Assessing rotation-invariant feature classification for automated wildebeest population counts

Accurate and on-demand animal population counts are the holy grail for wildlife conservation organizations throughout the world because they enable fast and responsive adaptive management policies. While the collection of image data from camera traps, satellites, and manned or unmanned aircraft has advanced significantly, the detection and identification of animals within images remains a major bottleneck since counting is primarily conducted by dedicated enumerators or citizen scientists. Recent developments in the field of computer vision suggest a potential resolution to this issue through the use of rotation-invariant object descriptors combined with machine learning algorithms. Here we implement an algorithm to detect and count wildebeest from aerial images collected in the Serengeti National Park in 2009 as part of the biennial wildebeest count. We find that the per image error rates are greater than, but comparable to, two separate human counts. For the total count, the algorithm is more accurate than both manual counts, suggesting that human counters have a tendency to systematically over or under count images. While the accuracy of the algorithm is not yet at an acceptable level for fully automatic counts, our results show this method is a promising avenue for further research and we highlight specific areas where future research should focus in order to develop fast and accurate enumeration of aerial count data. If combined with a bespoke image collection protocol, this approach may yield a fully automated wildebeest count in the near future.CJT is supported by a Complex Systems Scholar Award from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. JGCH is supported by a Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Fellowship, funding from the British Ecological Society and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 641918 AfricanBioServices. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

A web-based intervention for users of amphetamine-type stimulants: 3-month outcomes of randomized controlled trial

Background: Among illicit drugs, the prevalence of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use is second only to cannabis. Currently, there are no approved pharmacotherapies for ATS problems, but some face-to-face psychotherapies are effective. Web-based interventions have proven to be effective for some substance use problems, but none has specifically targeted ATS users. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based intervention for ATS problems on a free-to-access site compared with a waitlist control group. Methods: We used a randomized controlled trial design. The primary outcome measure was self-reported ATS use in the past three months assessed using the Alcohol, Smoking, Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Other measures included quality of life (EUROHIS score), psychological distress (K-10 score), days out of role, poly-drug use, general help-seeking intentions, actual help-seeking, and “readiness to change”. The intervention consisted of three fully automated, self-guided modules based on cognitive behavioral therapy and motivation enhancement. The analysis was an intention-to-treat analysis using generalized estimating equation models, with a group by time interaction as the critical assessment.Results: We randomized 160 people (intervention n=81, control n=79). At three months, 35/81 (43%) intervention and 45/79 (57%) control participants provided follow-up data. In the intervention group, 51/81 (63%) completed at least one module. The only significant group by time interaction was for days out of role. The pre/post change effect sizes showed small changes (range d=0.14 to 0.40) favoring the intervention group for poly-drug use, distress, actual help-seeking, and days out of role. In contrast, the control group was favored by reductions in ATS use, improvements in quality of life, and increases in help-seeking intentions (range d=0.09 to 0.16). Conclusions: This Web-based intervention for ATS use produced few significant changes in outcome measures. There were moderate, but nonsignificant reductions in poly-drug use, distress, days partially out of role, and increases in help-seeking. However, high levels of participant attrition, plus low levels of engagement with the modules, preclude firm conclusions being drawn on the efficacy of the intervention and emphasize the problems of engaging this group of clients in a fully automated program

Successful ACL reconstruction with a variant of the pes anserinus

An anatomical variant of the pes anserinus encountered during anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery which has not been previously described is discussed. During routine harvesting, the sartorius fascia was incised and the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were identified. At the distal portion, it was noted that each tendon gave off an additional tendinous slip. The slip from the semitendinosus tendon had attached to the gracilis tendon and vice versa, thereby creating a double pes anserinus. This variant was used to construct the graft, and at 1 year review the patient had returned to full sporting activities with no complications encountered

