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Sample records for danish twin population

  1. A Danish population-based twin study on autism spectrum disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordenbaek, Claudia; Jorgensen, Meta; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2014-01-01

    Genetic epidemiological studies of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) based on twin pairs ascertained from the population and thoroughly assessed to obtain a high degree of diagnostic validity are few. All twin pairs aged 3-14 years in the nationwide Danish Twin Registry were approached. A three......-step procedure was used. Five items from the "Child Behaviour Checklist" (CBCL) were used in the first screening phase, while screening in the second phase included the "Social and Communication Questionnaire" and the "Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire". The final clinical assessment was based on "gold...

  2. Concordance Rates of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in a Danish Twin Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simony, Ane; Carreon, Leah Y; Højmark, Karen

    2016-01-01

    STUDY DESIGN: Clinical, radiological and genetic determination of zygosity of twin pairs from the Danish Twin Registry who self-reported having Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). OBJECTIVE: To establish concordance rates of AIS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The aetiology of and the true mode...... reported. METHODS: All 46,418 twins registered in the Danish Twin Registry born from 1931 to 1982 were sent a survey, which included questions about scoliosis. The survey was returned by 34,944 individuals (75.3%) representing 23,204 pairs. From this study, 548 individuals representing 274 complete twin...... pairs where at least one twin self-reported having scoliosis were invited to a clinical and radiological examination. Zygosity was established by genetic testing. RESULTS: 182 individuals (33.2%) of the original cohort agreed to participate, 128 of whom had scoliosis by self-report. There were 91 twin...

  3. Concordance of autoimmune disease in a nationwide Danish systemic lupus erythematosus twin cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulff-Møller, Constance Jensina; Svendsen, Anders Jørgen; Viemose, Louise Nørgaard

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the concordance of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and co-aggregating autoimmune diseases among Danish twins. METHODS: SLE-affected twins were ascertained by record linkage between the National Patient Register (NPR) and the Danish Twin Registry (DTR). Registered SLE....... Another four co-twins had other autoimmune disease, corresponding to a probandwise concordance of any autoimmune disease of 50.0% in MZ (95% CI: 21.5-78.5) and 23.1% in DZ twins (95% CI: 8.18-50.3). CONCLUSION: Population-based Danish data suggest that SLE twin concordance is lower than previously...... reported, but still point to the importance of both genetic and environmental factors, and indicate a substantial co-aggregation of other autoimmune diseases in SLE twins....

  4. The Danish Twin Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skytthe, Axel; Ohm Kyvik, Kirsten; Vilstrup Holm, Niels

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: The Danish Twin Registry is a unique source for studies of genetic, familial and environmental factors on life events, health conditions and diseases. Content: More than 85,000 twin pairs born 1870-2008 in Denmark. Validity and coverage: Four main ascertainment methods have been emp...

  5. Heritability of the Number of Teeth in Middle-Aged and Older Danish Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kurushima, Y; Silventoinen, K; Dokkedal, U

    2017-01-01

    Tooth loss is a common health concern in older adults. We aimed to estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the variation in the number of teeth in middle-aged and older populations using a population-based cohort of Danish twins. The study included 5,269 Danish...

  6. Longitudinal Investigation into Genetics in the Conservation of Metabolic Phenotypes in Danish and Chinese Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Duan, Haiping

    2016-01-01

    twin study on long-term stability of metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins identified a common pattern of high genetic control over phenotype conservation, and at the same time revealed population-specific patterns of genetic and common environmental regulation on the variance as well...

  7. Cesarean section in twin pregnancies in two Danish counties with different cesarean section rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, T B; Sperling, Lene; Hedegaard, M

    1994-01-01

    for CS in twin pregnancies was made between two Danish counties, one with a high and one with a low overall CS rate in twin deliveries, taking into account the distribution of parity, mother's age, gestational age at birth, and birth weight. DESIGN: A population based, historic follow-up study based...... presentation. SECONDARY MEASURES: Perinatal and maternal outcome. RESULTS: The difference in CS rates between the two counties could not be explained by different distributions of background characteristics. Different attitudes were found towards CS in cases with previous CS, with twin A in breech presentation......OBJECTIVE: Based on a comparison of the clinical indications for cesarean section (CS) in two Danish counties and a review of the literature regarding this issue the aim of this study was to discuss possible explanations for variations in CS rates in twin pregnancies. The comparison of indications...

  8. The Danish political twin study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klemmensen, Robert; Hobolt, Sara B; Dinesen, Peter Thisted

    2012-01-01

    We compare a recent Danish twin survey on political attitudes and behaviors to a nationally representative survey covering similar topics. We find very similar means and variances for most of our constructed scales of political attitudes and behaviors in the two surveys, although even small...

