bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inverse association between cancer risks and age in schizophrenic patients: A 12‐year nationwide cohort study
Authors: Lin Chun‐Yuan , Lane Hsien‐Yuan , Chen Tsi‐Ting , Wu Yu‐Hsin , Wu Chun‐Ying , Wu Vivian Y. 
Published: January 2013

The association between schizophrenia and cancer risk is contentious in the clinical and epidemiological literature. Studies from different populations, tumor sites, or health care systems have provided inconsistent findings. In the present study, we examined a less well‐investigated hypothesis that age plays a crucial role in cancer risk in schizophrenia. We conducted a nationwide cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) between 1995 and 2007. Overall, gender‐, and age‐stratified standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were used to investigate the pattern of cancer risk by age. Of the 102 202 schizophrenic patients, 1738 developed cancer after a diagnosis of schizophrenia (SIR = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90–0.96). However, the age‐stratified SIR declined with age (e.g. SIR [95% CI] = 1.97 [1.85–2.33], 0.68 [0.65–0.78], and 0.36 [0.34–0.45] for those aged 20–29, 60–69, and ≥70 years, respectively) in both genders and for major cancers. Cancer risks in schizophrenic patients were lower for cancers that are more likely to develop at an older age in the general population (e.g. stomach cancer [SIR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.57–0.80], pancreatic cancer [SIR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.39–0.84], and prostate cancer [SIR = 0.35; 95% CI 0.29–0.58]). In contrast, cancer risks were higher for cancers that have a younger age of onset, such as cancers of the nasopharynx (SIR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.08–1.49), breast (SIR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.44–1.66) and uterine corpus (SIR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.98–2.74). The unique age structures and early aging potential of schizophrenia populations may contribute to the observed inverse relationship between age and cancer risk. Higher cancer comorbidity in young schizophrenic patients deserves more attention.
Cord blood chemerin: differential effects of gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal obesity
Authors: van Poppel Mireille N. M. , Zeck Willibald , Ulrich Daniela , Schest Eva‐Christina , Hirschmugl Birgit , Lang Uwe , Wadsack Christian , Desoye Gernot 
Published: January 2013

SummaryObjectiveChemerin is a novel adipokine implicated in inflammation and obesity. We hypothesized that foetal chemerin would be elevated in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and correlate with foetal and maternal adiposity.DesignObservational, longitudinal study.Subjects and measurementsFoetal chemerin was measured separately in arterial and venous cord blood of 30 infants born to mothers with (n = 15) and without GDM (n = 15), in their mothers in early third trimester and at delivery and in amniotic fluid (week 32) of women with GDM. Expression of chemerin and its receptor in human foetal tissues commercially available and in placental cells was measured by quantitative PCR. Associations between foetal and maternal anthropometric and metabolic variables were assessed in multivariate regression models.ResultsIn GDM, foetal arterial but not venous cord blood chemerin levels were elevated by about 60% (P < 0·05). Venous cord blood chemerin was higher in infants of obese women (P < 0·01). In multivariate analyses, neither amniotic fluid nor cord blood chemerin levels correlated with birth weight or ponderal index. Both arterial and venous chemerin levels were related to maternal chemerin at birth, and arterial chemerin was associated with GDM status in addition. Maternal levels were unaltered in GDM, but higher in maternal obesity. Foetal liver produces fourfold more chemerin mRNA than other foetal tissues, whereas its receptor prevails in spleen.ConclusionsBased on multivariate analyses, foetal growth appears unrelated to foetal chemerin. Maternal obesity and GDM have differential effects on foetal chemerin levels. Site of major production (liver) and action (spleen) differ in human foetal tissues.
Contemporary adoptive kinship: a contribution to new kinship studies
Authors: Logan Janette 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper was concerned with the changing nature of adoptive kinship. The analysis was located in the context of current sociological and anthropological theory and parallels were drawn with other alternative family forms i.e. gay and lesbian families, and families formed by new reproductive technologies.Adoption as a family form has largely been neglected in sociological and anthropological literature, yet the changing nature of adoption, particularly in relation to open adoption and gay and lesbian adoption, means that it has an important contribution to make to new discourses of kinship. Adoption is far more likely to feature in psychological and child welfare literature than that on the family and kinship, yet it is a unique addition to the heterogeneous family landscape with a profound impact on cultural definitions of family and kinship.By considering contemporary adoption practice through a social construction and kinship theory lens, the paper argues that new kinship studies are helpful in conceptualizing adoptive kinship. Adoption also has a valuable and significant contribution to make to contemporary kinship theory.