A Participatory Health Promotion Mobile App Addressing Alcohol Use Problems (The Daybreak Program): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: At-risk patterns of alcohol use are prevalent in many countries with significant costs to individuals, families, and society. Screening and brief interventions, including with Web delivery, are effective but with limited translation into practice to date. Previous observational studies of the Hello Sunday Morning approach have found that their unique Web-based participatory health communication method has resulted in a reduction of at-risk alcohol use between baseline and 3 months. The Hello Sunday Morning blog program asks participants to publicly set a personal goal to stop drinking or reduce their consumption for a set period of time, and to record their reflections and progress on blogs and social networks. Daybreak is Hello Sunday Morning's evidence-based behavior change program, which is designed to support people looking to change their relationship with alcohol. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to systematically evaluate different versions of Hello Sunday Morning's Daybreak program (with and without coaching support) in reducing at-risk alcohol use. METHODS: We will use a between groups randomized control design. New participants enrolling in the Daybreak program will be eligible to be randomized to receive either (1) the Daybreak program, including peer support plus behavioral experiments (these encourage and guide participants in developing new skills in the areas of mindfulness, connectedness, resilience, situational strategies, and health), or (2) the Daybreak program, including the same peer support plus behavioral experiments, but with online coaching support. We will recruit 467 people per group to detect an effect size of f=0.10. To be eligible, participants must be resident in Australia, aged =18 years, score =8 on the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), and not report prior treatment for cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure will be reduction in the AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scores. Secondary outcomes include mental health (Kessler's K-10), days out of role (Kessler), alcohol consumed (measured with a 7-day drinking diary in standard 10 g drinks), and alcohol-related harms (CORE alcohol and drug survey). We will collect data at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months and analyze them with random effects models, given the correlated data structure. CONCLUSIONS: A randomized trial is required to provide robust evidence of the impact of the online coaching component of the Daybreak program, including over an extended period

Further insights into the operation of the Chinese number system: Competing effects of Arabic and Mandarin number formats

Here we report the results of a speeded relative quantity task with Chinese participants. On each trial a single numeral (the probe) was presented and the instructions were to respond as to whether it signified a quantity less than or greater than five (the standard). In separate blocks of trials, the numerals were either presented in Mandarin or in Arabic number formats. In addition to the standard influence of numerical distance, a significant predictor of performance was the degree of physical similarity between the probe and the standard as depicted in Mandarin. Additionally, competing effects of physical similarity, defined in terms of the Arabic number format, were also found. Critically the size of these different effects of physical similarity varied systematically across individuals such that larger effects of one compensated for smaller effects of the other. It is argued that the data favor accounts of processing that assume that different number formats access different format-specific representations of quantities. Moreover, for Chinese participants the default is to translate numerals into a Mandarin format prior to accessing quantity information. The efficacy of this translation process is itself influenced by a competing tendency to carry out a translation into Arabic format

IGF-1 and IGF-Binding Proteins and Bone Mass, Geometry, and Strength: Relation to Metabolic Control in Adolescent Girls With Type 1 Diabetes

Children and adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at risk for decreased bone mass. Growth hormone (GH) and its mediator, IGF-1, promote skeletal growth. Recent observations have suggested that children and adolescents with T1DM are at risk for decreased bone mineral acquisition. We examined the relationships between metabolic control, IGF-1 and its binding proteins (IGFBP-1, -3, -5), and bone mass in T1DM in adolescent girls 12–15 yr of age with T1DM (n = 11) and matched controls (n = 10). Subjects were admitted overnight and given a standardized diet. Periodic blood samples were obtained, and bone measurements were performed. Serum GH, IGFBP-1 and -5, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), glucose, and urine magnesium levels were higher and IGF-1 values were lower in T1DM compared with controls (p < 0.05). Whole body BMC/bone area (BA), femoral neck areal BMD (aBMD) and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD), and tibia cortical BMC were lower in T1DM (p < 0.05). Poor diabetes control predicted lower IGF-1 (r2 = 0.21) and greater IGFBP-1 (r2 = 0.39), IGFBP-5 (r2 = 0.38), and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP; r2 = 0.41, p < 0.05). Higher urine magnesium excretion predicted an overall shorter, lighter skeleton, and lower tibia cortical bone size, mineral, and density (r2 = 0.44–0.75, p < 0.05). In the T1DM cohort, earlier age at diagnosis was predictive of lower IGF-1, higher urine magnesium excretion, and lighter, thinner cortical bone (r2 ≥ 0.45, p < 0.01). We conclude that poor metabolic control alters the GH/IGF-1 axis, whereas greater urine magnesium excretion may reflect subtle changes in renal function and/or glucosuria leading to altered bone size and density in adolescent girls with T1DM

