Linkage Unit Research Articles

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins: a global analysis

BackgroundEmergence of new variants mainly variants of concerns (VOC) is caused by mutations in main structural proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mutations among structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 globally.MethodsWe analyzed samples of amino-acid sequences (AASs) for envelope (E), membrane (M), nucleocapsid (N), and spike (S) proteins from the declaration of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) as pandemic to January 2022. The presence and location of mutations were then investigated by aligning the sequences to the reference sequence and categorizing them based on frequency and continent. Finally, the related human genes with the viral structural genes were discovered, and their interactions were reported.ResultsThe results indicated that the most relative mutations among the E, M, N, and S AASs occurred in the regions of 7 to 14, 66 to 88, 164 to 205, and 508 to 635 AAs, respectively. The most frequent mutations in E, M, N, and S proteins were T9I, I82T, R203M/R203K, and D614G. D614G was the most frequent mutation in all six geographical areas. Following D614G, L18F, A222V, E484K, and N501Y, respectively, were ranked as the most frequent mutations in S protein globally. Besides, A-kinase Anchoring Protein 8 Like (AKAP8L) was shown as the linkage unit between M, E, and E cluster genes.ConclusionScreening the structural protein mutations can help scientists introduce better drug and vaccine development strategies.

A polysaccharide from mycelia of Metarhizium taii: Structural characterization, inhibition on α-glucosidase and improvement of insulin resistance in HepG2 cells

Polysaccharide is one of the important bioactive components of Metarhizium taii. A homogeneous polysaccharide named as HLP-S was first purified from the mycelium of M. taii. HLP-S had a molecular weight of 2.81 × 103 kDa and consisted mainly of mannose, glucose, and galactose in a ratio of 2.31:2.89:3.59. The structure of HLP-S was determined by various chemical structure analysis methods, which showed that the sugar linkage units of HLP-S consist of T-Manp, T-Glcp, →4,6)-Glcp-(1→, →2)-Manp-(1→, →4)-Glcp-(1→, →4)-Galp-(1→, →4,6)-Manp-(1→, →3,4)-Glcp-(1→). The Hypoglycemic activity of HLP-S was investigated by enzyme inhibition assay in vitro and a model of insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. The results of α-glucosidase activity inhibition assay in vitro showed that different concentrations of HLP-S inhibited α-glucosidase activity with a mixture of competitive and non-competitive inhibition types. Various concentrations of HLP-S were applied to HepG2-IR cells. The results of the experiments suggested that HLP-S might effectively improve the glucose consumption of HepG2-IR cells and promote the synthesis of glycogen, hence reducing insulin resistance.

TEGylated Phenothiazine-Imine-Chitosan Materials as a Promising Framework for Mercury Recovery

This paper reports new solid materials based on TEGylated phenothiazine and chitosan, with a high capacity to recover mercury ions from aqueous solutions. They were prepared by hydrogelation of chitosan with a formyl derivative of TEGylated phenothiazine, followed by lyophilization. Their structural and supramolecular characterization was carried out by 1H-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy. Their morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and their photophysical behaviour was examined by UV/Vis and emission spectroscopy. Swelling evaluation in different aqueous media indicated the key role played by the supramolecular organization for their hydrolytic stability. Mercury recovery experiments and the analysis of the resulting materials by X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy showed a high ability of the studied materials to bind mercury ions by coordination with the sulfur atom of phenothiazine, imine linkage, and amine units of chitosan.

Multi-jurisdictional Prostate Cancer Registry Linkage.

