Anatomic differences among racial groups may contribute to observed differences in the occurrence of severe perineal lacerations at the time of vaginal delivery. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in perineal body length between racial groups. Perineal body length was measured in primigravid women aged 18 to ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of HSD17B1 and HSD17B2 gene polymorphisms with uterine leiomyoma in Chinese women. METHODS: 121 Chinese women with clinically diagnosed uterine leiomyoma and 217 healthy normal Chinese women were investigated to compare three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs605059 and rs676387 of HSD17B1 gene and rs8191246 of ...

Cardiovascular risk models remain incomplete. Small-molecule metabolites may reflect underlying disease and, as such, serve as novel biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. We studied 2,023 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Mass spectrometry profiling of 69 metabolites and lipid assessments were performed in fasting plasma. Principal component analysis reduced metabolites to a ...

Research indicates that disadvantaged socioeconomic status in childhood or adolescence increases specifically women's risk for developing metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Construing this observation as an expression of embodiment, the present study aims at examining the 'social chain of risk' and the 'reproduction' hypotheses as pathways of this embodiment. Participants were ...

OBJECTIVES: These were to examine the relationship between leg cross-sectional areas (CSAs) and leg length while making allowance for other factors, such as fatness and the load on the legs. METHODS: Body mass, stature, and sitting height were directly measured and volumes and leg CSAs were obtained by 3D scanning ...

Abstract Purpose . To determine the effects and mediating factors of a physical activity (PA) or vegetable and fruit (VF) group cohesion intervention. Design . Longitudinal design. Setting . Harris County and Travis County, Texas. Participants . Community-dwelling African-American and Hispanic or Latina women. Intervention . Three hundred ten women ...

There is a paucity of research examining the relationships between dietary patterns (DPs) and risk of developing pre-cancerous lesions as well as biomarkers associated with such DPs. The purpose of the current study was to identify DPs that are associated with higher grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2+) and ...

Completed suicide and nonfatal suicide-related outcomes (SROs), such as suicidal ideation and attempts, are heritable. A recent genetic association study in a sample of suicide victims reported a protective effect of the G allele of Asn40Asp (rs1799971) on risk for completed suicide. We examined the association of three OPRM1 single nucleotide polymorphisms ...

Background: Breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1) is a vital DNA repair gene, and the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of this gene have been studied in diverse cancer types. In this study, we investigated the association between eight common BRCA1 functional SNPs and the risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this observational study was to investigate the optimal minimal polyethylene (PE) thickness in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and identify other risk factors associated with revision of the insert due to wear. METHODS: A total of 84 TKA were followed for 11-16 years. All patients received the same ...

OBJECTIVES: Xeroderma pigmentosum group G (XPG) protein is essential for the nucleotide excision repair system, and genetic variations in XPG/ERCC5 that affect DNA repair capacity may contribute to the risk of tobacco-induced cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). We investigated the association between XPG/ERCC5 polymorphisms ...

The Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene is a crucial regulator of the hypoxia response pathway and plays an important role in tumorigenesis, particularly in tumor growth and vascularization. We hypothesize that polymorphisms in the functional region of VHL may influence susceptibility to prostate cancer (PCa). We genotyped a potentially ...

Danon disease is an X-linked systemic disorder characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy, mental retardation, and skeletal myopathy affecting young men. Electrocardiogram usually displays a Wolff-Parkinson-White preexcitation pattern. Less has been reported about the phenotype in women, although later-onset cardiac symptoms have been described. The aim of this study was to ...

CYP17 and CYP19 are involved in the peripheral synthesis of estrogens, and polymorphisms in CYP17 and CYP19 have been associated with increased risk of estrogen-related disorders. Women with Down syndrome (DS) have early onset and high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We conducted a prospective community-based cohort study to examine ...

BACKGROUND: -Genome wide association studies identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD) but less is known of associations with incident CHD. The association of thirteen published CHD SNPs was examined in five ancestry groups of four large US prospective cohorts. METHODS AND RESULTS: -The ...

Childhood and adult obesity have been widely associated with FTO genetic variability in different populations. This study aimed to investigate the linkage disequilibrium (LD) block structure of a region surrounding the candidate rs9939609 SNP and determine the best single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) combination that explains the higher proportion of variability ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies reported associations of the relative telomere length (RTL) and TERT variants with risk of several cancers, which has not been comprehensively investigated in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).METHODS: We detected RTL in peripheral blood lymphocytes and genotyped six selected functional single nucleotide polymorphisms ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ischemic stroke has a strong familial component to risk. The Siblings With Ischemic Stroke Study (SWISS) is a genome-wide, family-based analysis that included use of imputed genotypes. The Siblings With Ischemic Stroke Study was conducted to examine the associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and risk of stroke ...

