bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of neonatal resuscitation using eye tracking: a pilot study
Authors: Law Brenda Hiu Yan , Cheung Po-Yin , Wagner Michael , van Os Sylvia , Zheng Bin , Schmölzer Georg
Published: August 2017

Background

Visual attention (VA) is important for situation awareness and decision-making. Eye tracking can be used to analyse the VA of healthcare providers. No study has examined eye tracking during neonatal resuscitation.

Objective

To test the use of eye tracking to examine VA during neonatal resuscitation.

Methods

Six video recordings were obtained using eye tracking glasses worn by resuscitators during the first 5 min of neonatal resuscitation. Videos were analysed to obtain (i) areas of interest (AOIs), (ii) time spent on each AOI and (iii) frequency of saccades between AOIs.

Results

Five videos were of acceptable quality and analysed. Only 35% of VA was directed at the infant, with 33% at patient monitors and gauges. There were frequent saccades (0.45/s) and most involved patient monitors.

Conclusion

During neonatal resuscitation, VA is often directed away from the infant towards patient monitors. Eye tracking can be used to analyse human performance during neonatal resuscitation.
Evaluation of coronary artery disease as a risk factor for reticular pseudodrusen
Authors: McCarter Rachel V , McKay Gareth J , Quinn Nicola B , Chakravarthy Usha , MacGillivray Tom J , Robertson Gavin , Pellegrini Enrico , Trucco Emanuele , Williams Michelle C , Peto Tunde , Dhillon Baljean , van Beek Edwin JR , Newby David E , Kee Frank , Young Ian S , Hogg Ruth E
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) are a risk factor for late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Associations between RPD and coronary artery disease (CAD) have been reported from small case–control studies. This study investigated the association of RPD within a predominantly CAD cohort.

Methods

A subgroup of subjects from a multicentre randomised controlled trial of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) underwent ultrawide field (UWF) retinal imaging CAD determined by CTCA and was categorised as normal, non-obstructive or obstructive. Specific AMD features in UWF images were graded. Standardised grids were used to record the spatial location of AMD features, including RPD. Multivariate confounder adjusted regression models assessed the association between RPD and CAD.

Results

The 534 participants were aged 27–75 years (mean 58±9 years; 425 (80%) ≥50 years) with a male preponderance (56%). Within the study sample, 178 (33%) had no CAD, 351 (66%) had CAD. RPD was detected in 30 participants (5.6%) and bilaterally in 23. Most participants with bilateral RPD had intermediate AMD 17 (74%). After adjustment for potential confounders (age, sex, drusen >125 µm, smoking status), multivariate analysis found no significant association between CAD and RPD (OR 1.31; 95% CI (0.57 to 3.01); p=0.52). A significant association was identified between RPD and intermediate AMD (OR 3.18; 95% CI (1.61 to 6.27); p=0.001).

Conclusion

We found no evidence to support an association between CAD and RPD. RPD was strongly associated with intermediate AMD features.

Trial registration number

NCT01149590, Post results.
Cost-effectiveness of diagnostic-therapeutic strategies for paediatric visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco
Authors: Alonso Sergi , Tachfouti Nabil , Najdi Adil , Sicuri Elisa , Picado Albert
Published: August 2017

Introduction

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected parasitic disease with a high fatality rate if left untreated. Endemic in Morocco, as well as in other countries in the Mediterranean basin, VL mainly affects children living in rural areas. In Morocco, the direct observation ofLeishmaniaparasites in bone marrow (BM) aspirates is used to diagnose VL and meglumine antimoniate (SB) is the first line of treatment. Less invasive, more efficacious and safer alternatives exist. In this study we estimate the cost-effectiveness of alternative diagnostic-therapeutic algorithms for paediatric VL in Morocco.

Methods

A decision tree was used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of using BM or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) as diagnostic tools and/or SB or two liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) regimens: 6-day and 2-day courses to treat VL. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expressed as cost per death averted, were estimated by comparing costs and effectiveness of the alternative algorithms. A threshold analysis evaluated at which price L-AmB became cost-effective compared with current practices.

Results

Implementing RDT and/or L-AmB treatments would be cost-effective in Morocco according to the WHO thresholds. Introducing the 6-day course L-AmB, current second-line treatment, would be highly cost-effective if L-AmB price was below US$100/phial. The 2-day L-AmB treatment, current standard treatment of paediatric VL in France, is highly cost-effective, with L-AmB at its market price (US$165/phial).

Conclusions

The results of this study should encourage the implementation of RDT and/or short-course L-AmB treatments for paediatric VL management in Morocco and other North African countries.
Systematic review of the clinical manifestations of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in the Greater Mekong Subregion: implications for malaria elimination and beyond
Authors: Ong Ken Ing Cherng , Kosugi Hodaka , Thoeun Sophea , Araki Hitomi , Thandar Moe Moe , Iwagami Moritoshi , Hongvanthong Bouasy , Brey Paul T , Kano Shigeyuki , Jimba Masamine
Published: August 2017

Introduction

To achieve malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) by 2030, proper case management is necessary. 8-aminoquinolines, such as primaquine, are the only available medicines effective in preventing relapse of the hypnozoite stage ofPlasmodium vivax, as well as the onward transmission ofPlasmodium falciparum. However, primaquine can cause haemolysis in individuals who have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd). We conducted a systematic review on the reported clinical manifestations of G6PDd to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation in the GMS.

