On-chip absorption spectroscopy enabled by graded index fiber tips

This paper describes the design and characterization of miniaturized optofluidic devices for sensing based on integrating collimating optical fibers with custom microfluidic chips. The use of collimating graded-index fiber (GIF) tips allows for effective fiber-channel-fiber interfaces to be realized when compared with using highly-divergent standard single-mode fiber (SMF). The reduction in both beam divergence and insertion losses for the GIF configuration compared with SMF was characterized for a 10.0 mm channel. Absorption spectroscopy was demonstrated on chip for the measurement of red color dye (Ponceau 4R), and the detection of thiocyanate in water and artificial human saliva. The proposed optofluidic setup allows for absorption spectroscopy measurements to be performed with only 200 µL of solution which is an order of magnitude smaller than for standard cuvettes but provides a comparable sensitivity. The approach could be integrated into a lab-on-a-chip system that is compact and does not require free-space optics to perform absorption spectroscopy.     

Media and political framing of crystal methamphetamine use in Australia

Abstract

Media and politicians both influence public opinion and policy responses to illicit drug issues. This study examines the contribution each may have made in Australia in 2015 to the problem and politics streams of the policy process, as outlined in Kingdon’s ‘multiple streams’ heuristic, when a National Ice Taskforce responded to increased public, political and media concern about methamphetamine use. A retrospective content analysis compared the frequency and content of articles about methamphetamine in print media (N?=?639) and federal parliament speeches (N?=?158) in 2015. Peaks in the number of media articles and debates in parliament followed the establishment and interim findings of the Ice Taskforce. The findings showed that politicians more frequently framed methamphetamine use as a crisis or epidemic than the media. Both frequently portrayed cost to society as the consequence of methamphetamine use and often cited law enforcement sources. The media most frequently positioned methamphetamine users as criminal or deviant compared to politicians who did not position the user or positioned them as an addict or victim. This analysis highlights the convergence of the problem and politics streams and suggests they are not independent as first posited by Kingdon.     

Homelessness‐Related Traumatic Events and PTSD Among Women Experiencing Episodes of Homelessness in Three U.S. Cities

In this article, we report the prevalence of traumatic events (TEs), lifetime and 12‐month posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 148 women experiencing homelessness in 3 midsized cities in the United States (Omaha, NE, Pittsburgh, PA, and Portland, OR). The women ranged in age from 19 to 54 years with an average age of 38.89 years (SD = 10.18). The sample was 42.6% White/European American. We investigated the mediation of distal TEs (i.e., childhood maltreatment) by more proximal TEs associated with being homeless (i.e., homelessness‐related stressors) for meeting diagnostic criteria for 12‐month PTSD. Results indicated that 42.6% of the women met criteria for lifetime PTSD and 39.7% met criteria for past‐year PTSD. The number of TEs reported ranged from 0 to 16 in order of prevalence with a median of 6 TEs. The correlations between childhood maltreatment and 12‐month PTSD ranged from .16 to .20 and the correlations between homelessness‐related stressors and 12‐month PTSD ranged from .21 to .30. The mediation analysis was consistent with the association between childhood maltreatment and past‐year PTSD being fully mediated by homelessness‐related trauma.     

A 13-year follow-up of Finnish patients with Salla disease

Background

Salla disease (SD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder leading to severe intellectual disability. SD belongs to the Finnish disease heritage, and it is caused by mutations in the SLC17A5 gene. The aim of the study was to investigate the course of neurocognitive features of SD patients in a long-term follow-up.

Methods

Neuropsychological and neurological investigations were carried out on 24 SD patients, aged 16–65 years, 13 years after a similar examination.

Results

The survival analysis showed excess mortality among patients with SD after the age of 30 years. The course of the disease was progressive, but follow-up of SD patients revealed that motor skills improved till the age of 20 years, while mental abilities improved in most patients till 40 years of age. Verbal comprehension skills did not diminish during the follow-up, but productive speech deteriorated because of dyspraxia and dysarthria. Motor deficits were marked. Ataxia was prominent in childhood, but it was replaced by athetotic movements during the teens. Spasticity became more obvious with age especially in severely disabled SD patients.

