Gender Identity Disorders in Iran; Request for Sex Reassignment Surgery

Background: Based on reports of the Tehran Legal Medicine Organization (LMO), requests for sex change operation by persons with Gender identity disorder (GID) have increased in the past few years in Iran. Due to the social and legal ramification of transsexualism, we decided to perform a study to assess the demographic status and legal aspects of Iranian Transsexuals who were applicants for sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Method: The total number of 69 cases with GID who requested sex change by surgery was assessed during a period of four years (2005-2009) in Tehran. Descriptive statistical methods and Chi square were used to analyze the data. Results: There were 44 male-to-female and 25 female-to-male Transsexuals with a mean age of 25 years. Out of 69 requests for sex change, transsexualism was confirmed in 61 cases and the remaining 8 cases had other Psychiatric disorders manifested by identity confusion. The onset of symptoms had developed in childhood (<10 y) in nearly 70% of patients. Depression was found in about 26% of cases. Eighteen cases (26%) had a history of suicide attempts. Among individuals with final diagnosis of Transsexualism, request of 93% was accepted for SRS. Conclusion: This study showed dominancy in Male to Female Transsexuals (1.7/1). Depression was the most common psychiatric disorder associated with Transsexualism. The article also showed that recently transsexualism accepted by community and country low more than before

Space-Time Fresnel Prism

Space-time modulation-based metamaterials have recently spurred considerable interest, owing to the fundamental addition of the time dimension to the medium parameters, and resulting novel properties and potential applications. However, the implementation of most related structures -- e.g., involving step, slab or gradient discontinuities -- has been hindered by the impossible requirement of infinitely or prohibitively large device sizes. We provide here a solution to this issue, consisting in a space-time transposition of the conventional Fresnel prism, whereby a copy of the target modulation is periodically re-injected at the input of a Fresnel-reduced finite structure, so as to provide the same anharmonic and nonreciprocal frequency conversion as the target space-time interface in the case of a modulation step. This concept, which may readily extend to slab or gradient modulations, as well as accelerated profiles for space-time chirping operations, may pave the way for the practical development of a wide range of novel microwave and optical space-time systems

A novel variant of SLC26A4 and first report of the c.716T>A variant in Iranian pedigrees with non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss

The autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) can be associated with variants in solute carrier family 26, member 4 (SLC26A4) gene and is the second most common cause of ARNSHL worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to determine the contribution of the SLC26A4 genotype in the hearing loss (HL) of 40 ARNSHL pedigrees in Iran. A cohort of the 40 Iranian pedigrees with ARNSHL, having no mutation in the GJB2 gene, was selected. The linkage analysis with five short tandem repeat (STR) markers linked to SLC26A4 was performed for the 40 ARNSHL pedigrees. Then, two out of the 40 pedigrees with ARNSHL that linked to DFNB4 locus were further screened to determine the variants in all exons of SLC26A4 gene by direct DNA sequencing. The 21 exons of SCL26A4 were analyzed for the two pedigrees. A known variant (c.716T>A homozygote), it is the first reported incidence in Iran, a novel variant (c.493A>C homozygote) were detected in the two pedigrees and pathogenesis of c.493A>C confirmed in this study with review 100 hearing ethnically matched controls by PCR-RFLP analysis. The present study suggests that the SLC26A4 gene plays a crucial role in the HL occurring in Iranian pedigrees. Also, the results probably support the specificity and unique spectrum of SLC26A4 variants among Iranian HL patients. Molecular study of SLC26A4 gene may lead to elucidation of the profile of the population-specific variants which has importance in diagnostics of HL

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use Among Bodybuilding Athletes in the South of Iran, Bushehr