Methods

The protocol for this systematic review was registered on PROSPERO: International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42016043146). We searched the PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases for published articles describing the clinical manifestations of G6PDd in the GMS. We included articles of all study designs from inception until 31 July 2016, reporting the clinical manifestations of G6PDd. We then performed a narrative synthesis of these articles.

Results

We included 56 articles in this review, 45 of which were from Thailand. Haemolysis in G6PD-deficient individuals was caused not only by primaquine but also by other medicines and infections. Other clinical manifestations of G6PDd that were found were favism, neonatal jaundice and chronic non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemia. G6PDd also influenced the clinical presentations of genetic disorders and infections, such as thalassemia and typhoid fever.

Conclusion

As G6PDd also affects the clinical presentations of other infections, the benefits of G6PD testing and proper record keeping transcend those of malaria case management. Therefore, healthcare workers at the community level should be made familiar with complications resulting from G6PDd as these complications extend beyond the scope of malaria.
Evaluation of aortic regurgitation with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: a systematic review
Authors: Lee James C , Branch Kelley R , Hamilton-Craig Christian , Krieger Eric V
Published: August 2017

This review summaries the utility, application and data supporting use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to evaluate and quantitate aortic regurgitation. We systematically searched Medline and PubMed for original research articles published since 2000 that provided data on the quantitation of aortic regurgitation by CMR and identified 11 articles for review. Direct aortic measurements using phase contrast allow quantitation of volumetric flow across the aortic valve and are highly reproducible and accurate compared with echocardiography. However, this technique requires diligence in prescribing the correct imaging planes in the aorta. Volumetric analytic techniques using differences in ventricular volumes are also highly accurate but less than phase contrast techniques and only accurate when concomitant valvular disease is absent. Comparison of both aortic and ventricular data for internal data verification ensures fidelity of aortic regurgitant data. CMR data can be applied to many types of aortic valve regurgitation including combined aortic stenosis with regurgitation, congenital valve diseases and post-transcatheter valve placement. CMR also predicts those patients who progress to surgery with high overall sensitivity and specificity. Future studies of CMR in patients with aortic regurgitation to quantify the incremental benefit over echocardiography as well as prediction of cardiovascular events are warranted.
Effectiveness of an Ambient Intelligent Geriatric Management system (AmbIGeM) to prevent falls in older people in hospitals: protocol for the AmbIGeM stepped wedge pragmatic trial
Authors: Visvanathan Renuka , Ranasinghe Damith C , Wilson Anne , Lange Kylie , Dollard Joanne , Boyle Eileen , Karnon Jonathan , Raygan Erfan , Maher Sean , Ingram Kate , Pazhvoor Shibu , Hoskins Stephen , Hill Keith
Published: August 2017

Background

Although current best practice recommendations contribute to falls prevention in hospital, falls and injury rates remain high. There is a need to explore new interventions to reduce falls rates, especially in geriatric and general medical wards where older patients and those with cognitive impairment are managed.

Design and methods

A three-cluster stepped wedge pragmatic trial, with an embedded qualitative process, of the Ambient Intelligent Geriatric Management (AmbIGeM) system (wearable sensor device to alert staff of patients undertaking at-risk activities), for preventing falls in older patients compared with standard care. The trial will occur on three acute/subacute wards in two hospitals in Adelaide and Perth, Australia.

Participants

Patients aged>65 years admitted to study wards. A waiver (Perth) and opt-out of consent (Adelaide) was obtained for this study. Patients requiring palliative care will be excluded.

Outcomes

The primary outcome is falls rate; secondary outcome measures are: (1) proportion of participants falling; (2) rate of injurious inpatient falls/1000 participant bed-days; (3) acceptability and safety of the interventions from patients and clinical staff perspectives; and (4) hospital costs, mortality and use of residential care to 3 months postdischarge.

Discussion

This study investigates a novel technological approach to preventing falls in hospitalised older people. We hypothesise that the AmbIGeM intervention will reduce falls and injury rates, with an economic benefit attributable to the intervention. If successful, the AmbIGeM system will be a useful addition to falls prevention in hospital wards with high proportions of older people and people with cognitive impairment.

Trial registrationnumber

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN 12617000981325; Pre-results.
Use of key performance indicators in histological dissection
Authors: Griffiths Matthew , Gillibrand Rachel
Published: August 2017

Aims

Reports into standards in the National Health Service and quality in pathology have focused on the way we work in pathology and how to provide assurance that this is of a high standard. There are a number of external quality assurance schemes covering pathology and histopathology specifically; however, there is no scheme covering the process of histological surgical dissection. This is an area undergoing development, emerging from the sole preserve of medically qualified pathologists to a field populated by a number of highly trained biomedical scientists, but remains without any formal quality assurance.

