Associations of Pet Ownership with Wheezing and Lung Function in Childhood: Findings from a UK Birth Cohort

Background

Asthma is a heterogeneous condition and differential effects of pet ownership on non-atopic versus atopic asthma have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pet ownership during pregnancy and early childhood was associated with wheezing from birth to age 7 years and with lung function at age 8 years in a UK population-based birth cohort.

Methods

Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used to investigate associations of pet ownership at six time-points from pregnancy to age 7 years with concurrent episodes of wheezing, wheezing trajectories (phenotypes) and lung function at age 8 years using logistic regression models adjusted for child’s sex, maternal history of asthma/atopy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and family adversity.

Results

4,706 children had complete data on pet ownership and wheezing. From birth to age 7 years, cat ownership was associated with an overall 6% lower odds of wheezing (OR=0.94 (0.89-0.99)). Rabbit and rodent ownership was associated with 21% (OR=1.21 (1.12-1.31)) and 11% (OR=1.11 (1.02–1.21)) higher odds of wheezing, respectively, with strongest effects evident during infancy. Rabbit and rodent ownership was positively associated with a ‘persistent wheeze’ phenotype. Pet ownership was not associated with lung function at age 8 years, with the exception of positive associations of rodent and bird ownership with better lung function.

Conclusions

Cat ownership was associated with reduced risk, and rabbit and rodent ownership with increased risk, of wheezing during childhood. The mechanisms behind these differential effects warrant further investigation.     

Economic Mediation and the Power of Associations: Toward a Concept of Encompassment

Examining the incorporation of the Galician fishing sector into the European Community, this analysis seeks to articulate a concept of encompassment. We argue that a European anthropology must develop the theoretical resources and methods to explore the dialectical relationship between structures that are both hierarchically linked and of different magnitudes. In particular, it is necessary to grasp the emergence of new forms of social organization that mediate this relationship. This study seeks to provide an ethnography of such a socially meaningful link.     

Socioeconomic Position Early in Adolescence and Mode of Delivery Later in Life: Findings from a Portuguese Birth Cohort

Objective

This study assessed the influence of socioeconomic position at 12 years of age (SEP-12) on the variability in cesarean rates later in life.

Methods

As part of the Portuguese Generation XXI birth cohort we evaluated 7358 women with a singleton pregnancy who delivered at five Portuguese public hospitals serving the region of Porto (April/2005–September/2006). Based on the twelve items that described socioeconomic circumstances at age 12, a latent class analysis was used to classify women’s SEP-12 as high, intermediate and low. Multiple Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted risk ratio (RR) and respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

The cesarean rates in high, intermediate and low SEP-12 were, respectively, 40.9%, 37.5% and 40.5% (p = 0.100) among primiparous women; 14.2%, 11.6% and 15.5% (p = 0.04) among multiparous women with no previous cesarean and 78.6%, 72.2% and 70.0% (p = 0.08) among women with a previous cesarean. A low to moderate association between SEP-12 and cesarean rates was observed among multiparous women with a previous cesarean, illustrating that women from higher SEP-12 were more likely to have a surgical delivery (RR = 1.12;95%CI:1.01–1.24 comparing high with low SEP-12 and RR = 1.03:95%CI:0.94–1.14 comparing intermediate with low SEP-12) not explained by potential mediating factors. No such association was found either in primiparous or in multiparous women without a previous cesarean.

Conclusions

The association between SEP-12 and cesarean rates suggests the effect of past socioeconomic context on the decision concerning the mode of delivery, but only among women who experienced a previous cesarean. Accordingly, it appears that early-life socioeconomic circumstances drive cesarean rates but the effect can be modified by lived experiences concerning childbirth.     

Possible Associations of NTRK2 Polymorphisms with Antidepressant Treatment Outcome: Findings from an Extended Tag SNP Approach

Background

Data from clinical studies and results from animal models suggest an involvement of the neurotrophin system in the pathology of depression and antidepressant treatment response. Genetic variations within the genes coding for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its key receptor Trkb (NTRK2) may therefore influence the response to antidepressant treatment.