  9. Genetic and environmental influences on oxidative damage assessed in elderly Danish twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Broedbaek, Kasper; Ribel-Madsen, Rasmus; Henriksen, Trine

    2011-01-01

    Previous studies have shown an association between oxidative stress and various diseases in humans including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. To what extents this damage is determined by genetic and environmental factors is unknown. In a classical twin...... of oxidative stress were closely correlated (r=0.60-0.84). In conclusion, we demonstrated in a large population of elderly Danish twins that "whole-body" oxidative damage to nucleic acids and lipids is predominantly determined by potentially modifiable nongenetic factors....

  10. Heritability of the Number of Teeth in Middle-Aged and Older Danish Twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurushima, Y; Silventoinen, K; Dokkedal, U; Skytthe, A; Mucci, L A; Christensen, K; Hjelmborg, J V B

    2017-12-01

    Tooth loss is a common health concern in older adults. We aimed to estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the variation in the number of teeth in middle-aged and older populations using a population-based cohort of Danish twins. The study included 5,269 Danish middle-aged or older twins who provided data on the number of teeth at baseline by structured interviews. The data were analyzed using univariate liability threshold modeling, stratified by sex and age, to estimate familial risk of tooth loss as well as estimates of heritability. In the whole cohorts, 23% of participants were edentate and 53% had retained 20 or more teeth. A statistical model including additive genetic factors and environmental factors partly shared by co-twins and partly unique to each individual twin gave the best statistical fit for the number of teeth in both age categories as well as in men and women. Overall, additive genetic factors explained 36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 23% to 49%), common environmental factors 20% (95% CI: 9% to 31%), and unique environmental factors 44% (95% CI: 40% to 48%) of the total variation of the number of teeth. This study indicates that a substantial part of the variation in tooth loss is explained by genetic as well as environmental factors shared by co-twins. Our results implied that family background importantly affects tooth loss in both the middle-aged and the older populations. Family history is thus an important factor to take into account in dental health care.

  11. Genetic and Environmental Regulation on Longitudinal Change of Metabolic Phenotypes in Danish and Chinese Adult Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Pang, Zengchang

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The rate of change in metabolic phenotypes can be highly indicative of metabolic disorders and disorder-related modifications. We analyzed data from longitudinal twin studies on multiple metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins representing two populations of distinct ethnic...... pairs traced for about 7 years with a mean baseline age of 39.5 years (range: 23-64). The classical twin models were fitted to the longitudinal change in each phenotype (Δphenotype) to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to the variation in Δphenotype. RESULTS: Moderate to high...... contributions by the unique environment were estimated for all phenotypes in both Danish (from 0.51 for low density lipoprotein cholesterol up to 0.72 for triglycerides) and Chinese (from 0.41 for triglycerides up to 0.73 for diastolic blood pressure) twins; low to moderate genetic components were estimated...

  12. Marital status and twins' health and behavior: an analysis of middle-aged Danish twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Osler, Merete; McGue, Matt; Lund, Rikke

    2008-01-01

    mass index (BMI), depression symptoms, self-rated health, cognitive function, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake. RESULTS: Among all 2350 individual twins, men who were divorced/widowed or never married had higher depression scores, lower cognitive test scores, lower physical activity....../widowed twin had higher average depression scores and was more likely to be a smoker. Never married twins had lower physical activity scores and never married male twins had higher BMI and higher depression scores than their married co-twin. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the relationships of adult...... divorce with depression and smoking in Danish twins are due to the stressful effects of marital dissolution, but that marital differences in other health and behavioral outcomes are most consistent with selection effects related to genetic or rearing environmental factors....

  13. Cesarean section in twin pregnancies in two Danish counties with different cesarean section rates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, T B; Sperling, Lene; Hedegaard, M

    1994-01-01

    for CS in twin pregnancies was made between two Danish counties, one with a high and one with a low overall CS rate in twin deliveries, taking into account the distribution of parity, mother's age, gestational age at birth, and birth weight. DESIGN: A population based, historic follow-up study based...... presentation. SECONDARY MEASURES: Perinatal and maternal outcome. RESULTS: The difference in CS rates between the two counties could not be explained by different distributions of background characteristics. Different attitudes were found towards CS in cases with previous CS, with twin A in breech presentation...... was seen. CONCLUSION: In order to understand and discuss regional variations in the use of CSs in twin deliveries the subjects must be addressed in different ways: the unequivocal indications related to fetal presentations and previous CS can be subjected to randomised controlled trials or large scaled...

