bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpretation of HbA1c : association with mean cell volume and haemoglobin concentration
Authors: Simmons D. , Hlaing T.
Published: June 2014

Aim

The utility of HbA1c in diabetes diagnosis is reduced in settings associated with altered haemoglobin glycation. We have studied whether HbA1c varies with mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin concentration as measures of haemoglobin metabolism.

Methods

Randomly selected adults from rural Victoria, Australia, were invited for biomedical assessment. After excluding patients with known diabetes and/or serum creatinine ≥ 0.12 mmol/l, 1315 adults were included. Demography, arthropometric measurements, oral glucose tolerance test, analyses of full blood count and HbA1c were undertaken.

Results

After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, town and socio‐economic status, there were no significant differences in haemoglobin, mean cell volume or mean cell haemoglobin concentration by glycaemic status (defined by oral glucose tolerance test). HbA1c was significantly and independently associated with fasting glucose, town, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, ethnicity, age and BMI among men < 50 years (R2 = 33.8%); fasting glucose, 2‐h glucose, mean cell haemoglobin concentration and town among men ≥ 50 years (R2 = 47.9%); fasting glucose, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, town, 2‐h glucose and age among women < 50 years (R2 = 46.3%); fasting glucose, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume and 2‐h glucose among women ≥ 50 years (R2 = 51.6%). A generalized linear model showed a gradient from an adjusted mean HbA1c of 36 (95% CI 34–38) mmol/mol with a mean cell haemoglobin concentration of ≤ 320 g/l to 30 (95% CI 29–31) mmol/mol with a mean cell haemoglobin concentration of > 370 g/l. The gradient across mean cell volume was negative, but only by 1 mmol/mol (0.1%) HbA1c.

Conclusion

A mean HbA1c difference of 5 mmol/mol (0.5%) across the mean cell haemoglobin concentration reference range suggests that an accompanying full blood count examination may be required for its use in the diagnosis of diabetes. Further studies are required to confirm this.
Validating the historical record: a relative distance test and correction formula for selection bias in presettlement land surveys
Authors: Kronenfeld Barry J.
Published: June 2014

Presettlement land surveys have been used throughout North America to reconstruct forest characteristics prior to major Euro‐American settlement. The bearing tree record derived from these surveys is an example of a distance‐based ecological inventory lacking strict selection rules. Such inventories pose a problem of potential selection bias if the nearest individuals are not always selected. The possibility of bias presents a major impediment to compositional analysis from bearing tree proportions. This article presents a modification to distance‐based tests and correction formulas that utilize the corner‐to‐tree distances recorded in the General Land Office (GLO) and similar surveys. The proposed modification consists of replacing absolute with relative corner‐to‐tree distances to remove the effects of density variation. Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to assess the validity, power and effectiveness of the modified test and correction formula. The modified test is found to be robust in most forests that vary in density and aggregation pattern, but exhibits some statistical bias when density and composition vary simultaneously at local scales. The correction formulas accurately reflect the direction of surveyor bias, and adjusted estimates are consistently closer to the true values than unadjusted estimates. Based on a range of simulation results, upper bound limits on the effects of selection bias can be estimated. Application to the GLO bearing tree records for the state of Minnesota indicates that Minnesota surveyors favored Pinus resinosa, P. strobus and Quercus spp. and avoided five taxa including Salix spp. and Alnus spp. The magnitude of bias appears to be small, however, with an estimated upper bound of 5–6% dissimilarity between biased and unbiased bearing tree selection, some of which may be explained by size differences among taxa.
Increasing rate of species discovery in sharks coincides with sharp population declines: implications for biodiversity
Authors: Randhawa Haseeb S. , Poulin Robert , Krkošek Martin
Published: June 2014

The global biodiversity of some taxonomic groups is poorly described, but thought to be decreasing rapidly. Surprisingly, this holds for a group of the world's most iconic large‐bodied animals: sharks. Our analysis shows rapid and steep contemporary population declines in sharks coinciding with an increasing rate in species discovery. Larger sharks occupying lower trophic positions with wide geographic distributions (latitudinal ranges) found in shallow waters tend to be discovered first. In light of this increasing trend in species discovery and a cumulative description record far from reaching an asymptote, models cannot predict the global number of sharks. Our results highlight that while our knowledge of shark diversity improves at an accelerating rate, this diversity is under threat and declining rapidly; most shark species are vulnerable to declines, especially smaller‐bodied sharks. This surprising finding may relate to mesopredator declines following periods of rapid expansion due to the demise of large sharks (apex predators). Furthermore, shark population declines are structured by phylogeny and, to a lesser extent, geography. Decline in sharks are likely to influence other species as well, e.g. via trophic cascades. The net result may be a greater loss of biodiversity in the oceans and could potentially explain why fewer extinction events are observed than predicted by models. Likewise, it is not inconceivable that species may be lost prior to their discovery.
Subjective memory complaints, depressive symptoms and cognition in Parkinson's disease patients
Authors: Lehrner J. , Moser D. , Klug S. , Gleiß A. , Auff E. , Pirker W. , Pusswald G.
Published: June 2014

Background and purpose

The goal of this study was to establish the prevalence of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and depressive symptoms (DS)s and their relation to cognitive functioning in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods

In all, 248 controls and 104 PD patients were included in the study. The PD group was subdivided into three PD subtypes with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) according to the Petersen criteria and three PD subtypes with MCI according to the Litvan criteria.

