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Background: Prior studies of the pharmacogenomics of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) have had various methodological limitations, including using candidate gene selection as their sole strategy, a small number of ONJ cases, or a study population based on an oncology setting., Objectives: The aim of our case-control study was to evaluate previously reported associations between genetic factors and ONJ, which were based on either genome-wide association studies (GWAS) or candidate gene approaches. Furthermore, we aimed to identify genetic risk factors for ONJ by using GWAS to determine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with statistically significant differences in frequency between ONJ patients and osteoporosis controls., Methods: Patients with medically confirmed ONJ and who were registered in the Scandinavian Cohort of ONJ patients were included. Controls from the general population were matched on age (±5 years), sex, and cumulative antiresorptive drug exposure. The ONJ diagnosis date for cases corresponded to the index date for matched controls. DNA isolation, genotyping, and data analyses were performed by Q2/EA Genomics using standard protocols and best practices. Blood or tissue samples for 55 ONJ cases and 125 controls were collected. Due to the low quality of the tissue samples, final analyses were based on blood samples of 40 ONJ cases and 124 controls., Results: We detected no significant genome-wide associations. Of the 43 SNPs with ONJ association in prior studies, none were replicated in our study., Conclusions: Even though our study sample is the largest to date, we had limited statistical power for GWAS but adequate power for replication analyses. Our study provides no evidence for any genetic predisposition to ONJ. Future studies could increase their statistical power by combining ONJ GWAS datasets and by performing a meta-analysis or pursuing a sequencing strategy in order to identify rare variants., Competing Interests: Alma B. Pedersen and Henrik T. Sørensen are employed at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Aarhus University Hospital, which is involved in studies with funding from various pharmaceutical companies as institutional research grants. One such study, specifically an ongoing regulator-mandated postauthorization safety study of denosumab among women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, funded by Amgen Inc. through institutional funding to Aarhus University, is related to and has overlapping populations with the present study. Alma B. Pedersen: None. Henrik T. Sørensen: None. Sven E. Nørholt: None. Lars Rejnmark: None. Bente Langdahl: Institutional research grants from Amgen; advisory board and speakers bureau: UCB, Amgen, Gedeon-Richter, Astellas, Astra-Zeneca. Thomas Starch-Jensen: None., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Aim: The relationship of vitamin B5 and coronary heart disease (CHD) is still uncertain. This case-control study was performed to evaluate the relationship between the plasma vitamin B5 concentration and the risk of CHD., Materials and Methods: The study involved 429 patients with >70% stenosis of the coronary arteries on coronary angiography and 429 matched controls were included for age ± 2 years, gender, and date of coronary angiography examination ± 180 days. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between plasma vitamin B5 and the risk of CHD., Results: An L-shaped relationship was found between the plasma vitamin B5 concentration and CHD. Compared with patients with low vitamin B5 (first quartile, <27.6 ng/ml), the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for participants in the third quartile (34.9-44.0 ng/ml) and fourth quartile (≥44.0 ng/ml) were 0.42 (95% CI, 0.26-0.70) and 0.49 (95% CI, 0.29-0.82), respectively. In the threshold effect analysis, the risk of CHD significantly decreased as the vitamin B5 concentration increased (per 10 ng/ml increment: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89) in participants with a plasma vitamin B5 concentration of <40.95 ng/ml; however, an increased plasma vitamin B5 concentration was no longer associated with a decreased risk of CHD (per 10 ng/ml increment: OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.87-1.14) in participants with a plasma vitamin B5 concentration of ≥40.95 ng/ml. The association between vitamin B5 and CHD was stronger in ever or current smokers than non-smokers ( p -interaction = 0.046)., Conclusion: Plasma vitamin B5 has an L-shaped relationship with CHD, with a threshold around 40.95 ng/ml. This association was modified by smoking., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sun, Weng, Fan, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Jia, Zheng, Yi, Li, Zhang and Li.)

Back ground: Diabetic nephropathy is rapidly becoming the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The onset and course of DN can be ameliorated to a very significant degree if intervention institutes at a point very early in the course of the development of this complication. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize risk factors associated with nephropathy in type I diabetes and construct a module for early prediction of diabetic nephropathy (DN) by analyzing their risk factors. Methods: Case control design of 400 patients with type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM), aged 19-45 years. The cases were 200 diabetic patients with overt protein urea while the controls were 200 diabetic patients with no protein urea or micro-albumin urea. Results: concurrent occurrence of retinopathy and nephropathy was the main predictors for nephropathy in type I DM patients. Disease duration more than 10 years, uncontrolled hyperglycemia, age more than 30 years and presence of hypertension were the other predictors respectively. Gender and hypercholestremia showed no predictive value in occurrence of DN.

PRINCIPLES: The risk of seizures increases in patients with brain tumours (BT) and brain vascular malformations (BVM), but not all risk factors are known. We aimed to identify factors that increase the risk of a first seizure in patients with BT or BVM. METHODS: Multicentre case-control study; 102 cases with a first seizure as a presenting symptom of BT or BVM; 121 hospital controls with BT or BVM, but without seizures, matched by centre, gender and age. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, the risk of first seizure (Odds Ratio, 95% Confidence Limits) was 6.4 (2.3–17.6) for supratentorial lesions, 4.7 (2.4–9.3) for cortical involvement, 2.5 (1.0–7.7) for family history of seizures, and 2.1 (1.2–4.1) for frontal location. The types of lesion with higher risk were low grade glioma (4.7; 1.7–13.9) and cavernous malformations (13.2; 2.1–58.0). After multivariate analysis, including all the imaging characteristics and family history, the strongest independent predictors of first seizure were cortical involvement (OR 4.0; 2.0–8.1) and type of lesion (low grade glioma: 4.0; 1.3–12.8; cavernous malformations: 12.6 (1.5–103.5). CONCLUSIONS: Cortical involvement and type of lesion are the independent risk factors for a first-ever seizure as a presenting symptom of BT or BVM.