  14. Probing genetic overlap in the regulation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Danish and Chinese twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Pang, Zengchang; Zhang, Dongfeng

    2014-01-01

    with Danish twins. The estimated contribution from unique environmental factors suggests that promoting healthy lifestyles may provide an efficient way of controlling high blood pressure, particularly in the Chinese population.Hypertension Research advance online publication, 15 May 2014; doi:10.1038/hr.2014.95....

  15. Risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in Danish middle-aged and elderly twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, P S; Larsen, Lisbeth Aagaard; Fowler, V G

    2013-01-01

    on S. aureus carriage in Danish middle-aged and elderly twins, which indicated no significant heritability that could account for the observed S. aureus carriage. In the present study, we performed a questionnaire-based study of S. aureus colonization on the same cohort of 2,196 Danish middle......-aged and elderly twins to identify specific risk factors for S. aureus nasal colonization, including analyzing the paired twins (n = 478) that were discordant for S. aureus colonization. We found associations between risk factors and S. aureus nasal colonization among middle-aged and elderly twins, including age......, male gender, psoriasis, and atopic diseases. Also, present living on a farm is clearly associated with S. aureus colonization, while smoking had a borderline statistically significant protective effect....

  16. The heritability of level and rate-of-change in cognitive functioning in Danish twins aged 70 years and older

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McGue, Matt; Christensen, Kaare

    2002-01-01

    To investigate heritable influences on overall level and rate-of-change in cognitive ability, biometric growth models were fit to cognitive data from nearly 1000 Danish twins age 70 years and older. Twins are participants in the ongoing Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins, a cohort-sequentia......To investigate heritable influences on overall level and rate-of-change in cognitive ability, biometric growth models were fit to cognitive data from nearly 1000 Danish twins age 70 years and older. Twins are participants in the ongoing Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins, a cohort......-sequential study of twins assessed every 2 years for up to four waves. Cognitive ability was assessed by five brief cognitive tasks: a fluency measure, forward and backward digit span, and immediate and delayed list recall. Model-fitting results indicated that although the overall level of cognitive functioning...... was highly heritable (h(2) = .76, 95% confidence interval of .68 to .82), the rate of linear change was not (h(2) = .06, 95% confidence interval of .00 to .57). These findings suggest that the search for specific genes might reasonably focus on average level of cognitive performance, whereas specific...

  17. Infertility, infertility treatment and twinning: the Danish National Birth Cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhu, Jin Liang; Basso, Olga; Obel, Carsten

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We have previously observed that an increasing time to pregnancy (TTP) is associated with a reduced frequency of twin deliveries in couples not receiving infertility treatment. By using updated information, we assessed the frequencies of dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twin...... deliveries as a function of infertility (TTP > 12 months), as well as infertility treatment. METHODS: From the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997-2003), we identified 51 730 fertile couples with TTP 12 months and 5163 infertile couples who conceived after treatment. Information on zygosity, available...... for part of the cohort (1997-2000), was based on standardized questions on the similarities between the twins at the age of 3-5 years. RESULTS: Compared with fertile couples, the frequency of DZ twin deliveries was lower for infertile couples conceiving naturally (odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0...

  18. Infertility, infertility treatment and twinning: the Danish National BirthCohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhu, Jin Liang; Basso, Olga; Obel, Carsten

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND We have previously observed that an increasing time to pregnancy (TTP) is associated with a reduced frequency of twin deliveries in couples not receiving infertility treatment. By using updated information, we assessed the frequencies of dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twin...... deliveries as a function of infertility (TTP>12 months), as well as infertility treatment. METHODS From the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997-2003), we identified 51 730 fertile couples with TTPwith TTP>12 months and 5163 infertile couples who conceived after treatment. Information on zygosity, available...... for part of the cohort (1997-2000), was based on standardized questions on the similarities between the twins at the age of 3-5 years. RESULTS Compared with fertile couples, the frequency of DZ twin deliveries was lower for infertile couples conceiving naturally (odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0...

  19. Concordance for multiple sclerosis in Danish twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, T; Skytthe, Axel; Stenager, Egon

    2005-01-01

    The occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in twins has not previously been studied in complete nationwide data sets. The existence of almost complete MS and twin registries in Denmark ensures that essentially unbiased samples of MS cases among twins can be obtained. In this population-based study...

  20. Ankylosing spondylitis in Danish and Norwegian twins: occurrence and the relative importance of genetic vs. environmental effectors in disease causation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, O B; Svendsen, Anders Jørgen; Ejstrup, L

    2008-01-01

    genetic effects account for 94% (95% CI 0.56-0.99) of the variance in the causation of AS. CONCLUSION: Self-reported AS needs careful validation. The occurrence of AS in a Danish twin population was 0.1% and accords well with previous studies on singletons in hospital settings. The present study adds...