ObjectiveThe Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry for Australian and New Zealand (PCOR-ANZ) aims to monitor population-wide prostate cancer characteristics, treatments, and outcomes. However, long-term follow-up of secondary treatments, disease progression, and side effects is limited. This novel project provides increased utility, enhancing this clinical registry by integrating national and jurisdictional data.
 ApproachThe Tasmanian and South Australian jurisdictional registries (PCOR-Tas and PCOR-SA) are being treated as pilots for this nationally relevant data linkage project. Each contains descriptive data on clinical characteristics, primary treatments, survival, and patient-reported outcomes for prostate cancer in their jurisdictions. Data linkages include state-based hospital patient records and central cancer registries, with additional linkages to national data on prescribed medicines, procedures, and deaths; refer Figure 1.
 Authorisation by contributing custodians and ethics committees, and funding from the Movember charity, has enabled the more detailed evaluation of patient follow-up after the initial treatment to examine historical trends, health service utilisation, disparities and gaps, and long-term patient outcomes.
 ResultsSouth Australian study cohort consists of all men in the SACR (South Australia's central cancer registry) who were diagnosed with prostate cancer [ICD10=C61] as well as any additional men recorded in the PCOR-SA diagnosed from January 2002 to June 2021 (n=25,000). Men who do not have SA addresses recorded in either source are excluded from the South Australian pilot. The Tasmanian cohort is younger (established 2015) and smaller (n=2080), but for comparison is linked with the equivalent local and national datasets
 The South Australian data linkage is being undertaken by SA NT DataLink, with the Tasmanian linkage undertaken by the Tasmania Data linkage Unit. For both jurisdictions, the national datasets are being linked by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW).
 ConclusionSince the Australian health system involves components managed at both the State and Federal levels, multijurisdictional data linkage adds additional complexity to linkage projects. Undertaking this project was not without its challenges, but it demonstrates what can be achieved and the value of enhancing high-quality clinical registry data to address important outcomes in prostate cancer.

Comprehensive evaluation of polycyclic aromatic units in three liquefaction-derived heavy fractions from Zhunnan lignite

The structural characteristics of polycyclic aromatic units in three liquefaction-derived heavy fractions from Zhunnan lignite, including thermal dissolution (TD) in cyclohexane (HF C ), ethanolysis (HF E ), and two-step sequential TD in cyclohexane-ethanol (HF CE ), were investigated in depth. Combining multiple destructive tools, the intrinsic correlation among dissociated/degraded fragments and organic macromolecular networks, involving the types of alkyl side chain, methylene bridged bond, heteroatom, and aromatic nucleus, was also constructed. The results indicate that HF C with a smaller average molecular weight may be rich in -OH, >C-O-, and >C O units, while HF CE has higher aromaticity. In addition, abundant arenes and arenols were detected in the volatiles released from HF C flash pyrolysis, but macro/ultramolecular groups dominated in HF E and HF CE . Obviously, the differences in thermochemical reactions further confirmed that the component distribution of volatiles is mainly related to the direct gasification of small/medium molecules and the cleavage of weak/moderate strength covalent bonds. The analyses with quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer and ruthenium ion-catalyzed oxidation show that HF C also contains abundant oxynitrides, while HF CE may be dominated by cata -condensed aromatics and polyaryl units, followed by few peri -condensed aromatics, long-chain saturated rings, aromatic rings with longer aliphatic side chains, and polymethylene linkage units. Comprehensive evaluation of these difficult-to-detect parts is beneficial to the resource and diversified utilization of such special soluble portions with potential environmental hazards. • HFCE has the highest aromaticity, while HFC is rich in O-containing FGs. • HFC also contains abundant >C-O- moieties and oxynitrides. • HFCE may be dominated by cata-condensed aromatics and polyaryl units. • The inner link among degraded fragments and organic structures was revealed.

