bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diabetes knowledge and care practices among adults in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Fottrell Edward , Ahmed Naveed , Shaha Sanjit Kumar , Jennings Hannah , Kuddus Abdul , Morrison Joanna , Akter Kohenour , Nahar Badrun , Nahar Tasmin , Haghparast-Bidgoli Hassan , Khan A K Azad , Costello Anthony , Azad Kishwar 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundPopulation knowledge of how to prevent, detect and control diabetes is critical to public health initiatives to tackle the disease. We undertook a cross-sectional survey of adults in rural Bangladesh to estimate knowledge and practices related to diabetes.MethodsIn 96 villages in Faridpur district, trained fieldworkers surveyed 12 140 randomly selected men and women aged ≥30. They collected data on sociodemographic status, knowledge of diabetes and history of blood and urine glucose testing. Fasting and 2-hour post-glucose load capillary blood tests ascertained the diabetic status of respondents. Levels of knowledge and practices were analysed by sociodemographic characteristics and diabetic status.ResultsThe population showed low levels of diabetes knowledge overall, with only one in three adults able to report any valid causes of the disease. Knowledge of diabetes causes, symptoms, complications, prevention and control was significantly associated with age, education, wealth and employment. Only 14% of respondents reported ever having had a blood glucose test and strong associations with wealth were observed (least poor relative to most poor 2.91 (2.32–3.66)). 78.4% of known diabetics (ie, with a prior diagnosis) reported that they did not monitor their blood glucose levels on at least a monthly basis. However, they had better knowledge of the causes (odds relative to normoglycaemic individuals 1.62 (1.23–2.09)), symptoms (5.17 (3.41–7.82)), complications (5.18 (3.75–7.14)), prevention (4.18 (3.04–5.74)) and control (8.43 (4.83–14.71)).ConclusionKnowledge of diabetes among rural adults in Faridpur is extremely poor. Levels of diabetes testing are low and monitoring of blood glucose among known diabetics infrequent. Diabetes prevention and control efforts in this population must include large-scale awareness initiatives which focus not only on high-risk individuals but the whole population.Trial registration numberISRCTN41083256; Pre-results.
Cost-utility of COBRA-light versus COBRA therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: the COBRA-light trial
Authors: ter Wee Marieke M , Coupé Veerle MH , den Uyl Debby , Blomjous Birgit S , Kooijmans Esmee , Kerstens Pit JSM , Nurmohamed Mike T , van Schaardenburg Dirkjan , Voskuyl Alexandre E , Boers Maarten , Lems Willem F 
Published: May 2024

ObjectiveTo evaluate if COmbinatie therapie Bij Reumatoïde Artritis (COBRA)-light therapy is cost-effective in treating patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with COBRA therapy.MethodsThis economic evaluation was performed next to the open-label, randomised non-inferiority COBRA-light trial in 164 patients with early RA. Non-responders to COBRA or COBRA-light received etanercept (50 mg/week) for 3–6 months. The societal perspective analysis took medical direct, non-medical direct and indirect costs into account. Costs were measured with patient cost diaries for the follow-up period of 52 weeks. Bootstrapping techniques estimated uncertainty around the cost-effectiveness ratios, presented in cost-effectiveness planes.Results164 patients were randomised to either COBRA or COBRA-light strategy. At week 52, COBRA-light proved to be non-inferior to COBRA therapy on all clinical outcome measures. The results of the base-case cost-utility analysis (intention-to-treat analyses) revealed that COBRA-light strategy is more expensive (k€9.3 (SD 0.9) compared with COBRA (k€7.2 (SD 0.8)), but the difference in costs were not significant (k€2.0; 95% CI –0.3 to 4.4). Also, both strategies produced similar quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The sensitivity analyses showed robustness of these results. In a per-protocol sensitivity analysis, in which costs of etanercept were assumed to be provided as prescribed according to protocol, both arms had much higher costs: COBRA-light: k€11.5 (8.3) compared with k€8.5 (6.8) for COBRA, and the difference in costs was significant (k€2.9; 0.6 to 5.3).ConclusionsIn the base-case cost-utility analysis, the two strategies produced similar QALYs for similar costs. But it is anticipated that if protocol had been followed correctly, the COBRA-light strategy would have been more costly due to additional etanercept costs, for a limited health gain. Given the limited added benefit and high costs of starting etanercept in the presence of low disease activity in our trial, such a strategy needs better justification than is available now.Trial registration number55552928, Results.
Trends in cigar smoking and perceptions of health risks among Massachusetts adults
Authors: Nyman A L , Taylor T M , Biener L 
Published: May 2024

