Two-dimensional affine model-based estimators for principal strain vascular ultrasound elastography with compound plane wave and transverse oscillation beamforming.

Polar strain (radial and circumferential) estimations can suffer from artifacts because the center of a nonsymmetrical carotid atherosclerotic artery, defining the coordinate system in cross-sectional view, can be misregistered. Principal strains are able to remove coordinate dependency to visualize vascular strain components (i.e.

Patient and public engagement in research and health system decision making: A systematic review of evaluation tools.

Background: Patient and public engagement is growing, but evaluative efforts remain limited. Reviews looking at evaluation tools for patient engagement in individual decision making do exist, but no similar articles in research and health systems have been published.

Objective: Systematically review and appraise evaluation tools for patient and public engagement in research and health system decision making.

Development of a Coding and Crosswalk Tool for Occupations and Industries.

Introduction: Job coding into a standard occupation or industry classification is commonly performed in occupational epidemiology and occupational health. Sometimes, it is necessary to code jobs into multiple classifications or to convert job codes from one classification to another. We developed a generic tool, called CAPS-Canada (http://www.

Clinical diagnosis of partial or complete anterior cruciate ligament tears using patients' history elements and physical examination tests.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic validity of clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests to diagnose partial or complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

Design: Prospective diagnostic study.

Settings: Orthopaedic clinics (n = 2), family medicine clinics (n = 2) and community-dwelling.

Correction to: Carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement in children with normal and increased body mass index: a comparison of three techniques.

The original version of this article contained a mistake in Fig. 1: The old version was used during figure processing instead of the replacement. The correct figure is shown below.

Initial derivation of diagnostic clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests to diagnose symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (SOA) compared with other knee disorders.

Methods: This was a prospective diagnostic accuracy study, in which 279 consecutive patients consulting for a knee complaint were assessed. History elements and standardized physical examination tests were obtained independently by a physiotherapist and compared with an expert physician's composite diagnosis, including clinical examination and imaging.

Carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement in children with normal and increased body mass index: a comparison of three techniques.

Background: Common carotid artery intima-media thickness is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. In children, increased intima-media thickness is associated with obesity and the risk of cardiovascular events in adulthood.

Objective: To compare intima-media thickness measurements using B-mode ultrasound, radiofrequency (RF) echo tracking, and RF speckle probability distribution in children with normal and increased body mass index (BMI).

Quantitative Measurement of Erythrocyte Aggregation as a Systemic Inflammatory Marker by Ultrasound Imaging: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review is aimed at answering two questions: (i) Is erythrocyte aggregation a useful biomarker in assessing systemic inflammation? (ii) Does quantitative ultrasound imaging provide the non-invasive option to measure erythrocyte aggregation in real time? The search was executed through bibliographic electronic databases CINAHL, EMB Review, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and the grey literature. The majority of studies correlated elevated erythrocyte aggregation with inflammatory blood markers for several pathologic states. Some studies used "erythrocyte aggregation" as an established marker of systemic inflammation.

Youth Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority for Health Care in Canada.

In this article we have provided a perspective on the importance and value of youth mental health services for society and argued that advancing youth mental health services should be the number one priority of health services in Canada. Using the age period of 12-25 years for defining youth, we have provided justification for our position based on scientific evidence derived from clinical, epidemiological and neurodevelopmental studies. We have highlighted the early onset of most mental disorders and substance abuse as well as their persistence into later adulthood, the long delays experienced by most help seekers and the consequence of such delays for young people and for society in general.

Validation of a Social Networks and Support Measurement Tool for Use in International Aging Research: The International Mobility in Aging Study.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new instrument to assess social networks and social support (IMIAS-SNSS) for different types of social ties in an international sample of older adults. The study sample included n = 1995 community dwelling older people aged between 65 and 74 years from the baseline of the longitudinal International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS). In order to measure social networks for each type of social tie, participants were asked about the number of contacts, the number of contacts they see at least once a month or have a very good relationship with, or speak with at least once a month.

Systematic review of colorectal cancer screening guidelines for average-risk adults: Summarizing the current global recommendations.

Aim: To summarize and compare worldwide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations in order to identify similarities and disparities.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL and ISI Web of knowledge identifying all average-risk CRC screening guideline publications within the last ten years and/or position statements published in the last 2 years. In addition, a hand-search of the webpages of National Gastroenterology Society websites, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, the BMJ Clinical Evidence website, Google and Google Scholar was performed.

Phenotypes of lung cancer and statistical interactions between tobacco smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos and crystalline silica from a large case-only study: The CaProMat study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect modification of the association between tobacco smoking and phenotypes of lung cancer (histological type, tumor location, and age at diagnosis) by occupational exposure to asbestos or to crystalline silica.

Materials And Methods: The CaProMat study is a pooled case-only study including 7256 male lung cancer cases recruited between 1996 and 2011 in France and Canada. Two job-exposure matrices (JEMs) were used to assess occupational exposure to asbestos and crystalline silica.