Results

Substantial SMCs were reported by 7.7% of controls and 16.3% of the PD patients (P < 0.001). A clinically relevant degree of DSs was evident in 16.6% of controls compared with 40.4% in the PD group (P < 0.001). An analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant difference for SMCs across all Petersen groups as well across all Litvan groups. Two‐factor analyses of variance with the factors cognitive status (MCI subtype) and depressive state (depressed versus not depressed) and SMCs as dependent variable revealed significant results.

Conclusions

Approximately 15% of PD patients seeking help in a movement disorder clinic report significant SMCs, with an increasing degree from cognitively healthy PD to PD‐MCI. Significant DSs increase SMCs across all cognitive status groups.
Orolingual angioedema after alteplase therapy of acute ischaemic stroke: incidence and risk of prior angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor use
Authors: Lin S.‐Y. , Tang S.‐C. , Tsai L.‐K. , Yeh S.‐J. , Hsiao Y.‐J. , Chen Y.‐W. , Chen K.‐H. , Yip B.‐S. , Shen L.‐J. , Wu F.‐L. Lin , Jeng J.‐S.
Published: June 2014

Background and purpose

Orolingual angioedema (OA) is an uncommon but potentially life‐threatening complication of treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt‐PA; alteplase) during acute ischaemic stroke. This study aimed to determine the incidence of rt‐PA‐related OA in an Asian stroke population and the risk of pre‐stroke anti‐hypertensive drug use for development of this complication.

Methods

A multi‐center stroke registry was used to identify the pre‐stroke medications of acute ischaemic stroke patients receiving intravenous rt‐PA from January 2002 to December 2013. The clinical manifestations of rt‐PA‐related OA were recorded and the incidence of this complication was determined. The risks of pre‐stroke use of different anti‐hypertensive agents for the occurrence of rt‐PA‐related OA were determined from this study and from a meta‐analysis.

Results

A total of 559 patients received intravenous rt‐PA over a 12‐year period. Five patients (two males) developed OA after rt‐PA administration. The incidence of OA amongst these patients was 0.89% (95% confidence interval 0.29%–2.09%), which was lower than that obtained by meta‐analysis (1.9%). Amongst pre‐stroke anti‐hypertensive medications, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were found in this study to have the highest relative risk for rt‐PA‐related OA (17.1; 95% confidence interval 3.0–96.9). Meta‐analysis also revealed that pre‐stroke use of ACE inhibitors was associated with a high relative risk of OA after intravenous rt‐PA (12.9; 95% confidence interval 4.5–37.0).

Conclusions

The incidence of rt‐PA‐related OA in the Asian population is lower than that in the Caucasian population. Pre‐stroke use of ACE inhibitors significantly increases the risk of this complication.
FAMILY REUNIONS IN GERMAN ADVENTURE LITERATURE ON AFRICA OF THE 1880S – A VISION FOR COLONIAL INTERVENTION: KARL BURMANN AND KARL MAY
Authors: Krobb Florian
Published: June 2014

Literature for young readers provides a pertinent barometer for the moods and preoccupations of a society at a given time. The study of two examples of adventure literature set in Africa, Karl Burmann's Im Herzen von Afrika (1880) and Karl May's Die Sklavenkarawane (1889/90), illustrates the preponderance of certain motifs like family reunions in the imaginary conquest of colonial space and the definition of the role Germans assigned to themselves on the continent of desire. The separation and reunion of members of a travelling party serve to demonstrate how the foreign intruders cope with the hostile conditions without losing themselves and their sense of community. In the process, they assemble groups of indigenous people into family units of their making and under their tutelage, thus assuming the role of mentor to African societies and claiming a kind of leadership without which, or so the suggestion goes, Africa would not achieve any awareness of self. In Karl May's novel, this role is asserted in competition with slave hunters, rivals for dominance over inner Africa. Adventure literature thus provides a blueprint for, and a legitimisation of, colonialist interference in Africa and allows a new generation to imagine themselves as both adventurers and benefactors.
Institutional and Demographic Explanations of Women's Employment in 18 OECD Countries, 1975–1999
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Rense , Need Ariana , Van Der Kolk Henk
Published: June 2014

