On k-Column Sparse Packing Programs

We consider the class of packing integer programs (PIPs) that are column sparse, i.e. there is a specified upper bound k on the number of constraints that each variable appears in. We give an (ek+o(k))-approximation algorithm for k-column sparse PIPs, improving on recent results of $k^2\cdot 2^k$ and $O(k^2)$. We also show that the integrality gap of our linear programming relaxation is at least 2k-1; it is known that k-column sparse PIPs are $\Omega(k/ \log k)$-hard to approximate. We also extend our result (at the loss of a small constant factor) to the more general case of maximizing a submodular objective over k-column sparse packing constraints.Comment: 19 pages, v3: additional detail

Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among women in the Western Cape province of South Africa: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Emergency contraception (EC) is widely available free of charge at public sector clinics in South Africa. At the same time, rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy in South Africa remain high, and there are few data on knowledge of EC in the general population in South Africa, as in other resource-limited settings. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey among 831 sexually active women at 26 randomly selected public sector clinics in the Western Cape province. RESULTS: Overall, 30% of the women had ever heard of EC when asked directly, after the method was described to them. Only 15% mentioned EC by name or description spontaneously. Knowledge of EC was independently associated with higher education, being married, and living in an urban setting. Four percent of women had ever used EC. DISCUSSION: These data suggest that knowledge of EC in this setting is more common among women of higher socioeconomic status living in urban areas. For EC to play a role in decreasing unintended pregnancy in South Africa, specific interventions are necessary to increase knowledge of the method, where to get it, and the appropriate time interval for its use before the need for EC arises. Future health promotion campaigns should target rural and low socioeconomic status communities

The clinical diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease – reuse of electronic medical record data from 189 patients visiting a Swedish university hospital emergency department

BACKGROUND: The pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) diagnosis is mostly based on clinical findings. However, few studies have examined the clinical basis for the diagnostics of PID, which was the aim of this study. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed of 189 out-patients diagnosed as having PID at the obstetric and gynecological emergency department of a Swedish university hospital. Data on symptoms, signs, pelvic examination and laboratory tests were extracted from the electronic medical records in comparison with the diagnostic criteria of the PID Guideline of the US Center of Disease Control from 2002 (CDC 2002 Guidelines). RESULTS: Eight symptoms in varying combinations were associated with the PID diagnosis. Most of them are mentioned in the CDC 2002 Guidelines. Detected rates of C. Trachomatis (CT) and N. Gonorrhoeae (NG) were 5% and 0%, respectively, among the tested patients (CT = 52% and NG = 12%). The C-reactive protein was normal in the majority of tested patients. CONCLUSION: The clinical basis for the diagnostics of PID was largely in accordance with the criteria in the CDC 2002 Guidelines. The limited number of CT tests performed is somewhat disappointing, considering the fact that effective disease prevention includes widespread CT screening. Further studies in different settings are needed in order to analyze how the testing rate for CT can be improved in clinical praxis

Biomaterials Approaches to Combating Oral Biofilms and Dental Disease

Background: Possibilities for biomaterials to impact the dental caries epidemic are reviewed with emphasis placed on novel delivery biomaterials and new therapeutic targets

International longitudinal registry of patients with atrial fibrillation and treated with rivaroxaban: RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting (RIVER)