Background: In Ethiopia, there is a growing concern about the increasing rates of loss to follow-up (LTFU) in HIV programs among people waiting to start HIV treatment. Unlike other African countries, there is little information about the factors associated with LTFU among pre-antiretroviral treatment (pre-ART) patients in Ethiopia. We conducted a case-control study to investigate factors associated with pre-ART LTFU in Ethiopia. Methods: Charts of HIV patients newly enrolled in HIV care at Gondar University Hospital (GUH) between September 11, 2008 and May 8, 2011 were reviewed. Patients who were "loss to follow-up" during the pre-ART period were considered to be cases and patients who were "in care" during the pre-ART period were controls. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with pre-ART LTFU. Results: In multivariable analyses, the following factors were found to be independently associated with pre-ART LTFU: male gender [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.00 (95% CI: 1.15, 3.46)], higher baseline CD4 cell count (251-300 cells/μl [AOR = 2.64 (95% CI: 1.05, 6.65)], 301-350 cells/μl [AOR = 5.21 (95% CI: 1.94, 13.99)], and >350 cells/μl [AOR = 12.10 (95% CI: 6.33, 23.12)] compared to CD4 cell count of ⩽200 cells/μl) and less advanced disease stage (WHO stage I [AOR = 2.81 (95% CI: 1.15, 6.91)] compared to WHO stage IV). Married patients [AOR = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.79)] had reduced odds of being LTFU. In addition, patients whose next visit date was not documented on their medical chart [AOR = 241.39 (95% CI: 119.90, 485.97)] were more likely to be LTFU. Conclusion: Our study identified various factors associated with pre-ART LTFU. The findings highlight the importance of giving considerable attention to pre-ART patients' care from the time that they learn of their positive HIV serostatus. The completeness of the medical records, the standard of record keeping and obstacles to retrieving charts also indicate a serious problem that needs due attention from clinicians and data personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several studies have indicated the association between intake of foods high in dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) with an increased risk of digestive tract cancers. We hypothesized that GI and GL may be associated with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high-risk population in Iran. In total, we interviewed 47 cases with incident of ESCC and 96 frequency-matched hospital controls, then calculated the average dietary GI and GL via a validated food frequency questionnaire. Dietary GL was calculated as a function of GI, carbohydrate content, and frequency of intake of certain foods. Dietary GI and GL levels were significantly higher among the ESCC cases compared with the controls (P < .05). After adjustment for potential confounders, those in the highest tertile of dietary GI had 2.95 times higher risk of ESCC compared with those in the lowest (95% confidence interval, 1.68-3.35; P for trend = .002). In addition, being in the highest tertile of dietary GL was positively associated with an ESCC risk (odds ratio, 3.49; 95% confidence interval, 2.98-4.41; P for trend = .001). Findings of the present study indicate that diets with high GI and GL might have potentially unfavorable effects on ESCC risk and suggest a possible role for excess circulating insulin and related insulin-like growth factor 1 in esophageal cancer development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Non Syndromic tooth agenesis is a congenital anomaly with significant medical, psychological and social ramifications. There is sufficient evidence to hypothesize that locus for this condition can be identified by candidate genes. The aim of this study was to test whether MSX1 671 T>C gene variant was involved in etiology of Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. Materials & Methods: Blood samples were collected with informed consent from 50 subjects having Non Syndromic tooth agenesis and 50 controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples, Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was performed for digestion products that were evaluated. Results: The Results showed positive correlation between MSX1671 T>C gene variant and Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. Conclusion: MSX1 671 T>C gene variant may be a good screening marker for Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case control study aims to investigate the role of MMP- 2 − 1306C > T polymorphism as a potential risk factor and possible prognostic marker for breast cancer in a South European population. 113 consecutive incident cases of histologically confirmed ductal breast cancer and 124 healthy controls were recruited. MMP- 2 − 1306C > T polymorphism was genotyped; multivariate logistic regression as well as Cox regression analysis were performed. MMP-2 −1306C > T status was not associated with breast cancer risk either at the total sample or at the subanalyses on premenopausal and postmenopausal women. At the survival analysis, a trend towards a favorable association between MMP-2 −1306C > T allele and disease-free survival as well as overall survival was observed. Regarding subanalyses on ER-negative and ER-positive cases, the favorable association implicating MMP-2 −1306C > T allele was particularly evident among ER-positive cases; no significant associations emerged among ER-negative cases. MMP-2 −1306C > T polymorphism does not seem to be a risk factor for breast cancer in South European population; however, a trend towards a favorable association with survival has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Percent mammographic density (PMD) is a strong and highly heritable risk factor for breast cancer. Studies of the role of PMD in familial breast cancer may require controls, such as the sisters of cases, selected from the same 'risk set' as the cases. The use of sister controls would allow control for factors that have been shown to influence risk of breast cancer such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and a family history of breast cancer, but may introduce 'overmatching' and attenuate case-control differences in PMD. Methods: To examine the potential effects of using sister controls rather than unrelated controls in a case-control study, we examined PMD in triplets, each comprised of a case with invasive breast cancer, an unaffected full sister control, and an unaffected unrelated control. Both controls were matched to cases on age at mammogram. Total breast area and dense area in the mammogram were measured in the unaffected breast of cases and a randomly selected breast in controls, and the non-dense area and PMD calculated from these measurements. Results: The mean difference in PMD between cases and controls, and the standard deviation (SD) of the difference, were slightly less for sister controls (4.2% (SD = 20.0)) than for unrelated controls (4.9% (SD = 25.7)). We found statistically significant correlations in PMD between cases (n = 228) and sister controls (n = 228) (r = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.50; P <0.0001)), but not between cases and unrelated controls (n = 228) (r = 0.04 (95% CI: -0.09, 0.17; P = 0.51)). After adjusting for other risk factors, square root transformed PMD was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer when comparing cases to sister controls (adjusted odds ratio (inter-quintile odds ratio (IQOR) = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.20, 4.00) or to unrelated controls (adjusted IQOR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.62, 4.25). Conclusions: The use of sister controls in case-control studies of PMD resulted in a modest attenuation of casecontrol differences and risk estimates, but showed a statistically significant association with risk and allowed control