This study combined demographic and institutional explanations of women's employment, describing and explaining the degree to which mothers in industrialized societies are less likely to be employed than women without children. A large number of cross‐sectional surveys were pooled, covering 18 Organisation for Economic Co‐Operation and Development countries, 192,484 observations, and 305 country‐years between 1975 and 1999. These data were merged with measures of institutional context and analyzed with multilevel logistic regression. The results indicate that, over time, women were increasingly likely to combine motherhood and employment in many, but not all, countries. Both mothers and women without children were more likely to be employed in societies with a large service sector and low unemployment. The employment of women without children was generally unaffected by family policies. Mothers were more likely to be employed in societies with extensive reconciliation policies and limited family allowances.
A Vignette Study on Gendered Filial Expectations of Elders in Rural China
Authors: Cong Zhen , Silverstein Merril
Published: June 2014

This investigation integrated vignette and survey design to study how sons' reduced availability and daughters' increased contributions to parents influenced Chinese rural elders' gendered filial expectations, measured with their beliefs about obligations of a vignette daughter and a vignette son to their postsurgery parent. The sample included 802 elders from 2001, 2003, and 2006 waves of a longitudinal study on rural elders in Anhui Province, China. Multinomial logistic regressions showed that the vignette sons' migration and actual daughters' previous contributions increased elder women's, but not men's, endorsement of the vignette daughter's obligations. The vignette son's child‐care responsibilities affected neither women's nor men's beliefs, but the vignette daughters' migration and child‐care responsibilities reduced respondents' expectations of the vignette daughter. This study directs attention to the discrepancy between social changes and individuals' attitudes because of structural lags as well as to the importance of examining factors that will reduce the discrepancy.
What's (Not) Wrong With Low‐Income Marriages
Authors: Trail Thomas E. , Karney Benjamin R.
Published: June 2014

In the United States, low marriage rates and high divorce rates among the poor have led policymakers to target this group for skills‐ and values‐based interventions. The current research evaluated the assumptions underlying these interventions; specifically, the authors examined whether low‐income respondents held less traditional values toward marriage, had unrealistic standards for marriage, and had more problems managing relational problems than higher income respondents. They assessed these issues in a stratified random sample that oversampled low‐income and non‐White populations (N = 6,012). The results demonstrated that, relative to higher income respondents, low‐income respondents held more traditional values toward marriage, had similar romantic standards for marriage, and experienced similar skills‐based relationship problems. Low‐income groups had higher economic standards for marriage and experienced more problems related to economic and social issues (e.g., money, drinking/drug use) than did higher income respondents. Thus, efforts to save low‐income marriages should directly confront the economic and social realities these couples face.
Consequences of Teen Parents' Child‐Care Arrangements for Mothers and Children
Authors: Mollborn Stefanie , Blalock Casey
Published: June 2014

Using the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (2001–2006; N ≅7,900), the authors examined child‐care arrangements among teen parents from birth through prekindergarten. Four latent classes of child care arrangements at 9, 24, and 52 months emerged: (a) “parental care,” (b) “center care,” (c) “paid home‐based care,” and (d) “free kin‐based care.” Disadvantaged teen‐parent families were overrepresented in the “parental care” class, which was negatively associated with children's preschool reading, math, and behavior scores and mothers' socioeconomic and fertility outcomes compared with some nonparental care classes. Nonparental care did not predict any negative maternal or child outcomes, and different care arrangements had different benefits for mothers and children. Time spent in nonparental care and improved maternal outcomes contributed to children's increased scores across domains. Child‐care classes predicted maternal outcomes similarly in teen‐parent and nonteen‐parent families, but the “parental care” class predicted some disproportionately negative child outcomes for teen‐parent families.
The Division of Labor in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual New Adoptive Parents
Authors: Goldberg Abbie E. , Smith JuliAnna Z. , Perry‐Jenkins Maureen
Published: June 2014

Little research has investigated the division of child care and housework in adoptive or lesbian/gay parent families, yet these contexts “control for” family characteristics such as biological relatedness and parental gender differences known to be linked to family work. This study examined predictors (measured preadoption) of the division of child care and housework (measured postadoption) in lesbian (n = 55), gay (n = 40), and heterosexual (n = 65) newly adoptive couples. Same‐sex couples shared child care and housework more equally than heterosexual couples. For the full sample, inequities in work hours between partners were associated with greater discrepancies in partners' contributions to child care and masculine tasks; inequities in income between partners were related to greater discrepancies in contributions to feminine tasks. Participants who contributed more to child care tended to contribute more to feminine tasks. These findings extend knowledge of how labor arrangements are enacted in diverse groups.
Transitions Into and Out of Cohabitation in Later Life
Authors: Brown Susan L. , Bulanda Jennifer Roebuck , Lee Gary R.
Published: June 2014

