Variations in Genes Related to Sleep Patterns in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Sleep disturbance is a frequent comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting an estimated 40-80% of cases. Previous reports have shown relationships between several circadian rhythm-related genes and sleep problems in ASD. The purpose of the present study was to relate variation in and around melatonin synthesis and suprachiasmatic nucleus genes to sleep problems in a large sample of children with ASD.

Human Leukocyte Antigen Shared Epitope and Inflammation, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Mortality Among Postmenopausal Women in the Women's Health Initiative Rheumatoid Arthritis Study.

Specific alleles of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 gene (HLA-DRB1) encode a "shared epitope" (SE) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially more severe cyclic-citrullinated peptide antibody-positive (anti-CCP+) RA. We evaluated associations of number of SE alleles (0, 1, or 2) with total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and incident coronary heart disease (CHD), CVD, and cancer over a mean 8.9 (standard deviation, 3.

Experiences of Parish Nurses in Providing Diabetes Education and Preconception Counseling to Women With Diabetes.

Objective: To explore the role and experiences of the parish nurse in providing diabetes education and preconception counseling to women with diabetes.

Design: Mixed-methods concurrent embedded design.

Setting: Focus groups of community-based parish nurses accessed from a regional database (Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, New York, Arizona, and Minnesota).

Primer in Genetics and Genomics, Article 1: DNA, Genes, and Chromosomes.

Precision medicine refers to the practice of determining a patient's unique genetic, biomarker, and other characteristics for the purpose of improving his or her clinical outcomes. Not all patients with the same clinical diagnosis respond equally to identical treatment regimens. By examining patients at the molecular level, health-care providers will be better able to apply the most effective therapies that each individual requires.

Health beliefs among individuals at increased familial risk for type 2 diabetes: implications for prevention.

Aim: To evaluate perceived risk, control, worry, and severity about diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke among individuals at increased familial risk of diabetes.

Methods: Data analyses were based on the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial. Baseline health beliefs were compared across three groups: (1) no family history of diabetes, CHD or stroke (n=836), (2) family history of diabetes alone (n=267), and (3) family history of diabetes and CHD and/or stroke (n=978).

Variants of the adenosine A(2A) receptor gene are protective against proliferative diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Aims: The adenosine A(2A) receptor (ADORA(2A)) may ameliorate deleterious physiologic effects associated with tissue injury in individuals with diabetes. We explored associations between variants of the ADORA(2A) gene and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in a cohort of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: The participants were from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications prospective study of childhood-onset T1D.

Microarray technology applied to the complex disorder of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a life-threatening perinatal complication with unknown etiology. Microarray technology has characterized global gene expression in complex disorders such as preeclampsia. Nursing research and future practice may incorporate findings from microarray analyses to identify susceptibility to and prevent disease, to diagnose early, and to design and monitor personalized therapies.

Association between infectious diseases and type 1 diabetes: a case-crossover study.

Background: To investigate the role of infectious diseases in the development of type 1 diabetes, this study estimated the relative risks of type 1 diabetes immediately after infectious diseases.

Research Design And Methods: A case-crossover design was employed. Information on infectious diseases during 407 d before the onset of type 1 diabetes was collected from medical records and parents' interviews for 260 patients in Chinese type 1 diabetes registry.

Middle-aged premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes have lower bone mineral density and calcaneal quantitative ultrasound than nondiabetic women.

Objective: To determine whether middle-aged premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes had more self-reported fractures and lower bone mineral density (BMD) compared with nondiabetic women.

Research Design And Methods: Participants were premenopausal women aged 35-55 years with type 1 diabetes (n = 67; 32.2 +/- 5.

Developing research competence to support evidence-based practice.

This article describes one step in the process that was undertaken to prepare for the introduction of evidence-based practice (EBP) into the curriculum across the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and Doctor of Philosophy programs, as well as the programs that were under development, Clinical Nurse Leader and Doctor of Nursing Practice, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Expected research competencies were identified for each level or academic year within each program. Based on these competencies, recommendations on how to modify the curriculum into one that would support students' acquisition and development of the skills necessary to be successful in matriculating through an EBP curriculum were developed.

Epidemics of type 1 diabetes in China.