Objective:To track trends in cigar smoking and assess perceptions of cigar related health risks among Massachusetts adults.Design:A random digit dial telephone survey conducted in 1993 and a subsequent monthly random digit dial survey conducted March 1995 to June 2000.Participants:4733 adults who completed the 1993 survey and 14 868 adults who completed the monthly survey between 1995 and 2000.Main outcome measures:Trends in current and experimental cigar use and perceptions of health risks.Results:Current cigar usage increased significantly among men aged 18–34 years between 1993 (5.8%) and 1997-98 (18.2%), but began to decrease in 1999-2000 (13.5%). Young men were much more likely than older men or women of any age to have experimented with cigars in the year before interview, but this trend appears to have decreased slightly since 1998. Young male cigar smokers were increasingly those who never smoked cigarettes. Former cigarette smokers were not smoking cigars in greater numbers. Cigar smokers were roughly three times as likely as those who do not smoke cigars to believe cigars are a safer alternative to cigarettes, and that perception did not appear to change much over time.Conclusion:Cigar usage increased dramatically among young men in Massachusetts in conjunction with national increases in sales and marketing of cigars, but now appears to be decreasing.
Smoking behaviours and attitudes among male restaurant workers in Boston's Chinatown: a pilot study
Authors: Averbach A R , Lam D , Lam L-P , Sharfstein J , Cohen B , Koh H 
Published: May 2024

Objective:Asian American immigrants experience high rates of cigarette smoking. A community based survey was conducted to understand the smoking behaviours, knowledge, and attitudes of restaurant workers in Boston's Chinatown.Design:Cross sectional survey in Chinese of a convenience sample of 54 restaurant workers recruited through extensive outreach activities.Results:All 54 of the workers were male immigrants. 45 (83.3%) reported smoking cigarettes regularly, and the remaining nine were former smokers. 36 of the smokers (80.0%) started smoking before entering the USA. The workers were aware that cigarettes are addictive (98.1%), cause lung cancer (79.6%), and lead to heart disease (64.8%). However, a substantial number reported that smoking was relaxing (75.9%) and enhanced concentration (66.7%). Nearly half believed low tar and low nicotine cigarettes to be safer than standard brands. The vast majority of workers believed that smoking was not socially acceptable for women. Smokers reported they received information on quitting most commonly from friends (60%), newspapers (53.5%), and television (44.4%). The restaurant workers most often saw advertising against smoking in Chinese newspapers (63%).Conclusion:Despite high rates of smoking, Chinese American restaurant workers were generally aware of the health risks and were interested in quitting. Community based research can set the stage for targeted public health efforts to reduce smoking in immigrant communities.
Anti-tobacco advertisements by Massachusetts and Philip Morris: what teenagers think
Authors: Biener L 
Published: May 2024

