428 research outputs found
Supporting Self-management Among Young People With Acne Vulgaris Through a Web-Based Behavioral Intervention: Development and Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Acne is a common skin condition that is most prevalent in young people. It can have a substantial impact on the quality of life, which can be minimized with the appropriate use of topical treatments. Nonadherence to topical treatments for acne is common and often leads to treatment failure. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop a web-based behavioral intervention to support the self-management of acne and to assess the feasibility of recruitment, retention, and engagement of users with the intervention. Methods: The intervention was developed iteratively using the LifeGuide software and following the person-based approach for intervention development. The target behavior was appropriate use of topical treatments. Barriers and facilitators identified from the qualitative research and evidence from the wider literature were used to identify techniques to improve and promote their use. Young people with acne aged 14-25 years who had received treatment for acne in the past 6 months were invited to participate through mail-out from primary care practices in the South of England in a parallel, unblinded randomized trial. Participants were automatically randomized using a computer-generated algorithm to usual care or to usual care plus access to the web-based intervention. Usage data was collected, and a series of questionnaires, including the primary outcome measure for skin-specific quality of life (Skindex-16), were collected at baseline and at the 4- and 6-week follow-ups. Results: A total of 1193 participants were invited, and 53 young people with acne were randomized to usual care (27/53, 51%) or usual care plus intervention (26/53, 49%). The response rate for the primary outcome measure (Skindex-16) was 87% at 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and at both time points. The estimate of mean scores between groups (with 95% CI) using linear regression showed a trend in the direction of benefit for the web-based intervention group in the primary outcome measure (Skindex-16) and secondary measures (Patient Health Questionnaire-4 and the Problematic Experiences of Therapy Scale). Intervention usage data showed high uptake of the core module in the usual care plus web-based intervention group, with 88% (23/26) of participants completing the module. Uptake of the optional modules was low, with less than half visiting each (myth-busting quiz: 27%; living with spots or acne: 42%; oral antibiotics: 19%; what are spots or acne: 27%; other treatments: 27%; talking to your general practitioner: 12%). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of delivering a trial of a web-based intervention to support self-management in young people with acne. Additional work is needed before a full definitive trial, including enhancing engagement with the intervention, recruitment, and follow-up rates
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An Automated Method to Quantify Radiation Damage in Human Blood Cells
Cytogenetic analysis of blood lymphocytes is a well established method to assess the absorbed dose in persons exposed to ionizing radiation. Because mature lymphocytes circulate throughout the body, the dose to these cells is believed to represent the average whole body exposure. Cytogenetic methods measure the incidence of structural aberrations in chromosomes as a means to quantify DNA damage which occurs when ionizing radiation interacts with human tissue. Methods to quantify DNA damage at the chromosomal level vary in complexity and tend to be laborious and time consuming. In a mass casualty scenario involving radiological/nuclear materials, the ability to rapidly triage individuals according to radiation dose is critically important. For high-throughput screening for dicentric chromosomes, many of the data collection steps can be optimized with motorized microscopes coupled to automated slide scanning platforms
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Foreigners vs. Natives: Bank Lending Technologies and Loan Pricing
Can distance-related information asymmetries in credit markets be overcome with contract design and credit scoring models? To answer this question, we explore differences in foreign and domestic banks’ credit contract terms and pricing models. Using a sample of firms that borrow from both domestic and foreign banks in the same month, we show that foreign banks are more likely to demand collateral and grant shorter maturity loans than domestic banks. Foreign banks also base their pricing on internal credit ratings and collateral pledges, while domestic banks price according to the length, depth and breadth of their relationship with a firm. These findings confirm that foreign banks can overcome informational disadvantages using contract design and credit scoring models. However, we also show that there are limitations, with foreign banks facing higher default rates and lower returns on lending if not using collateral and short maturity as disciplining tools
Production in Two-Photon Processes at TRISTAN
We have carried out an inclusive measurement of production
in two-photon processes at TRISTAN. The mean was 58 GeV and the
integrated luminosity was 199 pb. High-statistics samples were
obtained under such conditions as no-, anti-electron, and remnant-jet tags. The
remnant-jet tag, in particular, allowed us, for the first time, to measure the
cross sections separately for the resolved-photon and direct processes.Comment: 20 pages, Latex format, 4 figures and KEK-mark included. Table 1
revised. To be published in Phys. Lett.