Objective: The aim of this study was to search for the seasonal and geographic variations in epidemics of type 1 diabetes in China.

Research Design And Methods: Incidence data from 22 type 1 diabetes registration centers across China were analyzed. A Poisson regression model with a sine wave function was applied to evaluate the seasonal trends.

Genetics and type 1 diabetes: online resources for patients.

Purpose: This Web-based review was undertaken to compile online resources for diabetes educators on genetics--specifically, the genetics of type 1 diabetes--and to provide helpful and accurate information for the public.

Methods: Keyword searches were performed to identify Web sites for genetics education for the lay public and for sites specifically geared toward children/young adults. Web sites were critiqued based on credibility (source, currency, relevance/utility), content (accuracy), and design (accessibility, logical organization).

Genetics and type 1 diabetes: online resources for diabetes educators.

Purpose: Genetic education Internet sites and peer-reviewed medical literature were reviewed and critiqued to develop tables summarizing online resources for diabetes health professionals.

Methods: Using Internet search engines, each Web site identified for this project met the following criteria: (1) accurate and valid site content based on widely accepted genetic texts, (2) credibility of the organization that maintained the Web site, (3) ease of navigation, and (4) provision of continuing education credits. PubMed was used to find journal articles using similar criteria.

Infant diet and type 1 diabetes in China.

Infant milk and food introduction may be linked to type 1 diabetes risk in high incidence populations. Dietary data through age 12 months was collected for 247 type 1 diabetic cases and 443 controls in China, a low incidence population, to determine if milk and solid food intake differed. Age range at introduction to milk and formulas was similar in cases and controls but solid food introduction more often occurred before age 3 months in cases.

Duration of breast feeding and bovine serum albumin antibody levels in type 1 diabetes: a case-control study.

Objective: To compare the levels of bovine serum albumin (BSA) antibodies and their relationship with duration of breast feeding, age of exposure to cow's milk, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DQ) genotype in children with and without type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Serum samples from 143 (0.3-14.

Incidence of ESRD and survival after renal replacement therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes: a report from the Allegheny County Registry.

Background: Little information is available regarding the long-term incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and survival after the introduction of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: We studied 1,075 patients with type 1 diabetes (onset age < 18 years) diagnosed between 1965 and 1979, who comprise the Allegheny County population-based registry. Onset of ESRD was defined as the introduction of RRT (dialysis or transplantation).

Menstrual cycle differences between women with type 1 diabetes and women without diabetes.

Objective: To evaluate menstrual cycle histories among women with type 1 diabetes, their sisters, and unrelated control subjects without diabetes across all reproductive ages.

Research Design And Methods: Menstrual and reproductive histories were obtained by questionnaire from 143 women with type 1 diabetes, 186 sisters without diabetes, and 158 unrelated control subjects without diabetes participating in the Familial Autoimmune and Diabetes study.

Results: Women with type 1 diabetes had more menstrual problems (long cycles, long menstruation, and heavy menstruation) before age 30 years than sisters and control subjects.

HLA-DQ genotypes in classic type 1 diabetes and in latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult.

In 1993-1996, islet autoantibodies, C-peptide, and HLA-DQ genotypes were evaluated in 345 insulin-treated diabetic patients of all ages from the Skaraborg Diabetes Registry 5-6 years after their diagnosis and in 216 control subjects from the Skaraborg County, Sweden, population. The aims of this study were to clarify the importance of age at diagnosis of diabetes for HLA-DQ associations in patients with classic type 1 diabetes and whether patients considered to have latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult differed in their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations. An abnormally low fasting C-peptide value was used as the definition of type 1 diabetes, found in 182 of 345 (53%) patients.

Reporting, appraising, and integrating data on genotype prevalence and gene-disease associations.

The recent completion of the first draft of the human genome sequence and advances in technologies for genomic analysis are generating tremendous opportunities for epidemiologic studies to evaluate the role of genetic variants in human disease. Many methodological issues apply to the investigation of variation in the frequency of allelic variants of human genes, of the possibility that these influence disease risk, and of assessment of the magnitude of the associated risk. Based on a Human Genome Epidemiology workshop, a checklist for reporting and appraising studies of genotype prevalence and studies of gene-disease associations was developed.