Objective:To assess teenagers' receptivity to anti-tobacco television advertisements produced by public health organisations and by tobacco companies. Reactions were examined as a function of the message type as well as the respondents' demographics and smoking status.Design:A 1999 telephone survey of teenagers in households identified during a random digit dial survey of adults conducted during the prior four years. Respondents were asked to describe an ad they had seen in the past 30 days, and then to rate its perceived effectiveness.Participants:Respondents were 733 youth between the ages of 14 and 17 years.Intervention:The most prominent anti-tobacco advertisements broadcast in Massachusetts during the time covered by the survey consisted of those produced by the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program and those produced by the Philip Morris tobacco company. The ads described by respondents were grouped into four categories based on their sponsor and their approach.Main outcome measures:Perceived effectiveness of anti-tobacco advertisements seen during the month before the survey as measured on an 11 point scale.Results:Ads featuring the serious consequences of smoking were seen as significantly more effective by youth than both Massachusetts ads that did not discuss illness (p < 0.001) and Philip Morris “Think, Don't Smoke” ads (p < 0.001).Conclusion:Youth prevention programmes should not shy away from anti-tobacco ads that feature the serious consequences of smoking. These types of ads are the ones perceived as most effective by teenagers regardless of their smoking status, age, sex or ethnicity.
Cigarette advertising in magazines: the tobacco industry response to the Master Settlement Agreement and to public pressure
Authors: Hamilton W L , Turner-Bowker D M , Celebucki C C , Connolly G N 
Published: May 2024

Objective:The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of November 1998 prohibited participating tobacco companies from directly or indirectly targeting youth in marketing. Widely publicised information in May 2000 showed increased cigarette advertising in magazines with substantial youth readership and companies were pressed to change their practices. The responses of the tobacco industry to the MSA and to the public pressure are examined.Design:Expenditures on cigarette advertisements in national magazines in the USA are compared for three periods: January to November 1998, December 1998 to June 2000, and July 2000 to November 2001. Magazines in which at least 15% of readers are youth under age 18 are focused upon. Regression models test for the significance of period differences after controlling for seasonal and long term patterns.Data sources:Commercially maintained data on advertising in US magazines and on magazine readership by age.Key measures:Monthly cigarette ad expenditures in magazines with 15%+ youth readership, and monthly proportion of ad expenditures in 15%+ youth magazines.Results:Cigarette advertising expenditures in magazines with 15%+ youth readership increased dramatically after MSA implementation and fell dramatically after public pressure. The percentage allocation of expenditures to 15%+ magazines fell significantly in both periods. Results differ somewhat by company.Conclusions:The tobacco industry response to the MSA was at best modest, reducing proportional allocations of advertising to youth magazines but increasing the absolute amount of such advertising. The value of public pressure was seen in substantial reductions in both absolute and proportional spending on youth magazines, although not by all companies.
Recall of health warnings in smokeless tobacco ads
Authors: Truitt L , Hamilton W L , Johnston P R , Bacani C P , Crawford S O , Hozik L , Celebucki C 
Published: May 2024

Objective:To determine the effects of health warning characteristics in smokeless tobacco magazine print ads on warning recall, and the implications for current US Federal regulations.Design:Subjects examined two distracter ads and one of nine randomly assigned smokeless tobacco ads varying in health warning presence, size (8 to 18 point font), and contrast (low versus high)—including no health warning. They were then interviewed about ad content using recall and recognition questions.Subjects:A convenience sample of 895 English speaking males aged 16–24 years old who were intercepted at seven shopping malls throughout Massachusetts during May 2000.Main outcome measures:Proven aided recall, or recall of a health warning and correct recognition of the warning message among distracters, and false recall.Results:Controlling for covariates such as education, employment/student status, and Hispanic background, proven aided recall increased significantly with font size; doubling size from 10 to 20 point font would increase recall from 63% to 76%. Although not statistically significant, recall was somewhat better for high contrast warnings. Ten per cent of the sample mistakenly recalled the warning where none existed.Conclusions:As demonstrated by substantially greater recall among ads that included health warnings over ads that had none, health warnings retained their value to consumers despite years of exposure (that can produce false recall). Larger health warnings would enhance recall, and the proposed model can be used to estimate potential recall that affects communication, perceived health risk, and behaviour modification.
Eclipse: does it live up to its health claims?
Authors: Slade J , Connolly G N , Lymperis D 
Published: May 2024