Methods

We performed a single and multi-marker association study with antidepressant treatment outcome in 398 depressed Caucasian inpatients participating in the Munich Antidepressant Response Signature (MARS) project. Two Caucasian replication samples (N = 249 and N = 247) were investigated, resulting in a total number of 894 patients. 18 tagging SNPs in the BDNF gene region and 64 tagging SNPs in the NTRK2 gene region were genotyped in the discovery sample; 16 nominally associated SNPs were tested in two replication samples.

Results

In the discovery analysis, 7 BDNF SNPs and 9 NTRK2 SNPs were nominally associated with treatment response. Three NTRK2 SNPs (rs10868223, rs1659412 and rs11140778) also showed associations in at least one replication sample and in the combined sample with the same direction of effects (P_corr = .018, P_corr = .015 and P_corr = .004, respectively). We observed an across-gene BDNF-NTRK2 SNP interaction for rs4923468 and rs1387926. No robust interaction of associated SNPs was found in an analysis of BDNF serum protein levels as a predictor for treatment outcome in a subset of 93 patients.

Conclusions/Limitations

Although not all associations in the discovery analysis could be unambiguously replicated, the findings of the present study identified single nucleotide variations in the BDNF and NTRK2 genes that might be involved in antidepressant treatment outcome and that have not been previously reported in this context. These new variants need further validation in future association studies.     

Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Associations of BMI with Socioeconomic Characteristics

Objective: To examine cross sectional and longitudinal associations of socioeconomic position and neighborhood environments with BMI in a middle‐aged and bi‐ethnic cohort. Research Methods and Procedures: Analyses were based on 13, 167 subjects (45 to 64 years) who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a population‐based study. Census block groups were used as proxies for neighborhoods and were characterized using a summary socioeconomic score. BMI was measured at baseline and at three follow‐up visits over a 9‐year period. Results: Individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were independently and inversely associated with BMI at baseline in women [mean difference in kilograms per meter squared per unit increase in socioeconomic category (SE) for white and black women respectively; ?1.56 (0.14), ?1.59 (0.19) for education; ?1.07 (0.10), ?1.18 (0.18) for income; and ?1.04 (0.09), ?0.77 (0.18) for neighborhood characteristics]. Results for men were not as consistent. Baseline BMI was negatively associated with income in white men but was positively associated with education, income, and neighborhood characteristics in black men. BMI increased over time regardless of gender or race and in most age groups. In whites, there were no consistently patterned differences in longitudinal trends in BMI by individual or neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. However, in blacks, there was some evidence of greater increases in the higher socioeconomic status groups. Discussion: Socioeconomic factors are inversely associated with BMI in middle‐aged women, possibly reflecting socially patterned exposures occurring in childhood and adolescence. However, recent increases over time in BMI are either not clearly patterned by socioeconomic factors or are greater in the higher socioeconomic status groups.     

Cross-National Analysis of the Associations among Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

Background

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Mental disorders are among the strongest predictors of suicide; however, little is known about which disorders are uniquely predictive of suicidal behavior, the extent to which disorders predict suicide attempts beyond their association with suicidal thoughts, and whether these associations are similar across developed and developing countries. This study was designed to test each of these questions with a focus on nonfatal suicide attempts.

Methods and Findings

Data on the lifetime presence and age-of-onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) mental disorders and nonfatal suicidal behaviors were collected via structured face-to-face interviews with 108,664 respondents from 21 countries participating in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. The results show that each lifetime disorder examined significantly predicts the subsequent first onset of suicide attempt (odds ratios [ORs] = 2.9–8.9). After controlling for comorbidity, these associations decreased substantially (ORs = 1.5–5.6) but remained significant in most cases. Overall, mental disorders were equally predictive in developed and developing countries, with a key difference being that the strongest predictors of suicide attempts in developed countries were mood disorders, whereas in developing countries impulse-control, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorders were most predictive. Disaggregation of the associations between mental disorders and nonfatal suicide attempts showed that these associations are largely due to disorders predicting the onset of suicidal thoughts rather than predicting progression from thoughts to attempts. In the few instances where mental disorders predicted the transition from suicidal thoughts to attempts, the significant disorders are characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control. The limitations of this study include the use of retrospective self-reports of lifetime occurrence and age-of-onset of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, as well as the narrow focus on mental disorders as predictors of nonfatal suicidal behaviors, each of which must be addressed in future studies.