Methods

This work builds on Barnes, taking the guidance of the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath)and Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)to form a series of key performance indicators relating to dissection. These were developed for use as an indicator of individual practice, highlighting areas of variation, weakness or strength. Once identified, a feedback event provided opportunities to address these errors and omissions, or to enable areas of strength to be shared.

Results

The data obtained from the checklists demonstrate a large variation in practice at the outset of this study. The use of the checklists alone served to reduce this variation in practice, the addition of the training event showed further reduction in variation. The combination of these two tools was an effective method for enhancing standardisation of practice.

Conclusions

The results of this work show that training events serve to reduce variation in practice by, and between, dissectors, driving up standards in dissection—directly addressing the needs of the modern pathology service.
Principal component analysis of socioeconomic factors and their association with malaria and arbovirus risk in Tanzania: a sensitivity analysis
Authors: Homenauth Esha , Kajeguka Debora , Kulkarni Manisha A
Published: August 2017

Principal component analysis (PCA) is frequently adopted for creating socioeconomic proxies in order to investigate the independent effects of wealth on disease status. The guidelines and methods for the creation of these proxies are well described and validated. The Demographic and Health Survey, World Health Survey and the Living Standards Measurement Survey are examples of large data sets that use PCA to create wealth indices particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), where quantifying wealth-disease associations is problematic due to the unavailability of reliable income and expenditure data. However, the application of this method to smaller survey data sets, especially in rural LMIC settings, is less rigorously studied.

In this paper, we aimed to highlight some of these issues by investigating the association of derived wealth indices using PCA on risk of vector-borne disease infection in Tanzania focusing on malaria and key arboviruses (ie, dengue and chikungunya). We demonstrated that indices consisting of subsets of socioeconomic indicators provided the least methodologically flawed representations of household wealth compared with an index that combined all socioeconomic variables. These results suggest that the choice of the socioeconomic indicators included in a wealth proxy can influence the relative position of households in the overall wealth hierarchy, and subsequently the strength of disease associations. This can, therefore, influence future resource planning activities and should be considered among investigators who use a PCA-derived wealth index based on community-level survey data to influence programme or policy decisions in rural LMIC settings.
Are green cities healthy and equitable? Unpacking the relationship between health, green space and gentrification
Authors: Cole Helen V S , Garcia Lamarca Melisa , Connolly James J T , Anguelovski Isabelle
Published: August 2017

While access and exposure to green spaces has been shown to be beneficial for the health of urban residents, interventions focused on augmenting such access may also catalyse gentrification processes, also known as green gentrification. Drawing from the fields of public health, urban planning and environmental justice, we argue that public health and epidemiology researchers should rely on a more dynamic model of community that accounts for the potential unintended social consequences of upstream health interventions. In our example of green gentrification, the health benefits of greening can only be fully understood relative to the social and political environments in which inequities persist. We point to two key questions regarding the health benefits of newly added green space: Who benefits in the short and long term from greening interventions in lower income or minority neighbourhoods undergoing processes of revitalisation? And, can green cities be both healthy and just? We propose the Green Gentrification and Health Equity model which provides a framework for understanding and testing whether gentrification associated with green space may modify the effect of exposure to green space on health.
Primary care endometrial sampling for abnormal uterine bleeding: a pilot study
Authors: Dickson Jon M , Delaney Brigitte , Connor Mary E
Published: August 2017

Aim

To design and evaluate a pilot service for primary care endometrial sampling (PCES).

Design

Retrospective analysis of data from two service evaluations.

Setting

General practices and the gynaecology department in a large city in the UK.

Methods

These were two-fold: (1) To design the new service we identified all the endometrial samples taken in the city’s gynaecology department in 2012/2013 and estimated the proportion of these with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) that would be suitable for PCES. (2) To evaluate the new PCES service we analysed data from the first year of activity.

Results

(1) A total of 1894 endometrial samples were taken in hospital in 2012/2013. An estimated 424 (22.4%) of these were from patients with AUB who fitted the criteria for PCES. (2) In the first year of the PCES service 108 samples were taken by general practitioners (GPs). Initial management of these patients was exclusively in primary care in 97.2% (104/108) of cases; most patients were treated with the Mirena intrauterine system (79/109; 73.1%) and there were no cases of hyperplasia or cancer.

Conclusions

Most premenopausal patients with AUB could potentially be managed in primary care without referral to hospital if endometrial sampling (ES) was made available to appropriately trained and supported GPs. However, this study was limited by its retrospective, non-interventional design, and more research is required to demonstrate safety and cost-effectiveness.
PAI-1 Levels are Related to Insulin Resistance and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Carratala Arturo , Martinez-Hervas Sergio , Rodriguez-Borja Enrique , Benito Esther , Real José T , Saez Guillermo T , Carmena Rafael , Ascaso Juan F
Published: August 2017