  1. Twin study of heritability of eating bread in Danish and Finnish men and women

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasselbalch, Ann Louise; Silventoinen, Karri; Keskitalo, Kaisu

    2010-01-01

    Bread is an elementary part of the western diet, and especially rye bread is regarded as an important source of fibre. We investigated the heritability of eating bread in terms of choice of white and rye bread and use-frequency of bread in female and male twins in Denmark and Finland. The study...... cohorts included 575 Danish (age range 18-67 years) and 2009 Finnish (age range 22-27 years) adult twin pairs. Self-reported frequency of eating bread was obtained by food frequency questionnaires. Univariate models based on linear structural equations for twin data were used to estimate the relative...... magnitude of the additive genetic, shared environmental and individual environmental effects on bread eating frequency and choice of bread. The analysis of bread intake frequency demonstrated moderate heritability ranging from 37-40% in the Finnish cohort and 23-26% in the Danish cohort. The genetic...

  2. The influence of the polymorphism in apolipoprotein B codon 2488 on insulin and lipid levels in a Danish twin population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentzen, J; Poulsen, P; Vaag, A

    2002-01-01

    on parameters associated with the insulin resistance syndrome in Danish twins. METHODS: The effect of the polymorphism on lipid, glucose and insulin measures was studied in 548 same sex twins aged 55-74 years. RESULTS: The codon 2488 polymorphism influenced fasting triglyceride levels, as well as insulin......, as measured at 120 min in an oral glucose tolerance test. Subjects with the genotype T2488T had 14% higher triglyceride levels (P = 0.02) and 31% higher insulin levels (P = 0.004) than subjects with genotype C2488C. In twins discordant for genotype, the T-allele was associated with higher levels......AIMS: The apolipoprotein B codon 2488 polymorphism has been associated with the metabolism of lipoproteins in subjects with Type 2 diabetes. However, no data are available on the influence of the polymorphism on insulin or glucose metabolism. This study examines the impact of the polymorphism...

  3. Heritability of psoriasis in a large twin sample

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lønnberg, Ann Sophie; Skov, Liselotte; Skytthe, A

    2013-01-01

    AIM: To study the concordance of psoriasis in a population-based twin sample. METHODS: Data on psoriasis in 10,725 twin pairs, 20-71 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry was collected via a questionnaire survey. The concordance and heritability of psoriasis were estimated. RESULTS: In total...

  4. Twin study of heritability of eating bread in Danish and Finnish men and women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasselbalch, Ann L; Silventoinen, Karri; Keskitalo, Kaisu; Pietiläinen, Kirsi H; Rissanen, Aila; Heitmann, Berit L; Kyvik, Kirsten O; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Kaprio, Jaakko

    2010-04-01

    Bread is an elementary part of the western diet, and especially rye bread is regarded as an important source of fibre. We investigated the heritability of eating bread in terms of choice of white and rye bread and use-frequency of bread in female and male twins in Denmark and Finland. The study cohorts included 575 Danish (age range 18-67 years) and 2009 Finnish (age range 22-27 years) adult twin pairs. Self-reported frequency of eating bread was obtained by food frequency questionnaires. Univariate models based on linear structural equations for twin data were used to estimate the relative magnitude of the additive genetic, shared environmental and individual environmental effects on bread eating frequency and choice of bread. The analysis of bread intake frequency demonstrated moderate heritability ranging from 37-40% in the Finnish cohort and 23-26% in the Danish cohort. The genetic influence on intake of white bread was moderate (24-31%), while the genetic influence on intake of rye bread was higher in men (41-45%) than in women (24-33%). Environmental influences shared by the twins were not significant. Consumption of bread as well as choice of bread is influenced by genetic predisposition. Environmental factors shared by the co-twins (e.g., childhood environment) seem to have no significant effects on bread consumption and preference in adulthood.

  5. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in twins: a population-based survey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Mikkel O; Thomsen, Karsten; Kyvik, Kirsten O

    2007-01-01

    STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire-based identification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients in a twin cohort. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to establish a scoliosis twin cohort to provide data on the heritability of AIS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The etiology of AIS is still...... environmental factors. METHODS: All 46,418 twins registered in the Danish Twin Registry born from 1931 to 1982 were sent a questionnaire, which included questions about scoliosis. A total of 34,944 (75.3%) representing 23,204 pairs returned the questionnaire. RESULTS: A subgroup of 220 subjects considered...... of monozygotic and dizygotic pairs was significantly different (P scoliosis in 1 twin whose other twin has scoliosis is smaller than believed up until now....