for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and family history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Local persistence of infection is a key feature of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) among cattle herds in the Republic of Ireland. The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of ‘neighbourhood’, specifically farm-to-farm spread and spread from wildlife, in the persistence of bTB by investigating herds having a bTB episode in 2006. A case–control study was conducted on the association between the occurrence of a bTB episode in 2006 and the occurrence of bTB in previous years among neighbouring herd(s) within 1km, while controlling for each herd's bTB history and other risk factors. Neighbouring herds were grouped into three zones, based on distance, and bTB incidence measures summarised within each zone and by calendar year (2001–2005). The incidence of bTB was associated with an increased animal incidence in two subsets of neighbouring herds: (i) herds directly contiguous during the previous 2 years (attributable fraction=0.20), and (ii) herds at a distance of >25m in the previous year (attributable fraction=0.19). Other predictors of bTB in a herd in 2006 included the occurrence of a bTB episode within that herd in any of the previous 5 years, herd size, and the number of animals purchased at age greater than 12 months. An infected wildlife source best explains the existence of a “neighbouring herd risk” for bTB at distances greater than 25m. Further studies will be necessary to determine to what extent neighbouring herd risk within 25m may be confounded by the same wildlife (badger) source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim This study aims to examine single nucleotide polymorphism ( SNP) associations with cerebral palsy in a multi-variable analysis adjusting for potential clinical confounders and to assess SNP- SNP and SNP-maternal infection interactions as contributors to cerebral palsy. Methods A case control study including 587 children with cerebral palsy and 1154 control children without cerebral palsy. Thirty-nine candidate SNPs were genotyped in both mother and child. Data linkage to perinatal notes and cerebral palsy registers was performed with a supplementary maternal pregnancy questionnaire. History of known maternal infection during pregnancy was extracted from perinatal databases. Results Both maternal and fetal carriage of inducible nitric oxide synthase SNP rs1137933 were significantly negatively associated with cerebral palsy in infants born at less than 32 weeks gestation after adjustment for potential clinical confounders and correction for multiple testing (odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.79; odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.4-0.82, respectively). Analysis did not show any statistically significant SNP- SNP or SNP-maternal infection interactions after correction for multiple testing. Conclusions Maternal and child inducible nitric oxide synthase SNPs are associated with reduced risk of cerebral palsy in infants born very preterm. There was no evidence for statistically significant SNP- SNP or SNP-maternal infection interactions as modulators of cerebral palsy risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasons for performing study There is limited information about risk factors and survival associated with disorders of the small colon requiring surgical management. Objectives 1) To document the types of surgical lesion in horses where pathology of the small (descending) colon was the primary cause of abdominal pain, 2) to describe the short- and long-term survival of these cases and identify factors associated with survival and 3) to identify preoperative variables associated with localisation of a lesion to the small colon. Methods Clinical data and long-term follow-up were obtained for horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy over a 10-year period. Descriptive data were generated for short- and long-term survival and survival analysis performed to identify factors associated with reduced survival. Univariable and multivariable relationships were explored using a Cox proportional hazards model. Preoperative factors associated with increased likelihood of a small colon lesion were explored, using controls randomly selected from horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for treatment of colic unrelated to the small colon. Results The study population included 84 horses. Of horses with small colon lesions recovered from anaesthesia, the percentage that survived until discharge, one year and 2 years following surgery, was 91.0, 81.0 and 73.5%, respectively. Median survival time for horses in which a resection had been performed was 1029 vs. 3072 days in the nonresection group. Small colon cases were more likely to have shown a longer duration of colic signs prior to admission ( P<0.001) and to develop post operative diarrhoea ( P = 0.001) when compared with surgical controls. Conclusions Lesions of the small colon carry a good prognosis for survival following surgery. Resection and anastomosis was the only factor associated with reduced long-term survival. Potential relevance This study provides information about lesion types and post operative survival that may be used to assist informed decision-making when managing these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the influence of infertility and fertility drugs on risk of ovarian tumors. Design: Case-control study (Mayo Clinic Ovarian Cancer Study). Setting: Ongoing academic study of ovarian cancer. Patient(s): A total of 1,900 women (1,028 with ovarian tumors and 872 controls, frequency matched on age and region of residence) who had provided complete information in a self-report questionnaire about history of infertility and fertility drug use. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Effect of infertility history, use of fertility drugs and oral contraception, and gravidity on the risk of ovarian tumor development, after controlling for potential confounders. Result(s): Among women who had a history of infertility, use of fertility drugs was reported by 44 (24%) of 182 controls and 38 (17%) of 226 cases. Infertile women who used fertility drugs were not at increased risk of developing ovarian tumors compared with infertile women who did not use fertility drugs; the adjusted odds ratio was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.37, 1.11). The findings were similar when stratified by gravidity and when analyzed separately for borderline versus invasive tumors. Conclusion(s): We found no statistically significant association between fertility drug use and risk of ovarian tumors. Further larger, prospective studies are needed to confirm this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between mandibular torus and its size with the presence of bruxism and other variables related to parafunctional activity (e.g. anxiety, wear facets, self-perception and family members perception of bruxism, headache and/or muscle fatigue). Materials and methods: Subjects included in the study were examined and interviewed and they completed a questionnaire on anxiety. The subjects were divided into two paired groups according to age and gender with the case group formed by 100 individuals having mandibular torus and a control group formed by individuals without. Each group had 33 men and 67 women with ages ranging from 20 to 62 years old (mean age 41 years). Results: The results showed that patients with bruxism are 4 times more likely to have mandibular torus compared to those patients without bruxism. The presence of wear facets increases the risk of mandibular torus by 20 times. Only the variables bruxism and wear facets had relatively strong correlations with the size of mandibular torus. Conclusions: There was a strong association between mandibular torus and presence of both bruxism and wear facets. Such correlations were positive thus indicating an important trend in which a higher degree of bruxism is related to an increased size of the mandibular torus. The other variables, despite their statistical significance, had poor correlations and thus were not found to be clinically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), also known as calciphylaxis, is characterized by vascular calcification, thrombosis and intense inflammation. Prior research has shown that statins have anticalcification, antithrombotic and antiinflammatory properties; however, the association between statin use and CUA has not been investigated. Methods: This matched case-control study included 62 adult maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients with biopsy-confirmed CUA diagnosed between the years 2002 and 2011 (cases). All cases were hospitalized at the time of diagnosis. Controls (n = 124) were hospitalized maintenance HD patients without CUA (matched to cases by gender and timing of hospitalization). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were applied to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for CUA in statin users, and also to examine previously described associations. -Results: The mean age of cases was 58 years. Most were females (68%), and of white race (64%). Statin use was more common in controls than in cases (39 vs. 19%, p < 0.01). Statin use was associated with lower odds of CUA in unadjusted (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.18-0.79) and adjusted (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.88) analyses. Hypercalcemia (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.14-4.43), hypoalbuminemia (OR 5.73, 95% CI 2.79-11.77), calcitriol use (OR 5.69, 95% CI 1.02-31.77) and warfarin use (OR 4.30, 95% CI 1.57-11.74) were positively associated with CUA in adjusted analyses whereas paricalcitol and doxercalciferol were not (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.54-3.27). Conclusion: Statin use may be negatively associated with odds of CUA. Further large prospective studies with attention to potential confounders are needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to examine the association between vitamin D status and risk of breast cancer in an Australian population of women. The study design is observational case-control study, performed at Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia. 214 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer were matched to 852 controls, and their blood samples were tested at the same laboratory between August 2008 and July 2010. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration, was defined as sufficient (≥75 nmol/L), insufficient (50-74 nmol/L), deficient (25-49 nmol/L) or severely deficient (<25 nmol/L). The difference in median 25(OH)D concentration between cases and controls was reported, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the significance of the difference. Odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals for the risk of breast cancer were estimated by Cox regression. Median plasma 25(OH)D was significantly lower in cases versus controls overall (53.0 vs 62.0 nmol/L, P < 0.001) and during summer (53.0 vs 68.0 nmol/L, P < 0.001) and winter (54.5 vs 63.0 nmol/L, P < 0.001). Median 25(OH)D was also lower in cases when stratified by BMI (<30, ≥30) and age group (<50, ≥50 years) compared to matched controls, although the difference failed to reach statistical significance. In a Cox regression model, plasma 25(OH)D was inversely associated with the odds ratio of breast cancer. Compared to subjects with sufficient 25(OH)D concentration, the odds ratios of breast cancer were 2.3 (95 % CI 1.3-4.3), 2.5 (95 % CI 1.6-3.9) and 2.5 (95 % CI 1.6-3.8) for subjects categorised as severely deficient, deficient or insufficient vitamin D status, respectively. The results of this observational case-control study indicate that a 25(OH)D concentration below 75 nmol/L at diagnosis was associated with a significantly higher risk of breast cancer. These results support previous research which has shown that lower 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To examine if periodic EEG discharges (PDs) predict poor outcome and development of epilepsy in patients with acute brain illnesses irrespective of underlying cerebral pathology. Methods: In case-control study we retrospectively analyzed outcome of 102 patients with PDs and 102 age-, gender- and etiology matched controls without PDs. Results: Of cases, 46.1% had lateralized PDs (LPDs), 3.9% bilateral PDs (BIPDs), 15.7% generalized PDs (GPDs) and 34.3% had combinations thereof. Etiology: Stroke was most common cause of LPDs (53%), cardiac arrest of GPDs (10.5%), previous stroke, CNS infection, anoxia and metabolic encephalopathy all caused 1 case of BIPDs. Outcome: Mortality rate and acquired disability was significantly higher in patients with PDs than in controls, odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% CI 1.43–4.40 (p =0.001). Patients with PDs without superimposed EEG activity had worse outcome than patients with superimposed EEG activity. Tardive epilepsy: Patients with LPDs associated with fast superimposed EEG activity (LPDs-plus) had higher risk for tardive epilepsy than patients with LPDs alone (p =0.034). Conclusion: PDs predicted poor functional outcome and patients with LPDs-plus had higher risk for later development of epilepsy. Significance: Detailed evaluation of PDs provided valuable prognostic information in neurological patients with disturbed consciousness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims The increased use of implantable cardiac devices has been accompanied by an increase in infection. However, risk factors for infection of implanted devices are poorly documented. We aimed to identify risk factors in patients with long-term follow-up after implantation of cardiac devices. Methods and results Patients with first implantation of a cardiac device in our centre between October 1996 and July 2007 were entered in a registry. Each confirmed infection of the implanted device was matched to two controls for age, sex, and implantation year. We recorded cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes), previous history of heart disease, renal failure, antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy, as well as pre- and post-procedural characteristics (antibiotic prophylaxis, hyperthermia, number of leads, associated interventions, and early complications). During the study period, 2496 patients underwent implantation of a cardiac device; 35 infections were diagnosed (1.2%). Among these, 75% occurred during the first year after implantation. Early non-infectious complication requiring surgical intervention was observed only in patients with infection (9 of 35, P < 0.001). Factors independently associated with infection were diabetes [odds ratio (OR) 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.03, 12.97]], underlying heart disease (OR 3.12, 95% CI [1.13; 8.69]), and use of >1 lead (OR 4.07, 95% CI [1.23, 13.47]). These latter two risk factors were also independently associated with occurrence of infection within 1 year of implantation. Conclusion Our data show that the presence of diabetes and underlying heart disease are independent risk factors for infection after cardiac device implantation. As regards procedural characteristics, the use of several leads and early re-intervention are associated with a higher infection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a notable lack of vaccine effectiveness studies using test-negative case-controlled approach in low- and middle-income countries which have different logistic, demographic and socio-economic conditions from high-income countries. We aimed to estimate the effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine against COVID-19 infection over time, intensive care unit admission, severe or