Significant Differences In Trends Research Articles

Trend analysis of body weight parameters, mortality, and incidence of spontaneous tumors in Tg.rasH2 mice.

Carcinogenicity studies have been performed in conventional 2-year rodent studies for at least 3 decades, whereas the short-term carcinogenicity studies in transgenic mice, such as Tg.rasH2, have only been performed over the last decade. In the 2-year conventional rodent studies, interlinked problems, such as increasing trends in the initial body weights, increased body weight gains, high incidence of spontaneous tumors, and low survival, that complicate the interpretation of findings have been well established. However, these end points have not been evaluated in the short-term carcinogenicity studies involving the Tg.rasH2 mice. In this article, we present retrospective analysis of data obtained from control groups in 26-week carcinogenicity studies conducted in Tg.rasH2 mice since 2004. Our analysis showed statistically significant decreasing trends in initial body weights of both sexes. Although the terminal body weights did not show any significant trends, there was a statistically significant increasing trend toward body weight gains, more so in males than in females, which correlated with increasing trends in the food consumption. There were no statistically significant alterations in mortality trends. In addition, the incidence of all common spontaneous tumors remained fairly constant with no statistically significant differences in trends.

PPO.17 Is congenital heart disease on the increase in the UK? A register-based study

AimThe aim of this study was to describe trends in the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) according to severity and adjusted for maternal age.MethodsAll CHD cases notified to six...

Abstract 446: Divergent Trajectory Patterns of Systemic Versus Vascular Inflammation over Age in Healthy Caucasian and African-American Families

Objectives: Age and inflammation both are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The association between these two risk factors across lifespan and ethnicity in the general population is poorly understood. Methods: We assessed the relationship of systemic (C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, haptoglobin and α-acid glycoprotein) and vascular (pentraxin-3, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1) inflammatory burden with age in healthy Caucasian and African-American families with members aged 6 to 74 years (n=267). To collectively assess systemic and vascular risk factors across the age spectrum, a composite z-score for each category of inflammatory markers was calculated based on individual levels. Results: We observed a contrasting pattern in systemic vs. vascular inflammatory burden over age with an increase in systemic but a decrease in vascular inflammatory markers in both ethnic groups (p<0.05 for all). There were no significant differences in trends between the two ethnic groups. These observations remained significant after taking the correlations of siblings and parents from the same family into account. In multivariate analyses adjusting for covariates (BMI, blood pressure, total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose), the trajectory patterns of fibrinogen and α-acid glycoprotein levels were no longer regulated with age in either ethnic group, whereas the results for vascular inflammation remained unchanged. The results based on the composite z-score for each marker category confirmed the findings of individual markers as the composite z-score for systemic inflammation increased with age (p=0.005), while the composite z-score for vascular inflammation declined with age (p=0.0002) regardless of ethnicity. Conclusions: There was a diverging pattern in systemic vs. vascular inflammatory burden as function of age, which was independent of ethnicity, family correlation and individuals’ metabolic burden. The findings illustrate the complex relationship between age and inflammation, and suggest that a perceived elevation of vascular markers among the very young may be an indication of dynamic growth rather than a disease process.

Prevalence and Trends of Adult Obesity in the US, 1999-2012.

Aim. To provide national estimates of obesity among US adults aged 20 years and older in 2011-2012 and track its trends from 1999 to 2012. Methods. Measured weight/height from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2012 waves was used to calculate body mass index (BMI) and prevalence measures. Piecewise logistic regressions were conducted to test the differential trends before and after 2010. Results. In 2011-2012, the age-adjusted prevalence of overweight and obesity combined (BMI ≥ 25) was 71.1% (95% CI: 68.0%–74.2%) among men and 65.5% (61.8%–69.3%) among women, and the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was 33.3% (30.5%–36.2%) among men and 35.8% (32.3%–39.4%) among women. From 1990–2000 to 2009-2010, the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined, obesity, grades 2 and 3 obesity combined (BMI ≥ 35), and grade 3 obesity (BMI ≥ 40) increased by 7.2%, 17.8%, 17.6%, and 33.0%, respectively. Compared to 2009-2010, most gender- and race/ethnicity-specific prevalence measures remained unchanged or slightly decreased in 2011-2012. No significant difference in trends among prevalence measures was found before and after 2010. Conclusions. Concurrent evidence on the leveling off of obesity in the US is thin. Given its high prevalence and profound socioeconomic consequences, close monitoring of the trend is warranted.

