Basel Study Research Articles

Regarding Some Pitfalls in Urban Heat Island Studies Using Remote Sensing Technology

This paper attempts to illustrate the complexity of thermal infrared (TIR) data analysis for urban heat island studies. While a certain shift regarding the use of correct scientific nomenclature (using the term “surface urban heat island”) could be observed, the literature is full of incorrect conclusions and results using erroneous terminology. This seems to be the result of the ease of such literature implicitly suggesting that “warm surfaces” result in “high air temperatures”, ultimately drawing conclusions for urban planning authorities. It seems that the UHI is easy to measure, easy to explain, easy to find, and easy to illustrate—simply take a TIR-image. Due to this apparent simplicity, many authors seem to jump into UHI studies without fully understanding the nature of the phenomenon as far as time and spatial scales, physical processes, and the numerous methodological pitfalls inherent to UHI studies are concerned. This paper attempts to point out some of the many pitfalls in UHI studies, beginning with a proper correction of longwave emission data, the consideration of the source area of a thermal signal in an urban system—which is predominantly at the roof level—demonstrating the physics and interactions of radiation and heat fluxes, especially in relation to the importance of urban storage heat flux, and ending with an examination of examples from the Basel study area in Switzerland. Attention is then turned to the analysis of spatially distributed net radiation in the day- and at nighttime as a minimum requirement for urban heat island studies. The integration of nocturnal TIR images is notably recommended, as satellite data and the UHI-phenomenon cover the same time period.

Subjective Well-Being and Self-Esteem in Preterm Born Adolescents: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

To study self-reported well-being and self-esteem among adolescents born very preterm (VPT; <32 wk of gestation) and moderate to late preterm (MLPT; 32-36 wk of gestation) compared with those born full-term (FT) in an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis. We obtained IPD from the following 4 data sources: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (United Kingdom), the Millennium Cohort Study (United Kingdom), the Basel Study of Preterm Children (Switzerland), and the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (Germany) and conducted two-step random-effects IPD meta-analysis. A total of 986 MLPT, 412 VPT, and 12,719 FT born adolescents reported on subjective well-being and 927 MLPT, 175 VPT, and 13,312 FT born adolescents reported on global self-esteem. Adolescents born VPT or MLPT were not different from those born FT regarding general subjective well-being; family, school, and physical appearance-related well-being; and global self-esteem. However, adolescents born VPT reported lower well-being in peer relationships than those born FT (β = -0.209, 95% confidence interval = -0.336 to -0.082). There was no main effect of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and no moderation by FGR, sex, parental education, and ethnicity. No significant heterogeneity between cohorts was found, although some heterogeneity estimates were moderate. Adolescents born preterm mostly report no lower well-being and self-esteem than adolescents born FT. However, they perceive their peer relationships as poorer than those born FT.

Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Well-Being in Very Pre-Term and Term Born Adolescents: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Two Accelerometry Studies.

This study examined whether physical activity is associated with better mental health and well-being among very preterm (≤32 weeks) and term born (≥37 weeks) adolescents alike or whether the associations are stronger in either of the groups. Physical activity was measured with accelerometry in children born very preterm and at term in two cohorts, the Basel Study of Preterm Children (BSPC; 40 adolescents born ≤32 weeks of gestation and 59 term born controls aged 12.3 years) and the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS; 45 adolescents born ≤32 weeks of gestation and 3137 term born controls aged 14.2 years on average). In both cohorts, emotional and behavioral problems were mother-reported using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Subjective well-being was self-reported using the Kidscreen-52 Questionnaire in the BSPC and single items in the MCS. Hierarchical regressions with ‘preterm status × physical activity’-interaction effects were subjected to individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis. IPD meta-analysis showed that higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower levels of peer problems, and higher levels of psychological well-being, better self-perception/body image, and school related well-being. Overall, the effect-sizes were small and the associations did not differ significantly between very preterm and term born adolescents. Future research may examine the mechanisms behind effects of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing in adolescence as well as which type of physical activity might be most beneficial for term and preterm born children.

