The best of both worlds? Online ties and the alternating use of social network sites in the context of migration

While an ever-growing body of research is concerned with user behavior on individual social network sites (SNSs)—mostly Facebook—studies addressing an alternating use of two or more SNS are rare. Here, we investigate the relationship between alternating SNS use and social capital in the context of migration. Alternating SNS use avoids some of the problems associated with large networks located on one site; in particular the management of different social or cultural spheres. Not only does this strategy hold potential for increased social capital, it also provides a particular incentive for migrants faced with the challenge of staying in touch with back home and managing a new social environment. Two survey studies are presented that focus on the relationship between alternating SNS use and online ties in a migrant context involving Indian nationals. Study 1 looked at migration within India, whereas Study 2 compared international with domestic SNS users. In both studies, alternating SNS use added to the prediction of online network size and accounted for differences in network size found for migrant and non-migrant users. Differences were due to the number of peripheral ties, rather than core ties. Findings suggest that alternating SNS use may constitute a compensatory strategy that helps to overcome lower levels of socializing represented through a single SNS

Cancer risk in children born after assisted reproductive technology

The influence of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) on the risk of childhood cancer is poorly understood. We sought to summarise the current literature as to the risk of cancer in children born from ART. Overall, we identified that the current evidence is divergent, with the results of several cohort studies and meta-analyses on this subject ranging from there being no risk or to there being an increased risk from being conceived by ART. Further large-scale cohort studies to determine the influence of ART on cancer risk are required. If a valid risk is present, experimental studies are necessary to determine whether this risk is associated with the use of fertility drugs or is due to the parental infertility

A national surveillance study of childhood epilepsy mortality in the UK and Ireland

BACKGROUND: Patients with epilepsy are significantly more likely to die prematurely than the general population, with causes ranging from associated comorbidities to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The aim was to estimate the UK and Ireland incidence of childhood epilepsy deaths and to describe case demographics and clinical characteristics. METHODS: This was a prospective, population‐based surveillance study using established active surveillance methodology designed by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit. RESULTS: Eighty‐eight confirmed cases were reported with an overall annual incidence of 0.65 per 100 000 children aged <16 years (95% confidence interval 0.52–0.81). More cases were male (65%) and cases fell across all age groups, with more deaths reported in older children. Twenty‐five per cent of deaths were epilepsy‐related (including SUDEP); 75% of deaths were non‐epilepsy‐related. SUDEP was the most common cause of seizure‐related deaths, accounting for 13 out of 17 children (76%). An underlying epilepsy syndrome was present in 36% of deaths, and 88% had global developmental delay. In addition, 90% of the children had comorbid conditions in addition to epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it has been demonstrated that death in children diagnosed with epilepsy occurs mainly in ‘complicated epilepsy’ secondary to factors associated with neurodisability, consolidating previous data. SUDEP is also a significant cause of paediatric epilepsy mortality that needs further attention. There is a clear need to better understand and reduce the number of epilepsy deaths in children in the UK, and national surveillance of SUDEP is warranted to better understand this entity in paediatric populations

Activity in social media and intimacy in social relationships

We investigated associations between online and offline socialising and groups of social ties as postulated by the Social Brain Hypothesis (SBH). An online survey of social media use, social satisfaction and loneliness generated 249 complete responses from a sample of staff and students at the University of Manchester. Regression-based analyses showed that offline social activities and social time were positively associated with size of a core support group and social satisfaction. In contrast, social media time was positively associated with social satisfaction and the size of the total network, while the number of online contacts was positively related to social satisfaction, size of a wider sympathy group and total network size. No effect for loneliness was found. The number of ties reported for each SBH group was similar to that in previous studies. The more intimate support group (∼5) appears to be more closely connected with offline social activities, whereas social media use and contacts influence the less intimate sympathy group (∼15) and total network (∼150). These findings provide further support for functional differences between different layers of closeness in personal networks, and they help us in further defining the boundaries of relationship enhancement via communication technology

Male Infertility and Future Cardiometabolic Health: Does the Association Vary by Sociodemographic Factors?

Objective: To determine whether the association between male infertility and incident cardiometabolic disease is modified by socioeconomics, race, or geographic region. / Materials and Method: Retrospective review of data from insurance claims from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database. Subjects were men, 18-50 years old, with an associated diagnosis of infertility in the United States between 2003 and 2016. Analytical sample were men captured by the Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database with an associated diagnosis of infertility. Men were classified as either infertile, or not, based on diagnosis or procedural codes. Cardiometabolic health outcomes were then assessed using current procedural terminology codes for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and heart disease. Confounding factors were controlled for such as race, education, socioecomonic status, and region. The main outcomes were development of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and heart disease. / Results: A total of 76,343 males were diagnosed with male factor infertility, 60,072 males who underwent fertility testing, and 183,742 males that underwent vasectomy (control population). For all men, infertile men had a higher risk of incident hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and heart disease when compared to those undergoing vasectomy. Identical associations were found across all education, income, racial, and geographic strata. / Conclusion: Our study suggests that men with infertility have a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease in the years following a fertility evaluation regardless of race, region, or socioeconomic status

