Expressed willingness to participate in five-year anal cancer prevention study after participation in previous anal cancer prevention study

INTRODUCTION: Anal cancer is increasing in the population, especially in HIV positive individuals. The group that currently has the highest incidence of anal cancer is HIV positive men who have sex with men. There are a number of treatment methods available to prevent pre-cancerous lesions called high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) from developing into cancer, however, these treatments are not currently routine. Randomized control trials are currently being conducted to assess the efficacy of these treatments in preventing anal cancer in high-risk populations. It is important to understand the motivations of individuals who are seeking to participate in anal cancer prevention studies. It is also important to learn about the experiences of participants who have enrolled in anal cancer prevention studies, and have in some situations undergone invasive procedures to treat their HSIL. METHODS: Participants in the AMC 076 study, an anal cancer prevention randomized control trial were recruited for the IMPACT 076 study. Two phone interviews were conducted and audio recordings were saved. Transcripts of the first set of interviews for 21 participants were analyzed and coded to gather qualitative data on the willingness of participants in the AMC 076 study to participate in a five-year anal cancer prevention study based on their experiences with pain and/or side effects in AMC 076. The research question about participation in the five-year study was hypothetical and not for the purpose of recruitment for the five-year study. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: We categorized participants into one of four groups: treatment group/treatment naïve, treatment group/treatment experienced, observation group/ treatment naive, and observation group/treatment experienced. When considering all participants who have received treatment at some point (either in the study or before the study), nine out of the thirteen would be willing to participate in the five-year study, three would not, and one was undecided. CONCLUSION: We concluded that previous pain or side effects did not appear to deter participants from participating in a five-year study. Based on the results of this study, the most common motivator for participation appeared to be altruism. The most common deterrent for participating in the five-year study was participants feeling that five years is too long to have their HSIL left untreated if they were to be randomized to the observation arm of the five-year study. Overall, participants were willing to deal with the pain and/or side effects of the exams and/or treatments in exchange for the feeling confident that their HSIL was removed or monitored and their risk of developing anal cancer is greatly reduced.2018-06-16T00:00:00

A review of the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings

The aim of this review was to systematically review the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings (acute, maternity and mental health settings). The initial search and screening stages were combined with a parallel review of the barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings conducted by members of the same research team.The review aimed to address the following questions:Question 1: How effective are strategies and interventions for ensuring compliance with smokefree legislation and local smokefree policies in secondary care settings?Subsidiary question: How does the effectiveness vary for different population groups, health status or speciality care services?Question 2: Are there any unintended consequences from adopting smokefree approaches in acute and maternity care settings?Question 3: Are there any unintended consequences from adopting smokefree approaches in mental healthcare settings?As the extent of evidence on the effectiveness of smokefree strategies was limited to two studies for Question 1, the data are also presented from identified effectiveness studies with a comparative design to measure indicators of compliance in settings which had a smokefree policy with at least one supporting strategy covering the whole estate or an indoors-only policy

A review of the barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings

The aim of this review was to systematically review the barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings (acute, maternity and mental health settings) from service users' and service providers' perspectives. The initial search and screening stages were combined with a parallel review of the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings conducted by members of the same research team.This review aimed to address one overarching question; what are the barriers and facilitators affecting adoption of, support for, and compliance with smokefree policies in secondary care settings?; and was guided by three subsidiary questions: How does support for smokefree policy differ by population group, service provider and type of policy? What factors have an impact on acceptance of smokefree policies? What are the adverse events and other consequences associated with smokefree policies

Development and initial validation of a school self-assessment tool to measure the extent to which schools are prepared to prevent and respond to cyberbullying and other challenges to the school social environment

Bullying, which includes cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying, is amongst the most pervasive threats to the wellbeing of children and young people. As social environments, schools are at the forefront of managing bullying behaviours. The rapidly changing and complex nature of bullying requires schools to put in place and maintain systems to prepare for and respond to such activities, and to continually test and refine these systems to ensure optimal performance. Despite this clear need, there is a lack of school level, self-assessment tools that enable schools to assess and measure their preparedness to deal with bullying and related disruptive activities. The aim of this paper was to describe the development, and reliability and validity testing, of such a tool—the School Self-Assessment Tool. The result is a 22-item, evidence-based, reliable, and validated instrument, situated within socio-ecological theory, and drawing on theories of behaviourism, social learning theory, prevention science, and systems change in the school climate literature. Schools may use the SSAT-22 in a number of ways depending on their needs, including to monitor progress, examine areas of strengths or challenges, and/or assist in collaborative efforts with other schools

Associations of gestational weight gain with maternal body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure measured 16 y after pregnancy: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)1234

Background: Little is known about associations of gestational weight gain (GWG) with long-term maternal health

Measuring met and unmet assistive technology needs at the national level: Comparing national database collection tools across eight case countries

The development and implementation of assistive technology policy that meets the needs of citizens is dependent on accurate data collection and reporting of assistive technology use and unmet needs on a national level. This study reviews the methodology from instruments intended to capture national statistics on assistive technology use across eight case countries from varying regions and income levels. Recommendations are provided, which highlight the need for mandatory, census level data collection according to international standards for data collection in the areas of disability and assistive technology

