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Significant Positive Trend (significant + positive_trend)
Selected AbstractsAssociation of the metabolic syndrome with depression and anxiety in Japanese men: A 1-year cohort studyDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 8 2009Takeaki Takeuchi Abstract Background Recent studies on the association between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression have reported conflicting findings. This 1-year cohort study aims to evaluate the association of MetS with the development of both depression and anxiety. Methods The cohort comprised 956 Japanese male employees of an enterprise (mean age, 42.7 years; SD, 10.2 years). MetS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The psychological conditions of depression and anxiety were assessed in 2 successive years by using the profile of mood states (POMS) questionnaire and by conducting clinical interviews as per the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). We evaluated the temporal and dose-response relationships between MetS and the development of depression and anxiety, controlling for potential confounding factors like age and lifestyle-related factors. Results We identified a positive relationship between MetS at baseline and new-onset depression in the subsequent year (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.10,4.17). Of the five MetS components examined, only waist circumference was significantly related to new-onset depression (OR 2.08, 1.23,3.50). Trend analysis revealed a significant positive trend of association between the number of MetS components identified and new-onset depression (Ptrend < 0.01), but not between Mets and new-onset anxiety. Conclusions Our results suggest that MetS is a predictive factor for the development of depression, and that waist circumference largely contributes to the association between MetS and depression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluating the impacts of climate and elevated carbon dioxide on tropical rainforests of the western Amazon basin using ecosystem models and satellite dataGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010HIROFUMI HASHIMOTO Abstract Forest inventories from the intact rainforests of the Amazon indicate increasing rates of carbon gain over the past three decades. However, such estimates have been questioned because of the poor spatial representation of the sampling plots and the incomplete understanding of purported mechanisms behind the increases in biomass. Ecosystem models, when used in conjunction with satellite data, are useful in examining the carbon budgets in regions where the observations of carbon flows are sparse. The purpose of this study is to explain observed trends in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using climate observations and ecosystem models of varying complexity in the western Amazon basin for the period of 1984,2002. We first investigated trends in NDVI and found a positive trend during the study period, but the positive trend in NDVI was observed only in the months from August to December. Then, trends in various climate parameters were calculated, and of the climate variables considered, only shortwave radiation was found to have a corresponding significant positive trend. To compare the impact of each climate component, as well as increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, on evergreen forests in the Amazon, we ran three ecosystem models (CASA, Biome-BGC, and LPJ), and calculated monthly net primary production by changing a climate component selected from the available climate datasets. As expected, CO2 fertilization effects showed positive trends throughout the year and cannot explain the positive trend in NDVI, which was observed only for the months of August to December. Through these simulations, we demonstrated that the positive trend in shortwave radiation can explain the positive trend in NDVI observed for the period from August to December. We conclude that the positive trend in shortwave radiation is the most likely driver of the increasing trend in NDVI and the corresponding observed increases in forest biomass. [source] An analysis of cloud observations from Vernadsky, AntarcticaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Amélie Kirchgäßner Abstract This paper presents results of a combined analysis of cloud observations made at the Antarctic base Faraday/Vernadsky between 1960 and 2005 and sea ice concentration from the HadISST1 data set. The annual total cloud cover has increased significantly during this period with the strongest and most significant positive trend found in winter, and positive tendencies observable in all seasons. This trend is associated with a decrease in sea ice concentration in the area of the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Though the observed sea ice reduction is actually larger and more significant in summer and autumn, there is actually a significant relation between total cloud cover and sea ice concentration only in winter. The increase in the total cloud cover is neither reflected in the low cloud amount nor in the number of records for low, medium or high level clouds. It is therefore thought that the increase in the total cloud cover is caused by an increase in the amount of medium and/or high level clouds. Instead, records for the low cloud amount show a redistribution from cases of extreme cloud cover (0, 1, 7 and 8 okta), which account for up to 90% of annual records, to cases of moderate cloud cover. In accordance with the decrease in sea ice, this may indicate a shift from low-level stratiform towards convective clouds. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Characteristics of wintertime daily and extreme minimum temperature over South KoreaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Sang-Boom Ryoo Abstract In South Korea, consecutive positive temperature anomalies have been observed since the mid-1980s. The objective of this study is to assess the recent trends in, and variability of, daily minimum temperature over South Korea with particular emphasis on its extremes. Temporal characteristics of wintertime daily and extreme minimum temperature-related variables were analysed on a seasonal basis for the period of 1958,59 to 2000,01. The results show continually fewer days with extreme low minimum temperature since the mid-1980s. However, no significant change in the 1 day temperature difference was observed during the same period, indicating little change in the frequency of cold surges. Also, during the period analysed, there is a significant positive trend in the seasonal mean temperature, a negative trend in the frequency of the extreme cold days, and no significant trend in the seasonal occurrence of cold surges. Northern Hemisphere geopotential height fields before and after 1986,87, i.e. the start of successive positive anomalies in the winter surface air temperature over South Korea, showed a substantial decrease throughout the troposphere over the polar region. In the upper levels the overall pattern becomes more wavelike, with eddies embedded between meanders. The differences in the lower troposphere are remarkably similar to the Arctic oscillation, although the centre in the North Atlantic is shifted toward western Europe and differences in the North Pacific are relatively weaker than those in the polar region. The recent positive phase of the Arctic oscillation may contribute to these abrupt changes in wintertime daily minimum temperatures over South Korea. El Niño,southern oscillation phenomena appear to contribute to the interannual variation of cold surge days in South Korea. Years with no cold surges were experienced during La Niña episodes. On the other hand, all years with more than four cases of cold surges were during El Niño episodes. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Cross-sectional study of allergic disorders associated with breastfeeding in Japan: The Ryukyus Child Health StudyPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Yoshihiro Miyake Uncertainties remain as to whether breastfeeding is protective against childhood allergic disorders. Positive relationships of breastfeeding with asthma and atopic eczema were observed in two previous Japanese studies. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between the feeding pattern after birth and the prevalence of allergic disorders during the past 12 months in Japanese schoolchildren. Study subjects were 24,077 children aged 6,15 yr in Okinawa. The outcomes were based on diagnostic criteria from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Allowance was made for age, sex, number of siblings, smoking in the household, paternal and maternal history of asthma, atopic eczema, and allergic rhinitis, and paternal and maternal educational level. Breastfeeding, regardless of exclusivity, for 13 months or longer and exclusive breastfeeding for 4,11 months were independently associated with a higher prevalence of atopic eczema, particularly among children without a parental allergic history. A clear positive dose,response relationship was observed between prolonged duration of breastfeeding, regardless of exclusivity, but not exclusive breastfeeding, and the prevalence of atopic eczema. We found a significant positive trend for atopic eczema across the three categories (formula milk, partial and exclusive breastfeeding) in the first 4 months of life although the odds ratio for exclusive breastfeeding was not statistically significant. No material association was found between the feeding pattern after birth and the prevalence of wheeze or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Prolonged breastfeeding may be associated with a higher prevalence of atopic eczema in Japanese children. [source] A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008Travis Kubale PhD Abstract Objective This study evaluates the mortality experience of 6,157 chemical laboratory workers employed at United States Department of Energy facilities. Methods All cause, all cancer and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Cox regression analyses were conducted to further evaluate the relation between chemical exposure and mortality risk due to selected cancers. Results The mortality due to all causes combined and all cancers combined were below expectation for the cohort. There were no statistically significant elevations reported among males for any specific cancer or non-cancer outcome. There no statistically significant elevations among females for any specific non-cancer and most specific cancers; however, multiple myeloma deaths were significantly elevated (SMR,=,3.56; 95% CI,=,1.43,7.33; number of observed deaths, n,=,7). Statistically significant elevations were seen among workers employed 20+ years for leukemia using both 2- and 5-year lag periods. Also, a statistically significant positive trend of elevated lung cancer mortality with increasing employment duration was seen using both 5- and 10-year lags. A similar trend was seen for smoking related cancers among men. Conclusion While lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer mortality was below expectation, a significant elevation of multiple myeloma deaths among females and an elevation of leukemia among workers employed 20+ years (possibly due to