The Quitline Is Calling

Which smokers use the smoking cessation Quitline in Hong Kong, and how effective is the Quitline?

OBJECTIVE To describe the characteristics of the Chinese subjects who utilised the first telephone smoking cessation service in Hong Kong, and to evaluate its effectiveness. METHODS The Quitline provided Hong Kong residents with free telephone smoking cessation services which was publicised through a press conference, media reports, pamphlets, and posters at public and private hospitals and c...

Smokers respond to anti-tobacco mass media campaigns in NSW by calling the Quitline.

OBJECTIVE One aim of the anti-tobacco mass media campaigns in NSW is to increase the numbers of smokers calling the Quitline to seek assistance to quit. METHODS Investigation of the relationship between the weight of television advertising (Target Audience Rating Points: TARPs) and number of calls to the Quitline. RESULTS There is a high correlation between weekly Quitline calls and TARPs. ...

Is the pot calling the kettle black?

Is alarm calling risky? Marmots avoid calling from risky places.

Alarm calling is common in many species. A prevalent assumption is that calling puts the vocalizing individual at increased risk of predation. If calling is indeed costly, we need special explanations for its evolution and maintenance. In some, but not all species, callers vocalize away from safety and thus may be exposed to an increased risk of predation. However, for species that emit bouts w...

Look who is calling: a comparison of genotype calling algorithms

In genome-wide association studies, high-level statistical analyses rely on the validity of the called genotypes, and different genotype calling algorithms (GCAs) have been proposed. We compared the GCAs Bayesian robust linear modeling using Mahalanobis distance (BRLMM), Chiamo++, and JAPL using the autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the 500 k Affymetrix Array Set data of the...