The comparison of preliminary structure and intestinal anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities of polysaccharides from different root parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe root of Angelica sinensis, has been commonly used in gynecology for centuries, and is normally applied divided into different parts in various clinical applications. At present, the majority of existing studies focus on the volatile oil and ferulic acid extracted from different parts of A. sinensis, but there is a dearth of scientific information on its water-soluble polysaccharides.Aim of the study: The structures of polysaccharides from plants, have been reported contributing to multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and liver protection. Therefore, the focus of this study was on its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, which would be based on the various polysaccharides with distinct structures obtained from different parts of the A. sinensis root. Materials and methodsFour parts of A. sinensis root were separated according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia: head, body, tail and whole body. Crude polysaccharides were obtained by water extraction and ethanol precipitation method, and were further fractionated by DEAE Sepharose chromatographic column and gel filtration. The comparison of ASPs from different root parts were performed, including chemical compositions determined by colorimetric analysis, monosaccharide compositions measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), glycosidic linkage units determined by methylation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), organic functional groups determined by FT-IR, molecular weight (Mw) demarcated by gel permeation chromatography, and the viscosities and solubilities were measured according to method published in the previous report with minor modification. In vitro biological activities of APSs were compared on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress models on IPEC-J2 cells. ResultsFour purified polysaccharides, ASP-H-AP, ASP-B-AP, ASP-T-AP and ASP-Hb-AP from the root of A. sinensis, were obtained, and consisted of various contents of protein and the polyphenol. They were possibly pectic polysaccharides with a long homogalacturonan region as the main backbone and ramified with rhamnogalacturonan I region, but they were differed by subregions and the relative contents of glycosidic units. The Mw of four pectic polysaccharides were ranged from 67.9–267.7 kDa. The infrared spectrum also showed that the four polysaccharide fractions contained the characteristic peaks of polysaccharides. Their distinct primary structure could lead to a variety of biological activities. In vitro biological assays suggested that four polysaccharide fractions can protect IPEC-J2 cells against the LPS-induced inflammation by down-regulating inflammation factors and related genes on IPEC-J2 cells. These polysaccharides also could alleviate oxidative stress on IPEC-J2 cells by up-regulating the gene and protein expressions of antioxidant enzymes. It was concluded that ASP-H-AP possessed better anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, while those of ASP-T-AP was relatively poor among the four polysaccharide fractions. ConclusionAll results indicated that the structure of pectic polysaccharides from different root parts of A. sinensis differed, which lead to their distinct anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. This may also be one of the factors why different parts of A. sinensis showed various pharmacological activities and applied independently in traditional use. In addition, it would be valuable for further studies on structure-activity relationship of polysaccharides obtained by different root parts of A. sinensis.

Structural characterization and protective effect on PC12 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative damage of a polysaccharide extracted from mycelia of Lactarius deliciosus Gray

The crude polysaccharide LDP was extracted from mycelia of Lactarius deliciosus Gray and then purified by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-200 to obtain a novel polysaccharide named LDP-CP. LDP-CP was mainly composed of mannose, glucose and galactose with an average molecular weight of 2.33 × 103 kDa. The structure of LDP-CP was determined by FT-IR, methylation and NMR analysis, and the results showed that the sugar linkage units of LDP-CP were composed of (1 → 3)-linked β-D-Manp, (1 → 2,4)-linked α-D-Manp, (1→)-linked α-D-Manp, (1 → 4)-linked β-D-Glcp, (1 → 2)-linked β-D-Manp, (1 → 4,6)-linked α-D-Manp, (1 → 4)-linked α-D-Galp, (1 → 2,3)-linked α-D-Glcp and (1→)-linked α-D-Glcf. The protective effects of LDP and LDP-CP on PC12 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative injury were exhibited by enhancing cell viability and morphological protection. The improvement to the level of LDH, SOD and GSH further indicated that LDP and LDP-CP had ability to alleviate H2O2-induced oxidative damage on PC12 cells. The polysaccharides in Lactarius deliciosus Gray mycelia exhibited the great advantages in the management of oxidative toxicity, which indicated that the polysaccharides can be further developed in application of natural functional food source.

