Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Complex Association (complex + association)
Selected AbstractsEvidence of a complex association between dose, pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol exposure and child behaviour problemsADDICTION, Issue 1 2010Colleen M. O'Leary ABSTRACT Background There is a lack of evidence regarding the effect of dose, pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol exposure and behaviour problems in children aged 2 years and older. Methods A 10% random sample of women delivering a live infant in Western Australia (1995,96) were invited to participate in an 8-year longitudinal survey (78% response rate n = 2224); 85% were followed-up at 2 years, 73% at 5 years and 61% at 8 years. Alcohol consumption was classified by combining the overall dose, dose per occasion and frequency to reflect realistic drinking patterns. Longitudinal analysis was conducted using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to investigate the association between child behaviour as measured by the Child Behaviour Checklist at 2, 5 and 8 years of age and prenatal alcohol exposure collected 3 months postpartum for each trimester separately, adjusting for a wide range of confounding factors. Results Low levels of prenatal alcohol were not associated with child behaviour problems. There were increased odds of internalizing behaviour problems following heavy alcohol exposure in the first trimester; anxiety/depression [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07,7.43] and somatic complaints (aOR 2.74; 95% CI 1.47,5.12) and moderate levels of alcohol exposure increased the odds of anxiety/depression (aOR 2.24; 95% CI 1.16,4.34). Conclusions Prenatal alcohol exposure at moderate and higher levels increased the odds of child behaviour problems with the dose, pattern and timing of exposure affecting the type of behaviour problems expressed. Larger studies with more power are needed to confirm these findings. [source] Kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of HIV-1 protease inhibitorsJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 2 2004Cynthia F. Shuman Abstract Interaction kinetic and thermodynamic analyses provide information beyond that obtained in general inhibition studies, and may contribute to the design of improved inhibitors and increased understanding of molecular interactions. Thus, a biosensor-based method was used to characterize the interactions between HIV-1 protease and seven inhibitors, revealing distinguishing kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics for the inhibitors. Lopinavir had fast association and the highest affinity of the tested compounds, and the interaction kinetics were less temperature-dependent as compared with the other inhibitors. Amprenavir, indinavir and ritonavir showed non-linear temperature dependencies of the kinetics. The free energy, enthalpy and entropy (,G, ,H, ,S) were determined, and the energetics of complex association (,Gon, ,Hon, ,Son) and dissociation (,Goff, ,Hoff, ,Soff) were resolved. In general, the energetics for the studied inhibitors was in the same range, with the negative free energy change (,G,<,0) due primarily to increased entropy (,S,>,0). Thus, the driving force of the interaction was increased degrees of freedom in the system (entropy) rather than the formation of bonds between the enzyme and inhibitor (enthalpy). Although the ,Gon and ,Goff were in the same range for all inhibitors, the enthalpy and entropy terms contributed differently to association and dissociation, distinguishing these phases energetically. Dissociation was accompanied by positive enthalpy (,Hoff,>,0) and negative entropy (,Soff,<,0) changes, whereas association for all inhibitors except lopinavir had positive entropy changes (,Son,>,0), demonstrating unique energetic characteristics for lopinavir. This study indicates that this type of data will be useful for the characterization of target,ligand interactions and the development of new inhibitors of HIV-1 protease. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Spouse Abuse and Alcohol Problems Among White, African American, and Hispanic U.S. Army SoldiersALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2006Nicole S. Bell Background: Prior studies suggest racial/ethnic differences in the associations between alcohol misuse and spouse abuse. Some studies indicate that drinking patterns are a stronger predictor of spouse abuse for African Americans but not whites or Hispanics, while others report that drinking patterns are a stronger predictor for whites than African Americans or Hispanics. This study extends prior work by exploring associations between heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, and risk for spouse abuse within racial/ethnic groups as well as variations associated with whether the perpetrator is drinking during the spouse abuse incident. Methods: Cases (N=7,996) were all active-duty male, enlisted Army spouse abusers identified in the Army's Central Registry (ACR) who had also completed an Army Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) Survey between 1991 and 1998. Controls (N=17,821) were matched on gender, rank, and marital and HRA status. Results: We found 3 different patterns of association between alcohol use and domestic violence depending upon both the race/ethnicity of the perpetrator and whether or not alcohol was involved in the spouse abuse event. First, after adjusting for demographic and psychosocial factors, weekly heavy drinking (>14 drinks per week) and alcohol-related problems (yes to 2 or more of 6 alcohol-related problem questions, including the CAGE) were significant predictors of domestic violence among whites and Hispanics only. Also for the white soldiers, the presence of family problems mediated the effect of alcohol-related problems on spouse abuse. Second, alcohol-related problems predicted drinking during a spouse abuse incident for all 3 race groups, but this relation was moderated by typical alcohol consumption patterns in Hispanics and whites only. Finally, alcohol-related problems predicted drinking during a spouse abuse incident, but this was a complex association moderated by different psychosocial or behavioral variables within each race/ethnic group. Conclusion: These findings suggest important cultural/social influences that interact with drinking patterns. [source] COX-2 inhibitors: complex association with lower risk of hospitalization for gastrointestinal events compared to traditional NSAIDs plus proton pump inhibitors,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 10 2009Michiel W. van der Linden MDPhD Abstract Purpose To compare hospitalization rates for serious upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) events between chronic and acute users of a traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAID),+,proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and users of a COX-2 selective inhibitor (Coxib). Methods The PHARMO Record Linkage System, including linked drug-dispensing and hospital records of approximately 3 million individuals in the Netherlands was used. We selected new Coxib or tNSAID users (01/01/2000,31/12/2004) with ,1,year history before the first NSAID dispensing and ,1,year follow-up ending at the first hospitalization for GI event (the outcome), last dispensing, or end of the study period. Chronic users were patients who used any NSAIDs for ,60,days during the first year (n,=,58,770); others were acute users (n,=,538,420). Multivariate analysis was performed by Poisson regression adjusted for gender, age, and duration of follow-up, tNSAID and Coxib dose, NSAID/PPI adherence, use of other gastroprotective agents, anticoagulants, acetaminophen, corticosteroids, and cardiovascular disease. Results The cohort included 23,999 new tNSAIDs,+,PPI users and 25,977 new Coxib users, with main characteristics: mean,±,SD age 58.1,±,15.5 vs. 56.7,±,17.5; female 55.3% vs. 62.2%; duration of treatment (days): 137,±,217 vs. 138,±,179, respectively. Among acute users, adjusted hazard ratios (95% Confidence Interval) were 0.21 (0.14,0.32) for upper and 0.26 (0.16,0.42) for lower GI events, for Coxib versus tNSAIDs,+,PPI users. Among chronic users, these were 0.35 (0.22,0.55) for upper GI and 0.43 (0.25,0.75) for lower GI events. Conclusions Coxib users had significantly lower rates of GI events. Further research should elucidate the possible impact of selection bias. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interaction of the plant glycine-rich RNA-binding protein MA16 with a novel nucleolar DEAD box RNA helicase protein from Zea maysTHE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 6 2004Elisenda Gendra Summary The maize RNA-binding MA16 protein is a developmentally and environmentally regulated nucleolar protein that interacts with RNAs through complex association with several proteins. By using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified a DEAD box RNA helicase protein from Zea mays that interacted with MA16, which we named Z. maysDEAD box RNA helicase 1 (ZmDRH1). The sequence of ZmDRH1 includes the eight RNA helicase motifs and two glycine-rich regions with arginine,glycine-rich (RGG) boxes at the amino (N)- and carboxy (C)-termini of the protein. Both MA16 and ZmDRH1 were located in the nucleus and nucleolus, and analysis of the sequence determinants for their cellular localization revealed that the region containing the RGG motifs in both proteins was necessary for nuclear/nucleolar localization The two domains of MA16, the RNA recognition motif (RRM) and the RGG, were tested for molecular interaction with ZmDRH1. MA16 specifically interacted with ZmDRH1 through the RRM domain. A number of plant proteins and vertebrate p68/p72 RNA helicases showed evolutionary proximity to ZmDRH1. In addition, like p68, ZmDRH1 was able to interact with fibrillarin. Our data suggest that MA16, fibrillarin, and ZmDRH1 may be part of a ribonucleoprotein complex involved in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) metabolism. [source] Hormone response to bidirectional selection on social behaviorEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2010Gro V. Amdam SUMMARY Behavior is a quantitative trait determined by multiple genes. Some of these genes may have effects from early development and onward by influencing hormonal systems that are active during different life-stages leading to complex associations, or suites, of traits. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been used extensively in experiments on the genetic and hormonal control of complex social behavior, but the relationships between their early developmental processes and adult behavioral variation are not well understood. Bidirectional selective breeding on social food-storage behavior produced two honey bee strains, each with several sublines, that differ in an associated suite of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits found in unselected wild type bees. Using these genotypes, we document strain-specific changes during larval, pupal, and early adult life-stages for the central insect hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids. Strain differences correlate with variation in female reproductive anatomy (ovary size), which can be influenced by JH during development, and with secretion rates of ecdysteroid from the ovaries of adults. Ovary size was previously assigned to the suite of traits of honey bee food-storage behavior. Our findings support that bidirectional selection on honey bee social behavior acted on pleiotropic gene networks. These networks may bias a bee's adult phenotype by endocrine effects on early developmental processes that regulate variation in reproductive traits. [source] Fungal endophytes in a 400-million-yr-old land plant: infection pathways, spatial distribution, and host responsesNEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 3 2007Michael Krings Summary ,,The Early Devonian Rhynie chert has been critical in documenting early land plant,fungal interactions. However, complex associations involving several fungi that enter into qualitatively different relationships with a single host plant and even interact with one another have not yet been detailed. ,,Here, we studied petrographic thin sections of the Rhynie chert plant Nothia aphylla. ,,Three fungal endophytes (co)occur in prostrate axes of this plant: narrow hyphae producing clusters of small spores; large spherical spores/zoosporangia; and wide aseptate hyphae that form intercellular vesicles in the cortex. Host responses on attack include bulging of infected rhizoids, formation of encasement layers around intracellular hyphae, and separation of infected from uninfected tissues by secondarily thickened cell walls. ,,A complex simultaneous interaction of N. aphylla with three endophytic fungi was discovered. The host responses indicate that some of the mechanisms causing host responses in extant plants were in place 400 million yr ago. Anatomical and life history features of N. aphylla suggest that this plant may have been particularly susceptible to colonization by fungi. [source] The pathology of ageing: concepts and mechanisms,THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007JE Martin Abstract The rising numbers and proportion of aged individuals in the population is a global demographic trend. The diseases associated with ageing are becoming more prevalent, and the associated healthcare costs are having a significant economic impact in all countries. With these changes have come great advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of ageing. The mechanisms of cellular ageing at a genetic, protein and organelle level are becoming clearer, as are some of the more complex associations between environment and ageing. System ageing is also becoming better understood, and the potential biological advantages of ageing are being explored. Many of the advances in these fields are opening up the prospect of targeted therapeutic intervention for ageing and age related disease. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,EPIDEMIOLOGY: Effect of Sexual Function on Health-Related Quality of Life Mediated by Depressive Symptoms in Cardiac Rehabilitation.THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2010Findings of the SPARK Project in 493 Patients ABSTRACT Introduction., Empirical evidence suggests associations between cardiovascular diseases, sexual functioning, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. However, to date, the interrelation of these constructs has not been examined simultaneously in a structural analysis. Aim., To estimate the prevalence of sexual disorders and depressive symptoms and to examine the association between sexual disorders, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in patients in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular disorders. Aim., A postal survey in five German inpatient rehabilitation centers for cardiovascular diseases was conducted. Prevalence of sexual disorders and depressive symptoms were assessed using psychometrically sound instruments. To analyze complex associations, structural equation modeling was used. Main Outcome Measures., For epidemiological questions, proportions with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The strength of association in structural equation models was expressed as a standardized regression coefficient. Results., Data from 493 patients were analyzed (response rate 22.7%). At least moderate erectile dysfunction proved to be present in 20.3% of men. The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction lay at 43.1%. At least moderate depressive symptoms were present in 14.4% of men and 16.5% of women. A considerable association between sexual functioning and quality of life was found in both sexes, which was largely mediated by depressive symptoms. Major drawbacks of the study are imprecision of the estimates due to limited sample size and questionable generalizability of the findings due to possible self-selection bias. Conclusions., Considering the high prevalence of depressive symptoms and their role as a mediating factor between sexual functioning and quality of life, it is recommended to routinely screen for depression in men and women with cardiac disease. Kriston L, Günzler C, Agyemang A, Bengel J, and Berner MM. Effect of sexual function on health-related quality of life mediated by depressive symptoms in cardiac rehabilitation. Findings of the SPARK project in 493 patients. J Sex Med 2010;7:2044,2055. [source] | |||||||||||||