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Multiple Causes (multiple + cause)
Selected AbstractsA Tree-Based Scan Statistic for Database Disease SurveillanceBIOMETRICS, Issue 2 2003Martin Kulldorff Summary Many databases exist with which it is possible to study the relationship between health events and various potential risk factors. Among these databases, some have variables that naturally form a hierarchical tree structure, such as pharmaceutical drugs and occupations. It is of great interest to use such databases for surveillance purposes in order to detect unsuspected relationships to disease risk. We propose a tree-based scan statistic, by which the surveillance can be conducted with a minimum of prior assumptions about the group of occupations/drugs that increase risk, and which adjusts for the multiple testing inherent in the many potential combinations. The method is illustrated using data from the National Center for Health Statistics Multiple Cause of Death Database, looking at the relationship between occupation and death from silicosis. [source] Occupational Segregation and the Tipping Phenomenon: The Contrary Case of Court Reporting in the USAGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 2 2007Joyce P. Jacobsen The ,tipping' phenomenon, whereby an occupation switches from dominance by one demographic group to dominance by another, has occurred in various occupations. Multiple causes have been suggested for such switches, including several related to technological change, both through effects on the performance of the work and through the effect of changing demand for different occupations. The court reporting occupation provides a novel setting for testing the relevance of various proposed causes for the increased feminization of many occupations. In this case, many of the general correlates, including declining wages, are not found; rather the phenomenon is related to the earlier feminization of the clerical workforce and the increased identification of court reporting with clerical work. [source] Alzheimer disease: Multiple causes, multiple effects of apolipoprotein E4, and multiple therapeutic approaches,ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2009Robert W. Mahley MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Mortality from multiple sclerosis in Austria 1970,2001: dynamics, trends, and prospectsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2004E. Ekestern A divergence in earlier multiple sclerosis (MS) mortality rates observed within Europe, prompted us to determine the MS mortality rate in Austria and several European countries. Our aim was to examine the temporal and geographical variations within Austria and to determine future MS mortality rates based on a projection model. MS mortality data set, differentiated by age groups, sex, and region at death for the period 1970,2001 were obtained. Prognostic MS mortality trends for the period 2002,2020 were estimated using the simultaneous multiple cause,delay (SIMCAD) method. Our findings indicate a decline (47%) in the MS mortality rate from 1.41 (1970,79) to 0.96 (1980,89) and 0.70 (1990,2001) per 100 000 in Austria during the 32-year period observed. Conversely, the scenarios of our projection for the period 2002,2020, reveal an increasing MS mortality rate. The median age at death because of MS increased with 0.7 years for men and 2.9 years for women during the observed period (1970,2001). Austria, like many other European countries, has experienced a decreasing MS mortality rate over the last three decades. An increased MS mortality rate is however expected over the next decades in Austria. This increase will be most prominent in the elderly population cohorts because of demographic shifts. [source] Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 9 2006Leonard J. Paulozzi MD Abstract Purpose Since 1990, numerous jurisdictions in the United States (US) have reported increases in drug poisoning mortality. During the same time period, the use of opioid analgesics has increased markedly as part of more aggressive pain management. This study documented a dramatic increase in poisoning mortality rates and compared it to sales of opioid analgesics nationwide. Methods Trend analysis of drug poisoning deaths using underlying cause of death and multiple cause of death mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and opioid analgesic sales data from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Results Unintentional drug poisoning mortality rates increased on average 5.3% per year from 1979 to 1990 and 18.1% per year from 1990 to 2002. The rapid increase during the 1990s reflects the rising number of deaths attributed to narcotics and unspecified drugs. Between 1999 and 2002, the number of opioid analgesic poisonings on death certificates increased 91.2%, while heroin and cocaine poisonings increased 12.4% and 22.8%, respectively. By 2002, opioid analgesic poisoning was listed in 5528 deaths,more than either heroin or cocaine. The increase in deaths generally matched the increase in sales for each type of opioid. The increase in deaths involving methadone tracked the increase in methadone used as an analgesic rather than methadone used in narcotics treatment programs. Conclusions A national epidemic of drug poisoning deaths began in the 1990s. Prescriptions for opioid analgesics also increased in this time frame and may have inadvertently contributed to the increases in drug poisoning deaths. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cognitive profiles of chinese adolescents with dyslexiaDYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2010Kevin K. H. Chung Abstract The present study sought to identify cognitive abilities that might distinguish Hong Kong Chinese adolescents with and without dyslexia and examined the cognitive profile of dyslexic adolescents in order to better understand this important problem. The performance of 27 Chinese adolescents with childhood diagnoses of dyslexia was compared with 27 adolescents of the same chronological age (CA) and 27 of matched reading level (RL) on measures of literacy and cognitive abilities: Chinese word reading, one-minute reading, reading comprehension, dictation, verbal short-term memory, rapid naming, visual-orthographic knowledge, morphological and phonological awareness. The results indicated that the dyslexic group scored lower than the CA group, but similar to the RL group, especially in the areas of rapid naming, visual-orthographic knowledge and morphological awareness, with over half having multiple deficits exhibited 2 or more cognitive areas. Furthermore, the number of cognitive deficits was associated with the degree of reading and spelling impairment. These findings suggest that adolescents with childhood diagnoses of dyslexia have persistent literacy difficulties and seem to have multiple causes for reading difficulties in Chinese. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia: a separate haematological disease entity or a syndrome with multiple causes?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2004P. Felderbauer Abstract: We report the case of a patient with acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia. Until today, less than 20 cases of acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia have been reported and the disease aetiology still seems to be unclear. This report summarizes the published data concerning possible aetiologies, treatment options and outcome of patients with acquired pure megakaryocytic aplasia. Furthermore, this case report presents an example for a possible disease progression. [source] Reorganization of a large marine ecosystem due to atmospheric and anthropogenic pressure: a discontinuous regime shift in the Central Baltic SeaGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009CHRISTIAN MÖLLMANN Abstract Marine ecosystems such as the Baltic Sea are currently under strong atmospheric and anthropogenic pressure. Besides natural and human-induced changes in climate, major anthropogenic drivers such as overfishing and anthropogenic eutrophication are significantly affecting ecosystem structure and function. Recently, studies demonstrated the existence of alternative stable states in various terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These so-called ecosystem regime shifts have been explained mainly as a result of multiple causes, e.g. climatic regime shifts, overexploitation or a combination of both. The occurrence of ecosystem regime shifts has important management implications, as they can cause significant losses of ecological and economic resources. Because of hysteresis in ecosystem responses, restoring regimes considered as favourable may require drastic and expensive management actions. Also the Baltic Sea, the largest brackish water body in the world ocean, and its ecosystems are strongly affected by atmospheric and anthropogenic drivers. Here, we present results of an analysis of the state and development of the Central Baltic Sea ecosystem integrating hydroclimatic, nutrient, phyto- and zooplankton as well as fisheries data. Our analyses of 52 biotic and abiotic variables using multivariate statistics demonstrated a major reorganization of the ecosystem and identified two stable states between 1974 and 2005, separated by a transition period in 1988,1993. We show the change in Baltic ecosystem structure to have the characteristics of a discontinuous regime shift, initiated by climate-induced changes in the abiotic environment and stabilized by fisheries-induced feedback loops in the food web. Our results indicate the importance of maintaining the resilience of an ecosystem to atmospherically induced environmental change by reducing the anthropogenic impact. [source] Dietary polyphenols can modulate the intestinal inflammatory responseNUTRITION REVIEWS, Issue 7 2009Béatrice Romier Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) arise from multiple causes, including environmental factors, gut microflora, immunity, and genetic predispositions. In the course of IBD, immune homeostasis and intestinal mucosa barrier integrity are impaired. Among natural preventive treatments that have been identified to date, polyphenols appear as promising candidates. They have been shown to protect against several diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and they have anti-inflammatory properties in non-intestinal models. This paper will review the literature that has described to date some effects of polyphenols on intestinal inflammation. Studies, conducted using in vivo and in vitro models, provide evidence that pure polyphenolic compounds and natural polyphenolic plant extracts can modulate intestinal inflammation. [source] Confounders and confusion: Dealing with cancer cases of occupational origin,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2010Paolo Crosignani MD Abstract Background The recognition of occupational cancers is often hampered by confusion between the individual determinants of the disease and effects at the group level. Methods Here we propose an approach, based on the evaluation of the attributable risk at the group level, that provides quantitative estimates of the roles of multiple causes in individuals affected of cancer within a population exposed to occupational risk. Results The estimate of individual probability can be easily obtained computing the attributable risk. This can be often achieved by using the existing information available in the literature. Conclusions Dismissing the occupation as a cause of a cancer in an exposed subject on the sole basis of potential confounding is erroneous and should be withdrawn from medical practice. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:1002,1005, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The influence of long-term Aloe vera ingestion on age-related disease in male Fischer 344 ratsPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 8 2002Yuji Ikeno Abstract The effects of long-term Aloe vera ingestion on age-related diseases were investigated using male specific pathogen-free (SPF) Fischer 344 rats. Experimental animals were divided into four groups: Group A, the control rats fed a semi-synthetic diet without Aloe vera; Group B, rats fed a diet containing 1% freeze-dried Aloe vera filet; Group C, rats fed a diet containing 1% charcoal-processed, freeze-dried Aloe vera filet; and Group D, rats fed the control diet and given whole leaf charcoal-processed Aloe vera (0.02%) in the drinking water. This study demonstrates that life-long Aloe vera ingestion produced neither harmful effects nor deleterious changes. In addition, Aloe vera ingestion appeared to be associated with some beneficial effects on age-related diseases. Groups B exhibited significantly less occurrence of multiple causes of death, and a slightly lower incidence of fatal chronic nephropathy compared with Group A rats. Groups B and C rats showed the trend, slightly lower incidences of thrombosis in the cardiac atrium than Group A rats. Therefore, these findings suggest that life-long Aloe vera ingestion does not cause any obvious harmful and deleterious side effects, and could also be beneficial for the prevention of age-related pathology. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Risk factors for sebaceous gland diseases and their relationship to gastrointestinal dysfunction in Han adolescentsTHE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2008Hong ZHANG ABSTRACT Sebaceous gland diseases are a group of common dermatological diseases with multiple causes. To date, a systematic report of the risk factors for sebaceous gland diseases in adolescents has not been published. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for certain sebaceous gland diseases (seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, acne, androgenetic alopecia and rosacea) and their relationship to gastrointestinal dysfunction in adolescents. From August,October, 2002,2005, a questionnaire survey was carried out to obtain epidemiological data about sebaceous gland diseases. Using random cluster sampling, 13 215 Han adolescents aged 12,20 years were recruited from four countries or districts (Macau; Guangzhou, China; Malaysia; and Indonesia). The statistical software SPSS ver. 13.0 was used to analyze the data. The prevalence of seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, acne, androgenetic alopecia and rosacea was 28.27%, 10.17%, 51.03%, 1.65% and 0.97%, respectively. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for sebaceous gland diseases included: age; duration of local residency; halitosis; gastric reflux; abdominal bloating; constipation; sweet food; spicy food; family history of acne; late night sleeping on a daily basis; excessive axillary, body and facial hair; excessive periareolar hair; and anxiety. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms (halitosis; gastric reflux; abdominal bloating; constipation) between patients with and without sebaceous gland diseases (,2 = 150.743; P = 0.000). Gastrointestinal dysfunction is an important risk factor for diseases of the sebaceous glands and is correlated with their occurrence and development. [source] Trends in chronic disease mortality in the Northern Territory Aboriginal population, 1997-2004: using underlying and multiple causes of deathAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2009Emily Fearnley Abstract Objective: To assess trends in chronic disease mortality in the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory (NT), using both underlying and multiple causes of death. Method: Death registration data from 1997 to 2004, were used for the analysis of deaths from five chronic diseases; ischaemic heart disease (IHD), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), renal failure and stroke. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the average annual change in mortality rates for each of the five diseases. Chi squared tests were conducted to determine associations between the five diseases. Results: The five chronic diseases contributed to 49.3% of all Aboriginal deaths in the NT. The mortality rate ratio of NT Aboriginal to all Australian death rates from each of the diseases ranged from 4.3 to 13.0, with the lowest rate ratio for stroke and highest for diabetes. There were significant statistical associations between IHD, diabetes, renal failure and stroke. The mortality rates for diabetes, COPD and stroke declined at estimated annual rates for NT Aboriginal males of 3.6%, 1.0% and 11.7% and for Aboriginal females by 3.5%, 6.1% and 7.1% respectively. There were increases in mortality rates for Aboriginal males and females for IHD and a mixed result for renal failure. Conclusion: NT Aboriginal people experience high chronic disease mortality, however, mortality rates appear to be declining for diabetes, COPD and stroke. The impact of chronic disease on mortality is greater than previously reported by using a single underlying cause of death. The results highlight the importance of integrated chronic disease interventions. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||