  6. A Danish Twin Study of Schizophrenia Liability: Investigation from Interviewed Twins for Genetic Links to Affective Psychoses and for Cross-Cohort Comparisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kläning, Ulla; Trumbetta, Susan L; Gottesman, Irving I; Skytthe, Axel; Kyvik, Kirsten O; Bertelsen, Aksel

    2016-03-01

    We studied schizophrenia liability in a Danish population-based sample of 44 twin pairs (13 MZ, 31 DZ, SS plus OS) in order to replicate previous twin study findings using contemporary diagnostic criteria, to examine genetic liability shared between schizophrenia and other disorders, and to explore whether variance in schizophrenia liability attributable to environmental factors may have decreased with successive cohorts exposed to improvements in public health. ICD-10 diagnoses were determined by clinical interview. Although the best-fitting, most parsimonious biometric model of schizophrenia liability specified variance attributable to additive genetic and non-shared environmental factors, this model did not differ significantly from a model that also included non-additive genetic factors, consistent with recent interview-based twin studies. Schizophrenia showed strong genetic links to other psychotic disorders but much less so for the broader category of psychiatric disorders in general. We also observed a marginally significant decline in schizophrenia variance attributable to environmental factors over successive Western European cohorts, consistent perhaps with improvements in diagnosis and in prenatal and perinatal care and with a secular decline in the prevalence of schizophrenia in that region.

  7. No evidence of genetic mediation in the association between birthweight and academic performance in 2,413 danish adolescent twin pairs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Inge; Jensen, Vibeke Myrup; McGue, Matt

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Evidence of a positive association between birthweight and IQ has been established in several studies. Analyses of within twin pair differences in birthweight and IQ have been used to shed light on the basis of the association. The strength of this approach is the possibility of controll...... and school achievements at age 16. For both sexes we observed a monotonic increase in academic performance with increasing percentiles of birthweight. However, we did not find that this association is due to genetic mediation....... twin studies find no evidence of such mediation. In the present study we use a large population-based national register study of 2,413 Danish twin-pairs from birth cohorts 1986-1990, of which we have zygosity information on 74%. We perform individual level as well as intra-pair analyses of birthweight...

  8. No Evidence of Genetic Mediation in the Association Between Birthweight and Academic Performance in 2,413 Danish Adolescent Twin Pairs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Inge; Jensen, Vibeke Myrup; McGue, Matt K.

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Evidence of a positive association between birthweight and IQ has been established in several studies. Analyses of within twin pair differences in birthweight and IQ have been used to shed light on the basis of the association. The strength of this approach is the possibility of controll...... and school achievements at age 16. For both sexes we observed a monotonic increase in academic performance with increasing percentiles of birthweight. However, we did not find that this association is due to genetic mediation....... twin studies find no evidence of such mediation. In the present study we use a large population-based national register study of 2,413 Danish twin-pairs from birth cohorts 1986-1990, of which we have zygosity information on 74%. We perform individual level as well as intra-pair analyses of birthweight...

  9. Hyperthyroidism is associated with work disability and loss of labour market income. A Danish register-based study in singletons and disease-discordant twin pairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Frans; Thvilum, Marianne; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Brix, Thomas Heiberg

    2015-11-01

    To examine the risk of disability pension and changes in labour market income in patients with hyperthyroidism. From a 5% random sample of the Danish population and twins from the Danish Twin Registry we identified 1942 hyperthyroid singletons and 7768 non-hyperthyroid (matched 1:4) controls as well as 584 same-sex twin pairs discordant for hyperthyroidism. Singletons and twins were followed for a mean of 9 years (range 1-20). Cox regression analysis was used to examine the risk of disability pension and a difference-in-differences model was used to evaluate changes in labour market income. Hyperthyroid individuals had an increased risk of receiving disability pension: hazard ratio (HR) was 1.88, (95% CI: 1.57-2.24). Subdividing as to the cause of hyperthyroidism did not change this finding: Graves' disease (GD) HR was 1.51 (95% CI: 0.87-2.63) and toxic nodular goitre (TNG) HR was 2.10 (95% CI: 1.02-4.36). With respect to labour market income, the income of hyperthyroid individuals increased on average 1189 € less than their controls (Phyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is associated with severe work disability as reflected by an 88% increased risk of receiving disability pension and a significant loss of labour market income. Similar results in monozygotic twins discordant for hyperthyroidism suggest that genetic confounding is unlikely. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

  10. The accuracy of self-reported history of seizures in Danish, Norwegian and U.S. twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Corey, Linda A; Kjeldsen, Marianne J; Solaas, Marit H

