1,986 research outputs found
Coping with Persistent Pain, Effectiveness Research into Self-management (COPERS): statistical analysis plan for a randomised controlled trial
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated
Carrier-envelope phase control over pathway interference in strong-field dissociation of H
The dissociation of an H molecular-ion beam by linearly polarized,
carrier-envelope-phase-tagged 5 fs pulses at 4W/cm with a
central wavelength of 730 nm was studied using a coincidence 3D momentum
imaging technique. Carrier-envelope-phase-dependent asymmetries in the emission
direction of H fragments relative to the laser polarization were observed.
These asymmetries are caused by interference of odd and even photon number
pathways, where net-zero photon and 1-photon interference predominantly
contributes at H+H kinetic energy releases of 0.2 -- 0.45 eV, and
net-2-photon and 1-photon interference contributes at 1.65 -- 1.9 eV. These
measurements of the benchmark H molecule offer the distinct advantage
that they can be quantitatively compared with \textit{ab initio} theory to
confirm our understanding of strong-field coherent control via the
carrier-envelope phase
Understanding the role of shame and its consequences in female hypersexual behaviours: A pilot study
Background and aims:
Hypersexuality and sexual addiction among females is a little understudied phenomenon. Shame is thought to be intrinsic to hypersexual behaviours, especially in women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand both hypersexual behaviours and consequences of hypersexual behaviours and their respective contributions to shame in a British sample of females (n = 102).
Methods:
Data were collected online via Survey Monkey.
Results:
Results showed the Sexual Behaviour History (SBH) and the Hypersexual Disorder Questionnaire (HDQ) had significant positive correlation with scores on the Shame Inventory. The results indicated that hypersexual behaviours (HBI and HDQ) were able to predict a small percentage of the variability in shame once sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. non-heterosexual) and religious beliefs (belief vs. no belief) were controlled for. Results also showed there was no evidence that religious affiliation and/or religious beliefs had an influence on the levels of hypersexuality and consequences of sexual behaviours as predictors of shame.
Conclusions:
While women in the UK are rapidly shifting to a feminist way of thinking with or without technology, hypersexual disorder may often be misdiagnosed and misunderstood because of the lack of understanding and how it is conceptualised. The implications of these findings are discussed
Note: Position dependence of time signals picked off a microchannel plate detector
Citation: Ablikim, U., Zohrabi, M., Jochim, B., Berry, B., Severt, T., Carnes, K. D., & Ben-Itzhak, I. (2015). Note: Position dependence of time signals picked off a microchannel plate detector. Review of Scientific Instruments, 86(1), 3. doi:10.1063/1.4906327Using an ultrafast laser and a precision mask, we demonstrate that time signals picked off directly from a microchannel plate detector depend on the position of the hit. This causes a time spread of about 280 ps, which can affect the quality of imaging measurements using large detectors. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC
A Systematic Review of Online Sex Addiction and Clinical Treatments Using CONSORT Evaluation
Researchers have suggested that the advances of the Internet over the past two decades have gradually eliminated traditional offline methods of obtaining sexual material. Additionally, research on cybersex and/or online sex addictions has increased alongside the development of online technology. The present study extended the findings from Griffiths’ (2012) systematic empirical review of online sex addiction by additionally investigating empirical studies that implemented and/or documented clinical treatments for online sex addiction in adults. A total of nine studies were identified and then each underwent a CONSORT evaluation. The main findings of the present review provide some evidence to suggest that some treatments (both psychological and/or pharmacological) provide positive outcomes among those experiencing difficulties with online sex addiction. Similar to Griffiths’ original review, this study recommends that further research is warranted to establish the efficacy of empirically driven treatments for online sex addiction
The targeted delivery of multicomponent cargos to cancer cells by nanoporous particle-supported lipid bilayers.