Clarification of the structural features of Rhamnogalacturonan-I type polysaccharide purified from radish leaves

Determining the structure of REPI, an immunostimulatory polysaccharide fraction from radish leaves, is an important health objective. Herein, we show that REP-I contains nine different monosaccharides, including GalA (22.2%), Gal (32.6%), Ara (27.5%), and Rha (10.2%) as main sugars. REP-I was also reacted with β-glucosyl Yariv reagent (29.8%), suggesting the presence of the arabino-β-3,6-galactan. Furthermore, methylated-product analysis revealed that REP-I contains 13 different glycosyl linkages, including 4-linked GalpA (21.0%), 2,4-linked Rhap (7.0%), 4-linked Galp (5.8%), 5-linked Araf (10.1%), and 3,6-linked Galp (7.9%), which are characteristic of RG-I. Microstructural information was obtained by sequential degradation using four linkage-specific glycosylases and β-elimination, with fragments analyzed on the basis of sugar composition, methylation, and MS/MS spectra. The results show that the immunostimulatory activity of REP-I is possibly due to the structure of RG-I, which is composed of a main chain with repeating [→2)-Rhap-(1 → 4)-GalpA-(1→] linkage units and three side-chains: a branched α(1 → 5)arabinan, a β(1 → 4)galactan, and arabino-β-3,6-galactan, which are branched at the C(O)4 position of each Rha residue in the REP-I main chain.

Triazine-Based Conjugated Microporous Polymers With Different Linkage Units for Visible Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), as a kind of two-dimensional material, have attracted extensive attention due to their advantages in visible light–driven photocatalytic splitting of water for hydrogen evolution. However, improving the microstructure and electronic structure of the material to enhance their photocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution remains a challenge. We designed and reported two analogous CMPs including CMP-1 and CMP-2 that contain triazine and dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide units, which were prepared by Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. The main difference of two CMPs is that the triazine units are connected to benzene unit (CMP-1) or thiophene unit (CMP-2). Both of the CMPs exhibit excellent light capture capability, and compared with CMP-2, CMP-1 has faster separation rates and lower recombination rates for the charge carriers (electron/hole), and then, a higher hydrogen evolution rate was obtained from water decomposition reaction. We find the H2 production rate of CMP-1 can be up to 9,698.53 μmol g−1h −1, which is about twice of that of CMP-2. This work suggests that molecular design is a potent method to optimize the photocatalytic performance toward hydrogen evolution of the CMPs.

Robotic fish scales driven by a skin muscle mechanism

This paper proposes a robotic fish scale that serves as a cover driven by a muscle mechanism. A combinatory design method is put forward to design the underlying mechanism and the cover enclosing it for shape morphing. The muscle mechanism is bio-inspired to mimic the motion of the skin muscle. It is designed to consist of multi-loop linkages to serve as a driving skin muscle. The tracer points of the linkages are required to follow three different curves mimicking the shape morphing of a fish. The key design variables and constraints are defined to determine the degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the mechanism. To reduce the DOFs of the structure while possessing flexibility, two types of basic linkage units, 4-bar and 5-bar, are combined to design the final muscle mechanism that can be actuated by a single actuator. The cover is designed as passive morphing along the mechanism. The directions and placement of the scales are investigated for interference avoidance. At the end, the two designs are combined to realize a complete system with robotic scales and underlying muscle mechanism. Based on the proposed method, a prototype is built and tested to demonstrate the shape-changing capability of the proposed system through three different curved shapes.

PplD is a de-N-acetylase of the cell wall linkage unit of streptococcal rhamnopolysaccharides

The cell wall of the human bacterial pathogen Group A Streptococcus (GAS) consists of peptidoglycan decorated with the Lancefield group A carbohydrate (GAC). GAC is a promising target for the development of GAS vaccines. In this study, employing chemical, compositional, and NMR methods, we show that GAC is attached to peptidoglycan via glucosamine 1-phosphate. This structural feature makes the GAC-peptidoglycan linkage highly sensitive to cleavage by nitrous acid and resistant to mild acid conditions. Using this characteristic of the GAS cell wall, we identify PplD as a protein required for deacetylation of linkage N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). X-ray structural analysis indicates that PplD performs catalysis via a modified acid/base mechanism. Genetic surveys in silico together with functional analysis indicate that PplD homologs deacetylate the polysaccharide linkage in many streptococcal species. We further demonstrate that introduction of positive charges to the cell wall by GlcNAc deacetylation protects GAS against host cationic antimicrobial proteins.