    2009-01-01

    . The accuracy of these reports was assessed. Self-reported epilepsy was verified in 81.9% of twins overall (86.1% (DTR), 75.6% (NTR) and 80.7% (MATR)). However, when both pair members reported a history of epilepsy in the affected pair member, epilepsy was verified in >90% of cases. Among MATR twins...... of this approach in identifying true cases. Information on history of seizures obtained by questionnaire from members of 47,626 twin pairs included in the Mid-Atlantic (MATR), Danish (DTR) and Norwegian (NTR) Twin Registries was verified using medical records and detailed clinical and family interviews...... with a verified history of epilepsy, 21.5% reported other seizures but not epilepsy and 18.5% of verified Norwegian epilepsy cases reported no history of epilepsy themselves and were identified only through their co-twin. The results of this study indicate that the accuracy of self-reported epilepsy and febrile...

  11. Twins with omphalocele in Denmark (1970-1989)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bugge, Merete

    2010-01-01

    Seven pairs of twins, two monozygotic (MZ), two dizygotic (DZ), and three like-sex pairs of unknown zygosity are described. The twin pairs were all discordant for omphalocele except for one pair of conjoined twins. The 8 infants with omphalocele represent 3.1% of the 253 infants with omphalocele......, ascertained in an almost complete nationwide data set of live- and stillborn infants with abdominal wall defects in two decades in Denmark (1970-1989). The occurrence of twins with omphalocele was not significantly different from the occurrence of twins in the Danish population in the same period. To our...... knowledge this is the first report of the occurrence of twins with omphalocele in a systematic nationwide epidemiological study....

  12. Genetic and environmental influences on risk of death due to infections assessed in Danish twins, 1943-2001

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Obel, Niels; Christensen, Kaare; Petersen, Inge

    2010-01-01

    Genetic differences have been proposed to play a strong role in risk of death from infectious diseases. The study base of 44,005 included all same-sex twin pairs born in 1870-2001, with both twins alive on January 1, 1943, or those born thereafter. Cause of death was obtained from the Danish Cause...... from infectious diseases could be demonstrated, the absolute effect of the genetic component on mortality was small....... genetic influence on the risk of death...

  13. On the heritability of psoriatic arthritis. Disease concordance among monozygotic and dizygotic twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Ole Birger; Svendsen, Anders Jørgen; Ejstrup, Leif

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: In a nationwide unselected twin population to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental effectors in the etiopathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: The study comprised three Danish nationwide twin cohorts. In 1994 and 2002 a total of 37,388 and 46......,418 Danish twin individuals respectively were asked by questionnaire if they had PsA. Twins reporting PsA were invited to participate in a clinical examination. Patients were classified according to the Moll and Wright (M&W) and the CASPAR criteria. Heritability was estimated by probandwise concordance rates...... and variance component analysis. RESULTS: 228 twin individuals reported PsA. Following diagnostic validation in 184 (81%), 50 probands were diagnosed with PsA according to the M&W criteria. Five of their co-twins were either dead, had emigrated, or did not participate in the twin study and nine did not respond...

  14. Improving genomic prediction for Danish Jersey using a joint Danish-US reference population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Su, Guosheng; Nielsen, Ulrik Sander; Wiggans, G

    Accuracy of genomic prediction depends on the information in the reference population. Achieving an adequate sized reference population is a challenge for genomic prediction in small cattle populations. One way to increase the size of reference population is to combine reference data from different...... populations. The objective of this study was to assess the gain of genomic prediction accuracy when including US Jersey bulls in the Danish Jersey reference population. The data included 1,262 Danish progeny-tested bulls and 1,157 US progeny-tested bulls. Genomic breeding values (GEBV) were predicted using...... a GBLUP model from the Danish reference population and the joint Danish-US reference population. The traits in the analysis were milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, fertility, mastitis, longevity, body conformation, feet & legs, and longevity. Eight of the nine traits benefitted from the inclusion of US...

  15. Heredity In Sarcoidosis - A Registry-Based Twin Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sverrild, Asger; Backer, Vibeke; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan, granulomatous, inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology. Familial clustering of cases and ethnic variation in the epidemiology suggests a genetic influence on the disease susceptibility. AIM: This paper reports twin concordance and heritability estimates...... of sarcoidosis in order to assess the overall contribution of genetic factors to the disease susceptibility. METHODS: Monozygotic and dizygotic twins enrolled in either the Danish or the Finnish population-based, national Twin Cohorts (61,662 pairs in total) were linked to diagnostic information on sarcoidosis.......012. Compared to the general population we found an 80-fold increased risk of developing sarcoidosis in co-twins of affected monozygotic brothers or sisters. The increased risk in dizygotic twins was on the other hand only 7-fold. Aetiological model fitting gave a heritability of sarcoidosis of 0.66 (95% CI 0...

