate the negative spatial spillover effect. This study provides valuable insights for the Chinese government in implementing a regional linkage strategy for green credit within the context of the green economy transition.