Six-month outcomes of a web-based intervention for users of amphetamine-type stimulants: Randomized controlled trial

Background: The use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) places a large burden on health services.Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-guided Web-based intervention (“breakingtheice”) for ATS users over 6 months via a free-to-access site.Methods: We conducted a randomized trial comparing a waitlist control with a fully automated intervention containing 3 modules derived from cognitive behavioral therapy and motivation enhancement. The main outcome was self-reported ATS use in the past 3 months assessed at 3- and 6-month follow-ups using the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Secondary outcomes were help-seeking intentions (general help-seeking questionnaire), actual help seeking (actual help-seeking questionnaire), psychological distress (Kessler 10), polydrug use (ASSIST), quality of life (European Health Interview Survey), days out of role, and readiness to change. Follow-up data were evaluated using an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis with a group by time interaction.Results: We randomized 160 people (intervention: n=81; control: n=79). At 6 months, 38 of 81 (47%) intervention and 41 of 79 (52%) control participants provided data. ATS scores significantly declined for both groups, but the interaction effect was not significant. There were significant ITT time by group interactions for actual help seeking (rate ratio [RR] 2.16; d=0.45) and help-seeking intentions (RR 1.17; d=0.32), with help seeking increasing for the intervention group and declining for the control group. There were also significant interactions for days completely (RR 0.50) and partially (RR 0.74) out of role favoring the intervention group. However, 37% (30/81) of the intervention group did not complete even 1 module.Conclusions: This self-guided Web-based intervention encouraged help seeking associated with ATS use and reduced days out of role, but it did not reduce ATS use. Thus, this program provides a means of engaging with some sections of a difficult-to-reach group to encourage treatment, but a substantial minority remained disengaged.Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000947909;https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=343307 (Archived by WebCite athttp://www.webcitation.org/6Y0PGGp8q).URL http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3778</a

The Rourke Baby Record Infant/Child Maintenance Guide: do doctors use it, do they find it useful, and does using it improve their well-baby visit records?

Background. The Rourke Baby Record (RBR) - http://www.rourkebabyrecord.ca - is a freely available evidence-based structured form for child health surveillance from zero to five years. Family physicians/general practitioners (FP/GPs) doing office based well-baby care in three Ontario Canada cities (London, Ottawa, and Toronto) were randomly sampled to study the prevalence and utility of the RBR and documentation of well-baby visits. Methods. Database with telephone confirmation was conducted to assess the prevalence of use of the RBR. Study Part 1: Questionnaire mailed to a random sample of 100 RBR users. Outcome measures were utility of, helpfulness of, and suggestions for the RBR. Descriptive analysis was employed. Study Part 2: Retrospective chart review of well-baby visits by 38 FP/GPs using student t-tests and factor analysis. Outcome measures were well-baby visit documentation of growth, nutrition, safety issues, developmental milestones, physical examination, and overall comprehensiveness. Results. The RBR was used by 78.5% (402/512) of successfully contacted FP/GPs who did well-baby care in these 3 cities. Study Part 1: Questionnaire respondents (N = 41/100) used the RBR in several ways, and found it most helpful for assessing healthy child development, charting/recording the visits, managing time effectively, addressing parent concerns, identifying health problems, and identifying high risk situations. The RBR was seen to be least helpful as a tool for managing or for referring identified health problems. Study Part 2: Charts from a total of 1,378 well-baby visits on 176 children were audited. Well-baby care provided by the 20 FP/GPs who used the RBR compared to that by the 18 non-users was statistically more likely to include documentation of type of feeding (p = 0.023), discussion of safety issues (p < 0.001), assessment of development (p = 0.001), and overall comprehensiveness (p < 0.001). Well-baby care provided by the RBR users compared to that by the non-users was not more likely to include documentation of measurement of growth (p = 0.097), or physical examination (p = 0.828). Conclusion. The RBR was widely used by FP/GPs in these settings. RBR users found it helpful for many purposes, and had a consistently high rate of documentation of many aspects of well-baby care. The Rourke Baby Record has become a de facto gold standard clinical practice tool in knowledge translation for pediatric preventive medicine and health surveillance for primary care pediatric providers