  16. Twin study of heritability of eating bread in Danish and Finnish men and women

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasselbalch, Ann Louise; Silventoinen, Karri; Keskitalo, Kaisu

    2010-01-01

    magnitude of the additive genetic, shared environmental and individual environmental effects on bread eating frequency and choice of bread. The analysis of bread intake frequency demonstrated moderate heritability ranging from 37-40% in the Finnish cohort and 23-26% in the Danish cohort. The genetic...... predisposition. Environmental factors shared by the co-twins (e.g., childhood environment) seem to have no significant effects on bread consumption and preference in adulthood.......Bread is an elementary part of the western diet, and especially rye bread is regarded as an important source of fibre. We investigated the heritability of eating bread in terms of choice of white and rye bread and use-frequency of bread in female and male twins in Denmark and Finland. The study...

  17. Risk of Oral Clefts in Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grosen, Dorthe; Bille, Camilla; Petersen, Inge

    2011-01-01

    and heritability. Twins (207 affected/130,710) and singletons (7766 affected/4,798,526) born from 1936 through 2004 in Denmark were ascertained by linkage among the Danish Facial Cleft Database, the Danish Twin Registry, and the Civil Registration System. We computed oral cleft prevalence and prevalence proportion...

  18. Low twinning rate and seasonal effects on twinning in a fertile population, the Hutterites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nonaka, K.; Miura, T.; Peter, K.

    1993-09-01

    This paper analyzes from the mid 18th century to 1987 the birth records of the “Dariusleut,” one of the three subgroups of the Hutterite population. The aim of this study is to describe several aspects of the twinning rate in a fertile population. The overall rate of twinning was 0.90%:103 twins among all 11492 maternities. The rate peaked at the 7th birth order and at the maternal age of 40 years and over. Until the mid 19th century when the Hutterites lived in Russia, the twinning rate was higher (1.5%), and it decreased during the migration period in the second half of the 19th century (0.7%). After the group had settled in the USA and Canada, the population maintained a twinning rate of 1.0% until 1965. After 1965 the rate decreased to 0.7%, partly due to a decline in fertility among women aged 30 years and over. There was a significant seasonal variation: the twinning rate decreased to 0.5% in May July compared to 1.2% for the other three seasons during the years up to 1965 ( P<0.01), while more recent mothers did not show such a seasonal variation. The incidence of twin births in this population seems to have been influenced by environmental factors, which would change their effect seasonally and secularly.

  19. Is this back pain killing me? All-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality in older Danish twins with spinal pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fernandez, M; Boyle, E; Hartvigsen, J

    2017-01-01

    of all-cause and disease-specific cardiovascular mortality in older Danish twins aged ≥70 years. Data from 4391 participants collected at baseline were linked with the Danish Cause of Death Registry with the study ending on 31 December 2014. Two crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression......-significant, although greater in magnitude for monozygotic twins. Conclusions: Older people reporting spinal pain have 13% increased risk of mortality per years lived but the connection is not causal. We found no association between spinal pain and cardiovascular-specific mortality. The influence of shared familial...... factors is unlikely. Significance: Older people reporting spinal pain have 13% increased risk of mortality per year lived. However, this association is not likely to be causal, with the relevant confounders contributing to this relationship. Thus, pain in the spine may be part of a pattern of poor health...

  20. Association between obesity and asthma in a twin cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, SF; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli; Kyvik, KO

    2007-01-01

    Background: Obesity is linked to asthma in a yet poorly understood manner. We examined the relationship between obesity and asthma in a population-based sample of twins. Methods: From the cohorts born between 1953 and 1982, who were enrolled in The Danish Twin Registry, a total of 29 183 twin ind...... to obesity and asthma were significantly correlated only in females, r = 0.28 (0.16-0.38). Conclusions: Obese subjects have an increased risk for asthma, which in females seems partly because of common genes....

  1. Register-based research on twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Kaare; Ohm Kyvik, Kirsten; Holm, Niels V

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: The Danish Twin Registry (DTR) has for more than 50 years been based on surveys and clinical investigations and over the two last decades also on register linkage. Currently these two approaches are merged within Statistics Denmark. Research topics: Here we report on three major...... groups of register-based research in the DTR that used the uniqueness of twinning. First, we focus on the ''long-term prognosis'' of being a twin compared with being a singleton and show that Danish twins have health trajectories in adulthood similar to singletons, which is a result of interest for twins...... illustrate how the co-twin control method in a register setting can be used to control for the effect of rearing environment and genetic factors in studies of the association between exposures and health. CONCLUSION: The spectrum of register-based twin studies is very wide and have changed in accordance...