Background: Several reports have implied progressive increase of performance-enhancing drug (PED) use among Iranian athletes. More importantly, most of the previous research in the Iranian population had mainly focused on the anabolic steroid abuse, and ignored other agents. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of PED use among bodybuilding athletes in Bushehr, south of Iran. Methods: Four hundred and fifty three male bodybuilding athletes were recruited from Bushehr gyms between February and May of 2015. Men were eligible to participate in the survey if they had regularly participated in the strength-training exercise (minimum of 1 year and 4 hour/week). Data were collected via a face-to-face interview. The survey consisted of three separate parts including demographic data, exercise pattern and PED use. Results: According to this study, 234 (51.7%) of bodybuilding athletes had used PEDs. The PED users reported an average of 3.80 � 4.52 agents’ use in their programs and they had used PEDs for the average of 3.24 � 3.99 years. The most prevalent agents which had been abused by the athletes were anabolic steroids (used by 185 athletes (79.4% of athletes). Furthermore, 110 (47%) of athletes reported stimulant agents’ use during their routines. The most prevalent motivation for using PEDs was increasing muscle mass that was reported by 164 (70.1%) of PED users. In addition, sexual and dermatologic effects were the most prevalent adverse effects reported by the PED user athletes (114 (49.4%) and 103 (44.2%), respectively). Conclusions: This study showed the high rate of PED use among recreational and professional Iranian bodybuilding athletes that can expose them to the serious side effects of these agents

The cognitive interview: comparing face-to-face and video-mediated interviews

Purpose: Eyewitness testimony can determine the outcome of criminal investigations. The cognitive interview (CI) has been widely used to collect informative and accurate accounts. However, face-to-face interviews have been restricted during the current pandemic, raising the need for using video-conferencing. The authors tested whether virtual interviews could produce elaborate accounts from eyewitnesses and if the CI superiority effect against a structured interview (SI) could be fully replicated online. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a 2 × 2 factorial design with interview condition (CI vs SI) and environment (face-to-face vs virtual) manipulated between-subjects. A total of 88 participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. Participants watched a mock robbery and were interviewed 48 h later using either the SI or the CI. Both interviews contained the same structure and interview phases but only the CI included its key cognitive mnemonics/ instructions. Both sessions were either face-to-face or online. Findings: Participants interviewed with the CI recalled more information than participants interviewed with the SI, regardless of the interview environment. Both environments produced a comparable amount of recall. Report accuracy was high for all groups. Practical implications: This can be crucial to inform police practices and research in this field by suggesting investigative interviews can be conducted virtually in situations such as the current pandemic or when time and resources do not allow for face-to-face interviewing. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study showing that the CI superiority effect can be replicated online and that a fully remote CI can produce elaborate accounts

A novel retinoblastoma therapy from genomic and epigenetic analyses.

Retinoblastoma is an aggressive childhood cancer of the developing retina that is initiated by the biallelic loss of RB1. Tumours progress very quickly following RB1 inactivation but the underlying mechanism is not known. Here we show that the retinoblastoma genome is stable, but that multiple cancer pathways can be epigenetically deregulated. To identify the mutations that cooperate with RB1 loss, we performed whole-genome sequencing of retinoblastomas. The overall mutational rate was very low; RB1 was the only known cancer gene mutated. We then evaluated the role of RB1 in genome stability and considered non-genetic mechanisms of cancer pathway deregulation. For example, the proto-oncogene SYK is upregulated in retinoblastoma and is required for tumour cell survival. Targeting SYK with a small-molecule inhibitor induced retinoblastoma tumour cell death in vitro and in vivo. Thus, retinoblastomas may develop quickly as a result of the epigenetic deregulation of key cancer pathways as a direct or indirect result of RB1 loss