Do Public Smoking Bans have an Impact on Active Smoking? Evidence from the UK

The literature on the effects of public smoking bans on smoking behaviour presents conflicting results and there is limited evidence on their impact on active smoking. This paper evaluates the impact of smoking bans on active smoking using data from the British Household Panel Survey and exploiting the policy experiment provided by the differential timing of the introduction of the bans in Scotland and England. We assess the short-term impact of the smoking bans by employing a series of flexible difference-in-differences fixed effects panel data models. We find that the introduction of the public smoking bans in England and Scotland had limited short-run effects on both smoking prevalence and the total level of smoking. Although we identify significant differences in trends in smoking consumption across the survey period by population sub-groups, we find insufficient evidence to conclude that these were affected by the introduction of the smoking bans. These results challenge those found in the public health literature but are in line with the most recent strand of economic literature indicating that there is no firm evidence on the effects of smoking bans on smoking.

Internet-Based Early Intervention to Prevent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Injury Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in 10-20% of injury patients. We developed a novel, self-guided Internet-based intervention (called Trauma TIPS) based on techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to prevent the onset of PTSD symptoms.ObjectiveTo determine whether Trauma TIPS is effective in preventing the onset of PTSD symptoms in injury patients.MethodsAdult, level 1 trauma center patients were randomly assigned to receive the fully automated Trauma TIPS Internet intervention (n=151) or to receive no early intervention (n=149). Trauma TIPS consisted of psychoeducation, in vivo exposure, and stress management techniques. Both groups were free to use care as usual (nonprotocolized talks with hospital staff). PTSD symptom severity was assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post injury with a clinical interview (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale) by blinded trained interviewers and self-report instrument (Impact of Event Scale—Revised). Secondary outcomes were acute anxiety and arousal (assessed online), self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and mental health care utilization. Intervention usage was documented.ResultsThe mean number of intervention logins was 1.7, SD 2.5, median 1, interquartile range (IQR) 1-2. Thirty-four patients in the intervention group did not log in (22.5%), 63 (41.7%) logged in once, and 54 (35.8%) logged in multiple times (mean 3.6, SD 3.5, median 3, IQR 2-4). On clinician-assessed and self-reported PTSD symptoms, both the intervention and control group showed a significant decrease over time (P<.001) without significant differences in trend. PTSD at 12 months was diagnosed in 4.7% of controls and 4.4% of intervention group patients. There were no group differences on anxiety or depressive symptoms over time. Post hoc analyses using latent growth mixture modeling showed a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms in a subgroup of patients with severe initial symptoms (n=20) (P<.001).ConclusionsOur results do not support the efficacy of the Trauma TIPS Internet-based early intervention in the prevention of PTSD symptoms for an unselected population of injury patients. Moreover, uptake was relatively low since one-fifth of individuals did not log in to the intervention. Future research should therefore focus on innovative strategies to increase intervention usage, for example, adding gameplay, embedding it in a blended care context, and targeting high-risk individuals who are more likely to benefit from the intervention.Trial RegistrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 57754429; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN57754429 (Archived by WebCite at http://webcitation.org/6FeJtJJyD).

Downward trends in acute myocardial infarction incidence: how do migrants fare with the majority population? Results from a nationwide study