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) is a primary atherogenic dyslipidemia with insulin resistance and increased cardiovascular risk. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity are associated with proinflammatory and atherothrombotic risk. Our aim was to study the role played by PAI-1 and MPO activity in the carotid atherosclerosis prevalence in FCH subjects. 36 FCH unrelated subjects (17 women) were matched by age and body weight with 36 healthy normolipidemic subjects (19 female). Blood lipids, glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)), MPO, and PAI-1 were determined in both groups. Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) was measured by the same investigator by standardized protocol. No differences in age, body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference were observed between the two groups. HOMA and PAI-1 values were higher in the FCH group, reaching statistical significance in those subjects with insulin resistance. In addition, PAI-1 values correlated significantly with metabolic syndrome components and carotid IMT. It is known that the elevated cardiovascular risk that characterizes FCH is frequently associated with insulin resistance. We have detected that two known proinflammatory and proatherothrombotic factors (MPO and PAI-1) are significantly elevated in FCH subjects with insulin resistance. These results could partly explain the high cardiovascular risk present in FCH subjects.
Arts-based interventions in healthcare education
Authors: Osman Magda , Eacott Bella , Willson Suzy
Published: August 2017

Healthcare education institutions are increasingly including arts-based interventions in their programmes. We analysed 62 studies of arts-based interventions to understand how these interventions may be beneficial, and why providing evidence continues to be a challenge for the field.

Our analysis highlighted two issues. We found that 79% of the included studies reported that their interventions were successful, but without always defining this success or how it was measured. This lack of clarity was apparent in descriptions of both what arts-based interventions aimed to do, and in descriptions of how they might do this. We also found that only 34% of studies involved a collaboration with artists or arts educators, raising questions over who had the necessary experience and specialism in the arts to design and deliver such interventions.

Our analysis revealed that arts-based interventions are failing to acknowledge, and subsequently capture through assessment, the process of learning in the moment. This is particularly important because arts-based pedagogies typically use embodied, practical, physical methods, in which what is being learnt cannot be separated from the process of learning. Involving artists and arts educators throughout the process of designing and delivering these interventions may help to bring clarity over what arts-based interventions are aiming to do and how they may do this, and ensure that appropriate evaluation methods are used. We suggest that close observation with feedback, and the use of reflective portfolios are two ways of assessing the process of learning in arts-based interventions.
Transvenous embolization of dural carotid cavernous fistulas: the role of liquid embolic agents in association with coils on patient outcomes
Authors: de Castro-Afonso Luís Henrique , Trivelato Felipe Padovani , Rezende Marco Túlio , Ulhôa Alexandre Cordeiro , Nakiri Guilherme Seizem , Monsignore Lucas Moretti , Colli Benedicto Oscar , Velasco-e-Cruz Antônio Augusto , Abud Daniel Giansante
Published: August 2017

Introduction

Transvenous embolization is the standard treatment for dural carotid cavernous fistulas (DCCF). Although various embolic materials have been used, the best embolic material for the treatment of DCCF is still unknown.

Objective

To assess the safety and efficacy of different embolic materials used for the endovascular treatment of DCCF.

Methods

A retrospective data analysis of a consecutive series of 62 patients presenting DCCF was performed. Clinical and radiological data from patients were assessed, and the embolic material used—coils or liquids—were compared between two groups of patients.

Results

Complete angiographic occlusion of DCCF after treatment was achieved in 83.9% of the patients (52/62). We found a higher rate of complete occlusion of DCCF when liquids were associated with coils than with coils alone (96.5% vs 71.8%, p=0.01), and no differences in complication rates or clinical outcomes were seen between the two groups. At the 6-month follow-up, we found a higher rate of improvement in ocular symptoms compared with cranial nerve palsy improvement (94.7% vs 77.7%, p=0.02). Two patients (3.2%) had treatment-related complications without clinical symptoms.

Conclusion

In this study, in comparison with the use of coils alone, the association of transvenous embolization with liquid embolic agents for DCCF treatment resulted in higher rates of complete occlusion without increasing complication rates. The clinical outcome at the 6-month follow-up showed significant improvement in ocular symptoms over cranial nerve palsy regression, which was independent of the embolic agent chosen for treatment.
Sleep duration as a mediator between an alternating day and night shift work schedule and metabolic syndrome among female hospital employees
Authors: Korsiak Jill , Tranmer Joan , Day Andrew , Aronson Kristan J
Published: August 2017

Objectives

The main objective was to determine whether sleep duration on work shifts mediates the relationship between a current alternating day and night shift work schedule and metabolic syndrome among female hospital employees. The secondary objective was to assess whether cumulative lifetime shift work exposure was associated with metabolic syndrome.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study of 294 female hospital employees, sleep duration was measured with the ActiGraph GT3X+. Shift work status was determined through self-report. Investigation of the total, direct and indirect effects between shift work, sleep duration on work shifts and metabolic syndrome was conducted using regression path analysis. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between cumulative shift work exposure and metabolic syndrome.

Results

Shift work is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome (ORTotal=2.72, 95% CI 1.38 to 5.36), and the relationship is attenuated when work shift sleep duration is added to the model (ORDirect=1.18, 95% CI 0.49 to 2.89). Sleep duration is an important intermediate between shift work and metabolic syndrome (ORIndirect=2.25, 95% CI 1.27 to 4.26). Cumulative shift work exposure is not associated with metabolic syndrome in this population.