Pseudoreplication in Tropical Forests and the Resulting Effects on Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: RAMAGE BENJAMIN S. , SHEIL DOUGLAS , SALIM HANNAH M.W. , FLETCHER CHRISTINE , MUSTAFA NUR‐ZATI A. , LURUTHUSAMAY JOANN C. , HARRISON RHETT D. , BUTOD ELIZABETH , DZULKIPLY AHMAD DZAMIR , KASSIM ABD RAHMAN , POTTS MATTHEW D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractTropical forest ecosystems are threatened by habitat conversion and other anthropogenic actions. Timber production forests can augment the conservation value of primary forest reserves, but studies of logging effects often yield contradictory findings and thus inhibit efforts to develop clear conservation strategies. We hypothesized that much of this variability reflects a common methodological flaw, simple pseudoreplication, that confounds logging effects with preexisting spatial variation. We reviewed recent studies of the effects of logging on biodiversity in tropical forests (n = 77) and found that 68% were definitively pseudoreplicated while only 7% were definitively free of pseudoreplication. The remaining proportion could not be clearly categorized. In addition, we collected compositional data on 7 taxa in 24 primary forest research plots and systematically analyzed subsets of these plots to calculate the probability that a pseudoreplicated comparison would incorrectly identify a treatment effect. Rates of false inference (i.e., the spurious detection of a treatment effect) were >0.5 for 2 taxa, 0.3–0.5 for 2 taxa, and <0.3 for 3 taxa. Our findings demonstrate that tropical conservation strategies are being informed by a body of literature that is rife with unwarranted inferences. Addressing pseudoreplication is essential for accurately assessing biodiversity in logged forests, identifying the relative merits of specific management practices and landscape configurations, and effectively balancing conservation with timber production in tropical forests.Pseudoreplicación en Bosques Tropicales y Efectos Resultantes Sobre la Conservación de Biodiversidad
Brachioradial pruritus – descriptive analysis of Brazilian case series
Authors: Masuda Paula Y. , Martelli Antonio Carlos Ceribelli , Wachholz Patrick A. , Akumatsu Hélcio T. , Martins Ana L. G. P. , Silva Nathália M. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryBackgroundThe epidemiology and clinical features of brachioradial pruritus are variably described in the literature. We sought to analyze these features in a large group of Brazilian patients.Patients and MethodsIn a descriptive, observational study, we identified all patients with a final diagnosis of brachioradial pruritus seen over a one‐year period and re‐trospectively reviewed their records. The diagnosis was made after clinical‐laboratory investigation had ruled out other causes of chronic pruritus. Demographic and clinical variables were collected along with pruritus characteristics, and analyzed using des‐criptive statistics.ResultsForty‐three patients were identified; their mean age was 55.9 years, with predominance of women (81.4%) and Caucasians (86%). In 52%, the pruritus worsened with heat and sun exposure; 58.1% had intermittent complaints; the ice‐pack sign was present only in 20.9%. The arms involving dermatomes C5‐C6‐C7‐C8 (62.8%) were the most affected sites, while psychoactive drugs were the most frequently prescribed therapy.ConclusionsAlthough uncommon, brachioradial pruritus should not be neglected in dermatological diagnosis. This case series analysis indicated that Brazilian patients from a tropical climate show characteristics similar to those described in other series from more temperate regions.
Testosterone challenge and androgen receptor activity in relation to UGT2B17 genotypes
Authors: Ekström Lena , Cevenini Luca , Michelini Elisa , Schulze Jenny , Thörngren John‐Olof , Belanger Alain , Guillemette Chantal , Garle Mats , Roda Aldo , Rane Anders 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundWe investigated the androgen receptor (AR) bioluminescense response in serum and urine before and after testosterone challenge in different genotypes of the UGT2B17 enzyme, which catalyses testosterone glucuronidation.Material and methodsThe androgen receptor activity was determined using a yeast‐based bioluminescence assay. The androgens were analysed using LC‐MS/MS, and the individuals were genotyped for UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism using real‐time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsThe serum concentrations of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were markedly elevated on days 2 and 4 and were still above baseline on day 15 after a dose of 500 mg testosterone enanthate. The androgenic activity in serum increased in parallel and correlated with the hormone concentrations and remained above baseline on day 15. The urinary androgenic activity increased 4–5‐fold and was closely related to the unconjugated testosterone and independent of the UGT2B17 genotype.ConclusionsThe AR assay may serve as a complement to the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) doping test, because this is profoundly influenced by the UGT2B17 deletion polymorphism. It may also be useful for detection of other illicit androgens in sports, or in the society, or for monitoring and diagnostics of androgen‐related disorders.