PADC nuclear track detector for ion spectroscopy in laser-plasma acceleration

[EN] The transparent polymer polyallyl-diglycol-carbonate (PADC), also known as CR-39, is widely used as detector for heavy charged particles at low fluence. It allows for detection of single protons and ions via formation of microscopic tracks after etching in NaOH or KOH solutions. PADC combines a high sensitivity and high specificity with inertness towards electromagnetic noise. Present fields of application include laser-ion acceleration, inertial confinement fusion, radiobiological studies with cell cultures, and dosimetry of nuclear fragments in particle therapy. These require precise knowledge of the energy-dependent response of PADC to different ion species. We present calibration data for a new type of detector material, Radosys RS39, to protons (0.2-3 MeV) and carbon ions (0.6-12 MeV). RS39 is less sensitive to protons than other types of PADC. Its response to carbon ions, however, is similar to other materials. Our data indicate that RS39 allows for measuring carbon ion energies up to 10 MeV only from the track diameters. In addition, it can be used for discrimination between protons and carbon ions in a single etching process.Project funded by CSIC, Grant No. 2018501082, and by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, project MdM-2016-0692-17-2 via a predoctoral grant of type Maria de Maeztu FPI. Nuclear track detector material and readout equipment have been provided by Radosys Ldt. (Budapest). The authors acknowledge the contributions and commitment of the CNA accelerator operators. MS would like to thank L. Ballesteros and J. Ortiz for their support with precision equipment.Seimetz, M.; Peñas, J.; Llerena, JJ.; Benlliure, J.; García López, J.; Millán-Callado, MA.; Benlloch Baviera, JM. (2020). PADC nuclear track detector for ion spectroscopy in laser-plasma acceleration. Physica Medica. 76:72-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmp.2020.06.005S727676Kodaira, S., Kitamura, H., Kurano, M., Kawashima, H., & Benton, E. R. (2019). Contribution to dose in healthy tissue from secondary target fragments in therapeutic proton, He and C beams measured with CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39598-0Scampoli, P., Casale, M., Durante, M., Grossi, G., Pugliese, M., & Gialanella, G. (2001). Low-energy light ion irradiation beam-line for radiobiological studies. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 174(3), 337-343. doi:10.1016/s0168-583x(00)00622-4WADA, S., KOBAYASHI, Y., FUNAYAMA, T., NATSUHORI, M., ITO, N., & YAMAMOTO, K. (2002). Detection of DNA Damage in Individual Cells Induced by Heavy-ion Irradiation with an Non-denaturing Comet Assay. Journal of Radiation Research, 43(S), S153-S156. doi:10.1269/jrr.43.s153Gaillard, S., Pusset, D., de Toledo, S. M., Azzam, E. I., & Fromm, M. (2008). Distance distribution of bystander effects in alpha-particle irradiated cell populations using a CR-39-based culture dish. Radiation Measurements, 43, S34-S40. doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2008.03.063Yogo, A., Maeda, T., Hori, T., Sakaki, H., Ogura, K., Nishiuchi, M., … Kondo, K. (2011). Measurement of relative biological effectiveness of protons in human cancer cells using a laser-driven quasimonoenergetic proton beamline. Applied Physics Letters, 98(5), 053701. doi:10.1063/1.3551623Séguin, F. H., Frenje, J. A., Li, C. K., Hicks, D. G., Kurebayashi, S., Rygg, J. R., … Padalino, S. (2003). Spectrometry of charged particles from inertial-confinement-fusion plasmas. Review of Scientific Instruments, 74(2), 975-995. doi:10.1063/1.1518141Daido, H., Nishiuchi, M., & Pirozhkov, A. S. (2012). Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications. Reports on Progress in Physics, 75(5), 056401. doi:10.1088/0034-4885/75/5/056401Sinenian, N., Rosenberg, M. J., Manuel, M., McDuffee, S. C., Casey, D. T., Zylstra, A. B., … Petrasso, R. D. (2011). The response of CR-39 nuclear track detector to 1–9 MeV protons. Review of Scientific Instruments, 82(10), 103303. doi:10.1063/1.3653549Malinowska A, Szydłowski A, Jaskóła M, Korman A, Sartowska B, Kuehn T, Kuk M. Investigations of protons passing through the CR-39/PM-355 type of solid state nuclear track detectors, Rev Sci Instrum 84 (2013) 073511.Baccou, C., Yahia, V., Depierreux, S., Neuville, C., Goyon, C., Consoli, F., … Labaune, C. (2015). CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification. Review of Scientific Instruments, 86(8), 083307. doi:10.1063/1.4927684Seimetz, M., Bellido, P., García, P., Mur, P., Iborra, A., Soriano, A., … Benlloch, J. M. (2018). Spectral characterization of laser-accelerated protons with CR-39 nuclear track detector. Review of Scientific Instruments, 89(2), 023302. doi:10.1063/1.5009587Xiaojiao, D., Xiaofei, L., Zhixin, T., Yongsheng, H., Shilun, G., Dawei, Y., & Naiyan, W. (2009). Calibration of CR-39 with monoenergetic protons. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 609(2-3), 190-193. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2009.08.061Kodaira, S., Morishige, K., Kawashima, H., Kitamura, H., Kurano, M., Hasebe, N., … Ogura, K. (2016). A performance test of a new high-surface-quality and high-sensitivity CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector – TechnoTrak. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 383, 129-135. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2016.07.002Ogura, K., Asano, M., Yasuda, N., & Yoshida, M. (2001). Properties of TNF-1 track etch detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 185(1-4), 222-227. doi:10.1016/s0168-583x(01)00816-3Malinowska, A., Jaskóła, M., Korman, A., Szydłowski, A., & Kuk, M. (2014). Characterization of solid state nuclear track detectors of the polyallyl-diglycol-carbonate (CR-39/PM-355) type for light charged particle spectroscopy. Review of Scientific Instruments, 85(12), 123505. doi:10.1063/1.4903755Bahrami, F., Mianji, F., Faghihi, R., Taheri, M., & Ansarinejad, A. (2016). Response of CR-39 to 0.9–2.5 MeV protons for KOH and NaOH etching solutions. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 813, 96-101. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.01.015Jeong, T. W., Singh, P. K., Scullion, C., Ahmed, H., Hadjisolomou, P., Jeon, C., … Ter-Avetisyan, S. (2017). CR-39 track detector for multi-MeV ion spectroscopy. Scientific Reports, 7(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02331-wKanasaki, M., Hattori, A., Sakaki, H., Fukuda, Y., Yogo, A., Jinno, S., … Yamauchi, T. (2013). A high energy component of the intense laser-accelerated proton beams detected by stacked CR-39. Radiation Measurements, 50, 46-49. doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.10.009Groza, A., Serbanescu, M., Butoi, B., Stancu, E., Straticiuc, M., Burducea, I., … Ganciu, M. (2019). Advances in Spectral Distribution Assessment of Laser Accelerated Protons using Multilayer CR-39 Detectors. Applied Sciences, 9(10), 2052. doi:10.3390/app9102052Zhang, Y., Wang, H.-W., Ma, Y.-G., Liu, L.-X., Cao, X.-G., Fan, G.-T., … Fang, D.-Q. (2019). Energy calibration of a CR-39 nuclear-track detector irradiated by charged particles. Nuclear Science and Techniques, 30(6). doi:10.1007/s41365-019-0619-xSeimetz, M., Bellido, P., Soriano, A., Garcia Lopez, J., Jimenez-Ramos, M. C., Fernandez, B., … Benlloch, J. M. (2015). Calibration and Performance Tests of Detectors for Laser-Accelerated Protons. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 62(6), 3216-3224. doi:10.1109/tns.2015.2480682Rana, M. A., & Qureshi, I. . (2002). Studies of CR-39 etch rates. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 198(3-4), 129-134. doi:10.1016/s0168-583x(02)01526-4Hermsdorf, D., Hunger, M., Starke, S., & Weickert, F. (2007). Measurement of bulk etch rates for poly-allyl-diglycol carbonate (PADC) and cellulose nitrate in a broad range of concentration and temperature of NaOH etching solution. Radiation Measurements, 42(1), 1-7. doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2006.06.009Azooz, A. A., & Al-Jubbori, M. A. (2013). Interrelated temperature dependence of bulk etch rate and track length saturation time in CR-39 detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 316, 171-175. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2013.09.001Jadrníčková I, Spurný F. To the spectrometry of linear energy transfer in charged particle beams by means of track-etch detectors, Radiat Measure 43(2008): S191–S194, proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids. doi: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2008.04.010.Sadowski, M., Al-Mashhadani, E. M., Szydłowski, A., Czyzewski, T., Głowacka, L., Jaskóła, M., … Wieluński, M. (1995). Comparison of responses of CR-39 and PM-355 track detectors to fast protons, deuterons and 4He ions within energy range 0.2–4.5 MeV. Radiation Measurements, 25(1-4), 175-176. doi:10.1016/1350-4487(95)00066-nSadowski, M., Szydlowski, A., Jaskola, M., Czyzewski, T., & Kobzev, A. P. (1997). Comparison of responses of CR-39, PM-355, and CN track detectors to energetic hydrogen-, helium-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-ions. Radiation Measurements, 28(1-6), 207-210. doi:10.1016/s1350-4487(97)00069-3Henig, A., Steinke, S., Schnürer, M., Sokollik, T., Hörlein, R., Kiefer, D., … Habs, D. (2009). Radiation-Pressure Acceleration of Ion Beams Driven by Circularly Polarized Laser Pulses. Physical Review Letters, 103(24). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.103.245003Kar, S., Kakolee, K. F., Qiao, B., Macchi, A., Cerchez, M., Doria, D., … Borghesi, M. (2012). Ion Acceleration in Multispecies Targets Driven by Intense Laser Radiation Pressure. Physical Review Letters, 109(18). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.109.185006Palaniyappan, S., Huang, C., Gautier, D. C., Hamilton, C. E., Santiago, M. A., Kreuzer, C., … Fernández, J. C. (2015). Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas. Nature Communications, 6(1). doi:10.1038/ncomms10170McGuffey, C., Raymond, A., Batson, T., Hua, R., Petrov, G. M., Kim, J., … Beg, F. N. (2016). Acceleration of high charge-state target ions in high-intensity laser interactions with sub-micron targets. New Journal of Physics, 18(11), 113032. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/18/11/113032Ma, W. J., Kim, I. J., Yu, J. Q., Choi, I. W., Singh, P. K., Lee, H. W., … Nam, C. H. (2019). Laser Acceleration of Highly Energetic Carbon Ions Using a Double-Layer Target Composed of Slightly Underdense Plasma and Ultrathin Foil. Physical Review Letters, 122(1). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.122.014803Hegelich, M., Karsch, S., Pretzler, G., Habs, D., Witte, K., Guenther, W., … Roth, M. (2002). MeV Ion Jets from Short-Pulse-Laser Interaction with Thin Foils. Physical Review Letters, 89(8). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.89.085002Henig, A., Kiefer, D., Markey, K., Gautier, D. C., Flippo, K. A., Letzring, S., … Hegelich, B. M. (2009). Enhanced Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration in the Relativistic Transparency Regime. Physical Review Letters, 103(4). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.103.045002Carroll, D. C., Tresca, O., Prasad, R., Romagnani, L., Foster, P. S., Gallegos, P., … McKenna, P. (2010). Carbon ion acceleration from thin foil targets irradiated by ultrahigh-contrast, ultraintense laser pulses. New Journal of Physics, 12(4), 045020. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/12/4/045020Jung, D., Yin, L., Albright, B. J., Gautier, D. C., Letzring, S., Dromey, B., … Hegelich, B. M. (2013). Efficient carbon ion beam generation from laser-driven volume acceleration. New Journal of Physics, 15(2), 023007. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/15/2/023007Dollar, F., Zulick, C., Matsuoka, T., McGuffey, C., Bulanov, S. S., Chvykov, V., … Krushelnick, K. (2013). High contrast ion acceleration at intensities exceeding 1021 Wcm−2. Physics of Plasmas, 20(5), 056703. doi:10.1063/1.4803082Kohno, R., Yasuda, N., Takeshi, H., Kase, Y., Ochiai, K., Komori, M., … Kanai, T. (2005). Measurements of Dose-Averaged Linear Energy Transfer Distributions in Water Using CR-39 Plastic Nuclear Track Detector for Therapeutic Carbon Ion Beams. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 44(12), 8722-8726. doi:10.1143/jjap.44.8722Romo, V., Rickards, J., Espinosa, G., & Golzarri, J. I. (1999). The Response of CR-39 Polycarbonate to Energetic Carbon Ions. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 85(1), 459-461. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a032897Szydlowski, A., Czyzewski, T., Jaskola, M., Sadowski, M., Korman, A., Kedzierski, J., & Kretschmer, W. (1999). Investigation of response of CR-39, PM-355 and PM-500 types of nuclear track detectors to energetic carbon ions. Radiation Measurements, 31(1-6), 257-260. doi:10.1016/s1350-4487(99)00125-