Encapsulation of drugs within nanocarriers that selectively target malignant cells promises to mitigate side effects of conventional chemotherapy and to enable delivery of the unique drug combinations needed for personalized medicine. To realize this potential, however, targeted nanocarriers must simultaneously overcome multiple challenges, including specificity, stability and a high capacity for disparate cargos. Here we report porous nanoparticle-supported lipid bilayers (protocells) that synergistically combine properties of liposomes and nanoporous particles. Protocells modified with a targeting peptide that binds to human hepatocellular carcinoma exhibit a 10,000-fold greater affinity for human hepatocellular carcinoma than for hepatocytes, endothelial cells or immune cells. Furthermore, protocells can be loaded with combinations of therapeutic (drugs, small interfering RNA and toxins) and diagnostic (quantum dots) agents and modified to promote endosomal escape and nuclear accumulation of selected cargos. The enormous capacity of the high-surface-area nanoporous core combined with the enhanced targeting efficacy enabled by the fluid supported lipid bilayer enable a single protocell loaded with a drug cocktail to kill a drug-resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cell, representing a 10(6)-fold improvement over comparable liposomes
Methodological criteria for the assessment of moderators in systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials : a consensus study
Background: Current methodological guidelines provide advice about the assessment of sub-group analysis within
RCTs, but do not specify explicit criteria for assessment. Our objective was to provide researchers with a set of
criteria that will facilitate the grading of evidence for moderators, in systematic reviews.
Method: We developed a set of criteria from methodological manuscripts (n = 18) using snowballing technique,
and electronic database searches. Criteria were reviewed by an international Delphi panel (n = 21), comprising
authors who have published methodological papers in this area, and researchers who have been active in the
study of sub-group analysis in RCTs. We used the Research ANd Development/University of California Los Angeles
appropriateness method to assess consensus on the quantitative data. Free responses were coded for consensus
and disagreement. In a subsequent round additional criteria were extracted from the Cochrane Reviewers’
Handbook, and the process was repeated.
Results: The recommendations are that meta-analysts report both confirmatory and exploratory findings for subgroups
analysis. Confirmatory findings must only come from studies in which a specific theory/evidence based apriori
statement is made. Exploratory findings may be used to inform future/subsequent trials. However, for
inclusion in the meta-analysis of moderators, the following additional criteria should be applied to each study:
Baseline factors should be measured prior to randomisation, measurement of baseline factors should be of
adequate reliability and validity, and a specific test of the interaction between baseline factors and interventions
must be presented.
Conclusions: There is consensus from a group of 21 international experts that methodological criteria to assess
moderators within systematic reviews of RCTs is both timely and necessary. The consensus from the experts
resulted in five criteria divided into two groups when synthesising evidence: confirmatory findings to support
hypotheses about moderators and exploratory findings to inform future research. These recommendations are
discussed in reference to previous recommendations for evaluating and reporting moderator studies
Early whole blood transcriptional responses to radiation-attenuated; Plasmodium falciparum; sporozoite vaccination in malaria naive and malaria pre-exposed adult volunteers
BACKGROUND: Vaccination with radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites is known to induce protective immunity. However, the mechanisms underlying this protection remain unclear. In this work, two recent radiation-attenuated sporozoite vaccination studies were used to identify potential transcriptional correlates of vaccination-induced protection. METHODS: Longitudinal whole blood RNAseq transcriptome responses to immunization with radiation-attenuated P. falciparum sporozoites were analysed and compared across malaria-naive adult participants (IMRAS) and malaria-experienced adult participants (BSPZV1). Parasite dose and method of delivery differed between trials, and immunization regimens were designed to achieve incomplete protective efficacy. Observed protective efficacy was 55% in IMRAS and 20% in BSPZV1. Study vaccine dosings were chosen to elicit both protected and non-protected subjects, so that protection-associated responses could be identified. RESULTS: Analysis of comparable time points up to 1 week after the first vaccination revealed a shared cross-study transcriptional response programme, despite large differences in number and magnitude of differentially expressed genes between trials. A time-dependent regulatory programme of coherent blood transcriptional modular responses was observed, involving induction of inflammatory responses 1-3 days post-vaccination, with cell cycle responses apparent by day 7 in protected individuals from both trials. Additionally, strongly increased induction of inflammation and interferon-associated responses was seen in non-protected IMRAS participants. All individuals, except for non-protected BSPZV1 participants, showed robust upregulation of cell-cycle associated transcriptional responses post vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, despite stark differences between the two studies, including route of vaccination and status of malaria exposure, responses were identified that were associated with protection after PfRAS vaccination. These comprised a moderate early interferon response peaking 2 days post vaccination, followed by a later proliferative cell cycle response steadily increasing over the first 7 days post vaccination. Non-protection is associated with deviations from this model, observed in this study with over-induction of early interferon responses in IMRAS and failure to mount a cell cycle response in BSPZV1
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