Michael Bracken

..It is premature to reject the strengths of large national cohort studies in favor of a new model for which evidence of efficiency is insufficient...

..The known risk for glioma from high dose ionizing radiation makes associations between this polymorphism and glioma of particular interest...

..The primary sampling unit was 105 study locations (typically a county). The secondary sampling unit was the geographic unit (segment), but this was subsequently perceived to be an inefficient strategy...

..Steroid treatment in the early hours after the injury is aimed at reducing the extent of permanent paralysis during the rest of the patient's life...

..The objective of the study was to assess whether folic acid intake during the first trimester of pregnancy is related to asthma in the offspring by the age of 6 years...

..Polymorphisms in the endotoxin-mediated TLR4 pathway genes have been associated with asthma and atopy. We aimed to examine how genetic polymorphisms in innate immunity pathways interact with endotoxin to influence asthma risk in children...

..The aim of this study was to estimate the combined likelihood of developing asthma given the CD14 -260C>T genotype...

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..To prospectively examine in pregnant women whether asthma or asthma therapy influenced preterm delivery, intrauterine grown restriction (IUGR), or birthweight...

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..The safety of the therapy has also been questioned...

..This evidence base is used to evaluate the current status of methylprednisolone (MPSS) in the early treatment of acute spinal cord injury...

..Coffee and its metabolite caffeine are widely studied for their health effects but with inconclusive results. Caffeine is particularly difficult to assess, and therefore we explore heterogeneity of caffeine exposure...

..3 g) cups of coffee)...

..We estimate the independent effects of exposure to nitrogen dioxide and nitrous acid on respiratory symptoms during the first year of life...

..To examine whether factors related to the patient or her treatment influence asthma severity during pregnancy...

..Large, well-conducted population-based studies that explore different aspects of asthma severity are needed to substantiate these preliminary results...

..21, 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.37), suggesting that CYP1A2 activity, and not the absolute levels of paraxanthine, influences fetal growth. No associations were observed between caffeine or any metabolites and preterm delivery...

..We also found associations between day-care outside of the home and birth during the summer or fall season with early otitis media. This study is suggestive of a relationship between otitis media and mould that warrants further study...

..Chronic exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a public health concern. Over half of U.S. households have a source of NO2, and experimental data suggest potential for adverse respiratory effects...

..Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ozone standards may not protect sensitive individuals. In this study we examined respiratory effects of ozone in infants who may be vulnerable, particularly if they are children of asthmatic mothers...

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..To examine published evidence regarding duration of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis administered to pregnant women colonized with group B Streptococcus (GBS) to reduce infant colonization with GBS and to prevent early-onset GBS sepsis...

..We sought to examine associations among measures of caffeine exposure, including maternal urine, umbilical cord blood, and maternal self report...

..Preeclampsia is a major pregnancy complication with cardiovascular manifestations. Recent studies suggest that chocolate consumption may benefit cardiovascular health...

..Reducing exposure to household dust inhalant allergens has been proposed as one strategy to reduce asthma...

..In the second example, estimated levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) from the model, as well as a separate spatial model, were used to analyze traffic-related health effects in a study of 761 infants...

..5))] is a potential factor in the exacerbation of asthma. National air quality particle standards consider total mass, not composition or sources, and may not protect against health impacts related to specific components...

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..Exposure to ozone and particulate matter of 2.5 microm or less (PM2.5) in air at levels above current US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards is a risk factor for respiratory symptoms in children with asthma...

..23, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.49). This appears to have been the first study to measure all of these home exposures (indoor allergens, nitrogen dioxide, fungi) and to prospectively measure the frequency of infant wheeze and persistent cough...

..This prospective study examines associations between aspects of asthma (diagnosis, severity, symptoms, and medication use) and risk of preeclampsia...

..To develop a method for identifying the beginning and ending records of pregnancies in the automated medical records of the General Practice Research Database (GPRD)...

..Consistent with other studies, these data suggest that regular physical activity during pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia risk...

..This prospective study investigated the association of exposure to indoor secondary heating sources with otitis media and recurrent otitis media risk in infants...

..We conclude that infants in this high-risk group who are exposed to high levels of Penicillium are at significant risk for wheeze and persistent cough...

..Fireplace use was not associated with any of the respiratory symptoms. Use of some heating sources appears related to respiratory symptoms in infants...

..Mite and cockroach allergens have distinct and opposite associations with socioeconomic factors and population density...

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..Accordingly, we evaluated geographic variations in 1-year recurrent ischemic stroke rates in the USA with adjustment for patient characteristics...

..Among women aged 18 to 24, the increase was three-fold, from 1.8% to 6.0%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma during pregnancy may be higher than previously estimated and appears to be continuing to increase...

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..Applied to CAM, they suggest that summary judgments about the quantity or quality of underlying evidence are overly simplistic...

..Further work is needed to resolve whether reduced copy-number at TCRgamma predisposes individuals to asthma, or whether deletion of this gene is a somatic response to the disease...

..We analyzed a prospective cohort study to determine whether regular chocolate intake during pregnancy is associated with reduced risks of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension (GH)...

..This difference persisted throughout pregnancy. Among pregnant asthmatic women, carrying a female fetus is associated with worse maternal asthma, as assessed by greater airway lability, than is carrying a male fetus...

..The increasing prevalence of childhood asthma has been associated with low microbial exposure as described by the hygiene hypothesis...

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..CONCLUSIONS: Renal impairment is common among HF patients and confers excess mortality. Renal function should be considered in risk stratification and evaluation of therapeutic strategies for HF patients...

..To estimate whether prenatal exposure to acetaminophen is associated with risk of diagnosed asthma and asthma symptoms in children...

..Furthermore, these variants will enable clinicians and investigators to identify people at high risk for this condition, thereby establishing the preconditions for preventing the disease...

..Variants in the CD14 gene (CD14) are hypothesized to be associated with atopic disorders. However, most studies have only investigated one polymorphism in this gene...

..This polymorphism is in a region of CFH that binds heparin and C-reactive protein. The CFH gene is located on chromosome 1 in a region repeatedly linked to AMD in family-based studies...

..To demonstrate a linkage methodology for mother and baby automated medical records, and describe frequency, type, and pregnancy risk level of medications prescribed during pregnancy in a GPRD cohort, 1991-1999...

..Knowledge of past pet ownership can improve pet allergen exposure assessment by means of questionnaire. However, for epidemiologic purposes, measured concentrations of allergens are necessary...

..88; 95% CI = 1.59-5.21) and black or Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.27-3.22), but was not associated with use of any supplementary home combustion sources among either asthmatic or nonasthmatic women...

..To describe the timing of initial surfactant treatment for high-risk preterm infants in routine practice and compare these findings with evidence from randomized trials and published guidelines...

..Most CNRG reviews were current. There is a continuing need to prepare systematic review of therapies not yet covered and to keep an increasing number of reviews up-to-date...

..To test a multifaceted collaborative quality improvement intervention designed to promote evidence based surfactant treatment for preterm infants of 23-29 weeks' gestation...

..In particular, any differences in the natural history, risks, and management of gestational asthma among white, black and Hispanic will be described. ..

..abstract_text> ..

..75 to 2.0 (a=0.05, B=0.10). Preterm delivery and intra-uterine growth retardation are major health problems in their own right but also among the strongest predictors of infant mortality and long-term disability. ..

..Identification of pregnancy and neonatal risk factors for infant asthma may offer opportunities for early prevention. ..