In previous decades, a steep decline in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence occurred in Western countries. We assessed whether this decline was also present in migrant groups living in the Netherlands. Nationwide registers were linked between 1998 and 2007. Poisson regression analyses were used to calculate the biannual percentage change in AMI incidence within major non-Western migrant groups, and the differences in these changes with the Dutch majority population. Within the Dutch majority population, AMI incidence significantly declined in men (-12%) and women (-9.5%). Incidence also declined among most migrant groups under study, ranging from -12 to -4.0% in men, and from -16 to -9.5% in women. Only in Turkish women and Moroccan men the AMI incidence remained stable over time (-0.3 and 2.8%, respectively). There were no statistically significant trend differences between the Dutch majority population and the migrant groups under study. The higher AMI incidence in Turkish men and Surinamese men and women, and the lower AMI incidence in Moroccan men persisted over time. There was a declining AMI incidence rate within the Dutch majority population as well as within most of the major migrant groups living in the Netherlands, except in Turkish women and Moroccan men. Trend patterns among migrant groups did not significantly differ from the Dutch majority population. To reduce ethnic inequalities, primary preventive strategies should be targeted at those migrant groups with a persisting higher incidence.

Effect of private insurance incentive policy reforms on trends in coronary revascularisation procedures in the private and public health sectors in Western Australia: a cohort study

BackgroundThe Australian federal government introduced private health insurance incentive policy reforms in 2000 that increased the uptake of private health insurance in Australia. There is currently a lack of evidence on the effect of the policy reforms on access to cardiovascular interventions in public and private hospitals in Australia. The aim was to investigate whether the increased private health insurance uptake influenced trends in emergency and elective coronary artery revascularisation procedures (CARPs) for private and public patients.MethodsWe included 34,423 incident CARPs from Western Australia during 1995-2008 in this study. Rates of emergency and elective CARPs were stratified for publicly and privately funded patients. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in trend was calculated before and after 2000 using joinpoint regression.ResultsThe rate of emergency CARPs, which were predominantly percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) with stenting, increased throughout the study period for both public and private patients (AAPC=12.9%, 95% CI=5.0,22.0 and 14.1%, 95% CI=9.8,18.6, respectively) with no significant difference in trends before and after policy implementation. The rate of elective PCIs with stenting from 2000 onwards remained relatively stable for public patients (AAPC=−6.0, 95% C= −16.9,6.4), but increased by 4.1% on average annually (95% CI=1.8,6.3) for private patients (pdifference=0.04 between groups). This rate increase for private patients was only seen in people aged over 65 years and people residing in high socioeconomic areas.ConclusionsThe private health insurance incentive policy reforms are a likely contributing factor in the shift in 2000 from public to privately-funded elective PCIs with stenting. These reforms as well as the increasing number of private hospitals may have been successful in increasing the availability of publicly-funded beds since 2000.

Land tenure and forest cover change. The case of southwestern Beni, Bolivian Amazon, 1986–2009

As land use change continues to increase throughout the Amazon basin, there is a pressing need to accurately map, quantify and assess the effects of different factors on forest cover change (FCC). Land tenure may sometimes have important effects on forest cover, yet such effects remain poorly understood in Amazonia, particularly outside Brazil. In this paper we assess whether significant differences in trends of FCC can be partially explained by different land tenure arrangements, using a case study in southwestern Beni (Bolivian Amazon). We examine spatio-temporal dynamics of FCC across four land tenure systems (indigenous titled territory, protected area, logging concession, and private land) by classifying forests using a time-series of Landsat satellite imagery consisting of four dates (1986, 1996, 2001, 2009). Specifically, we unravel (1) trends in early growth and old-growth forest extent, including changes in total cover area, annual change rates, and spatial change dynamics, and (2) trends in old-growth forest fragmentation. To better understand the association between land tenure and FCC, we qualitatively assess the potential role that other underlying and proximate drivers may have had in FCC over the study period. We found that private lands underwent, by far, the largest FCC, that indigenous territories and the protected area had little FCC, and that logging concessions were responsible for the lowest FCC. Our findings suggest that land tenure played a key role in FCC except in private areas, where many other drivers had operated. Our study sheds light into the potential role of land tenure in FCC and has important implications for public policies aimed at socioeconomic development and environmental conservation in the Amazon. We give some policy recommendations drawn from a biocultural conservation perspective that could contribute to implement more inclusive conservation policies in the region.