Cohabitation among adults over age 50 is rising rapidly, more than doubling from 1.2 million in 2000 to 2.75 million in 2010. A small literature provides a descriptive portrait of older cohabitors, but no study has investigated transitions into and out of cohabitation during later life. Drawing on demographic and life course perspectives, the authors developed a framework for conceptualizing later life union behaviors. Using data from the 1998–2006 Health and Retirement Study, they estimated discrete‐time event‐history models predicting union formation (i.e., cohabitation or marriage) among older unmarried individuals (N = 3,736) as well as transitions to either marriage or separation among older cohabitors (N = 377). Those who formed a union were as likely to be in a cohabiting relationship as a marriage. Older adult cohabiting unions were quite stable and unlikely to culminate in either marriage or separation. During later life, cohabitation appears to operate as a long‐term alternative to marriage.
Interethnic Romantic Relationships: Enacting Affiliative Ethnic Identities
Authors: Yodanis Carrie , Lauer Sean , Ota Risako
Published: June 2014

Through in‐depth interviews with respondents who were in interethnic relationships (N =28), the authors extended and refined a new approach to mate selection based on affiliative ethnic identities (T. Jimenez, 2010). Rather than assimilation and a breakdown of ethnic group boundaries, they found that people pursued interethnic relationships because of the ethnic differences they include. These relationships gave them access to an affiliate ethnic or multicultural identity. This perspective does not challenge but rather complements existing theories of mate selection, including the role of opportunity structures, exchange of benefits, and growing acceptance of or freedom to pursue interethnic relationships. Ethnic differences can remain central as people meet, fall in love, and marry across these differences.
Relations Among Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, and Maternal Parenting Behaviors
Authors: Gustafsson Hanna C. , Cox Martha J. ,   The Family Life Project Key Investigators
Published: June 2014

The authors examined the relations among intimate partner violence (IPV), maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal harsh intrusive parenting. Using a cross‐lagged, autoregressive path model, they sought to clarify the directionality of the relations among these 3 variables over the first 2 years of the child's life. The results indicated that, in this diverse sample of families living in predominantly low‐income rural communities (N = 705), higher levels of early IPV were associated with increases in maternal depressive symptoms, which in turn were associated with increases in maternal harsh intrusive parenting behaviors. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving the parenting of women exposed to domestic violence may want to simultaneously target IPV and depressive symptomatology.
Divorce in Korea: Trends and Educational Differentials
Authors: Park Hyunjoon , Raymo James M.
Published: June 2014

The authors extend comparative research on educational differences in divorce by analyzing data from Korea. A primary motivation was to assess whether the theoretically unexpected negative educational gradient in divorce in Japan is also observed in Korea. Using vital statistics records for marriages and divorces registered between 1991 and 2006, the authors calculated cumulative probabilities of divorce, by marriage cohort (N =5,734,577) and educational attainment. The results indicated that the relationship between education and divorce was negative even in the earliest cohort and that this negative gradient has become more pronounced in more recent cohorts. Contrary to expectations, however, little evidence was found that the concentration of divorce at lower levels of education was exacerbated by the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s. The authors discuss these findings in light of conventional emphases on the costs of divorce and highlight the importance of better understanding this distinctive east Asia pattern of divorce.
Intergenerational Transfers to Adult Children in Europe: Do Social Policies Matter?
Authors: Brandt Martina , Deindl Christian
Published: June 2014

Understanding the role of social policies in intergenerational transfers from old to young people is especially important in times of population aging. This paper focuses on the influences of social expenditures and social services on financial support and on practical help from older parents to their adult children based on the first two waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, N = 60,250 dyads from 13 European countries). Multilevel models showed that social policy plays an important role for intergenerational transfer patterns: The more public assistance was provided to citizens, the more likely parents supported their adult children financially and practically, but this support was less intense in terms of money and time given. Thus, the analyses support the specialization hypothesis that posits a division of labor between family and state for downward intergenerational transfers.
Relationship Churning, Physical Violence, and Verbal Abuse in Young Adult Relationships
Authors: Halpern‐Meekin Sarah , Manning Wendy D. , Giordano Peggy C. , Longmore Monica A.
Published: June 2014

Young adults' romantic relationships are often unstable, commonly including breakup –reconcile patterns. From the developmental perspective of emerging adulthood exploration, such relationship “churning” is expected; however, minor conflicts are more common in churning relationships. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 792), the authors tested whether relationship churning is associated with more serious conflict, such as physical violence and verbal abuse. Couples who were stably broken up (breakup only—no reconciliation) were similar to those who were stably together in their conflict experiences. In contrast, churners (i.e., those involved in on/off relationships) were twice as likely as those who were stably together or stably broken up to report physical violence and half again as likely to report the presence of verbal abuse in their relationships; this association between churning and conflict held net of a host of demographic, personal, and relationship characteristics. These findings have implications for our better understanding of unhealthy relationship behaviors.
Past‐Year Sexual Inactivity Among Older Married Persons and Their Partners
Authors: Karraker Amelia , DeLamater John
Published: June 2014