Conclusions

Sleep duration mediates the association between a current alternating day–night shift work pattern and metabolic syndrome.
Sensitivity of the STAT-VIEW rapid self-test and implications for use during acute HIV infection
Authors: Boukli Narjis , Boyd Anders , Wendremaire Noémie , Girard Pierre-Marie , Bottero Julie , Morand-Joubert Laurence
Published: August 2017

Objectives

HIV testing is an important step towards diminishing incident infections. Rapid self-tests whose use is becoming more common in France could help increase access to testing, yet could fail to diagnose HIV during acute HIV infection (AHI). The aim of the present study was to evaluate HIV-detection sensitivity of a commonly used rapid self-test (STAT-VIEW HIV1/2), compared with another point-of-care rapid test (INSTI), among patients presenting with AHI.

Methods

Individuals tested at Saint-Antoine Hospital (Paris, France) with negative or indeterminate western blot (WB) results and detectable HIV-RNA were included. Rapid tests were performed retrospectively on stored serum. Patients with and without reactive rapid tests were compared, while probability of having a reactive test was modelled across infection duration using logistic regression.

Results

Of the 40 patients with AHI, 23 (57.5%) had a reactive STAT-VIEW rapid test. Patients with non-reactive versus reactive tests had a significantly shorter median time since infection (p=0.01), time since onset of symptoms (p=0.009), higher proportion with Fiebig stage III versus IV (p=0.003), negative WB results (p=0.007), higher HIV-RNA levels (p=0.001) and lower CD4+ and CD8+ cell count (p=0.03, p<0.001, respectively). When examining sensitivity over the course of AHI duration, the probability of HIV detection was 75.5% at 5 weeks from HIV transmission. The INSTI provided similar results with respect to proportion of reactive tests (62.5%), determinants for non-reactive test and probability of HIV detection at 5 weeks of infection (85.0%).

Conclusions

Over half of AHI patients had reactive serology using the STAT-VIEW rapid self-test when performed on serum samples. Considering that detection sensitivity increased substantially over infection time, individuals should not rely on a negative result to accurately exclude HIV infection within at least 5 weeks of potential HIV exposure. Notwithstanding strong recommendations against rapid test use during AHI, some utility in detecting HIV is observed 5–12 weeks after transmission.
A phase II clinical study to assess the feasibility of self and partner anal examinations to detect anal canal abnormalities including anal cancer
Authors: Nyitray Alan G , Hicks Joseph T , Hwang Lu-Yu , Baraniuk Sarah , White Margaret , Millas Stefanos , Onwuka Nkechi , Zhang Xiaotao , Brown Eric L , Ross Michael W , Chiao Elizabeth Y
Published: August 2017

Objective

Anal cancer is a common cancer among men who have sex with men (MSM); however, there is no standard screening protocol for anal cancer. We conducted a phase II clinical trial to assess the feasibility of teaching MSM to recognise palpable masses in the anal canal which is a common sign of anal cancer in men.

Methods

A clinician skilled in performing digital anorectal examinations (DARE) used a pelvic manikin to train 200 MSM, aged 27–78 years, how to do a self-anal examination (SAE) for singles or a partner anal examination (PAE) for couples. The clinician then performed a DARE without immediately disclosing results, after which the man or couple performed an SAE or PAE, respectively. Percentage agreement with the clinician DARE in addition to sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for the SAE, PAE and overall.

Results

Men had a median age of 52 years, 42.5% were African American and 60.5% were HIV positive. DARE detected abnormalities in 12 men while the men’s SAE/PAEs detected 9 of these. A total of 93.0% of men classified the health of their anal canal correctly (95% CI 89.5 to 96.5). Overall percentage agreement, sensitivity and specificity were 93.0%, 75.0% and 94.2%, respectively, while PPV and NPV were 45.0% and 98.3%, respectively. The six men who detected the abnormality had nodules/masses ≥3 mm in size. More than half of men (60.5%) reported never checking their anus for an abnormality; however, after performing an SAE/PAE, 93.0% said they would repeat it in the future.

Conclusion

These results suggest that tumours of ≥3 mm may be detectable by self or partner palpation among MSM and encourage further investigation given literature suggesting a high cure rate for anal cancer tumours ≤10 mm.
Estimating the effects of novel on-pack warnings on young adult smokers and susceptible non-smokers
Authors: Gendall Philip , Eckert Christine , Hoek Janet , Louviere Jordan
Published: August 2017

Background

On-pack tobacco warnings can deter smoking initiation and provide powerful cessation cues. However, these warnings typically feature graphic health images, which many young adults dismiss as irrelevant. We estimated responses to more diverse warnings and examined how these performed relative to each other.

Methods

We conducted a behavioural likelihood experiment and a choice modelling experiment in which 474 smokers and 476 susceptible non-smokers aged between 16 and 30 years evaluated 12 warnings featuring health, social, financial and cosmetic themes. The choice data were analysed by estimating Sequential-Best-Worst Choice and Scale-Adjusted Latent Class Models.