critical disease and death due to COVID-19. This study was conducted in the resident population of Labuan aged ≥18 years who had been tested for SARS-CoV-2 by Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction between 1 March 2021 and 31 October 2021. We used a test-negative case-control design where 2644 pairs of cases and controls were matched by age, sex, testing date, nationality and testing reason. Analysis was stratified by age group to estimate age effect (<60 years and ≥60 years). Of 22217 individuals tested by Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, 5100 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and aged 18 years and above. Overall vaccine effectiveness ≥ 14 days after the second dose was 65.2% (95% CI: 59.8-69.9%) against COVID-19 infection, 92.5% (95% CI: 72.3-98.8%) against intensive care unit admission, and 96.5% (95% CI: 82.3-99.8%) against COVID-19 deaths. Among infected individuals, vaccine effectiveness was 79.2% (95% CI: 42.3-94.1%) in preventing severe or critical disease due to COVID-19. Vaccine effectiveness for ≥60 years was 72.3% (95% CI: 53.4-83.9%) in fully vaccinated individuals, higher than 64.8% (95% CI: 49.3-59.1%) for those <60 years. Two doses of BNT162b2 were highly effective against COVID-19 infection, severe or critical disease, intensive care unit admission and death due to COVID-19. This study addresses a gap in literature on BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness in low- and middle-income populations and demonstrates the feasibility of such a study design in a resource limited setting while supporting evidence of waning immunity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) refers to the number of deaths occurring from birth to 28 days of life per-1000 Live Births (LB). The global NMR declined from 37 deaths per- 1,000 LB in 1990 to 18 in 2017, whereas it was 27 deaths per 1000 LB in the Sub-Saharan region. Ethiopia plans to reduce the NMR from 28 deaths to 11 deaths per 1,000 LB by 2020 and to end all preventable child deaths by 2035. The aim of this study was to identify the determinants of neonatal mortality in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Dilla University Referral Hospital (DURH)., Methods: An age-matched case control study was conducted at DURH's NICU. Two controls having age 2 days before or after the case were used for matching. One hundred eighteen cases (died) and 236 controls (survived) neonates admitted to the NICU from January 11, 2018, to February 25, 2020, were studied. Missed data were filled by multiple imputations. Multicollinearity was checked by the variance inflation factor. For variables with a P-value <0.2 on bivariable conditional logistic regression, multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to control for confounders using clogit command in a survival package to identify the risk factors for neonatal mortality using R version 3.6.3., Result: Gestational age <37 weeks (Adjusted matched odds ratio (AmOR): 14.02; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.68-53.46), first-minute APGAR score <7 (AmOR: 5.68; 95% CI: 1.76-18.31), perinatal asphyxia (PNA) (AmOR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.15-18.53) and being twins (AmOR: 6.84; 95% CI: 1.34-34.96) were significantly associated with neonatal deaths in our study. Furthermore, antenatal care and follow-up during pregnancy (AmOR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04-0.53) and having a normal random blood sugar level at admission (AmOR: 0.1; 95% CI: (0.02-0.66) were found to be determinant of neonatal mortalities in our study., Conclusion: Gestational age less than 37 weeks, first-minute APGAR scores <7, being twins, diagnosis of PNA, antenatal care and follow-up of mothers during pregnancy and normoglycemia in neonates at admission were significant determinant of neonatal death in the NICU of DURH., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: Predominance of 2 antigenically drifted influenza viruses during the 2019-2020 season offered an opportunity to assess vaccine effectiveness against life-threatening pediatric influenza disease from vaccine-mismatched viruses in the United States., Methods: We enrolled children aged <18 years admitted to the intensive care unit with acute respiratory infection across 17 hospitals. Respiratory specimens were tested using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for influenza viruses and sequenced. Using a test-negative design, we estimated vaccine effectiveness comparing odds of vaccination in test-positive case patients vs test-negative controls, stratifying by age, virus type, and severity. Life-threating influenza included death or invasive mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, dialysis, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Results: We enrolled 159 critically ill influenza case-patients (70% ≤8 years; 51% A/H1N1pdm09 and 25% B-Victoria viruses) and 132 controls (69% were aged ≤8 years). Among 56 sequenced A/H1N1pdm09 viruses, 29 (52%) were vaccine-mismatched (A/H1N1pdm09/5A+156K) and 23 (41%) were vaccine-matched (A/H1N1pdm09/5A+187A,189E). Among sequenced B-lineage viruses, majority (30 of 31) were vaccine-mismatched. Effectiveness against critical influenza was 63% (95% confidence interval [CI], 38% to 78%) and similar by age. Effectiveness was 75% (95% CI, 49% to 88%) against life-threatening influenza vs 57% (95% CI, 24% to 76%) against non-life-threating influenza. Effectiveness was 78% (95% CI, 41% to 92%) against matched A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, 47% (95% CI, -21% to 77%) against mismatched A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, and 75% (95% CI, 37% to 90%) against mismatched B-Victoria viruses., Conclusions: During a season when vaccine-mismatched influenza viruses predominated, vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of critical and life-threatening influenza illness in children., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. J. R. B. reports CDC program funds outside of the submitted work. B. M. C. reports payments to their institution from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes, American Thoracic Society, and American Lung Association outside of the submitted work. M. W. H. reports royalties or licenses from Kiadis and participation on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for La Jolla Pharmaceuticals. M. K. reports grants or contracts made to their institution from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01). R. A. N. reports funding to their institution as a subaward from the CDC and NIH. A. G. R. reports royalties or licenses from UpToDate for section editor pediatric critical care; payment for expert testimony for a sepsis-related case; unpaid role as a council member of the International Sepsis Forum; and unpaid role as medical board member of Families Fighting Flu. J. E. S. reports money paid to their institution from Merck and the NIH outside of the submitted work. N. J. T. reports payments to Penn State from the CDC outside of the submitted work. S. L. W. reports funds made to their institution from the NIH and Pennsylvania Department of Health outside of the submitted work and being a Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) member for the Oxy-PICU Clinical Trial. N. B. H. reports grants or contracts to their institution from Sanofi and Quidel; an educational grant funded by genetech; and healthcare-associated infections and vaccine donation from Sanofi for a vaccine study. J. R. H. reports DSMB for institutional study at the University of Minnesota (“Magnesium sulfate as adjuvant analgesia and its effect on opiate use by post-operative transplant patients in the pediatric ICU”) for magnesium sulfate as an investigational new drug per the US Food and Drug Administration with no financial reimbursements. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2022.)