The art fairs in the context of the modern stage of art market development

The article deals with the value-semantic, communicative and cultural aspects of the phenomenon of the art fair being defined as a space for updating the works of contemporary artists and the exchange of ideas and senses, considering historical preconditions for appearing of the art fair. It analyzes art fairs as the most various level of the modern stage of art market development. Based on Art Basel study, it identifies substantial changes of contemporary art fairs which contributed to the formation of a new model of the art market at the beginning of the 21st century. The new role acquired by the art market due to its unifying nature has been noted. The author reviews the cultural specifics of art exhibitions, galleries, the value of art works, the formation of artistic tastes of people as well. The importance of studying and considering of the art fairs for understanding of the new model of art market development is substantiated. The article outlines perspective directions of further culturological research of the art market and art fairs. The performed analysis of the international art fair Art Basel shows the approval of the fair model of the art market due to the globalization processes, the formation of a new leisure culture and the need for a new way of art actualization.

A Longitudinal Item Response Theory Model to Characterize Cognition Over Time in Elderly Subjects.

For drug development in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, it is important to understand which cognitive domains carry the most information on the earliest signs of cognitive decline, and which subject characteristics are associated with a faster decline. A longitudinal Item Response Theory (IRT) model was developed for the Basel Study on the Elderly, in which the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease – Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (with additions) and the California Verbal Learning Test were measured on 1,750 elderly subjects for up to 13.9 years. The model jointly captured the multifaceted nature of cognition and its longitudinal trajectory. The word list learning and delayed recall tasks carried the most information. Greater age at baseline, fewer years of education, and positive APOEɛ4 carrier status were associated with a faster cognitive decline. Longitudinal IRT modeling is a powerful approach for progressive diseases with multifaceted endpoints.

Simultaneously Measuring Gait and Cognitive Performance in Cognitively Healthy and Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: The Basel Motor-Cognition Dual-Task Paradigm

To investigate dual-task performance of gait and cognition in cognitively healthy and cognitively impaired older adults using a motor-cognition dual-task paradigm. Cross-sectional retrospective study. The Basel Memory Clinic and the Basel Study on the Elderly (Project BASEL). Seven hundred eleven older adults (mean age 77.2±6.2, 350 (49.2%) female and 361 (50.8%) male). Gait velocity and cognitive task performance using a working memory (counting backward from 50 by 2s) and a semantic memory (enumerating animal names) task were measured during single- and dual-task conditions. Gait was assessed using the GAITRite electronic walkway system. Cognitive impairment was defined as a score less than 25 on the Mini-Mental State Examination. During dual tasks, participants reduced gait velocity (P<.001) and calculated fewer numbers (P=.03) but did not enumerate fewer animals and did not make more errors or repetitions (P>.10). Cognitively impaired individuals had lower baseline gait velocity and a greater reduction in gait velocity but not cognitive performance during dual tasks than cognitively healthy participants (P<.01). Gait velocity was lower during both dual tasks, whereas decrease in cognitive performance depended on the cognitive ability needed in the dual-task condition. Cognitively impaired individuals generally have poorer baseline performance and greater dual task-related gait velocity reduction than those who are cognitively healthy. Future research should include different conditions for gait to determine adaptive potentials of older adults.

Tumor infiltration by FcγRIII (CD16)+ myeloid cells is associated with improved survival in patients with colorectal carcinoma