A Candidate Gene Association Study of Bone Mineral Density in an Iranian Population

The genetic epidemiology of variation in bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis is not well studied in Iranian populations and needs more research. We report a candidate gene association study of BMD variation in a healthy cross-sectional study of 501 males and females sampled from the Iranian Multi-Centre Osteoporosis Study, Shiraz, Iran. We selected to study the association with 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the 7 candidate genes LRP5, RANK, RANKL, OPG, P2RX7, VDR, and ESR1. BMD was measured at the three sites L2–L4, neck of femur, and total hip. Association between BMD and each SNP was assessed using multiple linear regression assuming an allele dose (additive effect) on BMD (adjusted for age and sex). Statistically signiicant (at the unadjusted 5% level) associations were seen with seven SNPs in ive of the candidate genes. Two SNPs showed statistically signiicant association with more than one BMD site. Signiicant association was seen between BMD at all the three sites with the VDR SNP rs731246 (L2–L4 p = 0.038; neck of femur p = 0.001; and total hip p = 0.045)

Image quality transfer and applications in diffusion MRI

This paper introduces a new computational imaging technique called image quality transfer (IQT). IQT uses machine learning to transfer the rich information available from one-off experimental medical imaging devices to the abundant but lower-quality data from routine acquisitions. The procedure uses matched pairs to learn mappings from low-quality to corresponding high-quality images. Once learned, these mappings then augment unseen low quality images, for example by enhancing image resolution or information content. Here, we demonstrate IQT using a simple patch-regression implementation and the uniquely rich diffusion MRI data set from the human connectome project (HCP). Results highlight potential benefits of IQT in both brain connectivity mapping and microstructure imaging. In brain connectivity mapping, IQT reveals, from standard data sets, thin connection pathways that tractography normally requires specialised data to reconstruct. In microstructure imaging, IQT shows potential in estimating, from standard “single-shell” data (one non-zero b-value), maps of microstructural parameters that normally require specialised multi-shell data. Further experiments show strong generalisability, highlighting IQT's benefits even when the training set does not directly represent the application domain. The concept extends naturally to many other imaging modalities and reconstruction problems

Rationale and study design of a cross sectional study documenting the prevalence of Heart Failure amongst the minority ethnic communities in the UK: the E-ECHOES Study (Ethnic - Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening Study)

Background: Heart failure is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Studies to date have not established the prevalence heart failure amongst the minority ethnic community in the UK. The aim of the E-ECHOES (Ethnic - Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening Study) is to establish, for the first time, the community prevalence and severity of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and heart failure amongst the South Asian and Black African-Caribbean ethnic groups in the UK.Methods/Design: This is a community based cross-sectional population survey of a sample of South Asian (i.e. those originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) and Black African-Caribbean male and female subjects aged 45 years and over. Data collection undertaken using a standardised protocol comprising a questionnaire incorporating targeted clinical history taking, physical examination, and investigations with resting electrocardiography and echocardiography; and blood sampling with consent. This is the largest study on heart failure amongst these ethnic groups. Full data collection started in September 2006 and will be completed by August 2009.Discussion: The E-ECHOES study will enable the planning and delivery of clinically and cost-effective treatment of this common and debilitating condition within these communities. In addition it will increase knowledge of the aetiology and management of heart failure within minority ethnic communities