radiation and benzene exposure) were observed. A NIOSH case,control study is underway to examine more closely the relation between multiple myeloma and a variety of chemical exposures among workers employed at the Oak Ridge K-25 facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:656,667, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Occupation and breast cancer risk in Polish women: A population-based case-control studyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2007Beata Peplonska MD Abstract Background The etiology of breast cancer is not well understood and the role of occupational exposures in breast carcinogenesis is still uncertain. Methods The population-based case-control study included 2,386 incident breast cancer cases diagnosed in 2000,2003, and 2,502 controls. Lifetime occupational histories and information on other potential breast cancer risk factors were obtained through personal interviews. Conditional logistic regression analyses calculated odds ratios (ORs) associated with various occupations and industries after control for potential confounders. Results We found statistically significant excesses of breast cancer among engineers (OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.0,3.8), economists (2.1; 1.1,3.8), sales occupations-retail (1.2; 1.0,1.5), and other sales occupations (1.2; 1.0,1.5). Industries showing significantly elevated risks included special trade contractors (2.2; 1.2,4.3), electronic and electric equipment manufacturers (1.7; 1.1,2.7); and public administration/general government n.e.c. (2.7; 1.3,5.7). Each of these findings was supported by a statistically significant positive trend for duration of employment (P<0.05). A decreased breast cancer risk was observed in janitors and cleaners (0.7; 0.5,0.8). Conclusions In this study, we found few associations for breast cancer and occupations or industries. The suggestive findings for the electronic and electric equipment manufacturing industry and for the occupations with potential exposure to magnetic fields deserve further evaluation. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:97,111, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Physical activity trends in Queensland (2002 to 2008): are women becoming more active than men?AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Corneel Vandelanotte Abstract Objective: Regular monitoring of population levels of physical activity is an effective way to assess change over time towards meeting public health recommendations. The objective of this study was to determine physical activity trends in Central Queensland over the period 2002 to 2008. Methods: Data was obtained from the Central Queensland Social Survey (CQSS) conducted annually from 2002 to 2008. A total sample of 8,936 adults aged 18 and over participated in seven cross-sectional surveys. Physical activity was measured using the Active Australia Questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to examine trends in sufficient physical activity. Results: Averaged over all survey years 46.5% of study participants met national physical activity guidelines. A small significant upward trend was found for meeting physical activity recommendations across all years (OR=1.03; 95%CI=1.01,1.05), indicating that the odds of meeting the guidelines increased by an average of 3% per year from 2002 to 2008. Slightly more men than women met the activity guidelines (ns); however a significant positive trend in achieving sufficient activity levels was present in women only (4%). Conclusions and Implications: Although an increasing trend for sufficient physical activity was observed, overall physical activity levels in Central Queensland remain suboptimal and more efforts to increase physical activity are needed. The gender differences in physical activity trends indicate that men and women might need to be targeted differently in health promotion messages. The continuous monitoring of population levels of physical activity in Australia, which allow both state specific and international comparisons, is needed. [source] Trends and abrupt changes of precipitation maxima in the Pearl River basin, ChinaATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 2 2009Q. Zhang Abstract We applied the Mann-Kendall (MK) test and Bayesian model to systematically explore trends and abrupt changes of the precipitation series in the Pearl River basin. The results showed that no significant trends were detected for annual precipitation and summer or winter precipitation totals. Significant negative trends were identified for the number of rainy days across the Pearl River basin; significant positive trends were observed regarding precipitation intensity (PI). In particular, the precipitation totals and frequencies of extremely high precipitation events are subject to significant positive trends. In addition, the number of extremely low precipitation events was also increasing significantly. Factors affecting the changes in precipitation patterns are the weakening Asian monsoon and consequently increasing moisture transport to Southern China and the Pearl River basin. In summary, the main findings of this study are: (1) increased precipitation variability and high-intensity rainfall was observed though rainy days and low-intensity rainfall have decreased, and (2) the amount of rainfall has changed little but its variability has increased over the time interval divided by change points. These finds indicate potentially increased risk for both agriculture and in locations subject to flooding, both urban and rural, across the Pearl River basin. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] | |||||||||||||