Background: In low-income nations like Ethiopia, the rate of obstetric death in intensive care units is significant. The indications of admission are Preeclampsia/Eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and puerperal sepsis but, patient outcomes subsequent to intensive care unit admission are sparse. The aim of this study is to assess factors associated with obstetrics mortality in Intensive Care unit., Methods: A hospital based unmatched case control study was conducted on obstetrics patients admitted to Addis Ababa Public hospital's intensive care unit from October 2018 to November 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done; Odds Ratio and Confidence Interval (OR and 95% CI) were computed using SPSS version 26. P value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant., Result: Obstetrics mortality in intensive care unit was high and accounts 27% from the total intensive care unit admission. Severe pre-eclampsia AOR: 6.33; 95% CI: 2.25-17.79, puerperal sepsis AOR: 4.51; 95% CI: 1.68-12.15, age ≥35 years AOR: 4.09; 95% CI: 1.42-11.77, absence of antenatal care: AOR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.03-13.5, maternal coexisting diseases AOR: 5.2; 95% CI: 2.22-12.16, and severely decrease of consciousness at admission AOR: 3.78; 95% CI: 1.21-11.79 were significantly associated with obstetrics mortality in Addis Ababa Public Hospitals intensive care unit., Conclusion: and Recommendation: Maternal age ≥35 years, loss of antenatal care, puerperal sepsis, severe pre-eclampsia, pre-existing medical comorbidities and severe decrease level of consciousness during ICU admission were the most significant factors associated with obstetrics mortality. It is recommended that all pregnant women should have antenatal care so that preeclampsia and maternal comorbidities will be early diagnosed and treated., Competing Interests: I assured the journal that no conflict of interest in any related issues., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Introduction: There is an increasing trend in smoking among rural adolescents compared to urban adolescents in Malaysia. This study was to determine the relationship between religious personality and smoking among form two students from the rural schools in Malacca. Methods: This was an unmatched case-control study conducted from May 2010 to August 2010 among form two school children from rural area in Malacca. There were 484 cases, and 444 controls selected using randomized cluster sampling. The dependent variable was smoking, and the independent factors were religious personality. Validated and reliability-tested questionnaires were used for data collection. Results: The mean age (year) at which smoking was first tried among the cases was 11.39 + 2.107. There were eleven out of twenty three significant differences between religious personality statements in the cases and control group. Those were: reciting the Quran/Holy book/Scriptures even when busy, making efforts to deepen the understanding of the religion, trying to understand the teachings of the religion in the Holy book/Quran, inviting others to perform solat/prayer/religious service, making sure all the family members are following the teachings according to the religion, referring to the learned people when feeling uncertain about the rulings/teachings of the religion, performing work duties enthusiastically because of the religion/God, making efforts to remember death and afterlife often, making efforts to internalize the ethical conduct of the religion in daily life, setting aside money every year for religious purposes and looking for opportunities to give charity. Conclusion: Religious personality is an important factor which may influence adolescents volved in smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case-control study aims to investigate the role of HTERT MNS16A polymorphism as a potential risk factors and/or a prognostic marker for breast cancer. 113 consecutive incident cases of histologically confirmed ductal breast cancer and 124 healthy controls were recruited. HTERT MNS16A polymorphism was genotyped (L: long allele, S: short allele); multivariate logistic regression was performed. No significant association was noted either at the overall analysis (OR = 1.57, 95 % CI 0.84-2.93 for heterozygous LS carriers; OR = 1.02, 95 % CI 0.54-1.95 for homozygous SS carriers) or at the subanalyses in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. With respect to survival analysis, HTERT MNS16A polymorphism was not associated with either disease-free survival or overall survival. HTERT MNS16A polymorphism does not seem to be a risk factor for breast cancer in the Caucasian Greek population. Further, larger studies from other countries and subjects seem to be needed as this novel polymorphism is being examined in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention and management of both communicable and non-communicable diseases are in fact complex. Moreover, social, economic and political inequalities interact in complex ways to affect vulnerability, access to treatment, and the sequelae of disease. Research is a significant part of the strategy for the control of diseases with the largest tranche of funding going to the development of new drugs, vaccines and clinical interventions. However, the success, particularly in drug and vaccine development, is unfortunately slow and failure becomes expensive. Randomised controlled trials have evaluated the effects of a single intervention such as a drug. Complex interventions in health care, whether therapeutic or preventative, comprise a number of separate elements which seem essential to the proper functioning of the interventions although the 'active ingredient' of the intervention that is effective is difficult to specify. In a developing country like India, poverty and its associated social, cultural and environmental contexts are also the critical, overarching factors that influence the impact and instrumental value of interventions including their acceptability, accessibility, affordability and sustainability. Present paper provides guidance on the development, evaluation and implementation of complex interventions to improve the health scenario in general and cardiovascular health in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with minor ischemic stroke (MIS) are frequently excluded from thrombolytic therapy. Denial of therapy to these patients, however, remains controversial. We compared outcomes in patients with MIS who received intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) with those who were not treated. Methods: We selected adult patients with stroke onset within 3 hours from a prospectively collected stroke registry. MIS was defined as an admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤5. The primary outcome was a 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0 to 1. Secondary outcomes were a Barthel index (BI) score ≥95 at 90 days, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), and death. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association between outcomes adjusting for age, history of diabetes, and NIHSS score at admission. Reasons for t-PA exclusion were obtained. Results: We identified 133 patients with MIS; 59 patients received IV t-PA. The NIHSS score (mean ± SD) at admission was higher in the t-PA treated group (3.4 ± 1.4 v 1.9 ± 1.3 in the untreated group; P < .0001). Other baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the 2 groups. At 90 days, 57.6% of patients in the t-PA group and 68.9% of patients in the untreated group had a mRS score of 0 to 1 (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39-2.2; P = .87). A BI score of 95 to 100 was achieved in 75% of patients in the IV t-PA group versus 78.9% in the untreated group (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.43-3.23; P = .74). There were 3 deaths (5.1%) in the IV t-PA group and 3 deaths (4.1%) in the control group. Conclusions: In our sample, patients with MIS treated with IV t-PA have similar outcomes as patients not receiving thrombolysis. A randomized trial or larger observational study is needed confirm or reject these findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three commonly used designs for vaccine safety assessment post licensure are cohort, case-control and self-controlled case series. These methods are often used with routine health databases and immunisation registries. This paper considers the issues that may arise when designing an epidemiological study, such as understanding the vaccine safety question, case definition and finding, limitations of data sources, uncontrolled confounding, and pitfalls that apply to the individual designs. The example of MMR and autism, where all three designs have been used, is presented to help consider these issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A case control study on farm level was conducted at the Clinic for Ruminants, LMU Munich, to identify possible risk factors associated with the observed increase in numbers of calves showing clinical signs of Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP) since 2006 in southern Germany. Interviews were conducted between August 2008 and June 2010. The characteristics of 56 dairy farms with at least one confirmed case of BNP (thrombocytopenia and leukocytopenia and/or typical findings in post-mortem examination and bone marrow histology) were compared with those of two sets of 50 control dairy farms each, with no history of BNP. The first set of 50 control farms was selected randomly from veterinary practices which had never observed a BNP case on the farms they serviced. The second set of 50 control farms was matched by the veterinary practices which had provided case farms. Two separate analyses were conducted: (1) case farms (n =56) vs. randomly selected control farms (n =50) and (2) case farms (n =56) vs. a matched set of control farms (n =50). All variables with p <0.2 in the univariable analysis were included in stepwise logistic regression models. In the first analysis, only the use of PregSure® BVD vaccine was positively associated with BNP with an odds ratio of 1292 (95% CI: 114–14707). In the second analysis, conditional logistic regression models did not converge, therefore non-conditional logistic regression models were conducted. In the non-conditional analysis five variables remained in the model, three of which were negatively associated with BNP: the use of vitamin E and selenium, the frequent use of mastitis tubes, and the use of stem growth regulators in grain production. The use of prophylactic measures (such as control of parasites or vaccination of calves against respiratory disease) was positively associated with BNP with an odds ratio of 14.3 as well as the use of PregSure® BVD vaccine with an odds ratio of 426 (95% CI: 20–9095). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: This study aims to identify the differences between Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) and non-IDUs, with regard to some potential factors. This could be useful to design effective interventions for harm reduction, which is one of the priority areas in reducing the burden of addiction. Methods: Sixty cases and 60 controls participated in this pair-matched case-control study, which was conducted in Tehran. The cases were IDUs who were asked to introduce two friends; one IDU and the other non-IDU as the paired control. In addition to demographic variables, onset age of cigarette smoking, dropping out of school, imprisonment, history of being sexually abused for money, and family history of using illegal drugs were obtained from the cases and controls via an interview. Pair Odds Ratio (OR) was estimated through McNemar and conditional multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: Eighty-three % of the IDUs and 92% the controls were male. The mean for onset age of cigarette smoking was 16 in the cases and 20 in the controls, which was significantly different between cases and controls (P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, dropping out from school was significantly different between cases and controls (OR=4.22 95% CI: 2.23 - 14.0). Imprisonment was more frequent in IDUs compared to non-IDUs (OR=3.70 95% CI: 1.09 - 11.08). The cases had more sexual relationship for earning money compared to the controls (OR=3.14 95% CI: 1.24 - 13.70). Onset age of cigarette smoking was significantly (P<0.001) sooner in the IDUs compared to the non-IDUs (15.9 and 20.1 years, respectively). IDUs reported 5.5 times more that non-IDUs of having an addict in their family (P value=0.04). Conclusion: The finding of this study can be useful in identifying the persons who are at risk of IDU. Therefore, people who involve with risk factors recognized in this study should be triggered for harm reduction prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Toll-like receptor proteins are important in host defense and initiation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. A number of studies have identified associations between genetic variation in the Toll-like receptor genes and allergic disorders such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. The present study aim to search for genetic variation associated with allergic rhinitis in the Toll-like receptor genes. Methods: A first association analysis genotyped 73 SNPs in 182 cases and 378 controls from a Swedish population. Based on these results an additional 24 SNPs were analyzed in one Swedish population with 352 cases and 709 controls and one Chinese population with 948 cases and 580 controls. Results: The first association analysis identified 4 allergic rhinitis-associated SNPs in the TLR7-TLR8 gene region. Subsequent analysis of 24 SNPs from this region identified 7 and 5 significant SNPs from the Swedish and Chinese populations, respectively. The corresponding risk-associated haplotypes are significant after Bonferroni correction and are the most common haplotypes in both populations. The associations are primarily detected in females in the Swedish population, whereas it is seen in males in the Chinese population. Further independent support for the involvement of this region in allergic rhinitis was obtained from quantitative skin prick test data generated in both populations. Conclusions: Haplotypes in the TLR7-TLR8 gene region were associated with allergic rhinitis in one Swedish and one Chinese population. Since this region has earlier been associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis in a Danish linkage study this speaks strongly in favour of this region being truly involved in the development of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This nested case-control study investigated the risk factors for gastroenteritis in a cohort using rainwater as their primary domestic water source. Consumption of beef [odds ratio (OR) 2·74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·56–4·80], handling