Family scholars have focused on the onset of sexual activity early in the life course, but little is known about the cessation of sexual activity in relationships in later life. We use event‐history analysis techniques and logistic regression to identify the correlates of sexual inactivity among older married men and women. We analyze data for 1,502 married people from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative sample of 3,005 noninstitutionalized American men and women ages 57 to 85. We find 29% of the married persons report no sexual activity for the previous 12 months or more. Relationship duration, chronological age, and poor physical health are all independently associated with sexual inactivity. Characteristics such as marital happiness, premarital cohabitation, and remarriage are also associated with levels of inactivity or activity. Analyses also point to gender differences in the correlates of sexual inactivity.
Caregiver Experiences of Supporting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Pain
Authors: Findlay Laura , Williams Amanda C. de C. , Baum Sandra , Scior Katrina
Published: June 2014

Background

Caregivers have an intimate knowledge of the individuals they care for and are therefore an important source of information on pain experiences. They are often relied upon to recognize pain‐related behaviours and report them, but little is known as to how they experience their role.

Methods

Information was collected from 11 caregivers using semi‐structured interviews about their experiences of caring for adults with intellectual disabilities who were suspected or definitely in pain. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results

Six superordinate themes were identified from participants' experiences: suffering in silence; searching for meaning to explain the complaint; knowledge and skills needed to recognize and manage pain; perceptions of the pain experience; acting to try and reduce pain; and the emotional impact of pain.

Conclusions

There seems an art to detect pain using existing skills and knowledge of the individual's ways of expressing pain. Despite best efforts, recognizing and treating pain was experienced as complex and ambiguous. Some caregivers described a negative emotional impact and dissatisfaction with the management of pain by health care services.
Diet composition and feeding ecology of the naked goby Gobiosoma bosc (Gobiidae) from four western Atlantic estuaries
Authors: D'Aguillo M. C. , Harold A. S. , Darden T. L.
Published: June 2014

The feeding ecology of the small‐bodied benthic naked goby Gobiosoma bosc, a western Atlantic species that occurs in estuaries and other inshore habitats from Connecticut to Texas U.S.A., was investigated in a total of four estuaries spanning South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland and New Jersey. Gut content analysis of 391 individuals revealed that G. bosc is a benthic microcarnivore that feeds primarily on polychaetes, gammarid amphipods and harpacticoid copepods. Diet composition varied with body size, tidal creek within an estuary and geographic region. Analyses of gut fullness suggest that G. bosc is a daytime visual predator and that nest and egg guarding during the reproductive season reduce foraging activity in mature males. Additionally, G. bosc infected with adult digenean parasites of the gut foraged more intensely than uninfected individuals, a relationship that was strongest for reproductively mature males. Regionally, significant variation in dietary breadth was documented and may reflect a foraging response to a decrease in prey diversity moving from estuaries of higher salinity and lower latitude to estuaries of lower salinity and higher latitude. These results contribute to an understanding of the life history of G. bosc and the role played by this common species in estuarine food webs.
Objective assessment of facial skin aging and the associated environmental factors in Japanese monozygotic twins
Authors: Ichibori Ryoko , Fujiwara Takashi , Tanigawa Tomoko , Kanazawa Shigeyuki , Shingaki Kenta , Torii Kosuke , Tomita Koichi , Yano Kenji ,   Osaka Twin Research Group, Sakai Yasuo , Hosokawa Ko
Published: June 2014

Twin studies, especially those involving monozygotic (MZ) twins, facilitate the analysis of factors affecting skin aging while controlling for age, gender, and genetic susceptibility. The purpose of this study was to objectively assess various features of facial skin and analyze the effects of environmental factors on these features in MZ twins. At the Osaka Twin Research Center, 67 pairs of MZ twins underwent medical interviews and photographic assessments, using the VISIA® Complexion Analysis System. First, the average scores of the right and left cheek skin spots, wrinkles, pores, texture, and erythema were calculated; the differences between the scores were then compared in each pair of twins. Next, using the results of medical interviews and VISIA data, we investigated the effects of environmental factors on skin aging. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient test and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. The intrapair differences in facial texture scores significantly increased as the age of the twins increased (P = 0.03). Among the twin pairs who provided answers to the questions regarding history differences in medical interviews, the twins who smoked or did not use skin protection showed significantly higher facial texture or wrinkle scores compared with the twins not exposed to cigarettes or protectants (P = 0.04 and 0.03, respectively). The study demonstrated that skin aging among Japanese MZ twins, especially in terms of facial texture, was significantly influenced by environmental factors. In addition, smoking and skin protectant use were important environmental factors influencing skin aging.
Remodeling of periorbital, temporal, glabellar, and crow's feet areas with hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin
Authors: Beer Kenneth R , Julius Hillary , Dunn Monica , Wilson Fred
Published: June 2014

