The effect of different cardiovascular risk presentation formats on intentions, understanding and emotional affect: a randomised controlled trial using a web-based risk formatter (protocol)

Background The future risk of heart disease can be predicted with increasing precision. However, more research is needed into how this risk is conveyed and presented. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of presenting cardiovascular risk in different formats on individuals' intention to change behaviour to reduce risk, understanding of risk information and emotional affect. Methods/design A randomised controlled trial comprising four arms, with a between subjects design will be performed. There will be two intervention groups and two control groups. The first control comprises a pre-intervention questionnaire and presents risk in a bar graph format. The second control presents risk in a bar graph format without pre-intervention questionnaire. These two control groups are to account for the potential Hawthorne effect of thinking about cardiovascular risk before viewing actual risk. The two intervention groups comprise presenting risk in either a pictogram or metonym format (image depicting seriousness of having a myocardial infarction). 800 individuals' aged between 45 and 64 years, who have not been previously diagnosed with heart disease and have access to a computer with internet, will be given a link to a website comprising a risk calculator and electronic questionnaires. 10-year risk of having a coronary heart disease event will be assessed and presented in one of the three formats. A post-intervention questionnaire will be completed after viewing the risk format. Main outcome measures are (i) intention to change behaviour, (ii) understanding of risk information, (iii) emotional affect and (iv) worry about future heart disease. Secondary outcomes are the sub-components of the theory of planned behaviour: attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms. Discussion Having reviewed the literature, we are not aware of any other studies which have used the assessment of actual risk, in a trial to compare different graphical cardiovascular risk presentation formats. This trial will provide data about which graphical cardiovascular risk presentation format is most effective in encouraging behaviour change to reduce cardiovascular risk. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN9131931

GHEP-ISFG proficiency test 2011: Paper challenge on evaluation of mitochondrial DNA results

The GHEP-ISFG Working Group performed a collaborative exercise to monitor the current practice of mitochondrial (mt)DNA reporting. The participating laboratories were invited to evaluate a hypothetical case example and assess the statistical significance of a match between the haplotypes of a case (hair) sample and a suspect. A total of 31 forensic laboratories participated of which all but one used the EMPOP database. Nevertheless, we observed a tenfold range of reported LR values (32–333.4), which was mainly due to the selection of different reference datasets in EMPOP but also due to different applied formulae. The results suggest the need for more standardization as well as additional research to harmonize the reporting of mtDNA evidence.Fil: Prieto, L.. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales. Comisarıía General de Policía Científica; EspañaFil: Alves, Cíntia. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Zimmermann, B.. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Tagliabracci, A.. Università Politecnica delle Marche. Dipartimento Scienze Biomediche e Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Legale; ItaliaFil: Prieto, V.. Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses; EspañaFil: Montesino, M.. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales. Comisarıía General de Policía Científica; EspañaFil: Whitte, M. R.. Genomic Engenharia Molecular; BrasilFil: Anjos, M. J.. National Institute of Legal Medicine; PortugalFil: Cardoso, S.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Heinrichs, B.. Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses; EspañaFil: Hernandez, A.. Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses; EspañaFil: Lopez Parra, A. M.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Sala, Adriana Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Servicio de Huellas Digitales Genéticas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Saragoni, V. G.. Legal Medicine Service. Forensic Genetics Unit; ChileFil: Burgos G.. Red Cross. Molecular Genetics Laboratory; EcuadorFil: Marino, Miguel Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Análisis de ADN; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Paredes, M.. Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses; EspañaFil: Mora Torres, C. A.. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses; ColombiaFil: Angulo, R.. Poder Judicial. Departamento de Ciencias Forenses; Costa RicaFil: Chemale, G.. Federal Police. National Institute of Criminalistics. Forensic Genetics Laboratory; BrasilFil: Vullo, Carlos. Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense; Argentina. Laboratorio de Inmunogenética y Diagnóstico Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Simón, M.. Citogen. Centro de Análisis Genéticos; EspañaFil: Comas, D.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; España. Instituto de Biología Evolutiva; EspañaFil: Puente, J.. LabGenetics; EspañaFil: López Cubría, C. M.. Guardia Civil. Departamento de Biología. Servicio de Criminalística; EspañaFil: Modesti, Nidia Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Provincia de Córdoba. Poder Judicial; ArgentinaFil: Aler, M.. Institute of Legal Medicine of Valencia; EspañaFil: Merigioli, S.. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Betancor, E.. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Pedrosa, D.. Nasersa; EspañaFil: Plaza, G.. Neodiagnóstica; EspañaFil: Masciovecchio, M. V.. IACA Laboratories; ArgentinaFil: Schneider, P. M.. Universitat Zu Köln; AlemaniaFil: Parson, Walther. Universidad de Innsbruck; Austri

Synthesis and Characterization of Gallium Oxide Nanostructures via a Soft-Chemistry Route

Nano to micro sized gallium oxide was prepared with and without surfactant via a hydrothermal route at low temperature through different synthesis procedures. Rod-like GaOOH crystals with average length of ~2.5 μm and width of 1.5 μm were prepared when the initial molar ratio of Ga to OH was 1:3. β-Ga2O3 were derived from GaOOH by calcination at 900 degrees Celsius and the initial morphology retained. γ-Ga2O3 nanotubes up to 65 nm in length, with internal and external diameter of around 0.8 and 3 nm were achieved directly in solution with and without surfactant under hydrothermal treatment condition at 100 degrees Celsius when the initial molar ratio of Ga to OH was 1:5. The combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption, Small Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were employed to characterize the resulting nano to micro sized structures. Cationic and nonionic surfactants were used in this study. Detailed results are presented