Conclusions

Younger SD patients performed better in almost every task measuring mental abilities that then seem to remain fairly constant till early sixties. Thus, the results indicate better prognosis in cognitive skills than earlier assumed. There is an apparent decline in motor skills after the age of 20 years. The early neurocognitive development predicts the later course of motor and cognitive development.     

Trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension: the WHO MONICA Project.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the secular changes in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension. DESIGN: Two independent cross-sectional population surveys using standardized methods conducted between the early 1980s and mid-1990s. SETTING: Twenty-four geographically defined populations of the WHO MONICA Project. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected men and women aged 35-64 years. The total number of participants was 69 907. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two definitions of hypertension were used: 160/95 mmHg or above and 140/90 mmHg or above for systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Subjects on antihypertensive drug treatment were considered to be hypertensive regardless of their blood pressure. Treated subjects whose measured blood pressure level was less than 160/95 or 140/90 mmHg according to the two definitions, respectively, were considered to be adequately treated. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension decreased in most and increased in only a few populations. For both definitions of hypertension, the proportion of hypertensive subjects who were aware of their condition increased in three-quarters of the male populations and in two-thirds of the female populations. Furthermore, the proportion of hypertensive individuals on antihypertensive drug treatment increased in three-quarters of the populations. In the final survey, hypertension tended to be better treated and controlled in women than in men. Nevertheless, a large proportion of patients receiving antihypertensive drug therapy still had inadequately controlled blood pressure levels. CONCLUSION: Although awareness and treatment of hypertension according to the data obtained during the late 1980s to the mid-1990s increased in several populations, the effectiveness of antihypertensive treatment showed the continuing need for improvements.     

Linkage of essential hypertension to chromosome 18q

We performed a genomewide scan with 904 microsatellite markers using 120 extended Icelandic families with 490 hypertensive patients. The families were identified by cross-matching a list of hypertensive patients from the Hypertension Clinic of the University Hospital (Landspitalinn) in Iceland with a genealogy database of the entire Icelandic nation. After adding 5 markers, we found linkage to chromosome 18q with an allele-sharing LOD score of 4.60 (P=2.1x 10(-6)). These results provide evidence for a novel susceptibility gene for essential hypertension on chromosome 18q and show that it is possible to study the genetics of essential hypertension without stratifying by subphenotypes.     

The risk of revision in total knee arthroplasty is not affected by previous high tibial osteotomy: A 15-year follow-up of 32,476 total knee arthroplasties in the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register

Background and purpose — Previous studies have found different outcomes after revision of knee arthroplasties performed after high tibial osteotomy (HTO). We evaluated the risk of revision of total knee arthroplasty with or without previous HTO in a large registry material.Patients and methods — 31,077 primary TKAs were compared with 1,399 TKAs after HTO, using Kaplan-Meier 10-year survival percentages and adjusted Cox regression analysis.Results — The adjusted survival analyses showed similar survival in the 2 groups. The Kaplan-Meier 10-year survival was 93.8% in the primary TKA group and 92.6% in the TKA-post-HTO group. Adjusted RR was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.77–1.21; p = 0.8).Interpretation — In this registry-based study, previous high tibial osteotomy did not appear to compromise the results regarding risk of revision after total knee arthroplasty compared to primary knee arthroplasty.High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a well-established joint preserving procedure for the treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis. The goal is to achieve unloading of the affected medial compartment of the knee to prevent or postpone the need for an artificial knee joint. This is performed by slightly overcorrecting the knee joint from varus malalignment to valgus or neutral position. Osteotomy was a standard treatment option for unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis in earlier years before knee arthroplasty was a surgical option, but osteotomy lost importance in the 1980s because of the success of knee replacement surgery (Smith et al. 2013). However, there has been an increase in osteotomies during the last 15 years, especially in younger patients in some countries (Seil et al. 2013). National arthroplasty registers have demonstrated higher risk of revision for knee arthroplasty in younger patients (under the age of 60) (NAR 2014, SKAR 2013). The 2 most commonly used methods for HTO are lateral closing wedge and medial opening wedge osteotomy. Both methods have shown improvement in knee pain and function (Naudie et al. 1999, van Raaij et al. 2008, Efe et al. 2011, W-Dahl et al. 2012). Nevertheless, some patients later require a second procedure, a total knee arthroplasty (Naudie et al. 1999), depending on the degree of osteoarthritis, their level of pain and function, and the degree of correction achieved. Although total knee arthroplasty appears to be technically more challenging after HTO in cases with severe overcorrection, bone stock loss, altered joint line (Figures 1 and ​and2),2), or patella infera, only a few studies have found inferior results compared to primary TKA (Windsor et al. 1988, Parvizi et al. 2004, Haslam et al. 2007, Farfalli et al. 2012). The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of revision after TKA, comparing primary TKA with and without previous high tibial osteotomy using data from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register (NAR).Open in a separate windowFigure 1.Example of extra-articular malalignment after high tibial osteotomy (HTO) with opening wedge technique. The red line on the left radiograph (a) indicates the mechanical axis lateral to the knee joint. The radiograph to the right (b) indicates the extra-articular angulation of the tibia in the osteotomy area.Open in a separate windowFigure 2.Example of intra-articular malalignment after high tibial osteotomy (WTO) with closing wedge technique. The solid red line indicates that the tibial plateau has been elevated medially and is not perpendicular to the tibial axis.     