Results

Smokers found all test warnings aversive, particularly warnings featuring the effect of smoking on vulnerable third parties, including babies and animals, and showing a dying smoker. Susceptible non-smokers found graphic health warnings and a warning that combined graphic health with loss of physical attractiveness, significantly more aversive than other images tested.

Conclusions

Illustrating the harms smoking causes to vulnerable groups may reduce the temporal distance and perceived control over smoking that young adults use to rationalise health warnings. Introducing more diverse warnings could recognise heterogeneity within smoker and susceptible non-smoker populations, and complement warnings featuring long-term health harms.
Failure potential of infinite slopes in bonded soils with tensile strength cut-off
Authors: Michalowski Radoslaw L.
Published: August 2017

Infinite slope analyses are used in practice to assess the safety of slopes against shallow slides, with much of the soil mass moving parallel to a plane failure surface. Stability calculations typically involve the Mohr–Coulomb yield function, but the limitation on tensile strength is discussed and applied in stability considerations for bonded soils. Once the strength envelope is truncated in the tensile regime, the envelope becomes nonlinear and the normality flow rule admits deformation with large volumetric strains. For gentle slopes and in the absence of seepage, the difference in factors of safety calculated with and without tensile strength cut-off is small. However, in the presence of seepage and with increasing inclination of slopes, the difference becomes significant. As the deformation regime moves into the nonlinear portion of the yield envelope, application of the traditional definition of the factor of safety is not straightforward. If the strength envelope is truncated with a circular arc, then the envelope reduced by the factor of safety assumes an elliptical shape. The novelty in this paper is in presenting an analysis for bonded geomaterials with tensile strength cut-off, and indicating that tension cut-off can have a significant impact on the outcome of stability analysis for steep slopes subjected to seepage.
Getting IT Together
Authors: Outlay Christina N. , Platt Alana J. , Conroy Kacie
Published: August 2017

The dearth of women choosing information technology (IT) careers has been identified as a national problem in the United States. Efforts have been made to combat this by educating girls at a young age about technology. Recent research demonstrates that exposure to technology is insufficient to change young girls’ attitudes towards IT careers and that interventions must explicitly tie technology activities to careers. Faculty and staff of a Midwestern university modified an IT summer camp for middle school girls to include career specific programming. The camp deployed the
Girls Educating Themselves about Information Technology
(GET IT) program to garner interest among middle school girls in IT careers. This article describes the impact of this summer camp and other social influence factors on girls’ interest in pursuing careers in IT, immediately after camp completion and one year in the future.
Exploring the Emerging Type of Comment for Online Videos
Authors: He Ming , Ge Yong , Chen Enhong , Liu Qi , Wang Xuesong
Published: August 2017

DanMu
, an emerging type of user-generated comment, has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many online video platforms such as Tudou.com have provided the
DanMu
function. Unlike traditional online reviews such as reviews at Youtube.com that are outside the videos,
DanMu
is a scrolling marquee comment, which is overlaid directly on top of the video and synchronized to a specific playback time. Such comments are displayed as streams of moving subtitles overlaid on the video screen. Viewers could easily write
DanMu
s while watching videos, and the written
DanMu
s will be immediately overlaid onto the video and displayed to writers themselves and other viewers as well. Such
DanMu
systems have greatly enabled users to communicate with each other in a much more direct way, creating a real-time sharing experience. Although there are several unique features of
DanMu
and has had a great impact on online video systems, to the best of our knowledge, there is no work that has provided a comprehensive study on
DanMu
. In this article, as a pilot study, we analyze the unique characteristics of
DanMu
from various perspectives. Specifically, we first illustrate some unique distributions of
DanMu
s by comparing with traditional reviews (TReviews) that we collected from a real
DanMu
-enabled online video system. Second, we discover two interesting patterns in
DanMu
data: a herding effect and multiple-burst phenomena that are significantly different from those in TRviews and reveal important insights about the growth of
DanMu
s on a video. Towards exploring antecedents of both th herding effect and multiple-burst phenomena, we propose to further detect leading
DanMu
s within bursts, because those leading
DanMu
s make the most contribution to both patterns. A framework is proposed to detect leading
DanMu
s that effectively combines multiple factors contributing to leading
DanMu
s. Based on the identified characteristics of
DanMu
, finally we propose to predict the distribution of future
DanMu
s (i.e., the growth of
DanMu
s), which is important for many
DanMu
-enabled online video systems, for example, the predicted
DanMu
distribution could be an indicator of video popularity. This prediction task includes two aspects: One is to predict which videos future
DanMu
s will be posted for, and the other one is to predict which segments of a video future
DanMu
s will be posted on. We develop two sophisticated models to solve both problems. Finally, intensive experiments are conducted with a real-world dataset to validate all methods developed in this article.
A Position-Aware Language Modeling Framework for Extractive Broadcast News Speech Summarization
Authors: Liu Shih-Hung , Chen Kuan-Yu , Hsieh Yu-Lun , Chen Berlin , Wang Hsin-Min , Yen Hsu-Chun , Hsu Wen-Lian
Published: August 2017