Objective:To examine the plausibility of health claims for Eclipse, a novel smoking article being marketed by the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) as potentially reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases compared to conventional cigarettes.Data sources:A company product website (www.eclipse.rjrt.com) summarising scientific studies of various versions of Eclipse, and the published review of these studies by an expert panel convened by RJR, an independent study comparing the smoke yields of major carcinogens from Eclipse and two low yield “ultralight” brands (Now and Carlton), and an analysis of the levels of these compounds in Eclipse and Premier (its predecessor) over time.Analysis:The overall doses and effects of toxins in the aerosol from Eclipse are smaller than those from most conventional cigarettes on a per mg basis. However, two tests that compared Eclipse on a per cigarette basis revealed that Eclipse was as or more toxic than an ultralight cigarette. Studies show that consumers smoke Eclipse (like they do cigarettes) at puff volumes and puff frequencies far higher than those used for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) test. RJR's test results, which are based on aerosols generated under FTC conditions, may not reflect actual human dosing, since the operating temperature of Eclipse is highly dependent on these puffing parameters. Even under FTC/International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard measures, Eclipse smoke carcinogen yields were higher than Now, but similar to Carlton. The yields of carcinogens from Premier and different versions of Eclipse have increased over time. Furthermore, the human studies reviewed by the RJR expert panel do not offer compelling evidence of reduced harm, as they have not been conducted in smokers who have adopted Eclipse.Conclusion:There is as yet unsatisfactory evidence that Eclipse is less harmful than conventional cigarettes. Eclipse appears to be at least as toxic as some commercially available cigarette brands. Consumers may be misled by RJR's health claims into believing that Eclipse is a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, underscoring the need for regulatory intervention.
Trends in prevalence of current smoking, Massachusetts and states without tobacco control programmes, 1990 to 1999
Authors: Weintraub J M , Hamilton W L 
Published: May 2024

Objective:To assess the effect of a comprehensive tobacco control programme initiated in Massachusetts in 1993, and to compare the 1990 to 1999 trend in smoking prevalence to that in 41 states without tobacco control programmes, controlling for demographic shifts over time.Design:Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the years 1990 to 1999 were used to examine changes and trends in prevalence of smoking using multivariate logistic regression models.Main outcome measures:Trend in prevalence of current smoking for the years 1990 to 1999.Results:In 1990, the prevalence of current smoking in Massachusetts was 23.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.0% to 26.1%), and 24.2% in the rest of the USA (95% CI 23.7% to 24.7%). By 1999, the prevalence had declined in Massachusetts to 19.4%, and to 23.3% in 41 other US states. Controlling for sex, age, race, and education, there was a greater decline in current smoking between 1990 and 1999 among Massachusetts men than among Massachusetts women, and the decline was greater in Massachusetts than in the rest of the USA for men and for both sexes combined.Conclusions:These results suggest that the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program is having a beneficial impact, but suggest a need for additional targeted efforts to achieve similar declines among Massachusetts women.
Quantifying reinforcement of forested (Cunninghamia lanceolata) slopes with different gradients based on in-situ pullout experiments
Authors: Hu Bingli , Su Lijun , Bao Yiding , Xie Qijun 
Published: May 2024

Tree roots play a crucial role in hillslope stability, but quantifying their reinforcement remains challenging. This study aims to quantify the root reinforcement provided by Cunninghamia lanceolata across varying slope gradients based on in-situ pullout experiments. A total of 120 soil profiles were excavated to map root distribution across four slope gradients. Subsequently, 304 in-situ pullout experiments were conducted encompassing root diameters ranging from 1 to 8 mm. The Root Bundle Model Weibull was calibrated and coupled with root distribution data to quantify reinforcement contributions from a single tree to stands. It was found slope gradient significantly influences root distribution, with steeper slopes harboring coarser and more widely distributed roots. In-situ experiments revealed substantial variability in pullout stiffness and peak displacement for roots of the same diameter, with thicker roots exhibiting higher stiffness and greater displacement. Calculations indicate that root reinforcement exhibits an exponential decline with increasing distance from the stem but shows a marked positive association with slope gradient due to the influence on root distribution. Statistical analysis reveals that the area experiencing root reinforcement exceeding 10 kPa on a 40° slope is roughly double that of 0° and 20° stands.
An upper-bound solution for ground collapse induced by shallow rectangular cavity in unsaturated soils
Authors: Li Xiaojiao , Chen Rui , Huang Liping , Pu Bo , Tai Pei 
Published: May 2024

