Association between frequency of telephonic contact and clinical testing for a large, geographically diverse diabetes disease management population

Diabetes disease management (DM) programs strive to promote healthy behaviors, including obtaining hemoglobin A1c (A1c) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) tests as part of standards of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between frequency of telephonic contact and A1c and LDL testing rates. A total of 245,668 members continuously enrolled in diabetes DM programs were evaluated for performance of an A1c or LDL test during their first 12 months in the programs. The association between the number of calls a member received and clinical testing rates was examined. Members who received four calls demonstrated a 24.1% and 21.5% relative increase in A1c and LDL testing rates, respectively, compared to members who received DM mailings alone. Response to the telephonic intervention as part of the diabetes DM programs was influenced by member characteristics including gender, age, and disease burden. For example, females who received four calls achieved a 27.7% and 23.6% increase in A1c and LDL testing, respectively, compared to females who received mailings alone; by comparison, males who were called achieved 21.2% and 19.9% relative increase in A1c and LDL testing, respectively, compared to those who received mailings alone. This study demonstrates a positive association between frequency of telephonic contact and increased performance of an A1c or LDL test in a large, diverse diabetes population participating in DM programs. The impact of member characteristics on the responsiveness to these programs provides DM program designers with knowledge for developing strategies to promote healthy behaviors and improve diabetes outcomes

Measurement of B(t->Wb)/B(t->Wq) at the Collider Detector at Fermilab

We present a measurement of the ratio of top-quark branching fractions R= B(t -> Wb)/B(t -> Wq), where q can be a b, s or a d quark, using lepton-plus-jets and dilepton data sets with integrated luminosity of ~162 pb^{-1} collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab during Run II of the Tevatron. The measurement is derived from the relative numbers of t-tbar events with different multiplicity of identified secondary vertices. We set a lower limit of R > 0.61 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, published in Physical Review Letters; changes made to be consistent with published versio

Search for ZZ and ZW Production in ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for ZZ and ZW vector boson pair production in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV using the leptonic decay channels ZZ --> ll nu nu, ZZ --> l l l' l' and ZW --> l l l' nu. In a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 194 pb-1 collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab, 3 candidate events are found with an expected background of 1.0 +/- 0.2 events. We set a 95% confidence level upper limit of 15.2 pb on the cross section for ZZ plus ZW production, compared to the standard model prediction of 5.0 +/- 0.4 pb.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. This version is accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. D Rapid Communication

Measurement of the Cross Section for Prompt Diphoton Production in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

We report a measurement of the rate of prompt diphoton production in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96 ~\hbox{TeV}$ using a data sample of 207 pb$^{-1}$ collected with the upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF II). The background from non-prompt sources is determined using a statistical method based on differences in the electromagnetic showers. The cross section is measured as a function of the diphoton mass, the transverse momentum of the diphoton system, and the azimuthal angle between the two photons and is found to be consistent with perturbative QCD predictions.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures,revtex4. Version accepted by PRL, but with cross section tables i

Search for long-lived doubly charged Higgs bosons in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We present a search for long-lived doubly charged Higgs bosons (H+/-+/-), with signatures of high ionization energy loss and muonlike penetration. We use 292 pb(-1) of data collected in p (p) over bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Observing no evidence of long-lived doubly charged particle production, we exclude H-L(+/-+/-) and H-R(+/-+/-) bosons with masses below 133 GeV/c(2) and 109 GeV/c(2), respectively. In the degenerate case we exclude H+/-+/- mass below 146 GeV/c(2). All limits are quoted at the 95% confidence level

Green tea polyphenols prevent toxin-induced hepatotoxicity in mice by down-regulating inducible nitric oxide-derived prooxidants

Background: Recently, considerable attention has been focused on dietary and medicinal phytochemicals that inhibit, reverse, or retard diseases caused by oxidative and inflammatory processes. Green tea polyphenols have both antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. Objective: We examined the effects of green tea polyphenols in carbon tetrachloride-treated mice, a model of liver injury in which oxidant stress and cytokine production are intimately linked. We tested the effect of a pure form of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol in green tea, in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride. Design: Eight-week-old ICR mice were administered 20 μL/CCl 4 kg dissolved in olive oil. Two different doses of EGCG, 50 and 75 mg/kg, were tested. Control mice were treated with saline and olive oil. We analyzed liver histopathology, lipid peroxidation, and messenger RNA and protein concentrations of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Additionally, nitric oxide-generated radicals were assessed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and protein concentrations were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results: Carbon tetrachloride administration caused an intense degree of liver necrosis associated with increases in lipid peroxidation, inducible nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA and protein, nitrotyrosine, and nitric oxide radicals. EGCG administration led to a dose-dependent decrease in all of the histologic and biochemical variables of liver injury observed in the carbon tetrachloride-treated mice. Conclusions: Green tea polyphenols reduce the severity of liver injury in association with lower concentrations of lipid peroxidation and proinflammatory nitric oxide-generated mediators. Green tea polyphenols can be a useful supplement in the treatment of liver disease and should be considered for liver conditions in which proinflammatory and oxidant stress responses are dominant. © 2004 American Society for Clinical Nutrition.link_to_OA_fulltex