Extractive summarization, a process that automatically picks exemplary sentences from a text (or spoken) document with the goal of concisely conveying key information therein, has seen a surge of attention from scholars and practitioners recently. Using a language modeling (LM) approach for sentence selection has been proven effective for performing unsupervised extractive summarization. However, one of the major difficulties facing the LM approach is to model sentences and estimate their parameters more accurately for each text (or spoken) document. We extend this line of research and make the following contributions in this work. First, we propose a position-aware language modeling framework using various granularities of position-specific information to better estimate the sentence models involved in the summarization process. Second, we explore disparate ways to integrate the positional cues into relevance models through a pseudo-relevance feedback procedure. Third, we extensively evaluate various models originated from our proposed framework and several well-established unsupervised methods. Empirical evaluation conducted on a broadcast news summarization task further demonstrates performance merits of the proposed summarization methods.
Glucose transporter 4-deficient hearts develop maladaptive hypertrophy in response to physiological or pathological stresses
Authors: Wende Adam R. , Kim Jaetaek , Holland William L. , Wayment Benjamin E. , O’Neill Brian T. , Tuinei Joseph , Brahma Manoja K. , Pepin Mark E. , McCrory Mark A. , Luptak Ivan , Halade Ganesh V. , Litwin Sheldon E. , Abel E. Dale
Published: August 2017

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy may be associated with reduced expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in contrast to exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy, where GLUT4 levels are increased. However, mice with cardiac-specific deletion of GLUT4 (G4H−/−) have normal cardiac function in the unstressed state. This study tested the hypothesis that cardiac GLUT4 is required for myocardial adaptations to hemodynamic demands. G4H−/−and control littermates were subjected to either a pathological model of left ventricular pressure overload [transverse aortic constriction (TAC)] or a physiological model of endurance exercise (swim training). As predicted after TAC, G4H−/−mice developed significantly greater hypertrophy and more severe contractile dysfunction. Somewhat surprisingly, after exercise training, G4H−/−mice developed increased fibrosis and apoptosis that was associated with dephosphorylation of the prosurvival kinase Akt in concert with an increase in protein levels of the upstream phosphatase protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Exercise has been shown to decrease levels of ceramide; G4H−/−hearts failed to decrease myocardial ceramide in response to exercise. Furthermore, G4H−/−hearts have reduced levels of the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1, lower carnitine palmitoyl-transferase activity, and reduced hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity. These basal changes may also contribute to the impaired ability of G4H−/−hearts to adapt to hemodynamic stresses. In conclusion, GLUT4 is required for the maintenance of cardiac structure and function in response to physiological or pathological processes that increase energy demands, in part through secondary changes in mitochondrial metabolism and cellular stress survival pathways such as Akt.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is required for myocardial adaptations to exercise, and its absence accelerates heart dysfunction after pressure overload. The requirement for GLUT4 may extend beyond glucose uptake to include defects in mitochondrial metabolism and survival signaling pathways that develop in its absence. Therefore, GLUT4 is critical for responses to hemodynamic stresses.
Diabetes increases the susceptibility to acute kidney injury after myocardial infarction through augmented activation of renal Toll-like receptors in rats
Authors: Ohno Kouhei , Kuno Atsushi , Murase Hiromichi , Muratsubaki Shingo , Miki Takayuki , Tanno Masaya , Yano Toshiyuki , Ishikawa Satoko , Yamashita Tomohisa , Miura Tetsuji
Published: August 2017

Acute kidney injury (AKI) after acute myocardial infarction (MI) worsens the prognosis of MI patients. Although type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor of AKI after MI, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we examined the roles of renal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the impact of DM on AKI after MI. MI was induced by coronary artery ligation in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats, a rat DM model, and Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka (LETO) rats, nondiabetic controls. Sham-operated rats served as no-MI controls. Renal mRNA levels of TLR2 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) were significantly higher in sham-operated OLETF rats than in sham-operated LETO rats, although levels of TLR1, TLR3, and TLR4 were similar. At 12 h after MI, protein levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the kidney were elevated by 5.3- and 4.0-fold, respectively, and their mRNA levels were increased in OLETF but not LETO rats. The increased KIM-1 and NGAL expression levels after MI in the OLETF kidney were associated with upregulated expression of TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, IL-6, TNF-α, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2, and transforming growth factor-β1 and also with activation of p38 MAPK, JNK, and NF-κB. Cu-CPT22, a TLR1/TLR2 antagonist, administered before MI significantly suppressed MI-induced upregulation of KIM-1, TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 levels and activation of NF-κB, whereas NGAL levels and IL-6 and TNF-α expression levels were unchanged. The results suggest that DM increases the susceptibility to AKI after acute MI by augmented activation of renal TLRs and that TLR1/TLR2-mediated signaling mediates KIM-1 upregulation after MI.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first report to demonstrate the involvement of Toll-like recpetors (TLRs) in diabetes-induced susceptibility to acute kidney injury after acute myocardial infarction. We propose that the TLR1/TLR2 heterodimer may be a new therapeutic target for the prevention of acute kidney injury in diabetic patients.
Preconditioning with the BKCa channel activator NS-1619 prevents ischemia-reperfusion-induced inflammation and mucosal barrier dysfunction: roles for ROS and heme oxygenase-1
Authors: Dai Hongyan , Wang Meifang , Patel Parag N. , Kalogeris Theodore , Liu Yajun , Durante William , Korthuis Ronald J.
Published: August 2017