Conclusions

This study found that a wide range of mental disorders increased the odds of experiencing suicide ideation. However, after controlling for psychiatric comorbidity, only disorders characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control predict which people with suicide ideation act on such thoughts. These findings provide a more fine-grained understanding of the associations between mental disorders and subsequent suicidal behavior than previously available and indicate that mental disorders predict suicidal behaviors similarly in both developed and developing countries. Future research is needed to delineate the mechanisms through which people come to think about suicide and subsequently progress from ideation to attempts. Please see later in the article for Editors'' Summary     

Associations of Family and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics with Longitudinal Adiposity Patterns in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescent Girls

Although many studies have examined the relationship of adiposity with neighborhood socioeconomic context in adults, few studies have investigated this relationship during adolescence. Using 10-year annual measurements of body mass index, expressed as z-scores (BMIz), obtained from 775 black and white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of girls from pre- to postadolescence, we used multilevel modeling to investigate whether family socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics (measured by census-tract median family income) explain variation in BMIz trajectory parameters. Analyses controlled for pubertal maturation. We found that lower SES was associated with higher overall levels of BMIz for both white and black girls. Additionally, lower-SES black girls had a more sustained increase in BMIz during early adolescence and reached a higher peak compared to higher-SES black girls and to white girls. Neighborhood income was associated with BMIz trajectory for black girls only. Unexpectedly, among black girls, living in higher-income neighborhoods was associated with higher overall levels of BMIz, controlling for SES. Our findings suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics may affect adolescent BMIz trajectories differently in different racial/ethnic groups.     

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and Their Associations with Socioeconomic Status in a Rural Han Chinese Adult Population

Background

The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity and examine their associations with socioeconomic status in a rural Chinese adult population.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 15,236 participants ≥ 35 years of age (6,313 men [41.4%] and 8,923 women [58.6%]). Each participant’s weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and hipline circumference (HC) were measured, and demographic and socioeconomic data were collected using questionnaires.

Results

The mean body mass index (BMI) values were 23.31 ± 2.96 and 23.89 ± 3.23 kg m^-2 and the mean WC values were 79.13 ± 8.43 and 79.54 ± 8.27 cm for men and women, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence rates of overweight (BMI ≥ 24.0 kg m^-2), general obesity (BMI ≥ 28.0 kg m^-2), and abdominal obesity (WC ≥ 85 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women) were 32.0%, 6.7%, and 27.0% for men and 35.1%, 9.7%, and 48.3% for women, respectively. All gender differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). In addition, the age-specific prevalence rates of general and abdominal obesity slowly decreased among men but sharply increased among women as age increased (p < 0.001). In subsequent logistic regression analysis, educational level was negatively associated with both general obesity and abdominal obesity among women but positively associated with abdominal obesity among men. No significant correlation was found between obesity and income.

Conclusions

These results suggest a high prevalence of obesity which might differ by gender and age, and an inverse association among women and a mixed association among men noted between education and obesity in our locality. Preventive and therapeutic programs are warranted to control this serious public health problem. The gender-specific characteristics of populations at high-risk of developing obesity should be taken into consideration when designing interventional programs.     

Associations of Cannabis and Cigarette Use with Depression and Anxiety at Age 18: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Introduction

Substance use is associated with common mental health disorders, but the causal effect of specific substances is uncertain. We investigate whether adolescent cannabis and cigarette use is associated with incident depression and anxiety, while attempting to account for confounding and reverse causation.

Methods

We used data from ALSPAC, a UK birth cohort study, to investigate associations between cannabis or cigarettes (measured at age 16) and depression or anxiety (measured at age 18), before and after adjustment for pre-birth, childhood and adolescent confounders. Our imputed sample size was 4561 participants.

Results

Both cannabis (unadjusted OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.26, 1.80) and cigarette use (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16, 1.61) increased the odds of developing depression. Adjustment for pre-birth and childhood confounders partly attenuated these relationships though strong evidence of association persisted for cannabis use. There was weak evidence of association for cannabis (fully adjusted OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.98, 1.72) and insufficient evidence for association for cigarette use (fully adjusted OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.75, 1.24) after mutually adjusting for each other, or for alcohol or other substance use. Neither cannabis nor cigarette use were associated with anxiety after adjustment for pre-birth and childhood confounders.