The prognostic significance of macrophage and natural killer (NK) cell infiltration in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) microenvironment is unclear. We investigated the CRC innate inflammatory infiltrate in over 1,600 CRC using two independent tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry. Survival time was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis in a multivariable setting. Spearman's rank correlation tested the association between macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration. The Basel study included over 1,400 CRCs. The level of CD16+ cell infiltration correlated with that of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes but not with NK cell infiltration. Patients with high CD16+ cell infiltration (score 2) survived longer than patients with low (score 1) infiltration (p = 0.008), while no survival difference between patients with score 1 or 2 for CD56+ (p = 0.264) or CD57+ cell (p = 0.583) infiltration was detected. CD16+ infiltrate was associated with improved survival even after adjusting for known prognostic factors including pT, pN, grade, vascular invasion, tumor growth and age [(p = 0.001: HR (95% CI) = 0.71 (0.6-0.9)]. These effects were independent from CD8+ lymphocyte infiltration [(p = 0.036: HR (95% CI) = 0.81 (0.7-0.9)] and presence of metastases [(p = 0.002: HR (95% CI) = 0.43 (0.3-0.7)]. Phenotypic studies identified CD16+ as CD45+CD33+CD11b+CD11c+ but CD64- HLA-DR-myeloid cells. Beneficial effects of CD16+ cell infiltration were independently validated by a study carried out at the University of Athens confirming that patients with CD16 score 2 survived longer than patients with score 1 CRCs (p = 0.011). Thus, CD16+ cell infiltration represents a novel favorable prognostic factor in CRC.

B-type natriuretic peptide–guided management and outcome in patients with obesity and dyspnea—Results from the BASEL study

Obesity may reduce diagnostic accuracy of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and affect long-term outcome. This study evaluated patients included in the BASEL study (N = 452). We compared BNP levels in patients with (n = 86) and without (n = 366) obesity (body mass index <30 and >30 kg/m(2)) and determined sensitivities and specificities of BNP in both patient groups by receiver-operating characteristic analysis. Impact of BNP measurements on patient management and outcome in obesity, as well as 360-day mortality, was assessed. The BNP levels were lower in obese patients (172 pg/mL [interquartile range 31-515] vs 306 [interquartile range 75-1,040]). The optimal BNP cut-point to detect heart failure was 182 pg/mL in obese patients and 298 pg/mL nonobese patients. Obese patients had lower in-hospital mortality (3.5% vs 8.5%, P = .045) and 360-day mortality (15% vs 30%, P = .001). In obese patients, the determination of BNP levels reduced time to initiation of the appropriate treatment (96 +/- 98 vs 176 +/- 230, P < .05) without impacting other end points. Adjustment of BNP values in the assessment of obese patients presenting with acute dyspnea seems necessary to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient management. Obese patients had half the short- and long-term mortality of nonobese patients, independent of their final discharge diagnosis.

Impact of APOE status on cognitive maintenance in healthy elderly persons

The epsilon4 allele, a variant of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene, is the most prominent genetic risk factor for sporadic, non-familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) currently known. We investigated the impact of the ApoE-epsilon4 status on cognitive performance at repeated test administration in elderly non-symptomatic persons, with a specific focus on practice effects. Three hundred and fifty-five physically and mentally healthy participants of the Basel Study on the Elderly (119 F, 236 M; age 68.3 +/- 7.6; years of education 12.7 +/- 3.1; Mini-Mental State scores 29.0 +/- 1.0) were grouped into ApoE epsilon4 carriers and ApoE epsilon4 non-carriers (36.9% and 63.1% of the sample, respectively). Participants were assessed at the beginning of the longitudinal study and on average two years later by means of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease-Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (CERAD-NAB), a multidimensional cognitive test battery. Baseline and change scores were analyzed with multiple regression procedures and adjusted for age, education and gender; change scores were also adjusted for baseline performance. The ApoE epsilon4 non-carriers showed slightly better performance with regard to most cognitive parameters at baseline. Mean practice effects of the ApoE epsilon4 non-carriers in 12 out of 13 CVLT variables and in five out of the nine main CERAD-NAB variables were above the 50th percentile, while those of the ApoE epsilon4 carriers were below the 50th percentile in the respective distributions of test-retest change scores. The epsilon4 allele of the ApoE gene has a negative impact on cognitive performance, notably on episodic memory functions, in physically and mentally healthy aged persons. Practice effects seen in carriers of the ApoE epsilon4 were inferior in most areas tested to the effects seen in ApoE epsilon4 non-carriers. Further follow-up of these subjects will help to determine the clinical significance of these findings.