One-Pot Tandem Synthesis of Nitriles and Amides from Biomass Platform Compounds

In recent years, research on converting biomass platform compounds into high-value chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates has garnered huge interest. Nitrile and amide groups are key structures in natural products and biologically active molecules. The direct conversion of biomass platform compounds into nitriles and amides will undoubtedly be an important guide for biomass utilization. In this paper, a facile and efficient triphosgene-assisted one-pot conversion for aldehydes and ketones into nitrile and amides is presented. Triphosgene is a phosgene alternative that contains both ester linkage and chloromethyl units and easily reacts with oximes for the preparation of nitriles and amides. However, due to the hydrolysis of oximes to aldehydes or ketones, the reaction of oximes with triphosgene cannot fully convert the corresponding nitriles and amides. The protocol tandem ensures a smooth process without the use of organic bases or metal catalysts. Using biomass-derived platform compounds, various functionalized aromatic, aliphatic, and allylic aldehydes and ketones were successfully converted to nitriles and amides in excellent yields. In comparison to step-by-step reactions, this tandem strategy features multi-step reactions in one pot, mild reaction conditions, and fewer by-products.

Insight into the molecular basis of substrate recognition by the wall teichoic acid glycosyltransferase TagA

Wall teichoic acid (WTA) polymers are covalently affixed to the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall and have important functions in cell elongation, cell morphology, biofilm formation, and β-lactam antibiotic resistance. The first committed step in WTA biosynthesis is catalyzed by the TagA glycosyltransferase (also called TarA), a peripheral membrane protein that produces the conserved linkage unit, which joins WTA to the cell wall peptidoglycan. TagA contains a conserved GT26 core domain followed by a C-terminal polypeptide tail that is important for catalysis and membrane binding. Here, we report the crystal structure of the Thermoanaerobacter italicus TagA enzyme bound to UDP-N-acetyl-d-mannosamine, revealing the molecular basis of substrate binding. Native MS experiments support the model that only monomeric TagA is enzymatically active and that it is stabilized by membrane binding. Molecular dynamics simulations and enzyme activity measurements indicate that the C-terminal polypeptide tail facilitates catalysis by encapsulating the UDP-N-acetyl-d-mannosamine substrate, presenting three highly conserved arginine residues to the active site that are important for catalysis (R214, R221, and R224). From these data, we present a mechanistic model of catalysis that ascribes functions for these residues. This work could facilitate the development of new antimicrobial compounds that disrupt WTA biosynthesis in pathogenic bacteria.

π‐Extended Conjugated Polymer Acceptor Containing Thienylene–Vinylene–Thienylene Unit for High‐Performance Thick‐Film All‐Polymer Solar Cells with Superior Long‐Term Stability

AbstractDespite the rapid developments in all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) due to the progress of polymerized small molecular acceptors (PSMA), the effect of linkage unit conjugation on the polymer acceptor (PA) is not well understood and PAs with high efficiency, good stability, and thickness‐insensitivity are rarely seen. Herein, two novel PSMAs, named PJTVT and PJTET are designed, by incorporating conjugated thienylene‐vinylene‐thienylene (TVT) and unconjugated thienylene–ethyl–thienylene (TET) units, respectively. Results show that the energy levels, energy losses, and energy offset of the two PSMAs have little difference (<≈0.03 eV). However, due to the π‐extended coplanar backbone of PJTVT, when blended with polymer donor JD40, a more ordered π–π stacking and enhanced face‐on orientation morphology is observed, which contributes to enhanced exciton dissociation, superior charge transport, and faster charge extraction, leading to a record power conversion efficiency of 16.13% (10.93% for JD40:PJTET). Impressively, the JD40:PJTVT device shows superior thickness‐insensitivity and long‐term stability, both of which make it an ideal choice for industrialization. These results demonstrate that molecular modulation in the linking unit is a promising strategy to construct PSMAs for high‐performance thick‐film all‐PSCs with superior long‐term stability, and shows the superiority of conjugated backbones for PSMAs.