Responsiveness of the One-Leg Hop Test and the Square Hop Test to Fatiguing Intermittent Aerobic Work and Subsequent Recovery

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the responsiveness of the 1-leg hop test and the square hop (SH) test to fatiguing intermittent aerobic work and during recovery. A further aim was to study sex differences in trends. Members of 4 sub-elite-level soccer teams were invited to participate. Ten men (mean ± SD) aged 20.7 ± 3.4 years and 10 women aged 21.8 ± 4.8 years accepted to participate in the test. The Yo-Yo intermittent Endurance test Level 2, was used as a standardized sport-specific fatiguing protocol. The 1-leg hop test and the SH test were performed before, immediately after, 15, and 30 minutes after the fatiguing exercise. To quantify the level and progression of fatigue and recovery, blood lactate and heart rate were measured, and general fatigue was estimated on Borg's rating of perceived exertion scale. No significant difference in performance in either of the hop tests was found immediately after intermittent aerobic fatiguing work. Performance in the 1-leg hop test significantly decreased (p = 0.002), whereas that in the SH test increased (p = 0.001) between baseline and 15-30 minutes after fatiguing work. No significant difference in trends between sexes was found. The performance in the 1-leg hop test significantly decreased during 30 minutes of recovery compared with that in the nonfatigued conditions and might therefore be used on the field as a complement to other physical parameters to detect remaining fatigue. Note that the 1-leg hop test did not immediately respond to intermittent aerobic work. It is not recommended to use the SH test for measuring fatigue and subsequent recovery because the performance constantly increased despite the present objective and subjective fatigue.

고혈압노인과 정상혈압노인 및 청년의 식후혈압 변화 비교

본 연구는 고혈압노인과 정상혈압노인 그리고 청년 간의 식후혈압 변화 양상의 차이를 파악하기 위하여 참여자들의 서면동의를 받아 조사하였다. 휴대용 혈압모니터(ABPM)를 사용하여 식전 30분부터 식후 90분까지 15분 간격으로 혈압을 측정하였다. 고혈압노인군(26명)은 수축기혈압이 식후 30분부터 식후 90분까지 지속적으로 하강하였고, 최대 $19.3{\pm}19.4mmHg$ 하강하여, 정상혈압노인군(25명: $-7.7{\pm}9.4mmHg$ ) 및 청년군(26명: $-1.3{\pm}4.1mmHg$ )과 차이가 있었다. 고혈압노인군의 식후 이완기혈압은 최대 $25.0{\pm}15.1mmHg$ 하강하였고 정상혈압노인군( $-6.1{\pm}6.0mmHg$ )과 청년군( $-5.7{\pm}5.0mmHg$ ) 과 차이가 있었다. 고혈압노인군과 정상혈압노인군에서는 맥박수의 변화가 없었고, 청년군에서는 식후 30분에 일시적으로 맥박수가 상승하였다(p=.014). PPH 발생률은 고혈압노인군 73.1%, 정상혈압노인 24% 이었고, 청년군은 PPH 발생자가 없었다(p=.001). 따라서 간호사는 고혈압노인의 식후저혈압을 확인하기 위한 식후혈압 측정을 실시해야 한다. 또한 식후 90분까지는 갑작스런 혈압하강과 관련된 합병증의 발생을 주의관찰하고 관리하도록 하여야 한다. 【The aim of this study was to find out the impact of age and hypertensive status on postprandial hypotension(PPH). Twenty-six hypertensive elderly ( $77.7{\pm}7.2$ years old), twenty-five normotensive elderly ( $80.2{\pm}6.8$ years old) and twenty-six young adults ( $20.0{\pm}1.5$ years old) took part in the study. The blood pressure (BP) and heart rates (HR) were measured every 15 minutes, from 30 minutes before a meal to 90 minute after a meal in sitting position, using an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. In the hypertensive group, postprandial reduction in systolic BP continued from 30minutes to 90minutes. The reductuion rate of systolic BP of hypertensive elderly group was significantly greater than other groups (p】

