Summary
Acne is estimated to affect 9·4% of the global population, making it the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that acne is most common in ...postpubescent teens, with boys most frequently affected, particularly with more severe forms of the disease. This paper aims to provide an update on the epidemiology of acne worldwide. Recent general and institutional studies from around the world have shown that the prevalence of acne is broadly consistent globally (with the exception of specific populations, which are discussed). However, this review highlights that there is a wide range of disparate outcome measures being applied in epidemiology studies, and we emphasize the need to develop a widely accepted, credible, standard assessment scale to address this in the future. In addition we discuss special populations, such as those devoid of acne, as well as the impact of potential determinants of acne on disease epidemiology.
This study was conducted to explore the interrelationships among caregiver burden, emotional status and quality of life (QoL) in caregivers of lung cancer patients, and to identify whether caregiver ...burden and health status are associated with patient emotional status and QoL. Forty‐three dyads of lung cancer patients and their caregivers were included for analysis. Caregiver‐reported outcomes were measured by Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS), Caregivers Quality of Life Index‐Cancer (CQOLC) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), while patient‐reported outcomes were collected by HADS and Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS). The majority of the CBS and CQOLC scores were significantly higher in anxious and depressed caregivers than non‐anxious and non‐depressed caregivers (p < .01 or .05). Caregivers of depressed patients experienced significantly greater emotional distress than those of non‐depressed patients (p < .01). Significantly positive associations were identified among most of the CBS, CQOLC and caregiver HADS scores. Patient LCSS scores were positively correlated with the CBS and caregiver HADS scores, and patient HADS scores were also positively related to caregiver HADS scores. The close interrelationships between caregiver and patient health outcomes provide evidence that lung cancer patients and their caregivers should be viewed as a unit in future supportive service models.
Summary
Introduction
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased risk of metabolic syndrome. The relative contribution of clinical, demographic or biochemical factors to metabolic ...syndrome in PCOS is not known. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and clinical trial registries. Of 4530 studies reviewed, 59 were included in the systematic review and 27 in the meta‐analysis and meta‐regression. In good and fair quality studies, women with PCOS had an overall increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, OR 3.35, 95% confidence interval, CI 2.44, 4.59). Increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome occurred in overweight or obese women with PCOS (OR 1.88, 95% 1.16, 3.04) but not in lean women (OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.35, 6.12). In meta‐regression analyses, the markers of metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria (waist circumference, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure), BMI, glucose tolerance (2‐hr oral glucose tolerance test) and surrogate markers of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) but not markers of reproductive dysfunction (sex hormone binding globulin, testosterone, PCOS phenotypes) contributed significantly to the heterogeneity in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Women with PCOS have increased risk of metabolic syndrome which was associated with obesity and metabolic features but not with indices of hyperandrogenism.
This meta-analysis tested if the links between socioeconomic status (SES) and subjective well-being (SWB) differ by whether SES is assessed objectively or subjectively. The associations between ...measures of objective SES (i.e., income and educational attainment), subjective SES (i.e., the MacArthur ladder SES and perceived SES), and SWB (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction) were synthesized across 357 studies, totaling 2,352,095 participants. Overall, the objective SES and subjective SES measures were moderately associated (r = .32). The subjective SES-SWB association (r = .22) was larger than the objective SES-SWB association (r = .16). The income-SWB association (r = .23) was comparable with the ladder SES-SWB association (r = .22) but larger than the perceived SES-SWB association (r = .196). The education-SWB association (r = .12) was smaller than the associations with both measures of subjective SES. The subjective SES-SWB association was partially explained by common method variance. The subjective SES-SWB association, particularly with the ladder SES measure, also mediated the objective SES-SWB association. In moderation analyses, the objective SES-SWB associations strengthened as samples increased in wealth and population density. The subjective SES-SWB associations strengthened as samples increased in population density, decreased in income inequality, and decreased in relative social mobility. The role of common method variance, social comparisons, and other processes in explaining the SES-SWB links are discussed.
Public Significance Statement
The current meta-analysis finds that subjective well-being (SWB) has a stronger link to socioeconomic status (SES) measured subjectively as relative rank than measured objectively as income or educational attainment. Common method variance, social comparisons, population density, and social mobility potentially explain some of the differences in associations. Future research on the SES and SWB link at the microlevel should consider the role of these processes.
The purpose of this paper is to present a new atomic decomposition for a dense class of weighted Hardy spaces
H
w
p
(
R
n
)
via the discrete Calderón-type reproducing formula and the weighted ...Littlewood–Paley–Stein theory, where
w
∈
A
∞
is a Muckenhoupt's weight and
0
<
p
<
∞
. Our results can recover and improve the known ones in the literature by avoiding using the maximal function characterization and the Calderón–Zygmund decomposition. Moreover, we give a new proof of the weighted Hardy spaces estimates for generalized Calderón–Zygmund operators in terms of the atomic decomposition and the vector-valued singular integral operator theory. Although the theory of
H
w
p
(
R
n
)
is well known, we give new and simpler proofs, which in turn is amenable to utilization in general and nonclassical settings.
Novel MOF-based polymer nanocomposite films were successfully prepared using Zr-based UiO-67 as a metal–organic framework (MOF) and polyurethane (PU) as a polymeric matrix. Synchrotron X-ray powder ...diffraction (SXRPD) analysis confirms the improved stability of the UiO-67 embedded nanocrystals, and scanning electron microscopy images confirm their homogeneous distribution (average crystal size ∼100–200 nm) within the 50 μm thick film. Accessibility to the inner porous structure of the embedded MOFs was completely suppressed for N2 at cryogenic temperatures. However, ethylene adsorption measurements at 25 °C confirm that at least 45% of the MOF crystals are fully accessible for gas-phase adsorption of nonpolar molecules. Although this partial blockage limits the adsorption performance of the embedded MOFs for ocular drugs (e.g., brimonidine tartrate) compared to the pure MOF, an almost 60-fold improvement in the adsorption capacity was observed for the PU matrix after incorporation of the UiO-67 nanocrystals. The UiO-67@PU nanocomposite exhibits a prolonged release of brimonidine (up to 14 days were quantified). Finally, the combined use of SXRPD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses confirmed the presence of the drug in the nanocomposite film, the stability of the MOF framework and the drug upon loading, and the presence of brimonidine in an amorphous phase once adsorbed. These results open the gate toward the application of these polymeric nanocomposite films for drug delivery in ocular therapeutics, either as a component of a contact lens, in the composition of lacrimal stoppers (e.g., punctal plugs), or in subtenon inserts.
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