Activation of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels evokes cell survival programs that mitigate intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) inflammation and injury 24 h later. The goal of the present study was to determine the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in delayed acquisition of tolerance to I/R induced by pretreatment with the BKCa channel opener NS-1619. Superior mesentery arteries were occluded for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 70 min in wild-type (WT) or HO-1-null (HO-1−/−) mice that were pretreated with NS-1619 or saline vehicle 24 h earlier. Intravital microscopy was used to quantify the numbers of rolling and adherent leukocytes. Mucosal permeability, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, and HO-1 activity and expression in jejunum were also determined. I/R induced leukocyte rolling and adhesion, increased intestinal TNF-α levels, and enhanced mucosal permeability in WT mice, effects that were largely abolished by pretreatment with NS-1619. The anti-inflammatory and mucosal permeability-sparing effects of NS-1619 were prevented by coincident treatment with the HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin-IX or a cell-permeant SOD mimetic, Mn(III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP), in WT mice. NS-1619 also increased jejunal HO-1 activity in WT animals, an effect that was attenuated by treatment with the BKCa channel antagonist paxilline or MnTBAP. I/R also increased postischemic leukocyte rolling and adhesion and intestinal TNF-α levels in HO-1−/− mice to levels comparable to those noted in WT animals. However, NS-1619 was ineffective in preventing these effects in HO-1-deficient mice. In summary, our data indicate that NS-1619 induces the development of an anti-inflammatory phenotype and mitigates postischemic mucosal barrier disruption in the small intestine by a mechanism that may involve ROS-dependent HO-1 activity.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Antecedent treatment with the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel opener NS-1619 24 h before ischemia-reperfusion limits postischemic tissue injury by an oxidant-dependent mechanism. The present study shows that NS-1619-induced oxidant production prevents ischemia-reperfusion-induced inflammation and mucosal barrier disruption in the small intestine by provoking increases in heme oxygenase-1 activity.
ABCC6 Gene Analysis in 20 Japanese Patients with Angioid Streaks Revealing Four Frequent and Two Novel Variants and Pseudodominant Inheritance
Authors: Katagiri Satoshi , Negishi Yuya , Mizobuchi Kei , Urashima Mitsuyoshi , Nakano Tadashi , Hayashi Takaaki
Published: August 2017

Purpose. To report the spectrum of ABCC6 variants in Japanese patients with angioid streaks (AS). Patients and Methods. This was a single-center cohort study. The medical records of 20 patients with AS from 18 unrelated Japanese families were retrospectively reviewed. Screening of the ABCC6 gene (exons 1 to 31) was performed using PCR-based Sanger sequencing. Results. Eight ABCC6 variants were identified as candidate disease-causing variants. These eight variants included five known variants (p.Q378X, p.R419Q, p.V848CfsX83, p.R1114C, and p.R1357W), one previously reported variant (p.N428S) of unknown significance, and two novel variants (c.1939C>T [p.H647Y] and c.3374C>T [p.S1125F]); the three latter variants were determined to be variants of significance. The following four variants were frequently identified: p.V848CfsX83 (14/40 alleles, 35.0%), p.Q378X (7/40 alleles, 17.5%), p.R1357W (6/40 alleles, 15.0%), and p.R419Q (4/40 alleles, 10.0%). The ABCC6 variants were identified in compound heterozygous or homozygous states in 13 of 18 probands. Two families showed a pseudodominant inheritance pattern. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum was seen in 15 of 17 patients (88.2%) who underwent dermatological examination. Conclusions. We identified disease-causing ABCC6 variants that were in homozygous or compound heterozygous states in 13 of 18 families (72.2%). Our results indicated that ABCC6 variants play a significant role in patients with AS in the Japanese population.
The Bekenstein-Hawking Corpuscular Cascading from the Back-Reacted Black Hole
Authors: Övgün Ali
Published: August 2017

Exciting peculiarities of Planck-scale physics have immediate effects on the Bekenstein-Hawking radiation emitted from black holes (BHs). In this paper, using the tunneling formalism, we determine the Bekenstein-Hawking temperature for the vector particles from a back-reacted black hole (BBH) constructed from a conformal scalar field surrounded by a BTZ (Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli) BH. Then, under the effect of the generalized uncertainty principle, we extend our calculations for scalar particles to understand the effects of quantum gravity. Then, we calculate an evaporation time for the BBH, the total number of Bekenstein-Hawking particles, and the quantum corrections of the number. We observe that remnants of the BH evaporation occur and that they affect the Bekenstein-Hawking temperature of the BBH as well as the total number of Bekenstein-Hawking particles.