Accuracy of chest radiographs in the emergency diagnosis of heart failure

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of chest radiographic findings of heart failure (HF) in current patients presenting with dyspnea in the emergency department. In a secondary analysis of the BASEL study, initial chest radiographs of 277 patients with acute dyspnea were evaluated by two radiologists blinded to the adjudicated diagnosis (56% had the final diagnosis of HF). Predefined radiographic criteria of HF were used. Statistical analysis included receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and calculation of a logistic regression model including B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. The reader's overall impression showed the highest area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of HF in both supine and erect patient positions (0.855 and 0.857). Among individual radiographic findings, peribronchial cuffing in the supine position (0.829) showed the highest accuracies. The lowest accuracy was found for the vascular pedicle width in the supine position (0.461). Logistic regression analysis showed no significant differences between the reader's overall impression, the radiographic model, and BNP testing. In our study, the combination of radiographic features provided valuable information and was of comparable accuracy as BNP-testing for the diagnosis of HF.

Advanced but Not Localized Prostate Cancer is Associated With Increased Oxidative Stress

Oxidative damage has been linked to prostate carcinogenesis but its role in disease development and progression remains elusive. We investigated associations between indexes of oxidative stress with localized and advanced prostate cancer. Specifically we assessed the susceptibility of serum lipids to copper induced peroxidation (oxidizability). Serum oxidizability, and levels of alpha-tocopherol, malonyldialdehyde and uric acid were assessed in samples from 79 patients with prostate cancer, including 42 with localized and 37 with metastatic disease receiving androgen deprivation therapy, and 25 control subjects. Oxidizability was assayed by continuous spectroscopic monitoring of the accumulation of peroxidation products. The lag preceding oxidation, that is the delay between the induction and propagation of the reaction, served as a measure of the resistance of serum lipids to oxidation. Compared to control subjects patients with localized prostate cancer had no difference in oxidative stress indexes, whereas those with metastatic disease had a shorter lag preceding oxidation and increased malonyldialdehyde (p <0.05), each reflecting a state of high oxidative stress. In patients with prostate cancer the probability of disease progression from localized to advanced state increased with a shorter lag preceding oxidation (p <0.001), increased malonyldialdehyde (p <0.03) and decreased uric acid (p <0.04). Localized and metastatic disease was associated with increased rather than decreased alpha-tocopherol (p <0.008 and <0.005, respectively). Patients with advanced prostate cancer are subject to high oxidative stress, as determined by increased susceptibility of serum lipids to peroxidation. This association was not detected in patients with localized cancer and it is not attributable to altered levels of alpha-tocopherol.

Use of B-type natriuretic peptide in the management of acute dyspnea in patients with pulmonary disease

In patients with pulmonary disease, it is often challenging to distinguish exacerbated pulmonary disease from congestive heart failure (CHF). The impact of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurements on the management of patients with pulmonary disease and acute dyspnea remains to be defined. This study evaluated the subgroup of 226 patients with a history of pulmonary disease included in the BASEL Study. Patients were randomly assigned to a diagnostic strategy with (n = 119, BNP group) or without (n = 107, clinical group) the use of BNP levels provided by a rapid bedside assay. Time to discharge and total cost of treatment were recorded as the primary end points. Baseline characteristics were similar in patients assigned to the BNP and control groups. Comorbidity was extensive, including coronary artery disease and hypertension in half of patients. The primary discharge diagnosis was CHF and exacerbated obstructive pulmonary disease in 39% and 33%, respectively. The use of BNP levels significantly reduced the need for hospital admission (81% vs 91%, P = .034). Median time to discharge was 9.0 days in the BNP group as compared with 12.0 days (P = .001) in the clinical group. Median total cost of treatment was $4841 in the BNP group as compared with $5671 in the clinical group (P = .008). Inhospital mortality was 8% in both groups. CHF is a major cause of acute dyspnea in patients with a history of pulmonary disease. Used in conjunction with other clinical information, rapid measurement of BNP reduced time to discharge and total treatment cost of these patients.