Conclusions

Whilst evidence of association between cannabis use and depression persisted after adjusting for pre-term and childhood confounders, our results highlight the difficulties in trying to estimate and interpret independent effects of cannabis and tobacco on psychopathology. Complementary methods are required to robustly examine effects of cannabis and tobacco on psychopathology.     

Associations of iron status with breast cancer risk factors in adult women: Findings from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018

ObjectiveThis study examined the association between iron status and a set of breast cancer risk factors among U.S. adult women aged 20–80 years.MethodsData from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017–2018) were used to examine the relation between serum ferritin, serum iron and transferrin saturation with a set of breast cancer risk factors [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR]. The multivariable linear regressions were used controlling for age, race/ethnicity, menopause status, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and total energy intake.ResultsHbA1c, BMI and waist circumference data were available for 1902 women with a fasting sample (n = 913) for fasting plasma glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR. Transferrin saturation had significant, inverse associations with BMI, waist circumference and HbA1c. The size of difference observed were that participants in the fourth quartile of transferrin saturation had a 4.50 kg/m² smaller BMI, a 9.36 cm smaller waist circumference and a 0.1 % lower HbA1c level than participants in the first quartile. Similarly, serum iron concentrations were inversely associated with BMI and waist circumference. In addition, serum iron had significant, inverse associations with insulin and HOMA-IR. Sensitivity analyses among men gave similar results. For serum ferritin, there was a trend towards a positive association between waist circumference, HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose with serum ferritin. However, the associations did not reach statistical significance among women.ConclusionsIron status may impact breast cancer risk via effects on adiposity or glucose metabolism. The findings should be confirmed with further prospective data.     

Epigenetic Signatures May Explain the Relationship between Socioeconomic Position and Risk of Mental Illness: Preliminary Findings from an Urban Community-Based Sample

Low socioeconomic position (SEP) has previously been linked to a number of negative health indicators, including poor mental health. The biologic mechanisms linking SEP and mental health remain poorly understood. Recent work suggests that social exposures influence DNA methylation in a manner salient to mental health. We conducted a pilot investigation to assess whether SEP, measured as educational attainment, modifies the association between genomic methylation profiles and traumatic stress in a trauma–exposed sample. Results show that methylation?×?SEP interactions occur preferentially in genes pertaining to nervous system function, suggesting a plausible biological pathway by which SEP may enhance sensitivity to stress and, in turn, risk of posttraumatic stress disorder.[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Biodemography and Social Biology for the following free supplemental resource: Supplementary tables of full model and functional annotation clustering results.]     

Reliability and Validity of the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) with Professional Nurses: Findings from a Multi-Study Analysis

Although organizational context is central to evidence-based practice, underdeveloped measurement hindersitsassessment. The Alberta Context Tool, comprised of 59 items that tap10 modifiable contextual concepts, was developed to address this gap. The purpose of this study to examine the reliability and validity of scores obtained when the Alberta Context Tool is completed by professional nurses across different healthcare settings. Five separate studies (N = 2361 nurses across different care settings) comprised the study sample. Reliability and validity were assessed. Cronbach’s alpha exceeded 0.70 for9/10 Alberta Context Tool concepts. Item-total correlations exceeded acceptable standards for 56/59items. Confirmatory Factor Analysescoordinated acceptably with the Alberta Context Tool’s proposed latent structure. The mean values for each Alberta Context Tool concept increased from low to high levels of research utilization(as hypothesized) further supporting its validity. This study provides robust evidence forreliability and validity of scores obtained with the Alberta Context Tool when administered to professional nurses.     