Botulinum toxins are currently used to reduce facial muscle activity, and hyaluronic acid is used to correct volume loss. This study evaluates the combination of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) and hyaluronic acid 20 mg/mL (Perlane) for rejuvenating specific areas of the upper face. Subjects (n = 20) with mild to moderate temporal volume loss as well as glabellar and/or periorbital rhytids were enrolled in this single‐center, open‐label, nonrandomized pilot study. Subjects were randomly assigned a number and treated with hyaluronic acid, divided between temporal and glabellar region, and abobotulinumtoxinA in the periorbital and glabellar region. A 1‐month touch‐up was given if needed. Subjects were evaluated by the investigator, and each subject completed a questionnaire at baseline and at 3, 6, and 9 months after treatment. For glabellar lines and crow's feet, median grades decreased from baseline at 1 month and at 3 months, but returned to baseline values at 6 months. For temporal assessments, the median grade decreased from baseline at 1, 3, and 6 months and returned to baseline at 9 months. Similar trends were observed in subjects’ perceived age, perceived social and professional limitations, and desire to alter their facial appearance. Among subjects previously treated with botulinum toxin alone, 64% rated the combination treatment said “superior.” Adverse effects were mild and transient. The combination of abobotulinumtoxinA and hyaluronic acid appears to rejuvenate the periorbital, temporal, glabellar, and crow's feet areas with minimal adverse effects.
A prospective, open‐label, multicenter, observational, postmarket study of the use of a 15 mg/mL hyaluronic acid dermal filler in the lips
Authors: Philipp‐Dormston Wolfgang G , Hilton Said , Nathan Myooran
Published: June 2014

Hyaluronic acid (HA)‐based injectable fillers three‐dimensionally restore the natural contours of the lips and perioral area, thereby reducing some signs of aging lips. To evaluate the short‐term aesthetic impact of treatment with the HA dermal filler Juvéderm® VOLBELLA® with Lidocaine, formulated utilizing VYCROSS™ technology, for enhancement or correction of asymmetry of the lips, evaluated using a patient‐centric approach. Sixty‐two subjects were enrolled in this study, conducted at two sites in Germany. Primary endpoints were satisfaction with improvement, look and feel of the lips, assessed by subject and physician at first visit and 4 weeks post‐treatment. Immediately after injection at first visit, 83.6% of subjects were Extremely Satisfied, Very Satisfied or Satisfied with improvement in the lips, which increased to 94.1% and 93.0% of subjects with/without top‐up treatment at follow‐up, respectively. After injection at first visit, 61.7% of subjects rated the look and feel of their lips as Extremely Natural or Very Natural, which increased to 75.0% and 93.0% of subjects with/without top‐up treatment, respectively. The HA dermal filler was associated with minimal discomfort, bruising or swelling of the lips; almost two‐thirds of subjects (62%) returned to social engagements on the same day. The high degree of subject satisfaction with aesthetic improvement in the lips, as well as the natural look and feel, indicates that this HA dermal filler represents an effective treatment option for patients requiring lip enhancement.
An evaluation of the patient population for aesthetic treatments targeting abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue
Authors: Friedmann Daniel P , Avram Mathew M , Cohen Steven R , Duncan Diane I , Goldman Mitchel P , Weiss Elliot T , Leroy Young V
Published: June 2014

A large and growing population of patients currently seeks minimally invasive therapeutic options for the aesthetic treatment of localized, central abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). We sought to evaluate the ideal population for aesthetic treatment of central abdominal SAT, highlight the existing disparities between SAT in obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30; BMI) and nonobese (BMI < 30) patients, and review the available FDA‐cleared, minimally invasive treatment options for central abdominal adiposity. The cosmetic issue of localized, central (periumbilical) abdominal adiposity in nonobese individuals is quite distinct from abdominal bulging secondary to obesity. Given the recognized clinical and physiologic differences between obese and nonobese counterparts, the exclusion of obese patients from clinical study by currently available FDA‐cleared devices targeting abdominal fat, and the status of obesity as a chronic, systemic disease requiring medical, surgical, and/or lifestyle‐altering therapies, minimally invasive therapeutic options for aesthetic reductions in central abdominal SAT must be limited to the nonobese population.
A double‐blind vehicle‐controlled study of a preparation containing undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2% in the treatment of melasma in females
Authors: Katoulis Alexander , Alevizou Antigoni , Soura Efthymia , Mantas Nikolaos , Bozi Evangelia , Gregoriou Stamatis , Makris Michalis , Rigopoulos Dimitris
Published: June 2014

Background

Undecylenoyl phenylalanine is a novel skin‐lightening agent, probably acting as α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) and beta‐adrenergic receptor (β‐ADR) antagonist.

Objectives

The objective of this double‐blind randomized comparative study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a preparation containing undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2% in the topical treatment of melasma in females.

