A comparison of two methods for estimating odds ratios: Results from the National Health Survey

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Aging syndrome genes and premature coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND: Vascular disease is a feature of aging, and coronary vascular events are a major source of morbidity and mortality in rare premature aging syndromes. One such syndrome is caused by mutations in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene, which also has been implicated in familial insulin resistance. A second gene related to premature aging in man and in murine models is the KLOTHO gene, a hypomorphic variant of which (KL-VS) is significantly more common in the first-degree relatives of patients with premature coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated whether common variants at the LMNA or KLOTHO genes are associated with rigorously defined premature CAD. METHODS: We identified 295 patients presenting with premature acute coronary syndromes confirmed by angiography. A control group of 145 patients with no evidence of CAD was recruited from outpatient referral clinics. Comprehensive haplotyping of the entire LMNA gene, including the promoter and untranslated regions, was performed using a combination of TaqMan(® )probes and direct sequencing of 14 haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The KL-VS variant of the KLOTHO gene was typed using restriction digest of a PCR amplicon. RESULTS: Two SNPs that were not in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium were excluded from analysis. We observed no significant differences in allele, genotype or haplotype frequencies at the LMNA or KLOTHO loci between the two groups. In addition, there was no evidence of excess homozygosity at the LMNA locus. CONCLUSION: Our data do not support the hypothesis that premature CAD is associated with common variants in the progeroid syndrome genes LMNA and KLOTHO

Routine Antenatal Anti-D Prophylaxis in Women Who Are Rh(D) Negative: Meta-Analyses Adjusted for Differences in Study Design and Quality

Background: To estimate the effectiveness of routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis for preventing sensitisation in pregnant Rhesus negative women, and to explore whether this depends on the treatment regimen adopted. Methods: Ten studies identified in a previous systematic literature search were included. Potential sources of bias were systematically identified using bias checklists, and their impact and uncertainty were quantified using expert opinion. Study results were adjusted for biases and combined, first in a random-effects meta-analysis and then in a random-effects metaregression analysis. Results: In a conventional meta-analysis, the pooled odds ratio for sensitisation was estimated as 0.25 (95 % CI 0.18, 0.36), comparing routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis to control, with some heterogeneity (I 2 = 19%). However, this naïve analysis ignores substantial differences in study quality and design. After adjusting for these, the pooled odds ratio for sensitisation was estimated as 0.31 (95 % CI 0.17, 0.56), with no evidence of heterogeneity (I 2 = 0%). A meta-regression analysis wa

Recommendations by Cochrane Review Groups for assessment of the risk of bias in studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Assessing the risk of bias in individual studies in a systematic review can be done using individual components or by summarizing the study quality in an overall score.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined the instructions to authors of the 50 Cochrane Review Groups that focus on clinical interventions for recommendations on methodological quality assessment of studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Forty-one of the review groups (82%) recommended quality assessment using components and nine using a scale. All groups recommending components recommended to assess concealment of allocation, compared to only two of the groups recommending scales (P < 0.0001). Thirty-five groups (70%) recommended assessment of sequence generation and 21 groups (42%) recommended assessment of intention-to-treat analysis. Only 28 groups (56%) had specific recommendations for using the quality assessment of studies analytically in reviews, with sensitivity analysis, quality as an inclusion threshold and subgroup analysis being the most commonly recommended methods. The scales recommended had problems in the individual items and some of the groups recommending components recommended items not related to bias in their quality assessment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that recommendations by some groups were not based on empirical evidence and many groups had no recommendations on how to use the quality assessment in reviews. We suggest that all Cochrane Review Groups refer to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, which is evidence-based, in their instructions to authors and that their own guidelines are kept to a minimum and describe only how methodological topics that are specific to their fields should be handled.</p

Prospective research on musculoskeletal disorders in office workers (PROMO): study protocol

BACKGROUND: This article describes the background and study design of the PROMO study (Prospective Research on Musculoskeletal disorders in Office workers). Few longitudinal studies have been performed to investigate the risk factors responsible for the incidence of hand, arm, shoulder and neck symptoms among office workers, given the observation that a large group of office workers might be at risk worldwide. Therefore, the PROMO study was designed. The main aim is to quantify the contribution of exposure to occupational computer use to the incidence of hand, arm, shoulder and neck symptoms. The results of this study might lead to more effective and/or cost-efficient preventive interventions among office workers. METHODS/DESIGN: A prospective cohort study is conducted, with a follow-up of 24 months. In total, 1821 participants filled out the first questionnaire (response rate of 74%). Data on exposure and outcome is collected using web-based self-reports. Outcome assessment takes place every three months during the follow-up period. Data on computer use are collected at baseline and continuously during follow-up using a software program. DISCUSSION: The advantages of the PROMO study include the long follow-up period, the repeated measurement of both exposure and outcome, and the objective measurement of the duration of computer use. In the PROMO study, hypotheses stemming from lab-based and field-based research will be investigated