of raw fresh chicken in the household (OR 1·52, 95% CI 1·02–2·29) and animal contact (OR 1·83, 95% CI 1·20–2·83) were found to be significant risk factors (P>0·05). Significant protective effects were observed with raw salad prepared at home (OR 0·33, 95% CI 0·18–0·58), consumption of salami (OR 0·60, 95% CI 0·36–0·98), and shellfish (OR 0·31, 95% CI 0·14–0·67). This study provides novel insight into community-based endemic gastroenteritis showing that consumption of beef was associated with increased odds of illness and with a population attributable fraction (PAF) of 57·6%. Detecting such a high PAF for beef in a non-outbreak setting was unexpected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide rates are higher in the over 65s than in younger adults and there is a strong link between deliberate self harm (DSH) and suicide in older people. The association between personality disorder (PD) and DSH in older adults remains uncertain. Our objective was to describe this association.Methods: A case control study was conducted in which participants were: (i) those who had undertaken an act of DSH and (ii) a hospital-based control group drawn from a geographical contiguous population. PD was assessed using the Standardised Assessment of Personality (SAP)Results: Seventy-seven cases of DSH were identified; 61 (79.2%) of these participants were interviewed. There were 171 potential controls identified of whom 140 (81.9%) were included. An SAP was completed in 45/61 (73.8%) of cases and 100/140 (71.4%) of controls. The mean age was 79.8 years (SD = 9, range 65–103). The crude odds ratio for the association between PD and DSH was 5.91 [(95% CI 2.3, 14.9) p<0.0001]. There was a strong interaction with age stratified at 80 years. There was no association between PD and DSH after age 80. The adjusted odds ratio for PD in the group <80 years was 20.5 [(95% CI 3, 141) p = 0.002]. Borderline and impulsive PD traits tended to be associated with an episode of DSH more than other personality types.Conclusions: PD appears to be a strong and independent risk for an act of DSH in people aged between 65 and 80 years and should be looked for as part of any risk assessment in this population. Access to specialist services may be required to optimally manage this problem and reduce the subsequent risk of suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Experimental studies suggest omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) suppress and n-6 PUFA promote prostate tumor carcinogenesis. Epidemiologic evidence remains inconclusive. The objectives of this study were to examine the association between n-3 and n-6 PUFA and prostate cancer risk and determine if these associations differ by race or disease aggressiveness. We hypothesize that high intakes of n-3 and n-6 PUFA will be associated with lower and higher prostate cancer risk, respectively. A case-control study comprising 79 prostate cancer cases and 187 controls was conducted at the Durham VA Medical Center. Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the associations between n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes, the dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids, and prostate cancer risk. Our results showed no significant associations between specific n-3 or n-6 PUFA intakes and prostate cancer risk. The highest dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 was significantly associated with elevated risk of high-grade (OR, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.18-10.69; P trend = 0.03), but not low-grade prostate cancer (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.43-2.17). In race-specific analyses, an increasing dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids correlated with higher prostate cancer risk among white men (P trend = 0.05), but not black men. In conclusion, our findings suggest that a high dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of overall prostate cancer among white men and possibly increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer among all men. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background. Oral squamous cell carcinoma affects mainly patients between the fifth and sixth decades of life, being rare in the young (≤40 years old). Methods. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic features, and the long-term survival of 125 patients younger than 41 years of age were compared with 250 control patients older than 50 years old. Data were submitted to Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. Results. The percentage of nonsmokers was higher in the younger patients (p = .04). In the younger patients, tumors at advanced clinical stage (p < .01) and poorly differentiated tumors (p = .01) were associated with a higher risk of recurrence. The relapse rate was higher in the younger patients (p = .02); however, there was no significant difference on overall survival (p = .86). The younger patients diagnosed after the 1990s had less advanced clinical stage tumors, had an increase in the use of combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and their overall survival was improved. Conclusion. This study emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study is to assess the intensity of computer use and insomnia epidemiology among Greek adolescents, to examine any possible age and gender differences and to investigate whether excessive computer use is a risk factor for developing insomnia symptoms. Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study of a stratified sample of 2195 high school students. Demographic data were recorded and two specific questionnaires were used, the Adolescent Computer Addiction Test (ACAT) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Results: Females scored higher than males on insomnia complaints but lower on computer use and addiction. A dosemediated effect of computer use on insomnia complaints was recorded. Computer use had a larger effect size than sex on insomnia complaints. Duration of computer use was longer for those adolescents classified as suffering from insomnia compared to those who were not. Conclusions: Computer use can be a significant cause of insomnia complaints in an adolescent population regardless of whether the individual is classified as addicted or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impoverished children suffer disproportionately from asthma and are more likely than other children to be exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). We conducted a case-control study to describe and compare knowledge, attitudes, and household practices regarding SHS exposure among parents of young urban children with and without asthma (response rate, 76%). Overall, 39% of children lived with ≥1 smoker (cases, 36%; controls, 43%). The majority of parents (78%) felt that cigarette smoking is very dangerous and agreed that smoke harms the health of children (97%). Cases were more likely than controls to report that smoking in a car affects children's health (54% vs 42%) and that smoking in front of children is never allowed in their home (88% vs 79%). Additionally, more cases reported a home smoking ban (81% vs 70%). Our findings suggest that parents of children with asthma have somewhat better knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding SHS; however, gaps remain, and many urban children continue to be exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]