Associations of Organic Produce Consumption with Socioeconomic Status and the Local Food Environment: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Neighborhood characteristics, such as healthy food availability, have been associated with consumption of healthy food. Little is known about the influence of the local food environment on other dietary choices, such as the decision to consume organic food. We analyzed the associations between organic produce consumption and demographic, socioeconomic and neighborhood characteristics in 4,064 participants aged 53–94 in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis using log-binomial regression models. Participants were classified as consuming organic produce if they reported eating organic fruits and vegetables either “sometimes” or “often or always”. Women were 21% more likely to consume organic produce than men (confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–1.30), and the likelihood of organic produce consumption was 13% less with each additional 10 years of age (CI: 0.84–0.91). Participants with higher education were significantly more likely to consume organic produce (prevalence ratios [PR] were 1.05 with a high school education, 1.39 with a bachelor''s degree and 1.68 with a graduate degree, with less than high school as the reference group [1.00]). Per capita household income was marginally associated with produce consumption (p = 0.06), with the highest income category more likely to consume organic produce. After adjustment for these individual factors, organic produce consumption was significantly associated with self-reported assessment of neighborhood produce availability (PR: 1.07, CI: 1.02–1.11), with an aggregated measure of community perception of the local food environment (PR: 1.08, CI: 1.00–1.17), and, to a lesser degree, with supermarket density (PR: 1.02: CI: 0.99–1.05). This research suggests that both individual-level characteristics and qualities of the local food environment are associated with having a diet that includes organic food.     

High-Dimensional Mediation Analysis with Applications to Causal Gene Identification

Statistics in Biosciences - Mediation analysis has been a popular framework for elucidating the mediating mechanism of the exposure effect on the outcome in many disciplines including genetic...     

Hypersomnia with ADHD: a possible subtype of narcolepsy type 2

Patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from hypersomnia; indeed, we have often encountered ADHD patients that fulfill the diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy type 2 (NA 2). Because not all patients with NA 2 carry the HLA-DQB1*06:02 allele, which is closely associated with narcolepsy type 1 (NA 1), NA 2 is believed to be heterogeneous. To reveal the contribution of ADHD in hypersomnia, we studied the characteristics of hypersomnia patients with ADHD, especially those diagnosed with NA 2. Participants were 77 of 185 consecutive outpatients who were diagnosed with NA 2 or idiopathic hypersomnia. We investigated sleep variables in (a) participants with hypersomnia with/without ADHD and (b) patients with NA 2 with/without ADHD and those with/without the DQB1*06:02 allele. The proportion of those diagnosed with NA 2 was higher in hypersomnia patients with ADHD compared to those without ADHD. None of the NA 2 patients with ADHD carried the narcolepsy-specific DQB1*06:02 allele. These patients with NA 2 with ADHD exhibited short REM latencies on the MSLT (similarly to DQB1*06:02-positive patients with NA 2 without ADHD), but less REM-related phenomena than patients with NA 2 without ADHD. Hypersomnia patients with ADHD tended to show short REM latencies, and fulfilled NA 2 diagnostic criteria in the absence of the DQB1*06:02 allele, suggesting a different etiology from NA 1. These findings support the hypotheses of noradrenergic dysregulation and delayed brain maturation that have been proposed for the pathophysiology of ADHD.

     

Substance Use Disorders and Adoption: Findings from a National Sample

Background

Prior research has shown that adoptees have a higher rate of substance use disorders (SUDs) than nonadoptees. But these findings have not been verified with a population-based sample of adult adoptees in the United States. Also, no previous adoption study has measured the prevalence of each specific substance use disorder (SUD). We aimed to compare lifetime prevalence rates and odds ratios of SUDs in adopted and nonadopted adults.

Methods and Findings

The data come from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). The main outcome measure was the prevalence of lifetime SUDs in adopted (n = 378) and nonadopted adults (n = 42503). Adoptees and nonadoptees were compared to estimate the odds of lifetime SUDs using logistic regression analysis. Adoptees had higher prevalence rates of lifetime SUDs than nonadoptees. Overall, adoptees had a 1.87-fold increase (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.87, 95% CI 1.51–2.31) in the odds of any lifetime SUD compared to nonadoptees. For each SUD, adoptees had higher odds for alcohol abuse/dependence (AOR 1.84), nicotine dependence (AOR 1.78), cannabis abuse/dependence (AOR 1.77), cocaine abuse/dependence (AOR 2.54), amphetamine abuse/dependence (AOR 3.14), hallucinogen abuse/dependence (AOR 2.85), opioid abuse/dependence (AOR 2.21), and other drug abuse/dependence (AOR 2.87) compared to nonadoptees. This study also identified two adoption-specific risk factors (Hispanic, never married) associated with any lifetime SUD.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated an increased risk of lifetime SUDs in adopted adults. The findings can be useful for clinicians and policy makers to provide education, prevention, and support for adoptees and their families.     