Design and Kinematics of a Novel Double-Ring Truss Deployable Antenna Mechanism

Abstract This paper aims to present the topological structure design and kinematic analysis of a novel double-ring truss deployable satellite antenna mechanism. First, a new topological scheme and a new rectangular prism deployable linkage unit are proposed for constructing the kind of antenna mechanisms. Second, the degree-of-freedom (DOF) of the deployable unit and the antenna mechanism are analyzed based on structure decomposition and screw theory. Third, the kinematic model of the double-ring truss deployable antenna mechanism is established based on its structural characteristics. Finally, a typical numerical example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the designed mechanism and the established kinematic model. The new double-ring truss deployable antenna mechanism consists of the units with the better structural symmetry and has simpler joint axis layouts, comparing with the same type of most existing mechanisms.

Core effect on indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene dimer based small molecule acceptors for non-fullerene polymer solar cells

Dimerization is a widely adopted approach to construct electron accepting materials for polymer solar cells (PSCs). Fullerene dimers were extensively explored with improved structural stability and perylene-diimide (PDI) dimers prevented the formation of undesired large crystals. However, dimers of indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene (IDTT) chromophores have yet not been reported despite the great success in non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (NF-SMAs) such as ITIC. In this work, we designed and synthesized three IDTT dimers with conjugated cores or not and explored the core effect of introducing flexible dithiophene or rigid thienothiophene as linkage group. All the three IDTT dimers were found to be poorly crystallized and functional PSCs devices containing each of these dimers were successfully fabricated paring with donor polymer PBDB-T. The introduction of electron donating linkages raise energy levels of the dimers hence increased the open circuit voltages. Thienothiophene was found to be a more suitable linkage unit than dithiophene but the highest power conversion efficiency of 6.01% was recorded in devices based on dimer dIDTT without the linkage units. This work demonstrated the possibility of using IDTT chromophore to construct dimer NF-SMAs and revealed insights of core effect on their photovoltaic performance.

Pectic polysaccharide from Nelumbo nucifera leaves promotes intestinal antioxidant defense in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, the Nelumbo nucifera leaf polysaccharide (NNLP) was isolated by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation. DEAE anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration were further performed to obtained the purified fraction NNLP-I-I, the molecular weight of which was 16.4 kDa. The monosaccharide composition analysis and linkage units determination showed that the fraction NNLP-I-I was a pectic polysaccharide. In addition, the NMR spectra analysis revealed that NNLP-I-I mainly consisted of a homogalacturonan backbone and rhamnogalacturonan I, containing a long HG region and short RG-I region, with AG-II and 1-3 linked rhamnose as side chains. The biological studies demonstrated that NNLP-I-I displayed antioxidant properties through mediating the Nrf2-regulated intestinal cellular antioxidant defense, which could protect cultured intestinal cells from oxidative stress and improve the intestinal function of aged mice.

Rates and Patterns of First-Time Admissions for Acute Coronary Syndromes across Western Australia Using Linked Administrative Health Data 2007-2015.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is globally recognised as a significant health burden, for which the reduction in total ischemic times by way of the most suitable reperfusion strategy has been the focus of national and international initiatives. In a setting such as Western Australia, characterised by 79% of the population dwelling in the greater capital region, transfers to hospitals capable of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is often a necessary but time-consuming reality for outer-metropolitan and rural patients. Methods: Hospital separations, emergency department admissions and death registration data between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2015 were linked by the Western Australian Data Linkage Unit, identifying patients with a confirmed first-time diagnosis of ACS, who were either a direct admission or experienced an inter-hospital transfer. Results: Although the presentation rates of ACS remained stable over the nine years evaluated, the rates of first-time admissions for ACS were more than double in the rural residential cohort, including higher rates of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the most time-critical manifestation of ACS. Consequently, rural patients were more likely to undergo an inter-hospital transfer. However, 42% of metropolitan admissions for a first-time ACS also experienced a transfer. Conclusion: While the time burden of inter-hospital transfers for rural patients is a reality in health care systems where it is not feasible to have advanced facilities and workforce skills outside of large population centres, there is a concerning trend of inter-hospital transfers within the metropolitan region highlighting the need for further initiatives to streamline pre-hospital triage to ensure patients with symptoms indicative of ACS present to PCI-equipped hospitals.