CEAP-classes and symptoms in people with varicose veins

SummaryIndividual symptoms of patients with varicose veins are not considered in the CEAP-classification. Method: We analysed how far people with CEAP class 1 and 2 differ in their symptoms from people without varicose veins in the Duesseldorf/ Essen civil servants study recruiting 9935 employees. All volunteers were asked to fill out a questionnaire and were clinically examined. Primarily the clinical findings were documented adapted to the Basel Study and later modified according to the CEAP classification: 64% class 0 (no visible or palpable clinical signs of venous disease), 27% class 1 (small cutaneous veins and/or reticular veins) and 9 class 2 (varicose veins). Results: Leg swelling and muscle cramps during night were the most frequent symptoms in both classes. Statistically the frequency of symptoms in volunteers classified as CEAP class 1 respectively 2 were different from volunteers showing CEAP class 0 but were not different from each other. Grouping the symptoms restless legs, itching and cramps and calculating odds ratios for none of these showed significant results. Especially in women suffering from CEAP class 2 a significant small odds ratio of 0.5 (95%CI: 0.4–0.6) indicated that women rid of all these three symptoms had less frequently a varicosis disease. Conclusion: It can be assumed that the clinical differentiation into CEAP classes also differentiates groups of people with different symptoms.

Weight change and cognitive performance.

To investigate whether under- or overweight and weight change is associated with cognitive performance of elderly citizens. Explorative analysis out of the Basel Study cohort. In all, 531 healthy subjects (445 men/86 women) were assessed with the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease-Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (CERAD-NAB) in 2000 (age: 69.4+/-7.8 y) and weight measurements obtained in 1990 (body mass index (BMI): 25.2+/-3.1 kg/m(2)) and in 2000 (BMI: 25.6+/-3.4 kg/m(2)). The predictive power of the annual change in BMI with cognitive performance was investigated by a binary logistic regression analysis (backward) using sex, age, BMI 1990, BMI 2000, diastolic blood pressure, diabetes status, and optimal health status as additional predictors. In the last step, the following variables remained in the model: annual change in BMI (quadratic term; P<0.01); ApoE genotype (P<0.05); and optimal health status (P<0.01). The association between the extent of weight change and poorer cognitive performance could be either a consequence of cognitive impairment or an early symptom of neurodegenerative decline.

B-type natriuretic peptide testing reduces time to discharge in patients presenting with acute dyspnea (the BASEL study)

B-type natriuretic peptide testing reduces time to discharge in patients presenting with acute dyspnea (the BASEL study)

Clinical trials update from the European Society of Cardiology: CHARM, BASEL, EUROPA and ESTEEM.

This article contains a series of reports on recent research developments in the field of heart failure. Reports of key presentations made at the European Society of Cardiology meeting, held in Vienna, Austria, between 30 August and 3 September 2003 are reported. In the CHARM study, candesartan reduced cardiovascular deaths and hospital admissions for heart failure, both in patients who were already taking an ACE-inhibitor and in those who were ACE intolerant. However, results in patients with preserved left ventricular function were less conclusive. The BASEL study supports the use of B-type natriuretic peptide testing to confirm the diagnosis of heart failure in patients presenting with acute dyspnoea. In EUROPA, the largest ever study of secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, long-term treatment with perindopril reduced the incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac arrest. The ESTEEM study showed that the oral thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran plus aspirin was more effective than aspirin alone in the prophylaxis of major cardiovascular events following MI.