Perceived Workplace Stress Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer before Age 65.

Background: Evidence is lacking regarding the potential role of chronic psychological stress on cancer incidence. The workplace is reported to be the main source of stress among Canadian men. We examined the association between perceived lifetime workplace stress and prostate cancer (PCa) risk in a large case-control study.

Diagnostic validity and triage concordance of a physiotherapist compared to physicians' diagnoses for common knee disorders.

Background: Emergence of more autonomous roles for physiotherapists warrants more evidence regarding their diagnostic capabilities. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate diagnostic and surgical triage concordance between a physiotherapist and expert physicians and to assess the diagnostic validity of the physiotherapist's musculoskeletal examination (ME) without imaging.

Methods: This is a prospective diagnostic study where 179 consecutive participants consulting for any knee complaint were independently diagnosed and triaged by two evaluators: a physiotherapist and one expert physician (orthopaedic surgeons or sport medicine physicians).

Validity of Combining History Elements and Physical Examination Tests to Diagnose Patellofemoral Pain.

Objective: To assess the validity of diagnostic clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests to diagnose or exclude patellofemoral pain (PFP).

Design: Prospective diagnostic study.

Settings: Orthopedic outpatient clinics, family medicine clinics, and community-dwelling.

Diagnostic Validity of Combining History Elements and Physical Examination Tests for Traumatic and Degenerative Symptomatic Meniscal Tears.

Background: The current approach to the clinical diagnosis of traumatic and degenerative symptomatic meniscal tears (SMTs) proposes combining history elements and physical examination tests without systematic prescription of imaging investigations, yet the evidence to support this diagnostic approach is scarce.

Objective: To assess the validity of diagnostic clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests to diagnose or exclude traumatic and degenerative SMT compared with other knee disorders.

Design: Prospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Forward and inverse viscoelastic wave scattering by irregular inclusions for shear wave elastography.

Inversion methods in shear wave elastography use simplifying assumptions to recover the mechanical properties of soft tissues. Consequently, these methods suffer from artifacts when applied to media containing strong stiffness contrasts, and do not provide a map of the viscosity. In this work, the shear wave field recorded inside and around an inclusion was used to estimate the viscoelastic properties of the inclusion and surrounding medium, based on an inverse problem approach assuming local homogeneity of both media.

Prevalence of occupational exposure to asbestos and crystalline silica according to phenotypes of lung cancer from the CaProMat study: A case-only study.

Background: The objective of the study was to compare the prevalence of occupational exposure to asbestos and crystalline silica according to histological types of lung cancer and age at diagnosis.

Methods: CaProMat study is a pooled case-only study conducted between 1996 and 2011. The current study consisted of 6521 lung cancer cases.

Protocol for Robust In Vivo Measurements of Erythrocyte Aggregation Using Ultrasound Spectroscopy.

Erythrocyte aggregation is a non-specific marker of acute and chronic inflammation. Although it is usual to evaluate this phenomenon from blood samples analyzed in laboratory instruments, in vivo real-time assessment of aggregation is possible with spectral ultrasound techniques. However, variable blood flow can affect the interpretation of acoustic measures.

Dosimetric impact of intrafraction changes in MR-guided high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

Purpose: To assess changes in implant and treatment volumes through the course of a prostate high-dose-rate brachytherapy procedure and their impact on plan quality metrics.

Methods And Materials: Sixteen MRI-guided high-dose-rate procedures included a post-treatment MR (ptMR) immediately after treatment delivery (135 min between MR scans). Target and organs at risk (OARs) were contoured, and catheters were reconstructed.

Barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare services as experienced by female sex workers and service providers in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the barriers female sex workers (FSWs) in Bangladesh face with regard to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, and assess the satisfaction with the healthcare received.

Methods: Data were collected from coverage areas of four community-based drop-in-centers (DICs) in Dhaka where sexually transmitted infection (STI) and human immunovirus (HIV) prevention interventions have been implemented for FSWs. A total of 731 FSWs aged 15-49 years were surveyed.

Influence of erythrocyte aggregation on radial migration of platelet-sized spherical particles in shear flow.

Blood platelets when activated are involved in the mechanisms of hemostasis and thrombosis, and their migration toward injured vascular endothelium necessitates interaction with red blood cells (RBCs). Rheology co-factors such as a high hematocrit and a high shear rate are known to promote platelet mass transport toward the vessel wall. Hemodynamic conditions promoting RBC aggregation may also favor platelet migration, particularly in the venous system at low shear rates.

Sexual and reproductive health behaviors of female sex workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to document sexual and reproductive health (SRH) practices among female sex workers (FSWs) including abortion, pregnancy, use of maternal healthcare services and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with the aim of developing recommendations for action.

Methods: A total of 731 FSWs aged between 15 and 49 years were surveyed using a stratified sampling in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A workshop with 23 participants consisted of policy makers, researchers, program implementers was conducted to formulate recommendations.