Background Real-world data on non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are essential in determining whether evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials translate into meaningful clinical benefits for patients in everyday practice. RIVER (RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting) is an ongoing international, prospective registry of patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and at least one investigator-determined risk factor for stroke who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment for the prevention of thromboembolic stroke. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of the RIVER registry and baseline characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed NVAF who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment. Methods and results Between January 2014 and June 2017, RIVER investigators recruited 5072 patients at 309 centres in 17 countries. The aim was to enroll consecutive patients at sites where rivaroxaban was already routinely prescribed for stroke prevention. Each patient is being followed up prospectively for a minimum of 2-years. The registry will capture data on the rate and nature of all thromboembolic events (stroke / systemic embolism), bleeding complications, all-cause mortality and other major cardiovascular events as they occur. Data quality is assured through a combination of remote electronic monitoring and onsite monitoring (including source data verification in 10% of cases). Patients were mostly enrolled by cardiologists (n = 3776, 74.6%), by internal medicine specialists 14.2% (n = 718) and by primary care/general practice physicians 8.2% (n = 417). The mean (SD) age of the population was 69.5 (11.0) years, 44.3% were women. Mean (SD) CHADS2 score was 1.9 (1.2) and CHA2DS2-VASc scores was 3.2 (1.6). Almost all patients (98.5%) were prescribed with once daily dose of rivaroxaban, most commonly 20 mg (76.5%) and 15 mg (20.0%) as their initial treatment; 17.9% of patients received concomitant antiplatelet therapy. Most patients enrolled in RIVER met the recommended threshold for AC therapy (86.6% for 2012 ESC Guidelines, and 79.8% of patients according to 2016 ESC Guidelines). Conclusions The RIVER prospective registry will expand our knowledge of how rivaroxaban is prescribed in everyday practice and whether evidence from clinical trials can be translated to the broader cross-section of patients in the real world

Association of interleukin-2, -4 and -10 with dengue severity

Background: Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by four distinct serotypes of dengue virus. The pathogenesis of dengue is not very clearly understood. Various pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the immune pathogenesis of dengue. Interleukin (IL)-2/IL-2 receptor interaction is supposed to play a protective role, while IL-4 acts as pro-inflammatory whereas IL-10 acts as anti-inflammatory cytokines. So far, not much information is available regarding the established role of these cytokines with dengue infection and severity. Aims: our study aimed to show the association of IL-2, -4, and -10 with severity of dengue infection. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the year 2015; 150 blood samples from suspected dengue cases were confirmed for dengue and then with an equal number of healthy control samples were tested for cytokines levels (IL-2, -4, and -10) by ELISA. Severity of the dengue infection was determined on the basis of clinical manifestations based on the WHO criteria.Statistical Analysis: for statistical analysis, SPSS version 21 (IBM, New York, United States) was used. Results: Out of 150 samples, 56 samples came to be dengue positive. Thirty-eight (67.85%) cases were classified as nonsevere dengue and 18 (32.15%) were severe dengue. The serum levels of IL-4 and -10 were significantly raised in severe dengue cases as compared to nonsevere dengue cases. No significant association was observed between serum IL-2 levels and the severity of dengue. Conclusion: IL-4 and -10 levels can be used as marker of severe dengue and help in early preparedness to start the treatment in the line of severe dengue

Shaping, and disinfecting abilities of ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Gold, and Twisted Files: A correlative microcomputed tomographic and bacteriologic analysis

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the canal shaping ability and reduction of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) by ProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Gold (PTG), and Twisted File (TF) systems, using microcomputed tomography (μCT). Methods: Distobuccal canals of 36 extracted human maxillary molars were inoculated with E. faecalis American Type Culture Collection 29212 for 28 days. Thirty-three specimens (three excluded due to contamination) were randomly divided into three groups with 11 specimens in each group, according to the instrumentation system that was utilized: PTU, PTG, and TF. Sterile distilled water was used as the irrigant during preparation. Paper points had been used to collect samples from the root canals both pre- and postpreparation, and bacterial quantification was done to examine the bacterial reduction. Pre- and postinstrumentation μCT scanning of roots were done to analyze the shaping ability. Results: After preparation, all three techniques significantly lowered the amount of E. faecalis while also significantly increasing the canal volume (P 0.05), whereas the increase in canal volume of the PTU was significantly higher than PTG and TF, and that of the PTG was significantly higher than TF. Conclusion: It may be concluded, within the constraints of this in vitro study, that PTG and TF had better shaping ability than PTU, whereas no difference was found in their ability to reduce bacterial load