Body size distributions in North American freshwater fish: small‐scale factors and synthesis
Authors: Griffiths David 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe ecosystem size/trophic structure hypothesis predicts that the shape of body size distributions will change with ecosystem size because of increases in the relative importance of large, predatory, species. I test the hypothesis by examining the statistical moments, as measures of shape, of species body size distributions of North American freshwater fish assemblages in lakes. Species lists, coupled with dietary and body size information, are used to document the patterns. Body size distributions in small lakes are unimodal and right‐skewed, but distributions become more symmetrical and bimodal in large ecosystems. In small lakes, body sizes are generally small and fish trophic levels low, but size and trophic level increase up to lake volumes of about 0.001 km3, and change little in larger lakes. Adding trophic level to the analysis greatly improves the variance explained by the body size–lake size relation. The conclusions of Griffiths (2012, Global Ecology & Biogeography 21: 383‐392), that postglacial recolonisation and evolutionary change are important determinants of body size distributions at regional and larger scales, are combined with those of this study. Mean body size in local assemblages of lake‐dwelling species is larger than in regional and continental ones. Overall, body size distributions are affected by processes operating at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, with the type, size and duration of the ecosystem probably playing a central role by influencing the proportions of vagile and predatory species, the species which dominate the large size mode.
SURgical interventions with FEIBA (SURF): international registry of surgery in haemophilia patients with inhibitory antibodies
Authors: Négrier C. , Lienhart A. , Numerof R. , Stephens D. , Wong W. Y. , Baghaei F. , Yee T. T. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryFactor VIII Inhibitor Bypassing Activity (FEIBA) can effectively achieve haemostasis in haemophilia patients with inhibitors. Further evaluation of FEIBA in surgical settings is of significant interest considering the relatively limited prospective data published to date. The aim of the study is to evaluate the perioperative efficacy and safety of FEIBA in haemophilia patients with inhibitors. Haemophilia patients with inhibitors who underwent surgical procedures and received FEIBA for perioperative haemostatic control were prospectively enrolled in an open‐label, noninterventional, postauthorization study [SURgical interventions with FEIBA (SURF)]. Outcome measures included haemostatic efficacy, safety, FEIBA exposure and blood loss associated with the perioperative use of FEIBA. Thirty‐five surgical procedures were performed at 19 centres worldwide in patients with congenital haemophilia A, congenital haemophilia B, or acquired haemophilia A. Haemorrhagic risk was severe in 37.1% (13 of 35) of the procedures, moderate in 25.7% (9 of 35) and mild in 37.1% (13 of 35). One moderate risk surgery was excluded from the efficacy analyses because it did not meet all protocol requirements. Haemostasis was judged to be ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ in 91.2% (31 of 34) of surgical procedures and ‘fair’ in 8.8% (3 of 34). Among the 12 adverse events, three were serious adverse events (SAEs), two of which were unrelated to FEIBA therapy; one SAE, a clot in an arteriovenous fistula, was deemed to be possibly related to therapy. This prospective investigation confirms that FEIBA can be safely and effectively used when performing surgical procedures in haemophilia patients with inhibitors.
Gaps in social protection for health care and long‐term care in Europe: Are the elderly faced with financial ruin?
Authors: Scheil‐Adlung Xenia , Bonan Jacopo 
Published: January 2013

AbstractWhile public expenditure on health care and long‐term care (LTC) has been monitored for many years in European countries, far less attention has been paid to the financial consequences for older people of private out‐of‐pocket (OOP) expenditure necessary to access such care. Employing representative cross‐sectional data on the elderly populations of 11 European countries in 2004 from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we find that OOP payments for health care and LTC are very common among the elderly across European countries and such expenditures impact significantly on disposable income: up to 95 per cent of the elderly make OOP payments for health care and 5 per cent for LTC, resulting in income reductions of between 5 and 10 per cent, respectively. Failure to prevent financial ruin, as a consequence of excessive OOP payments, is evident in 0.7 per cent of elderly households utilizing health care and 0.5 per cent of elderly households utilizing LTC. Those particularly concerned are the poor, women and the very old.
Old‐age protection for women in the Spanish pension system
Authors: Cifre Concha Salvador 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe example of Spain confirms the common view that contributory pension systems reproduce inequalities between the sexes that result from the nature of labour market structures and the sharing of family responsibilities. In general, women who stay at home are not entitled to their own pensions and are dependent on benefits of lower value such as survivors' pensions (derived entitlements) or non‐contributory pensions. In turn, women who work outside the home accrue lower entitlements than men and, consequently, lower old‐age or disability pensions (personal entitlements). The purpose of this article is to examine the figures for pension distribution by sex in Spain, review some of the pension policies that have been implemented since 2000, and propose direct action for progress in the transition from derived entitlements to personal entitlements. These proposals are designed to promote sex equality, defined as the right to equal well‐being and financial security in old age.