In Vitro Fertilization and Risk for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Associations With Treatment Parameters

With an increasing proportion of pregnancies being conceived using assisted-reproductive technology, important changes to in vitro fertilization (IVF) such as the use of cryopreserved oocytes or embryos have been made. It is now established that adverse maternal and infant perinatal outcomes are associated with both assisted reproductive technologies and subfertility

The phenomenon of micronutrient deficiency among children in China: a systematic review of the literature

Objective: The present study aimed to review the literature on micronutrient deficiency and other factors influencing a deficiency status among children living in China. Design: A systematic review was performed to analyse the literature. Setting: Studies were identified through a search of PubMed and secondary references. Subjects: Children living in China aged less than 18 years. Results: Sixty-one articles were included. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency decreased to approximately 10 % in 1995–2009. It increased with age but no significant difference was found between genders. The prevalence of thiamin and vitamin B12 deficiency was 10·5 % in Yunnan and 4·5 % in Chongqing provinces, respectively. Higher vitamin D deficiency rates were seen in spring and winter. The incidence of bleeding due to vitamin K deficiency was 3·3 % in 1998–2001 and more prevalent in rural areas. Both iodine deficiency and excess iodine intake were observed. Goitre rates were reported in Tibet, Jiangxi, Gansu and Hong Kong (3·5–46 %). Anaemia rates ranged from 20 % to 40 % in 2007–2011. High Se deficiency rates were found in Tibet, Shaanxi and Jiangsu. High Zn deficiency rates were also found (50–70 %) in 1995–2006. Few studies reported Ca deficiency rates (19·6–34·3 %). The degrees of deficiency for vitamin A, vitamin B12, Fe and Zn were more substantial in rural areas compared with urban areas. Conclusions: The prevalence of micronutrient deficiency rates varied. Socio-economic status, environmental factors and the Chinese diet may influence micronutrient deficiency. Public health policies should consider implementing programmes of supplementation, food fortification and nutrition education to address these deficiencies among Chinese children.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Defining critical factors in multi-country studies of assisted reproductive technologies (ART): data from the US and UK health systems

As the worldwide use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) continues to grow, there is a critical need to assess the safety of these treatment parameters and the potential adverse health effects of their use in adults and their offspring. While key elements remain similar across nations, geographic variations both in treatments and populations make generalizability challenging. We describe and compare the demographic factors between the USA and the UK related to ART use and discuss implications for research. The USA and the UK share some common elements of ART practice and in how data are collected regarding long-term outcomes. However, the monitoring of ART in these two countries each brings strengths that complement each other’s limitations

How are patients with rare diseases and their carers in the UK impacted by the way care is coordinated? An exploratory qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND: Care coordination is considered important for patients with rare conditions, yet research addressing the impact of care coordination is limited. This study aimed to explore how care coordination (or lack of) impacts on patients and carers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients and carers/parents in the UK, representing a range of rare conditions (including undiagnosed conditions). Transcripts were analysed thematically in an iterative process. RESULTS: Participants described a range of experiences and views in relation to care coordination. Reports of uncoordinated care emerged: appointments were uncoordinated, communication between key stakeholders was ineffective, patients and carers were required to coordinate their own care, and care was not coordinated to meet the changing needs of patients in different scenarios. As a result, participants experienced an additional burden and barriers/delays to accessing care. The impacts described by patients and carers, either attributed to or exacerbated by uncoordinated care, included: impact on physical health (including fatigue), financial impact (including loss of earnings and travel costs), and psychosocial impact (including disruption to school, work and emotional burden). Overall data highlight the importance of flexible care, which meets individual needs throughout patients'/carers' journeys. Specifically, study participants suggested that the impacts may be addressed by: having support from a professional to coordinate care, changing the approach of clinics and appointments (where they take place, which professionals/services are available and how they are scheduled), and improving communication through the use of technology, care plans, accessible points of contact and multi-disciplinary team working. CONCLUSION: This study provides further evidence of impacts of uncoordinated care; these may be complex and influenced by a number of factors. Approaches to coordination which improve access to care and lessen the time and burden placed on patients and carers may be particularly beneficial. Findings should influence future service developments (and the evaluation of such developments). This will be achieved, in the first instance, by informing the CONCORD Study in the UK

Exploring how to use scenarios to discover requirements

This paper investigates the effectiveness of different uses of scenarios on requirements discovery using results from requirements processes in two projects. The first specified requirements on a new aircraft management system at a regional UK airport to reduce its environmental impact. The second specified new work-based learning tools to be adopted by a consortium of organizations. In both projects scenarios were walked through both in facilitated workshops and in the stakeholders’ workplaces using different forms of a scenario tool. In the second project, scenarios were also walked through with a software prototype and creativity prompts. Results revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences in discovered requirements that have potential implications for models of scenario-based requirements discovery and the design of scenario tools