Sexual imagery in cigarette advertising before and after the master settlement agreement

This study examines how the sexual imagery in cigarette magazine advertisements changed as a result of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). After conducting a content analysis of 657 unduplicated cigarette ads from 1994 to 2003, our results revealed that cigarette advertisements featuring suggestive/partially clad female models increased significantly from the pre-MSA period (16.0%) to the post-MSA period (24.9%). In addition, we provide empirical evidence that there was an overall increase in sexually explicit cigarette advertising after the MSA. Several implications for policymakers are discussed in detail.     

Development and implementation of a lifestyle intervention to promote physical activity and healthy diet in the Dutch general practice setting: the BeweegKuur programme

Background  

The number of patients with diabetes is increasing. BeweegKuur (Dutch for 'Exercise Therapy') is a Dutch lifestyle intervention which aims to effectively and feasibly promote physical activity and better dietary behaviour in primary health care to prevent diabetes.     

The use of barbed sutures for vaginal cuff closure during laparoscopic hysterectomy

Purpose

To compare surgical outcomes and complications of 334 women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy with or without the use of barbed sutures for vaginal cuff closure.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecologic diseases at Dae-Jeon St. Mary’s Hospital, between May 2009 and May 2016. Surgical outcomes and complications were compared between the two groups.

Results

A total of 334 women were included: 212 cases of vaginal cuff suture performed with traditional suture material and 122 cases of vaginal cuff suture performed with the barbed suture. No difference in major complications including vaginal bleeding and vaginal cuff dehiscence was found between the two groups, with a significant reduction in operative times for the barbed suture group (P = 0.002). Underlying clinical variables including diabetes, pelvic adhesion, and obesity showed no significant differences in complication rate.

Conclusion

Vaginal cuff suture performed with barbed suture material is a safe and well-tolerated procedure and reduces operative times. We did not find any meaningful decrease in postoperative vaginal complications including vaginal cuff dehiscence based on the suture material.

     

The ethanol extract from Artemisia princeps Pampanini induces p53-mediated G1 phase arrest in A172 human neuroblastoma cells

In the present study, the antiproliferative effects of the ethanol extract of Artemisia princeps Pampanini (EAPP) and the mechanism involved were investigated. Of the various cancer cells examined, human neuroblastoma A172 cells were most sensitive to EAPP, and their proliferation was dose- and time-dependently inhibited by EAPP. DNA flow cytometry analysis indicated that EAPP notably induced the G(1) phase arrest in A172 cells. Of the G(1) phase cycle-related proteins examined, the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2, CDK4, and CDK6 and of cyclin D(1), D(2), and D(3) were found to be markedly reduced by EAPP, whereas cyclin E was unaffected. Moreover, the protein and mRNA levels of the CDK inhibitors p16(INK4a), p21(CIP1/WAF1), and p27(KIP1) were increased, and the activities of CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6 were reduced. Furthermore, the expressions of E2F-1 and of phosphorylated pRb were also decreased, and the protein levels of p53 and pp53 (Ser15) were increased. Up-regulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) was found to be mediated by a p53-dependent pathway in EAPP-induced G(1)-arrested A172 cells. When these data are taken together, the EAPP was found to potently inhibit the proliferation of human neuroblastoma A172 cells via G(1) phase cell cycle arrest.     

Prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width in predicting 3-month functional outcome of patients undergoing thrombolysis treatment for acute ischemic stroke

This study was performed to determine whether red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with 3-month poor functional outcome in patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke.RDW was measured in patients with thrombolytic therapy in emergency department. Functional outcome was assessed after 3 months and poor functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin scale 3 to 6.A total of 240 patients were enrolled, and 82 (34.2%) had a poor functional outcome. The median RDW was significantly elevated in patients with a poor functional outcome compare with those with a good outcome. RDW was independently associated with a 3-month poor functional outcome (odds ratio 3.369, 95% confidence interval 2.214–5.125). The optimal RDW cutoff for predicting 3-month poor functional outcome was 12.8%, and the area under the curve for RDW was 0.818 (95% confidence interval 0.761–0.876). The area under the curve for RDW was higher in male patients than in female patients. The RDW correlated positively with the modified Rankin scale score after 3 months and the initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score.Initial higher RDW level is related to a 3-month poor functional outcome in patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke.     

Quantitative analysis of optic disc color

Purpose

To evaluate the reproducibility of ImageJ software in analyzing the color of the optic disc.

Methods

One hundred twelve normal participants (56 males and 56 females) were enrolled in this study. The image of the optic disc was taken using Kowa digital disc photo-graphy, and the gray scales of the nasal rim (NR), brightest cupping center (BCC) and largest inferior retinal vein (IRV) were calculated using histogram in ImageJ. Three different observers calculated the gray scales three separate times. Reproducibility was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

The mean age of the participants was 50.6 years old (range, 11 to 82 years). The mean gray scales of the nasal rim were 91.81, 94.91, and 93.24; those of the brightest cupping center were 174.84, 179.94, and 177.76; and those of the largest inferior retinal vein were 61.85, 53.48, and 56.73 for observers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Inter-observer reproducibility for NR, BCC and IRV was considered good based upon ICC values of 0.944, 0.860, and 0.789 for observers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Significant age-related differences between the values of the brightest cupping center were noted, and the gray scale score was decreased in the older participants (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The gray scale of the brightest cupping center diminished with age. ImageJ can be a useful objective tool with high reproducibility in the analysis of optic disc color.     

Comparison of stability between cylindrical and conical type mini-implants. Mechanical and histological properties

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanical and histologic properties of conical compared with cylindrical shaped mini-implants in terms of the success rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The samples consisted of cylindrical and conical groups, and commonly had 1.6 mm diameter and 6.0 mm length (Jeil Medical Corporation, Seoul, Korea) placed in beagle dogs. The mechanical study for analyzing maximum insertion torque (MIT), maximum removal torque (MRT), and torque ratio (TR; MRT/MIT) in Sawbones (Pacific Research Laboratories Inc, Vashon, Wash), and the animal study for resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and histomorphometric analysis (bone-to-implant contact and bone area) in two beagle dogs were done. All measurements were statistically evaluated using independent t-tests to determine any difference in MIT, MRT, TR, RFA, bone-to-implant contact (BIC), and bone area (BA) between the cylindrical group and conical group. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The conical group showed significantly higher MIT and MRT than the cylindrical group in the mechanical study. However, there was no significant difference in RFA, BIC, and BA between the two groups in the animal and histomorphometric studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although the conical shaped mini-implant could induce tight contact to the adjacent bone tissue and might produce good primary stability, the conical shape may need modification of the thread structure and insertion technique to reduce the excessive insertion torque while maintaining the high resistance to removal.