Morbid obesity rates continue to rise rapidly in the United States

Clinically severe or morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) >40 or 50 kg m(-2)) entails far more serious health consequences than moderate obesity for patients, and creates additional challenges for providers. The paper provides time trends for extreme weight categories (BMI >40 and >50 kg m(-2)) until 2010, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Between 2000 and 2010, the prevalence of a BMI >40 kg m(-2) (type III obesity), calculated from self-reported height and weight, increased by 70%, whereas the prevalence of BMI >50 kg m(-2) increased even faster. Although the BMI rates at every point in time are higher among Hispanics and Blacks, there were no significant differences in trends between them and non-Hispanic Whites. The growth rate appears to have slowed down since 2005. Adjusting for self-report biases, we estimate that in 2010 15.5 million adult Americans or 6.6% of the population had an actual BMI >40 kg m(-2). The prevalence of clinically severe obesity continues to be increasing, although less rapidly in more recent years than prior to 2005.

T1rho and T2 relaxation times for lumbar disc degeneration: an in vivo comparative study at 3.0-Tesla MRI

To determine the relative performance of T1rho and T2 relaxation times in disc degeneration assessment. Lumbar sagittal MRI was performed at 3 T in 52 subjects. With a spin-lock frequency of 500 Hz, T1rho was measured using a rotary echo spin-lock pulse embedded in a three-dimensional (3D) balanced fast field echo sequence. A multi-echo TSE sequence was used for T2 mapping. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn over the T1rho and T2 maps, including nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF). Eight- and five-level disc degeneration semi-quantitative grading was performed. For NP, T1rho and T2 decreased quadratically with disc degeneration grades and had no significant trend difference (P = 0.40). For AF, T1rho decreased linearly as the disc degenerated and had a slope of -3.02 and -4.56 for eight- and five-level gradings respectively; while the slopes for T2 values were -1.43 and -1.84 respectively, being significantly flatter than those of T1rho (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in T1rho and T2 values for both NP and AF among discs of grade 5/8 to 8/8 degeneration. T1rho is better suited for evaluating AF in degenerated disc than T2. In NP, T1rho and T2 decrease in a similar pattern following disc degeneration.

Preparing Landsat Image Time Series (LITS) for Monitoring Changes in Vegetation Phenology in Queensland, Australia

Time series of images are required to extract and separate information on vegetation change due to phenological cycles, inter-annual climatic variability, and long-term trends. While images from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor have the spatial and spectral characteristics suited for mapping a range of vegetation structural and compositional properties, its 16-day revisit period combined with cloud cover problems and seasonally limited latitudinal range, limit the availability of images at intervals and durations suitable for time series analysis of vegetation in many parts of the world. Landsat Image Time Series (LITS) is defined here as a sequence of Landsat TM images with observations from every 16 days for a five-year period, commencing on July 2003, for a Eucalyptus woodland area in Queensland, Australia. Synthetic Landsat TM images were created using the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) algorithm for all dates when images were either unavailable or too cloudy. This was done using cloud-free scenes and a MODIS Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) product. The ability of the LITS to measure attributes of vegetation phenology was examined by: (1) assessing the accuracy of predicted image-derived Foliage Projective Cover (FPC) estimates using ground-measured values; and (2) comparing the LITS-generated normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and MODIS NDVI (MOD13Q1) time series. The predicted image-derived FPC products (value ranges from 0 to 100%) had an RMSE of 5.6. Comparison between vegetation phenology parameters estimated from LITS-generated NDVI and MODIS NDVI showed no significant difference in trend and less than 16 days (equal to the composite period of the MODIS data used) difference in key seasonal parameters, including start and end of season in most of the cases. In comparison to similar published work, this paper tested the STARFM algorithm in a new (broadleaf) forest environment and also demonstrated that the approach can be used to form a time series of Landsat TM images to study vegetation phenology over a number of years.