Methods

Forty female patients with melasma were randomly assigned to apply either the active preparation or the vehicle alone, twice daily for 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated monthly for efficacy and safety.

Results

In all, 37 patients completed the study. Of the 20 patients on active treatment, no one responded completely, but 17 (85%) had partial response. Of them, 11 had moderate improvement and six had marked improvement. Lightening of the lesions was evident from the first follow‐up visit at 4 weeks. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) in efficacy between the active preparation and the vehicle was documented. Using patient assessment ratings, 80% were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the result. The reported side effects were minor and included erythema and itching or burning at the site of application.

Conclusions

Undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2% achieved a significant lightening of melasma lesions with minimal side effects.
Measuring Maternal Nonstandard Work in Survey Data
Authors: Dunifon Rachel , Kalil Ariel , Crosby Danielle A. , Su Jessica Houston , DeLeire Thomas
Published: June 2014

Surveys differ in the measurement of nonstandard work, such that some surveys require respondents to indicate whether they work either a standard or a nonstandard schedule, whereas others allow respondents to indicate that they work both types of schedules. We test whether these measurement decisions influence the estimated prevalence of maternal nonstandard work, using data from two sources: the Current Population Survey (N = 1,430) and the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2,524). Using propensity score techniques, we find that giving respondents the option of reporting work at more than one type of schedule doubles the prevalence of nonstandard work, compared to allowing respondents to indicate only one type of schedule. Our results suggest that many mothers of young children regularly work at both standard and nonstandard times and that mutually exclusive conceptualizations of standard and nonstandard work schedules do not fully capture their experiences.
Women's Education, Marital Violence, and Divorce: A Social Exchange Perspective
Authors: Kreager Derek A. , Felson Richard B. , Warner Cody , Wenger Marin R.
Published: June 2014

Drawing on social exchange theories, the authors hypothesized that educated women are more likely than uneducated women to leave violent marriages and suggested that this pattern offsets the negative education–divorce association commonly found in the United States. They tested these hypotheses using 2 waves of young adult data on 914 married women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The evidence suggests that the negative relationship between women's education and divorce is weaker when marriages involve abuse than when they do not. The authors observed a similar pattern when they examined the association of women's proportional earnings and divorce, controlling for education. Supplementary analyses suggested that marital satisfaction explains some of the association among women's resources, victimization, and divorce but that marital violence continues to be a significant moderator of the education–divorce association. In sum, education appears to benefit women by both maintaining stable marriages and dissolving violent ones.
A Longitudinal Examination of Support, Self‐Esteem, and Mexican‐Origin Adolescent Mothers' Parenting Efficacy
Authors: Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. , Guimond Amy B. , Updegraff Kimberly A. , Jahromi Laudan B.
Published: June 2014

Guided by a risk and resilience framework, this study used a prospective longitudinal, multiple‐reporter design to examine how social support from a mother figure during pregnancy interacted with Mexican‐origin adolescent mothers' self‐esteem to inform their parenting efficacy when their children were 10 months old. Using reports of perceived social support by adolescent mothers (Mage = 16.24, SD = 0.99) and their mother figures (Mage = 40.84, SD = 7.04) in 205 dyads, and controlling for demographic factors (i.e., adolescent age, adolescent nativity, family income, mothers' educational attainment, adolescent – mother coresidence) and adolescents' social support from a significant other, the findings indicated that social support during pregnancy was positively associated with adolescent mothers' future parenting efficacy when adolescent mothers had relatively lower self‐esteem. The findings were consistent for adolescents' and mothers' reports and emphasize the value of social support from a mother figure among adolescent mothers with lower self‐esteem. Implications for interventions are presented.
Researching Within‐Household Distribution: Overview, Developments, Debates, and Methodological Challenges
Authors: Bennett Fran
Published: June 2014

Research into intrahousehold finances challenges key assumptions about the family as a unitary whole, investigates the extent of sharing within it, examines mechanisms of control and allocation of resources, and reveals the personalized nature of different monies. This article presents an overview of research on within‐household distribution (understood as both outcome and process). It discusses major questions addressed, including inequalities between (gendered) individuals and the potential reasons for these. It outlines significant developments and debates, within qualitative research in particular, in relation to the unit of analysis (traditionally, the married couple), the texture and meaning of financial dealings within couples, and the tensions between autonomy and equal sharing as values. It then discusses several key methodological challenges, and concludes by highlighting some policy implications of central research messages. Throughout, it draws on and discusses the other articles in this special section, which explore key methodological issues in researching within‐household distribution.
Profiles of Risk: Maternal Health, Socioeconomic Status, and Child Health
Authors: Hardie Jessica Halliday , Landale Nancy S.
Published: June 2014