Life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: striving for ‘controlled co‐existence’
Authors: Cooney Adeline , Mee Lorraine , Casey Dympna , Murphy Kathy , Kirwan Collette , Burke Eimear , Conway Yvonne , Healy Denise , Mooney Brona , Murphy Jill ,   The PRINCE Team
Published: January 2013

Aims and objectivesTo understand the meaning of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for people and their response to this disease.BackgroundCOPD is a major cause of disability and death. The symptoms of COPD have the potential to impact on every aspect of a person's day‐to‐day life. To date most published qualitative studies have focused on the ‘experience’ of breathlessness and its impact on the person. Few studies have sought to ‘understand’ the meaning of COPD to people and their response to this disease. This study aimed to address this gap.DesignStraussian grounded theory guided study design. Grounded theory was considered appropriate for this study because of its focus on how people respond to and act on the problems they encounter.MethodsData were collected through semi‐structured interviews with 26 people with COPD. Study participants were recruited from general practices on the western seaboard of Ireland.ResultsTwo interrelated categories were identified as contributing to ‘co‐existing with COPD’: ‘hiding’ and ‘battling’. ‘Co‐existing with COPD’ was conceptualised as the core category. The potential to ‘co‐exist’ with COPD was influenced by mediating factors.ConclusionThe Theory of Co‐existing with COPD was generated from the data. This theory explains the delicate balance people with COPD maintain to ‘co‐exist with COPD’. ‘Controlled co‐existence’ enables the person to feel in control and live life to the optimum. This is a fragile balance however and the unpredictability of COPD can tip the person into ‘strained co‐existence’ or ‘uncontrolled co‐existence’.Relevance to clinical practiceUnderstanding the experience of living with COPD and the balances involved in ‘co‐existing with COPD’ can help health professionals provide more focused and empowered client care. Enabling people to achieve ‘controlled co‐existence’ with COPD challenges health professionals to educate people with COPD on how to effectively manage their disease.
Excessive weight gain in women with a normal pre‐pregnancy BMI is associated with increased neonatal adiposity
Authors: Josefson J. L. , Hoffmann J. A. , Metzger B. E. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryBackgroundMore than 40% of women with a normal pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) exceed the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines’ recommended weight gain of 25–35 lb. Excessive gestational weight gain is one modifiable factor that may be contributing to childhood overweight and obesity.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate differences in adiposity from neonates born to mothers with a normal pre‐pregnancy BMI who either gained within or above IOM guidelines.MethodsNeonatal adiposity was measured within 72 h of birth by the method of air displacement plethysmography.ResultsCompared with mothers who gained within IOM guidelines (N = 27), mothers with excessive gestational weight gain (N = 11) (mean 29.0 vs. 45.2 lb) had neonates with 50% more fat mass (348 vs. 525 g) and 3% greater body fat (10.7 vs. 13.9%).ConclusionsIncreased adiposity at birth may predispose these children to increased risk of obesity and highlight the importance that women avoid gaining excessive weight in pregnancy.
Development of a Doula Intervention for Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: Participants' Recommendations
Authors: McComish Judith Fry , Groh Carla J. , Moldenhauer Judith A. 
Published: January 2013

ProblemAbout 10–15% of women experience postpartum depression (PPD). Doulas provide support and education about PPD.MethodsThis qualitative study used focus groups with mothers, doulas, and doula trainers to develop educational materials for doulas to help mothers identify symptoms of depression and seek treatment.FindingsAll participants preferred materials that use simple language and avoid psychiatric jargon. Three themes emerged: someone to talk to, flexibility, and interactivity. Materials developed include tri‐fold brochure and content for an application for smartphones and digital tablets.ConclusionsDoulas can use these interactive materials to provide supportive, relationship‐based care that complements nursing care.
Research Review: Emanuel Miller Memorial Lecture 2012 – Neuroscientific studies of intervention for language impairment in children: interpretive and methodological problems
Authors: Bishop D. V. M. 
Published: January 2013

Background:  Our ability to look at structure and function of a living brain has increased exponentially since the early 1970s. Many studies of developmental disorders now routinely include a brain imaging or electrophysiological component. Amid current enthusiasm for applications of neuroscience to educational interventions, we need to pause to consider what neuroimaging data can tell us. Images of brain activity are seductive, and have been used to give credibility to commercial interventions, yet we have only a limited idea of what the brain bases of language disorders are, let alone how to alter them.Scope and findings:  A review of six studies of neuroimaging correlates of language intervention found recurring methodological problems: lack of an adequate control group, inadequate power, incomplete reporting of data, no correction for multiple comparisons, data dredging and failure to analyse treatment effects appropriately. In addition, there is a tendency to regard neuroimaging data as more meaningful than behavioural data, even though it is behaviour that interventions aim to alter.Conclusion:  In our current state of knowledge, it would be better to spend research funds doing well‐designed trials of behavioural treatment to establish which methods are effective, rather than rushing headlong into functional imaging studies of unproven treatments.