The C868T single nucleotide polymorphism in the CD4 receptor encodes an amino acid substitution of tryptophan for arginine in the third domain. Previous studies suggest that C868T increases the risk of HIV-1 acquisition; however, the influence of this SNP on disease progression has not been established. The presence of the ...

Sonographic assessment of cervical length is useful in evaluating the risk of preterm birth. Ultrasound is more accurate than digital exam and can be used in conjunction with fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing. Documentation of a long cervical length can reduce unnecessary treatments and hospitalizations in women who are unlikely to ...

A causal relationship between exposure to smoking and increase in blood pressure (BP) is not yet clearly demonstrated. Some observations suggest a transient increase while smoking a cigarette or when exposed to passive smoking. Late stable hypertension may also occur as a consequence of smoking. This could be attributed to ...

Previous studies suggest that earlier cigarette smoking initiation in adolescence predicts greater cigarette consumption later in adolescence or adulthood. Results from these studies have been used to inform interventions for adolescent smoking. However, previous studies suffer from several important methodological limitations. The objective of the present study was to address ...

Matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) play an important role in central nervous system tumor growth, invasion and spreading. The currently available data provide clear evidence for the involvement of MMP3 in the pathophysiology of glioma. The study aims to explore the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the MMP3 gene with ...

The objectives of this study are to estimate smoke alarm coverage and adherence with national guidelines in low- to mid-value owner-occupied residences, and to identify resident demographic, behavioral, and building characteristics and other fire and burn safety practices associated with smoke alarm utilization. Baseline visits were conducted with 779 households ...

Visceral fat accumulation has an important role in increasing morbidity and mortality rate by increasing the risk of developing several metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. New genetic loci that contribute to the development of obesity have been identified by genome-wide association studies in Caucasian populations. ...

Abstract Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is involved in DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that C677T and A1298C polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene are associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk, but the results have been inconclusive. To determine a more precise estimation, we performed a meta-analysis of ...

: Smoking is a risk factor for inflammatory, fistulizing cutaneous diseases. It seems reasonable that smoking might be a risk factor for anal abscess/fistula. : This study aimed to test the hypothesis that recent smoking is a risk factor for development of anal abscess/fistula. : This is a case-control study. ...

Obesity and cigarette smoking are often cited separately as the top two preventable causes of death in the United States; however, little research has explored the factors associated with being both obese and a smoker. Delay discounting is a behavioral characteristic that may underlie both of these conditions/behaviors. Delay discounting ...

Base excision and nucleotide excision repair pathways repair damaged DNA, and polymorphisms in these genes might affect breast cancer susceptibility. We evaluated associations between 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 4 DNA repair genes (ERCC4 rs1799801, XPC rs2227998, rs2228001, rs2228000, OGG1 rs1052133, and XRCC1 rs25487 and rs25486) and breast cancer ...

The study was designed to assess the safety, adherence, acceptability, and effect on vaginal microflora of 3% SPL7013 Gel (VivaGel), a novel dendrimer topical microbicide that inhibits HIV, herpes simplex virus-2, and human papillomavirus in vitro and in animal models. Phase 1, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on sexually active women. ...

To explore the associations of polymorphisms of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) with the colorectal carcinoma (CRC) risk in Han Chinese. Polymorphisms of LBP (rs1739654, rs2232596, rs2232618), CD14 (rs77083413, rs4914), TLR-4 (rs5030719), IL-6 (rs13306435) ...

RATIONALE: Varenicline is an α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist that has been found to be effective for treating tobacco dependence. However, the subjective and behavioral mediators of its efficacy are not known. OBJECTIVES: Using multiple sessions of laboratory-based assessment, this double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment was designed to test if varenicline ...

Background: Smoking and bronchodilator treatment are both extensively studied as key elements in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, little is known about whether or not these elements interact in terms of developing cardiovascular diseases in patients with COPD. Objectives: To explore to what extent the risk of developing ...

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and pulmonary disorders. Smoke-free policies are the most effective way to prevent exposure to SHS. A 5-year community-based randomized control trial (RCT) is in progress to assess factors associated with smoke-free policy development in rural communities. Considering secular trends is critical ...