The basel study on the elderly's search for preclinical cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease

The basel study on the elderly's search for preclinical cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease

Association of low plasma cholesterol with mortality for cancer at various sites in men: 17-y follow-up of the prospective Basel study

Low serum cholesterol has been associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality in various studies, which has led to uncertainty regarding the benefit of lower blood cholesterol. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between low blood cholesterol (<5.16 mmol/L) and cancer at sites that have rarely been evaluated. We placed special emphasis on the potential confounding effect of antioxidant vitamins. Plasma concentrations of cholesterol and antioxidant vitamins were measured in 1971-1973 in 2974 men working in Basel, Switzerland. In 1990, the vital status of all participants was assessed. Two hundred ninety of the participants had died from cancer, 87 from lung, 30 from prostate, 28 from stomach, and 22 from colon cancer. Group means for plasma cholesterol concentrations did not differ significantly between survivors and those who died from cancer at any of the studied sites. With plasma cholesterol, vitamins C and E, retinol, carotene, smoking, and age accounted for in a Cox model, an increase in total cancer mortality in lung, prostate, and colon but not in stomach cancer mortality was observed in men >60 y of age with low plasma cholesterol. When data from the first 2 y of follow-up were excluded from the analysis, the relative risk estimates remained practically unchanged with regard to lung cancer but decreased for colon, prostate, and overall cancer. Increased cancer mortality risks associated with low plasma cholesterol were not explained by the confounding effect of antioxidant vitamins, but were attributed in part to the effect of preexisting cancer.

Apolipoprotein E genotypes and cognitive functions in healthy elderly persons

We investigated whether apoE genotypes correlate with cognitive functions in clinically healthy persons. In 1993 and 1995, we measured information processing speed, delayed free recall and semantic aspects of long-term memory in 227 men and 105 women aged 65 and over, a randomly selected subsample of the prospective Basel Study. Cardiovascular risk factors and education were assessed. E2 were more prevalent in old-old (>75 years, 23.5% vs. 15%) compared to E4 than in young-old (<75 years, 19.3% vs. 23.5%). Taking into account age and education, subjects with epsilon3/epsilon4 or epsilon4/epsilon4 alleles (E4) performed lowest in all 3 tests compared to those homozygous for epsilon3 (E3) or carriers of one or two epsilon2 alleles (E2) (reaction time P = 0.009, free recall P = 0.05, WAIS-R vocabulary P<0.05). In old-old there was a significant difference between E2 and E4 for reaction time (P = 0.02) and free recall (P<0.02) but not for vocabulary (P = 0.086). In all 3 groups there were no significant changes after 2 years. The subgroup with the genotype epsilon2/epsilon4 performed consistently best in the cognitive tests. Cholesterol was significantly increased in the E4 and E3 group compared to the E2 group. ApoE genotype correlates with cognitive performance. The increased prevalence of E2 in the old-old and the significantly lower plasma cholesterol levels suggest differential morbidity and mortality as important factors influencing the prevalence of cognitive disorders in late life.

Smoking, plasma vitamins C, E, retinol, and carotene, and fatal prostate cancer: Seventeen‐year follow‐up of the prospective Basel study

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer has one of the highest incidence rates of all cancers. Vitamin intake and tobacco use may have an impact on incidence and mortality, but epidemiologic evidence is scarce and inconsistent. METHODS Plasma vitamins C, E, retinol, and carotene were measured in 1971–1973 in 2,974 men working in Basel, Switzerland. In 1990, the vital status of all participants was assessed. RESULTS Two hundred and ninety men had died from cancer, including 30 with prostate cancer. On average, prostate cancer cases were 15 years older and smoked slightly more frequently than survivors. The mean values of plasma carotene, and of vitamin C, were nonsignificantly lower in prostate cancer cases than in survivors. After calculation of relative risk using the Cox model with exclusion of mortality during the first 2 years of follow-up, low vitamin E levels in smokers were related to an increased risk for prostate cancer. Relative risks of low vitamin C and carotene levels were about 1. A slightly but nonsignificantly increased risk was observed for low levels of retinol. CONCLUSIONS Given the profound implication if the risk of prostatic cancer could be reduced, the relationship with vitamin E and smoking requires further study. Prostate 38:189–198, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.