Ground collapse occurs frequently due to the roof or roof–sides breakdown of shallow cavities, but analytical solutions considering both types of failures remains a challenge and without incorporating the unsaturated characteristics of shallow soils. This study presents an analytical solution for the collapse of shallow rectangular cavities in unsaturated soils. Proposing a critical cover depth to differentiate deep and shallow cavities. Results show that the collapse type (roof or roof–sides) in shallow cavities depends on the width at collapse. It varies significantly with matric suction, displaying two patterns: increasing and stabilizing, or increasing, decreasing, and stabilizing. The variation trend of width at collapse with matric suction aligns with that of apparent cohesion, with a peak near the air-entry value when the fitting parameter n is relatively large (such as n = 3 or 4). The air-entry value influences the magnitude rather than the shape of the variation curves. Additionally, shallow cavities with small cover depths tend toward roof failure, while those with large cover depths, especially with significant height, are more prone to roof–sides failure. Increasing surface surcharge can reduce collapse width, shifting towards roof–sides failure, especially with low cohesion or internal friction angle.
Photons and nuclear structure
Authors: Pietralla Norbert 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBeams of photons with energies ranging from a few hundred keV to a few tens of MeV have proven to be very usefull tools for studying a variety of nuclear structures and their properties. The peculiar features of photons allow for unique insights and precision. This contribution provides a collection of nuclear structure phenomena that are well accessible with photon beams and instructional examples for seminal experiments that have advanced nuclear structure research in the past using photons in the entrance channel. It is meant to complement the contents of other contributions highlighting the scientific and technological potential of the emerging field of Nuclear Photonics.
Logarithmic moments of B-meson quasidistribution amplitude
Authors: Hu Shu-Man , Xu Ji , Zhao Shuai 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIt was demonstrated that the lattice simulation of B-meson light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) is feasible via the quasi-distribution amplitude (quasi-DA) in large momentum effective theory (LaMET). The structures of logarithmic moments (LMs) of B-meson quasi-DA are explored in this work. The one-loop results indicate mixing in the matching: the n-th LM would be not only factorized into the n-th LM of LCDA, but also other moments with different power, accompanied by short distance coefficients. These results supply the understanding of the matching in LaMET and may provide guidance to the lattice study of LMs or other parameters of B-meson LCDA.
The instability of the inner horizon of the quantum-corrected black hole
Authors: Cao Li-Ming , Li Long-Yue , Wu Liang-Bi , Zhou Yu-Sen 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe analyse the stability of the inner horizon of the quantum-corrected black hole which is proposed in loop quantum gravity as the exterior of the quantum Oppenheimer–Snyder and Swiss Cheese models. It is shown that the flux and energy density of a test scalar field measured by free-falling observers are both divergent near the Cauchy horizon. By considering the generalized Dray–’t Hooft–Redmond relation which is independent of the field equation, we find that the mass inflation always happens and the scalar curvature and Kretschmann scalar are also divergent on the inner horizon. These suggest that the inner horizon is unstable and will probably turn into a null singularity.The results support the strong cosmic censorship hypothesis.However, this also implies that the quantum corrected model may not be the definitive endpoint as a regular black hole.Besides, it further proposes that it may be challenging to observe the astronomical phenomenon which depends on the existence of the inner horizon of the black hole