Predictors of renal replacement therapy and mortality in children with chronic kidney disease

Objectives:

To study the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children, and to look for risk factors to predict renal replacement therapy (RRT) and mortality.

Methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between 2006 and 2014, where the files of 1,000 children with CKD were reviewed. We determined the effect of consanguinity and hypertension, and being a Saudi indigene on mortality and RRT. We compared children with congenital versus non-congenital causes of CKD.

Results:

The mean±standard deviation age at presentation was 4.9±4.3 years. The median duration of follow up was 1.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.4-4.0) years. Only 9.7% of children received RRT, and 8.3% died. The underlying etiology for CKD was congenital in 537 children. The congenital CKD group presented at a younger age group (3.5±4.0 versus 6.6±3.9 years, p<0.0001), had more advanced stages of CKD (p<0.0001), higher rates of consanguinity (75.4% versus 47.1%, p<0.0001), and RRT (p<0.004) than children with non-congenital CKD. Risk factors for RRT among children with CKD include being a Saudi indigene (relative risk [RR]=1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.21), and hypertensive (RR=5.29, 95% CI: 3.54-7.91). The risk factor for mortality was hypertension (RR=2.46, 95% CI: 1.66-3.65).

Conclusion:

Congenital causes of CKD represent the main etiology of CKD in children living in the western province of Saudi Arabia. Significant risk factors for RRT include congenital CKD, Saudi nationality, and hypertension. Hypertension is also a predictor of mortality in children with CKD.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as abnormalities of kidney structure or function, present for more than 3 months with implications for health.1 Children with CKD who are on renal replacement therapy (RRT) have higher mortality rate, which is at least 30-fold higher than their age-matched peers.2 Epidemiological information on the incidence and prevalence of pediatric CKD in children is currently limited,3 particularly in developing countries. Furthermore, most of the available epidemiological data are from end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) registries, and information on the earlier stages of pediatric CKD is still lacking.4 The early stages of CKD in the pediatric population are in most cases asymptomatic, and are therefore under-diagnosed and under-reported.4 Direct comparisons of the incidence and prevalence rate of pediatric CKD are complex since each pediatric CKD registries uses different definition; some depend on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), while others use serum creatinine levels. The incidence in Europe was consistent between 11-12 per million of the age-related population (pmarp) for CKD stages 3-5, and 8 pmarp for CKD stages 4-5.4 Data available on the exact prevalence of various kidney diseases in the Arab world is very limited. Most of the data come from small studies and are of limited generalizability.5 In Kuwait, the mean incidence was found to be as high as 38 pmarp, while the prevalence was as also high at 329 pmarp in 2003.6 An incidence of 11 pmarp and a prevalence of 51 pmarp has been reported in Jordanian children.7 The epidemiological data of CKD in children is very scarce in Saudi Arabia. One study from Asir reported that the mean annual incidence of CRF of 15.6 per million children, the mean annual incidence of ESRF is 9.2 per million children, and congenital anomalies of the urinary system constitute the most common cause of chronic renal failure (CRF).8 Another study from Jeddah reported similar results.9 All these studies enrolled a small number of children (less that 100). In the light of a limited data available regarding the epidemiology of CKD in children in Saudi Arabia, we performed a retrospective study to examine the risk factors for RRT and mortality among children with CKD.