Child health is fundamental to well‐being and achievement throughout the life course. Prior research has demonstrated strong associations between familial socioeconomic resources and children's health outcomes, with especially poor health outcomes among disadvantaged youth who experience a concentration of risks, yet little is known about the influence of maternal health as a dimension of risk for children. This research used nationally representative U.S. data from the National Health Interview Surveys in 2007 and 2008 (N = 7,361) to evaluate the joint implications of maternal health and socioeconomic disadvantage for youth. Analyses revealed that maternal health problems were present in a substantial minority of families, clustered meaningfully with other risk factors, and had serious implications for children's health. These findings support the development of health policies and interventions aimed at families.
Nonmaternal Care's Association With Mother's Parenting Sensitivity: A Case of Self‐Selection Bias?
Authors: Nomaguchi Kei M. , DeMaris Alfred
Published: June 2014

Although attachment theory posits that the use of nonmaternal care undermines quality of mothers' parenting, empirical evidence for this link is inconclusive. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,233), the authors examined the associations between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity during the first 3 years of children's lives, with special attention to selection effects and moderation by resource levels. Findings from fixed‐effects regression models suggested that, on average, there is little relationship between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity, once selection factors are held constant. Some evidence of moderation effects was found, however. Excellent‐quality care is related to more sensitivity for mothers with lower family income. Poor‐quality care is related to lower sensitivity for single mothers, but not partnered mothers. In sum, nonmaternal care characteristics do not seem to have as much influence on mothers' parenting as attachment theory claims.
Measuring Differences in Living Standards Within Households
Authors: Cantillon Sara
Published: June 2014

This article presents a quantitative approach used to investigate differences in living standards between spouses within households. Adopting a specially adapted, standard poverty measurement approach—nonmonetary indicators—it explores differences between spouses in terms of possessions and access to certain goods and services and the control and management of household resources. Using data from a unique module in the Living in Ireland Survey (N = 2,248 individuals) as an exemplar, the article focuses on 3 methodological issues: (a) the development of specially designed nonmonetary indicators to explore differences in living standards within households rather than between households (including the role played by qualitative findings in developing those indicators and how focus groups were used to assess and validate the method), (b) the use of multivariate analysis to assess the impact of a wife's independent income in ameliorating differences in living standards between spouses, and (c) the deployment of a mechanism for use in quantitative surveys to record spousal presence and allow measurement of any subsequent difference in individual responses.
Unpacking Within‐Household Gender Differences in Partners' Subjective Benefits From Household Income
Authors: De Henau Jerome , Himmelweit Susan
Published: June 2014

The authors examine how contributions to household resources, indicated by employment status, influence satisfaction with household income (SWHI) for members of male/female couples. They take changes in SWHI, which may differ within couples, to indicate changes in perceived benefits from their common household income, benefits that can go beyond individual consumption. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey for 2,396 couples from 1996 to 2007, three gender effects are identified. First, men predominate in making the type of contribution that most positively influences SWHI, namely, full‐time employment. Second, the effect of contributions depends on the gender of the contributor, with men's employment being more influential than women's. Third, within couples, making the more influential contribution, as men tend to do, leads to relatively greater SWHI. The authors conclude that gender asymmetry in contributions made to household resources is one way in which gender inequalities invade and inhabit households.
Low Birth Weight and Parental Investment: Do Parents Favor the Fittest Child?
Authors: Lynch Jamie L. , Brooks Ryan
Published: June 2014

Do parents contribute to birth weight disparities in status attainment? This study uses a nationally representative sample of 8,550 children and 1,450 twins from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort to investigate whether, as recent studies have suggested, parents favor healthier children. Children with poor health are found to receive fewer parental investments, including breast‐feeding and quality parent–child interaction, but results from between‐ and within‐family regression models, using low birth weight as a proxy for child health, find no evidence that parents compensate for or reinforce child health endowments. Instead, birth‐weight disparities in parental investment are linked with observable family, maternal, and child sociodemographic characteristics. Our results raise doubts about the utility of human capital models to explain health disparities in parental investment and shed new light on the broad spectrum of disadvantage faced by children with poor health.
Predicting a Partner's End‐of‐Life Preferences, or Substituting One's Own?
Authors: Moorman Sara M. , Inoue Megumi
Published: June 2014

Numerous studies comparing patients' end‐of‐life health care treatment preferences with their surrogates' reports of those preferences indicate that partners do not know one another's treatment preferences: Random guesses are just as likely as surrogate choices to match the patients' preferences. The present study uses the empathic accuracy model and the assumed similarity model to shed further light on accuracy and bias in surrogate reports. The data come from the National Center for Family and Marriage Research/Knowledge Networks Pilot Study 2010, a national sample of 1,075 heterosexual American couples age 18 to 64. Surrogate reports were simultaneously biased (i.e., correlated with the surrogate's own preference) and accurate (i.e., correlated with the partner's actual preference). Higher relationship quality and legal marriage (vs. cohabitation) were associated with increased assumed similarity bias. These findings suggest that practitioners working in end‐of‐life care need to be familiar with their partnered patients' relationship dynamics.