Secure Automated File Exchange (SAFE) – Enabling More Efficient Transfers of Sensitive Data

IntroductionWith the explosion in data being collected and made available for research, linkage units receive an increasing amount of data. At the same time, researchers also expect access to more current data. This increase in the influx of data can create resource constraints for linkage units, which need to mobilise more staff time for data processing, as well as data custodians, who are required to provide data updates more frequently.
 Objectives and ApproachSA NT DataLink has designed the Secure Automated File Exchange (SAFE), in collaboration with the University of South Australia. SAFE provides a framework to safely transfer encrypted data from custodians into SA NT DataLink’s systems. A given custodian uses one private key to send personally identifying data via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). This data flows via the university’s IT infrastructure, where it is checked for encryption, directly into a Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) within SA NT DataLink’s Data Linkage Unit’s (DLU) highly protected environment. The same custodian then uses a separate private key to provide the corresponding encrypted anonymised content data, again via SFTP. Given the less sensitive nature of this data type, it is deposited on secure university on-site storage, from where it is manually transferred by Data Integration Unit (DIU) staff to SA NT DataLink’s Custodian Controlled Data repository (CCDR).
 ResultsSA NT DataLink considers implementing SAFE with one data provider as a trial project. After successful testing, a rollout to other data custodians is possible. In parallel, alternative technical solutions for automated data transfers are being evaluated.
 Conclusion / ImplicationsAutomated data transfer solutions will reduce effort by data custodians to send data and for linkage units to receive and process data updates. Moreover, by limiting manual intervention, they will limit vulnerability to data privacy breaches and the risk of introducing errors into the data. However, data workflow automation is dependent on data provider requirements and the availability of resources to process received data.

Cooperation and Innovation in Data Linkage Creates A Linked, Multi-Sectoral Data Repository for Western Australia – The SIDR Project

IntroductionDuring 2019, the Western Australian (WA) government and Curtin University’s Centre for Data Linkage (CDL) created a large, de-identified researchable database – the Social Investment Data Resource (SIDR) – to support government in delivering targeted early interventions to young offenders and their families to reduce the likelihood of re-offending (the Target 120 program).
 Objectives and ApproachSIDR brings together administrative data from health, education, justice, child protection, disability and housing sectors. The linked, de-identified data provides an invaluable resource for actuarial assessment and social investment analytics to assess long-term costs and benefits of the Target 120 program. SIDR also provides an invaluable tool for academic research. SIDR adopted a distributed linkage model where linkage workload was shared between the Department of Health Data Linkage Branch who create and maintain the WA Data Linkage System (WADLS) and the CDL. Design elements of the model included a common spine (embedded into the infrastructure of both groups), methods for leveraging quality from WADLS, and inclusion of family relationships data from the WA Family Connections database. The linkage model within SIDR uses a combination of traditional and privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) methods. PPRL does not require release of personal identifiers; instead, data is irreversibly hashed prior to release for probabilistic linkage.
 ResultsThrough cooperation (distributed linkage) and innovation (a mix of traditional and PPRL linkage), the project has delivered a large, linked, cross-sectoral data resource for policymakers and researchers. Sharing of the linkage workload maximised the capacity and unique capabilities of each linkage unit. PPRL enabled ‘hard to get’ datasets from justice to be included. SIDR is being updated in 2020.
 Conclusion / ImplicationsSIDR provides a resource for whole-of-government policy development, service evaluation, academic research and social investment analytics for T120 and beyond. The SIDR linkage model has potential for adaptation and use elsewhere.