Significant decreasing cloud cover during 1954–2005 due to more clear-sky days and less overcast days in China and its relation to aerosol

Abstract. An updated analysis of cloud cover during 1954–2005 in China was performed using homogeneous cloud cover data from 314 stations. Long-term changes in frequencies of different cloud cover categories and their contributions to long-term changes in cloud cover were assessed. Furthermore, aerosol effects on cloud cover trends were discussed based on comparison of cloud cover trends in polluted and mildly polluted regions. Frequencies of clear sky (cloud cover &lt;20%) and overcast days (cloud cover &gt;80%) were observed to increase by ~2.2 days and decrease by ~3.3 days per decade, respectively, which accounts for ~80% of cloud cover reduction. Larger decreasing trends in cloud cover due to larger increase in clear sky frequency and larger decreases in overcast frequency were observed at stations with lower aerosol optical depth. There is no significant difference in trends regarding cloud cover, clear sky frequency, and overcast frequency between mountain and plain stations. These results are inconsistent with our expectation that larger decreasing trends in cloud cover should have been observed in regions with higher aerosol loading where more aerosols could lead to stronger obscuring effect on ground observation of cloud cover and stronger radiative effect as compared with the mildly polluted regions. Aerosol effect on decreasing cloud cover in China appear not to be supported by this analysis and therefore, further study on this issue is required.

Nationwide Study on Trends in Hospital Admissions for Major Cardiovascular Events and Procedures Among People With and Without Diabetes in England, 2004–2009

OBJECTIVEIt is unclear whether people with and without diabetes equally benefitted from reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to compare recent trends in hospital admission rates for angina, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) among people with and without diabetes in England.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe identified all patients aged >16 years with cardiovascular events in England between 2004–2005 and 2009–2010 using national hospital activity data. Diabetes- and nondiabetes-specific rates were calculated for each year. To test for time trend, we fitted Poisson regression models.RESULTSIn people with diabetes, admission rates for angina, AMI, and CABG decreased significantly by 5% (rate ratio 0.95 [95% CI 0.94–0.96]), 5% (0.95 [0.93–0.97]), and 3% (0.97 [0.95–0.98]) per year, respectively. Admission rates for stroke did not significantly change (0.99 [0.98–1.004]) but increased for PCI (1.01 [1.005–1.03]) in people with diabetes. People with and without diabetes experienced similar proportional changes for all outcomes, with no significant differences in trends between these groups. However, diabetes was associated with an ~3.5- to 5-fold risk of CVD events. In-hospital mortality rates declined for AMI and stroke, remained unchanged for CABG, and increased for PCI admissions in both groups.CONCLUSIONSThis national study suggests similar changes in admissions for CVD in people with and without diabetes. Aggressive risk reduction is needed to further reduce the high absolute and relative risk of CVD still present in people with diabetes.

Secular trends of hip fractures in Québec, Canada

This study examined the secular trends of hip fracture incidence among individuals 50 years and older in Québec between 1993 and 2004. Age-standardized rates decreased at both the provincial and regional levels. The largest relative decrease was observed among younger females, and rates declined more slowly in the elderly. The population of the province of Québec is among the oldest in North America. Before the trend rupture reported in the late 1990s in several countries, hip fracture (HF) incidence rates did not show a secular trend (between 1981 and 1992). This study examined the secular trends of HF incidence at the provincial level and in two of the most important urban areas of the province, Montréal and Québec City, between 1993 and 2004. All hospitalisations of individuals 50 years and older living in the province of Québec between 1993 and 2004 with a main diagnosis of HF were included. Standardized rates of HF incidence were calculated for females and males, 50-74 years and 75 years and older. The Québec City area showed a strong decreasing trend in HF rates for younger females, but the other groups did not show an obvious trend. Although our models did not support the existence of significant differences in trends between both areas, the rates of HF of younger males and, to a lesser extent, of older women in the Montréal area were significantly higher than in the Québec City area. Differences observed in hip fracture rates as well as in secular trends between age groups and gender emphasise the need for decision makers to rely on results based on age-specific and sex-specific analyses.

P1-283 Trends in age at menarche and menopause of women in Valencia community born in during 1927–1964 period

ObjectiveTo describe and analyse the trend in age at menarche and menopause of women who have attended the breast cancer-screening program in the Valencian Community (VC) from 1992 to 2009...