RATIONALE: Cotinine is an accurate objective marker of nicotine intake. There is very little information on its stability over time or as a function of self-reported attempts at smoking reduction. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the stability of saliva cotinine concentrations over a 3-month period, as a function of ...

The self-control strength model posits that exerting self-control on one task, such as resisting temptations, will deplete self-control and impair subsequent self-regulatory performance, such as controlling smoking. The current study examined interventions designed to replenish depleted self-control strength to prevent tobacco use by inducing positive affect. In a 2 × ...

Despite the high prevalence of smoking among Aboriginal youth, there is a paucity of research related to tobacco use and other risk behaviours among Aboriginal youth living off-reserve in Canada. We used data from the national Youth Smoking Survey to characterize non-traditional tobacco use, exposure to second-hand smoke, and alcohol ...

Exposure to smoking cues increases craving to smoke and negatively changes mood in smokers with schizophrenia (SWS). This pilot study compared reactivity to real-world smoking environments versus neutral environments in SWS (n=10) and non-psychiatric control smokers (CON; n=10). Results indicate that both SWS and CON experienced increases in smoking urges ...

Smoking behavior in industrialized nations has changed markedly over the second half of the 20th century, with diverging patterns in male and female smoking rates. We examined whether the female/male incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) changed concomitantly with smoking, as would be expected if smoking truly increased MS risk. We ...

Objectives. We investigated the relationship between secondhand smoke and periodontal disease in nonsmokers. Methods. We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study with 2739 lifetime nonsmokers aged 53-74 years, unexposed to other sources of tobacco, who received a complete periodontal examination at visit 4. Exposure was ...

The effects of workplace second-hand smoke (SHS) on lung function remain uncertain because of a lack of objective measures for SHS exposures. To determine whether an exposure-response association exists between lung function and two different markers of SHS based on indoor fine particulate (PM(2.5)) and urinary cotinine levels in non-smoking ...

INTRODUCTION: Black smokers are reported to have higher lung cancer rates and greater tobacco dependence at lower levels of cigarette consumption compared to non-Hispanic White smokers. We studied the relationship between cigarettes per day (CPD) and biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure in Black and White smokers. METHODS: In 128 ...

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies suggest that smoking may be inversely associated with risk of melanoma. We attempted to replicate this finding using data from the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) and CPS-II Nutrition cohort, two large prospective cohort studies of cancer mortality and incidence, respectively, with long-term follow-up. METHODS: Cox proportional ...

Context: Two ammonia compounds, diammonium phosphate and ammonium hydroxide, are typically used in the processing or flavoring of tobacco used in the manufacture of cigarettes. Objective: A battery of tests was used to compare the toxicity of mainstream smoke from experimental cigarettes containing different added levels of diammonium phosphate (target ...

Context: Cigarette tobacco ingredients may alter the distribution of chemical constituents present in smoke. When considering the toxicological relevance of potential ingredient-related effects on chemical and biological measurements assessing cigarette smoke toxicity, it is critical to understand the intrinsic variability of tobacco and cigarette smoke that is influenced by the ...

Physical therapists are uniquely positioned in health care to initiate or support smoking cessation (SC). Little is known, however, about their knowledge and views of SC as part of their practices. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess Canadian physical therapists' knowledge about the health effects of smoking, ...

SUMMARY AT A GLANCE: Impairment of nasal mucociliary transport in smokers is reversed after cessation of smoking. ABSTRACT: Background and objective:  Smoking cessation (SC) is recognized as reducing tobacco-associated mortality and morbidity. The effect of SC on nasal mucociliary clearance (MC) in smokers was evaluated during a 180-day period. Methods:  ...

SUMMARY AT A GLANCE: Smoking may modify the pattern of airway inflammation. Asthmatics who smoked had lower exhaled NO (FeNO) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH compared with asthmatic non-smokers. Smokers with well-controlled asthma mainly showed a paucigranulocytic induced-sputum phenotype, which may be predicted by combined specific cut-off values for ...

INTRODUCTION: Young adults who avoid their emotions may be at risk for starting smoking or not quitting smoking. This study investigated whether a preliminary measure of avoidant coping longitudinally predicts young adults' smoking escalation and cessation. METHODS: In a sample of the 3,305 participants, originally from Washington State, a preliminary ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been shown to be one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about cumulative effects of daily tar and nicotine intake on the risk of incident myocardial infarction (MI) so far. To bridge this gap, we conducted an analysis ...