Analysis of pfhrp2 genetic diversity in Senegal and implications for use of rapid diagnostic tests
Background: The Senegalese National Malaria Control Programme has recommended use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) that target the histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), specific to Plasmodium falciparum, to diagnose malaria cases. The target antigen has been shown to be polymorphic, which may explain the variability in HRP2-based RDT results reported in field studies. The genetic diversity of the pfhrp2 gene has not been investigated in depth in many African countries. The goal of this study is to determine the extent of polymorphism in pfhrp2 among Senegal, Mali and Uganda parasite populations, and discuss the implications of these findings on the utility of RDTs that are based on HRP2 detection. Methods: Sequencing data from the pfhrp2 locus were used to analyze the genetic diversity of this gene among three populations, with different transmission dynamics and malaria parasite ecologies. Nucleotide diversity (π) and non-synonymous nucleotide diversity (πNS) were studied in the pfhrp2 gene from isolates obtained in Senegal. Amino acid repeat length polymorphisms in the PfHRP2 antigen were characterized and parameters of genetic diversity, such as frequency and correlation between repeats in these populations, were assessed. Results: The diversity survey of the pfhrp2 gene identified 29 SNPs as well as insertion and deletion polymorphisms within a 918 bp region. The Senegal pfhrp2 exhibited a substantial level of diversity [π = 0.00559 and πNS = 0.014111 (πS = 0.0291627)], similar to several polymorphic genes, such as msp1, involved in immune responses, and the gene encoding the SURFIN polymorphic antigen, which are surface exposed parasite proteins. Extensive repeat length polymorphisms in PfHRP2, as well as similar patterns in the number, organization and the type of predicted amino acid repeats were observed among the three populations, characterized by an occurrence of Type 2, Type 4 and Type 7 repeats. Conclusions: These results warrant deeper monitoring of the RDT target antigen diversity and emphasize that development of other essential genes as a target for diagnostic tools is critical
Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetries for charm- and bottom-quark pair productions at =58GeV with electron tagging
We have measured, with electron tagging, the forward-backward asymmetries of
charm- and bottom-quark pair productions at =58.01GeV, based on
23,783 hadronic events selected from a data sample of 197pb taken with
the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. The measured forward-backward asymmetries are
and , which are consistent with the standard model
predictions.Comment: 19 pages, Latex format (article), 5 figures included. to be published
in Phys. Lett.
Measurement of inclusive electron cross section in collisions at TRISTAN
We have studied open charm production in collisions with the
TOPAZ detector at the TRISTAN collider. In this study, charm
quarks were identified by electrons (and positrons) from semi-leptonic decays
of charmed hadrons. The data corresponded to an integrated luminosity of 95.3
pb at a center-of-mass energy of 58 GeV. The results are presented as
the cross sections of inclusive electron production in
collisions with an anti-tag condition, as well as the subprocess cross
sections, which correspond to resolved-photon processes. The latter were
measured by using a sub-sample with remnant jets. A comparison with various
theoretical predictions based on direct and resolved-photon processes showed
that our data prefer that with relatively large gluon contents in a photon at
small , with the next-to-leading order correction, and with a
charm-quark mass of 1.3 GeV.Comment: 26 pages, Latex format (article), 5 figures included, to be published
in Phys. Lett.
Type Ia Supernova Explosion Models
Because calibrated light curves of Type Ia supernovae have become a major
tool to determine the local expansion rate of the Universe and also its
geometrical structure, considerable attention has been given to models of these
events over the past couple of years. There are good reasons to believe that
perhaps most Type Ia supernovae are the explosions of white dwarfs that have
approached the Chandrasekhar mass, M_ch ~ 1.39 M_sun, and are disrupted by
thermonuclear fusion of carbon and oxygen. However, the mechanism whereby such
accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs explode continues to be uncertain. Recent
progress in modeling Type Ia supernovae as well as several of the still open
questions are addressed in this review. Although the main emphasis will be on
studies of the explosion mechanism itself and on the related physical
processes, including the physics of turbulent nuclear combustion in degenerate
stars, we also discuss observational constraints.Comment: 38 pages, 4 figures, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, in
pres
A Measurement of the Cross Section in Two-Photon Processes
We have measured the inclusive production cross section in a
two-photon collision at the TRISTAN collider. The mean of
the collider was 57.16 GeV and the integrated luminosity was 150 . The
differential cross section () was obtained in the
range between 1.6 and 6.6 GeV and compared with theoretical predictions, such
as those involving direct and resolved photon processes.Comment: 8 pages, Latex format (article), figures corrected, published in
Phys. Rev. D 50 (1994) 187
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