Factors Associated with Variations in Population HIV Prevalence across West Africa: Findings from an Ecological Analysis

Background

Population HIV prevalence across West Africa varies substantially. We assess the national epidemiological and behavioural factors associated with this.

Methods

National, urban and rural data on HIV prevalence, the percentage of younger (15–24) and older (25–49) women and men reporting multiple (2+) partners in the past year, HIV prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs), men who have bought sex in the past year (clients), and ART coverage, were compiled for 13 countries. An Ecological analysis using linear regression assessed which factors are associated with national variations in population female and male HIV prevalence, and with each other.

Findings

National population HIV prevalence varies between 0 4–2 9% for men and 0 4–5.6% for women. ART coverage ranges from 6–23%. National variations in HIV prevalence are not shown to be associated with variations in HIV prevalence among FSWs or clients. Instead they are associated with variations in the percentage of younger and older males and females reporting multiple partners. HIV prevalence is weakly negatively associated with ART coverage, implying it is not increased survival that is the cause of variations in HIV prevalence. FSWs and younger female HIV prevalence are associated with client population sizes, especially older men. Younger female HIV prevalence is strongly associated with older male and female HIV prevalence.

Interpretation

In West Africa, population HIV prevalence is not significantly higher in countries with high FSW HIV prevalence. Our analysis suggests, higher prevalence occurs where more men buy sex, and where a higher percentage of younger women, and older men and women have multiple partnerships. If a sexual network between clients and young females exists, clients may potentially bridge infection to younger females. HIV prevention should focus both on commercial sex and transmission between clients and younger females with multiple partners.     

Potential cognitive endophenotypes in multigenerational families: segregating ADHD from a genetic isolate

Endophenotypes are neurobiological markers cosegregating and associated with illness. These biomarkers represent a promising strategy to dissect ADHD biological causes. This study was aimed at contrasting the genetics of neuropsychological tasks for intelligence, attention, memory, visual-motor skills, and executive function in children from multigenerational and extended pedigrees that cluster ADHD in a genetic isolate. In a sample of 288 children and adolescents, 194 (67.4%) ADHD affected and 94 (32.6%) unaffected, a battery of neuropsychological tests was utilized to assess the association between genetic transmission and the ADHD phenotype. We found significant differences between affected and unaffected children in the WISC block design, PIQ and FSIQ, continuous vigilance, and visual-motor skills, and these variables exhibited a significant heritability. Given the association between these neuropsychological variables and ADHD, and also the high genetic component underlying their transmission in the studied pedigrees, we suggest that these variables be considered as potential cognitive endophenotypes suitable as quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in future studies of linkage and association.     

Associations Between Season of Birth and the Risk of Lung Cancer: Epidemiological Findings From Hungary

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Both incidence and mortality of lung cancer are especially high in Hungary. Several investigations suggested recently that month of birth (MOB) is associated with the risks of several nonmalignant disorders as well as some malignant disorders. Only a few studies investigated previously the association between MOB and risk of lung cancer, but they provided inconsistent results. We, therefore, decided to investigate this issue in a large sample of individuals who died from lung cancer. Accordingly, we determined the MOB-associated risk of death by lung cancer between the years 1970 and 2009 among all individuals born in Hungary between 1925 and 1934. The final sample included about two million people. A total of 61,904 deaths by lung cancer occurred in this sample during the period investigated. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), we did not find significant association between MOB and risk of lung cancer death, either in the whole population investigated (F?=?1.492; p?=?.145) or in the female subpopulation (F?=?1.535; p?=?.129). However, those males born in late spring (May–June) had a lower risk of lung cancer development (F?=?2.577; p?=?.006). Results of the Edwards test also did not suggest consistent association between MOB and risk of lung cancer death in the whole investigated period (1925–1934) in any populations (i.e., whole population or male and female subpopulations). In conclusion, we did not find significant association between MOB and risk of lung cancer in our total sample (although results alluded to a weak association between MOB and risk of lung cancer development among males). The possible associations between MOB and the risk of lung cancer development (or smoking) would require confirmation (or refutation) in large studies from other populations. (Author correspondence: dome_peter@yahoo.co.uk)