Evaluation of the current knowledge limitations in breast cancer research: a gap analysis

BACKGROUND A gap analysis was conducted to determine which areas of breast cancer research, if targeted by researchers and funding bodies, could produce the greatest impact on patients. METHODS Fifty-six Breast Cancer Campaign grant holders and prominent UK breast cancer researchers participated in a gap analysis of current breast cancer research. Before, during and following the meeting, groups in seven key research areas participated in cycles of presentation, literature review and discussion. Summary papers were prepared by each group and collated into this position paper highlighting the research gaps, with recommendations for action. RESULTS Gaps were identified in all seven themes. General barriers to progress were lack of financial and practical resources, and poor collaboration between disciplines. Critical gaps in each theme included: (1) genetics (knowledge of genetic changes, their effects and interactions); (2) initiation of breast cancer (how developmental signalling pathways cause ductal elongation and branching at the cellular level and influence stem cell dynamics, and how their disruption initiates tumour formation); (3) progression of breast cancer (deciphering the intracellular and extracellular regulators of early progression, tumour growth, angiogenesis and metastasis); (4) therapies and targets (understanding who develops advanced disease); (5) disease markers (incorporating intelligent trial design into all studies to ensure new treatments are tested in patient groups stratified using biomarkers); (6) prevention (strategies to prevent oestrogen-receptor negative tumours and the long-term effects of chemoprevention for oestrogen-receptor positive tumours); (7) psychosocial aspects of cancer (the use of appropriate psychosocial interventions, and the personal impact of all stages of the disease among patients from a range of ethnic and demographic backgrounds). CONCLUSION Through recommendations to address these gaps with future research, the long-term benefits to patients will include: better estimation of risk in families with breast cancer and strategies to reduce risk; better prediction of drug response and patient prognosis; improved tailoring of treatments to patient subgroups and development of new therapeutic approaches; earlier initiation of treatment; more effective use of resources for screening populations; and an enhanced experience for people with or at risk of breast cancer and their families. The challenge to funding bodies and researchers in all disciplines is to focus on these gaps and to drive advances in knowledge into improvements in patient care

Emergence of new Salmonella Enteritidis phage types in Europe? Surveillance of infections in returning travellers

BACKGROUND: Among human Salmonella Enteritidis infections, phage type 4 has been the dominant phage type in most countries in Western Europe during the last years. This is reflected in Salmonella infections among Swedish travellers returning from abroad. However, there are differences in phage type distribution between the countries, and this has also changed over time. METHODS: We used data from the Swedish infectious disease register and the national reference laboratory to describe phage type distribution of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in Swedish travellers from 1997 to 2002, and have compared this with national studies conducted in the countries visited. RESULTS: Infections among Swedish travellers correlate well with national studies conducted in the countries visited. In 2001 a change in phage type distribution in S. Enteritidis infections among Swedish travellers returning from some countries in southern Europe was observed, and a previously rare phage type (PT 14b) became one of the most commonly diagnosed that year, continuing into 2002 and 2003. CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance of infections among returning travellers can be helpful in detecting emerging infections and outbreaks in tourist destinations. The information needs to be communicated rapidly to all affected countries in order to expedite the implementation of appropriate investigations and preventive measures