AN OPTICAL CATALOG OF GALAXY CLUSTERS OBTAINED FROM AN ADAPTIVE MATCHED FILTER FINDER APPLIED TO SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE 6

We present a new cluster catalog extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6 (SDSS DR6) using an adaptive matched filter (AMF) cluster finder. We identify 69,173 galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.045 $\le z <$ 0.78 in 8420 sq. deg. of the sky. We provide angular position, redshift, richness, core and virial radii estimates for these clusters, as well as an error analysis for each of these quantities. We also provide a catalog of more than 205,000 galaxies representing the three brightest galaxies in the $r$ band which are possible BCG candidates. We show basic properties of the BCG candidates and study how their luminosity scales in redshift and cluster richness. We compare our catalog with the maxBCG and GMBCG catalogs, as well as with that of Wen, Han, and Liu. We match between 30% and 50% of clusters between catalogs over all overlapping redshift ranges. We find that the percentage of matches increases with the richness for all catalogs. We cross match the AMF catalog with available X-ray data in the same area of the sky and find 539 matches, 119 of which with temperature measurements. We present scaling relations between optical and X-ray properties and cluster center comparison. We find that both $\Lambda_{200}$ and $R_{200}$ correlate well with both $L_X$ and $T_X$, with no significant difference in trend if we restrict the matches to flux-limited X-ray samples.

Consistent Hypofibrinogenemia Associated with Induction Anti-Tumor Chemotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

AbstractAbstract 1400 Introduction:Hemostatic abnormalities are frequently encountered during initial presentation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as well as during induction treatment. Patients often present with decreased platelet counts and sometimes with abnormalities of the coagulation parameters with or without bleeding manifestations. In the absence of overt disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), transfusion practices during treatment are essentially based on the platelet count. Fibrinogen is an important element of the clotting mechanisms, constituting a template for both thrombin binding and the fibrinolytic system. We sought to determine the prevalence of altered serum fibrinogen levels during induction treatment in AML and its clinical significance. Methods:We prospectively measured serum fibrinogen on a daily basis in patients with newly diagnosed AML treated with induction anti-tumor chemotherapy at our institution from February 2007 to July 2010. Inclusion criteria included the diagnosis of AML and no overt DIC. Results:The study population included 17 patients (47% females) with mean age of 55.3 years (range 18 –80 years). At presentation, the mean platelet count was 62 × 109/L (range 3 – 252 × 109/L), the mean prothrombin time was 11.4 seconds (range 9.6–13.4 secs, normal range 10—13.7 secs), the mean international normalized ratio was 1.1 (range 0.9–1.3; normal range 0.9–1.1) and the mean activated partial thromboplastin time was 26.56 seconds (range 20.1–41 secs, normal range 22.3–34.0 secs). All patients had normal serum fibrinogen levels at presentation (mean 380.6 mg/dl; range 258–567 mg/dl; normal range 200–400 mg/dl). Thirteen patients were treated with idarubicin and cytarabine, 3 patients received a FLAG (fludarabine, cytarabine and G-CSF) regimen and one patient had amonafide and cytarabine. Serum fibrinogen levels were recorded on all patients on a daily basis (Figure 1). Nine (53%) developed hypofibrinogenemia on the fourth day of induction, 2 (12%) on day 5, 3 (17%) on day 6, 2 (12%) on day 7, and one (6%) on day 8 of the induction. Eight patients (47%) received prophylactic cryoprecipitate when the serum fibrinogen levels fell below 150 mg/dl. We did not observe a significant trend difference in serum fibrinogen levels between patients who received cryoprecipitate and those who did not. Serum fibrinogen levels were back to normal without transfusion support by day 6 for one patient (5.88 %), day 7 for 2 patients (11.76 %), day 8 for 3 patients (17.65 %), day 9 for one patient (5.88 %), day 10 for one patient (5.88 %), day 11 for 3 patients (17.65 %), day 12 for 6 patients (35.3 %). Conclusion:Patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving induction chemotherapy may frequently develop isolated hypofibrinogenemia without evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. This finding is usually self-limited and disappears shortly after the completion of antitumor chemotherapy, usually by day 12. The mechanism of this under-recognized phenomenon is unclear. Its common occurrence raises questions about the appropriateness of transfusion practices in AML based solely on the platelet count and argues in favor of the need of more global tests such as thromboelastography. [Display omitted] Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.