The Ninth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) presents the first spectroscopic data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). This ninth data release (DR9) of the SDSS project includes 535,995 new galaxy spectra (median z=0.52), 102,100 new quasar spectra (median z=2.32), and 90,897 new stellar spectra, along with the data presented in previous data releases. These spectra were obtained with the new BOSS spectrograph and were taken between 2009 December and 2011 July. In addition, the stellar parameters pipeline, which determines radial velocities, surface temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities of stars, has been updated and refined with improvements in temperature estimates for stars with T_eff<5000 K and in metallicity estimates for stars with [Fe/H]>-0.5. DR9 includes new stellar parameters for all stars presented in DR8, including stars from SDSS-I and II, as well as those observed as part of the SDSS-III Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration-2 (SEGUE-2). The astrometry error introduced in the DR8 imaging catalogs has been corrected in the DR9 data products. The next data release for SDSS-III will be in Summer 2013, which will present the first data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) along with another year of data from BOSS, followed by the final SDSS-III data release in December 2014.Comment: 9 figures; 2 tables. Submitted to ApJS. DR9 is available at http://www.sdss3.org/dr

Multiscale characterisation of chimneys/pipes: Fluid escape structures within sedimentary basins

Evaluation of seismic reflection data has identified the presence of fluid escape structures cross-cutting overburden stratigraphy within sedimentary basins globally. Seismically-imaged chimneys/pipes are considered to be possible pathways for fluid flow, which may hydraulically connect deeper strata to the seabed. The properties of fluid migration pathways through the overburden must be constrained to enable secure, long-term subsurface carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. We have investigated a site of natural active fluid escape in the North Sea, the Scanner pockmark complex, to determine the physical characteristics of focused fluid conduits, and how they control fluid flow. Here we show that a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary experimental approach is required for complete characterisation of fluid escape structures. Geophysical techniques are necessary to resolve fracture geometry and subsurface structure (e.g., multi-frequency seismics) and physical parameters of sediments (e.g., controlled source electromagnetics) across a wide range of length scales (m to km). At smaller (mm to cm) scales, sediment cores were sampled directly and their physical and chemical properties assessed using laboratory-based methods. Numerical modelling approaches bridge the resolution gap, though their validity is dependent on calibration and constraint from field and laboratory experimental data. Further, time-lapse seismic and acoustic methods capable of resolving temporal changes are key for determining fluid flux. Future optimisation of experiment resource use may be facilitated by the installation of permanent seabed infrastructure, and replacement of manual data processing with automated workflows. This study can be used to inform measurement, monitoring and verification workflows that will assist policymaking, regulation, and best practice for CO2 subsurface storage operations

Predictors of incomplete COVID-19 vaccine schedule among adults in Scotland: two retrospective cohort analyses of the primary schedule and third dose

Background: Vaccination continues to be the key public health measure for preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes. Certain groups may be at higher risk of incomplete vaccine schedule, which may leave them vulnerable to COVID-19 hospitalisation and death. Aim: To identify the sociodemographic and clinical predictors for not receiving a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine after previously receiving one. Methods: We conducted two retrospective cohort studies with ≥3.7 million adults aged ≥18 years in Scotland. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of not receiving a second, and separately a third dose between December 2020 and May 2022. Independent variables included sociodemographic and clinical factors. Results: Of 3,826,797 people in the study population who received one dose, 3,732,596 (97.5%) received two doses, and 3,263,153 (86.5%) received all doses available during the study period. The most strongly associated predictors for not receiving the second dose were: being aged 18–29 (reference: 50–59 years; aOR:4.26; 95% confidence interval (CI):4.14–4.37); hospitalisation due to a potential vaccine related adverse event of special interest (AESI) (reference: not having a potential AESI, aOR:3.78; 95%CI: 3.29–4.35); and living in the most deprived quintile (reference: least deprived quintile, aOR:3.24; 95%CI: 3.16–3.32). The most strongly associated predictors for not receiving the third dose were: being 18–29 (reference: 50–59 years aOR:4.44; 95%CI: 4.38–4.49), living in the most deprived quintile (reference: least deprived quintile aOR:2.56; 95%CI: 2.53–2.59), and Black, Caribbean, or African ethnicity (reference: White ethnicity aOR:2.38; 95%CI: 2.30–2.46). Pregnancy, previous vaccination with mRNA-1273, smoking history, individual and household severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positivity, and having an unvaccinated adult in the household were also associated with incomplete vaccine schedule. Conclusion: We observed several risk factors that predict incomplete COVID-19 vaccination schedule. Vaccination programmes must take immediate action to ensure maximum uptake, particularly for populations vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes

Valorising faba bean residual biomass : Effect of farming system and planting time on the potential for biofuel production

Research was carried out in southern Italy with the aim to assess the quality of faba bean residual biomass and its potential for biorefinery application. Faba bean is a sustainable crop, due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, and a large amount of biomass remains after harvest which can be valorised for energy production. Greenhouse and early planting are known to affect pod yield and, in this respect, even the residual biomass quality needs to be assessed. For this purpose, the effects of five planting times (i.e. the dates of transplants ranging from 27 September to 22 November at two-week interval, earlier and later than the common planting date of 25 October in Naples province) on pods yield, residual biomass, and saccharification potential were evaluated in faba bean grown in open field and in greenhouse. The third planting time resulted in the highest fruit and residual biomass yield under greenhouse, whereas the fourth was the best in open field. Harvest index was best affected by the third and fourth planting times in open field. Greenhouse grown biomass showed higher values of lignin, hemicellulose and pectin, compared to open field, whereas the opposite trend was recorded with cellulose. Lignin content showed a gradual decrease from the first to the last planting time (17.7%–13.7% biomass fraction respectively), as well as pectin (from 14.1 to 11.5% biomass fraction); conversely, cellulose increased from the first to the last planting time (from 41.1 to 48.7% biomass fraction). Glucose was the most represented monosaccharide (46.7 mol%), followed by xylose (27.4 mol%) and galactose (9.9 mol%). Overall, the potential of faba bean residual biomass for energy production was best affected by open field growing, the latest planting time and alkali pre-treatment, the latter giving the highest value of saccharification (60.7 g kg−1 h−1 compared to 27.6 relevant to hot water pre-treatment)