Differences in carotid arterial morphology and composition between individuals with and without obstructive coronary artery disease: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Objective: We sought to determine differences with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the morphology and composition of the carotid arteries between individuals with angiographically-defined obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD, = 50% stenosis, cases) and those with angiographically normal coronaries (no lumen irregularities, controls). Methods and results: 191 participants (50.3% female; 50.8% CAD cases) were imaged with a multi-sequence, carotid CMR protocol at 1.5T. For each segment of the carotid, lumen area, wall area, total vessel area (lumen area + wall area), mean wall thickness and the presence or absence of calcification and lipid-rich necrotic core were recorded bilaterally. In male CAD cases compared to male controls, the distal bulb had a significantly smaller lumen area (60.0 [plus or minus] 3.1 vs. 79.7 [plus or minus] 3.2 mm[super]2, p less than 0.001) and total vessel area (99.6 [plus or minus] 4.0 vs. 119.8 [plus or minus] 4.1 mm[super]2; p less than 0.001), and larger mean wall thickness (1.25 [plus or minus] 0.03 vs. 1.11 [plus or minus] 0.03 mm; p = 0.002). Similarly, the internal carotid had a smaller lumen area (37.5 [plus or minus] 1.8 vs. 44.6 [plus or minus] 1.8 mm[super]2; p = 0.006) and smaller total vessel area (64.0 [plus or minus] 2.3 vs. 70.9 [plus or minus] 2.4 mm[super]2; p = 0.04). These metrics were not significantly different between female groups in the distal bulb and internal carotid or for either gender in the common carotid. Male CAD cases had an increased prevalence of lipid-rich necrotic core (49.0% vs. 19.6%; p = 0.003), while calcification was more prevalent in both male (46.9% vs. 17.4%; p = 0.002) and female (33.3% vs. 14.6%; p = 0.031) CAD cases compared to controls. Conclusion: Males with obstructive CAD compared to male controls had carotid bulbs and internal carotid arteries with smaller total vessel and lumen areas, and an increased prevalence of lipid-rich necrotic core. Carotid calcification was related to CAD status in both males and females. Carotid CMR identifies distinct morphological and compositional differences in the carotid arteries between individuals with and without angiographically-defined obstructive CAD.Carotid Atherosclerosis (MRI) Progression Study (CAMPS, HL076378) and Cardiovascular Research Training Program (T-32, HL07838); and the General Clinical Research Center at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (M01 RR-07122)

Transfer von festen, flüssigen und gasförmigen Stoffen aus Vulkanen in die Atmosphäre

Die häufigsten vulkanischen Volatilen sind H2O, CO2, SO3 und Halogene. Zusammensetzung, Menge und Injektionsraten von vulkanischen Gasen und Partikeln in die Troposphäre und Stratosphäre hängen ab von der chemischen Zusammensetzung eines Magmas, dem plattentektonischen Milieu sowie Eruptionsmechanismen und Eruptionsraten. Über 90% der eruptierten Magmen sind basaltischer Zusammensetzung mit niedriger Viskosität, relativ geringen Volatilengehalten und meist niedrigen Eruptionsraten sowie wenig explosiven Eruptionen überwiegend entlang der mittelozeanischen Rücken in großen Wassertiefen. Magmen in Inselbögen und Subduktionszonen an Kontinenträndern sind H2O-reich, in anderen plattentektonischen Milieus überwiegt in basaltischen Magmen CO2. In mafischen Magmen ist CO2 schlecht löslich und kann daher schon mehrere Kilometer unter der Erdoberfläche als Gasphase aus einem Magma entweichen. Felsische (hochdifferenzierte) Magmen, H2O-reich und CO2-arm, eruptieren oft hochexplosiv, insbesondere an Subduktionszonen, und mit hohen Eruptionsraten, z.B. El Chichón (Mexiko, 1982) und Pinatubo (Philippinen, 1991). Ihre Eruptionssäulen (Gas-/Partikelgemische) können bis ca. 40 km Höhe erreichen und sind Hauptlieferant der in die Stratosphäre injizierten Gasmengen

Influence of eruptive style on volcanic gas emission chemistry and temperature

Gas bubbles form as magmas ascend in the crust and exsolve volatiles. These bubbles evolve chemically and physically as magma decompression and crystallization proceed. It is generally assumed that the gas remains in thermal equilibrium with the melt but the relationship between gas and melt redox state is debated. Here, using absorption spectroscopy, we report the composition of gases emitted from the lava lake of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii, and calculate equilibrium conditions for the gas emissions. Our observations span a transition between more and less vigorous-degassing regimes. They reveal a temperature range of up to 250 °C, and progressive oxidation of the gas, relative to solid rock buffers, with decreasing gas temperature. We suggest that these phenomena are the result of changing gas bubble size. We find that even for more viscous magmas, fast-rising bubbles can cool adiabatically, and lose the redox signature of their associated melts. This process can result in rapid changes in the abundances of redox-sensitive gas species. Gas composition is monitored at many volcanoes in support of hazard assessment but time averaging of observations can mask such variability arising from the dynamics of degassing. In addition, the observed redox decoupling between gas and melt calls for caution in using lava chemistry to infer the composition of associated volcanic gases

Evidence for Community Transmission of Community-Associated but Not Health-Care-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Strains Linked to Social and Material Deprivation: Spatial Analysis of Cross-sectional Data

Supporting information for a paper titled "Evidence for Community Transmission of Community-Associated but Not Health-Care-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Strains Linked to Social and Material Deprivation: Spatial Analysis of Cross-sectional Data". This includes: an MS Word document that describes the modelling approach (S1 Methods), Summary statistics for area-level variables in 513 LSOAs within catchment areas of the hospital cohort (S1 Table), data from the 2011 England and Wales census that outlines population structure of 513 LSOAs within catchment areas of the hospital cohort. (S2 Table), Individual patient-level metadata (S1 Text), and LSOA-level aggregated metadata (S2 Text