  2. Cognitive ability in young adulthood and risk of dementia in a cohort of Danish men, brothers, and twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Osler, Merete; Christensen, Gunhild T; Garde, Ellen

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: We examined the association between cognitive ability in young adulthood and dementia in Danish men, brothers, and male twins. METHODS: In total, 666,986 men born between 1939 and 1959 were identified for dementia diagnosis in national registries from 1969 to 2016. The association.......03-1.13]). The intrabrother and twin analyses (taking shared family factors into account) showed attenuated risk estimates but with wide CIs. DISCUSSION: Low early-life cognitive ability increases the risk of dementia before the age of 78 years. The association is partly explained by shared family factors....

  3. Genetic Influences on Pulmonary Function: A Large Sample Twin Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingebrigtsen, Truls S; Thomsen, Simon F; van der Sluis, Sophie

    2011-01-01

    Heritability of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) has not been previously addressed in large twin studies. We evaluated the genetic contribution to individual differences observed in FEV(1), FVC, and PEF using data from...... the largest population-based twin study on spirometry. Specially trained lay interviewers with previous experience in spirometric measurements tested 4,314 Danish twins (individuals), 46-68 years of age, in their homes using a hand-held spirometer, and their flow-volume curves were evaluated. Modern variance...

  4. The correlation of fecundability among twins: Evidence of a genetic effect on fertility?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Kaare; Kohler, Hans-Peter; Basso, Olga

    2003-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Numerous rare genetic conditions are known to influence fecundability in both males and females. It is less clear to what extent more subtle genetic differences influence fecundability on a population level. METHODS: In 1994 a population-based survey was conducted among Danish twins b...

  5. Pain in the lumbar, thoracic or cervical regions: do age and gender matter? A population-based study of 34,902 Danish twins 20-71 years of age

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leboeuf-Yde, Charlotte; Nielsen, Jan; Kyvik, Kirsten O

    2009-01-01

    , aged 20 to 71 years, representative of the general Danish population. Identical questions on pain were asked for the lumbar, thoracic and cervical regions. RESULTS: Low back pain was most common, followed by neck pain with thoracic pain being least common. Pain for at least 30 days in the past year......BACKGROUND: It is unclear to what extent spinal pain varies between genders and in relation to age. It was the purpose of this study to describe the self-reported prevalence of 1) pain ever and pain in the past year in each of the three spinal regions, 2) the duration of such pain over the past...... year, 3) pain radiating from these areas, and 4) pain in one, two or three areas. In addition, 5) to investigate if spinal pain reporting is affected by gender and 6) to see if it increases gradually with increasing age. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2002 on 34,902 twin individuals...

  6. Fibromyalgia in the adult Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prescott, E; Kjøller, Mette; Jacobsen, S

    1993-01-01

    Epidemiologic studies of fibromyalgia have so far been based on rheumatologic and general practice settings, which are poor proxies for the underlying population. The study is based on a national health interview survey carried out by the Danish Institute for Clinical Epidemiology in 1990......%). Eight subjects, all female, met the 1990 American College of Rheumatism criteria for fibromyalgia. Dropouts were regarded as not having fibromyalgia. The prevalence of fibromyalgia in the Danish population between 18 and 79 years of age was found to be a minimum estimate of 0.66% (95% confidence limits...

  7. HIV testing in the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lemcke, Asja; Kjøller, Mette; Ekholm, Ola

    2007-01-01

    AIMS: To describe the accumulated prevalence of HIV testing in the Danish population until and including the year 2000. METHODS: The study was based on nationally representative data from the Danish Health Interview Survey 2000. Multiple logistic regression analysis investigated the association...... between HIV testing and background variables, such as gender, age, marital status, educational level, and sexual orientation. RESULTS: Overall 28.5% of the Danish population aged over 16 years have "ever been tested for HIV". More females (29.4%) than males (27.6%) were tested; 12.6% might not be aware...... of their blood being HIV tested when donating blood. More males (17.1%) than females (13.8%) had donated blood after 1985. Although males 30-39 years old were the most tested, males 50-59 years old had the highest odds of having donated blood after 1985. Concerning education, the less education one had, the less...

  8. Alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and all-cause mortality: results from a population-based Danish twins study alanine aminotransferase, GGT and mortality in elderly twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fraser, Abigail; Thinggaard, Mikael; Christensen, Kaare

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Background/Aims: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) are widely used markers of liver disease. Several population-based cohort studies have found associations of these liver enzymes with all-cause mortality. None of these studies controlled for genetic...... for potential confounders and existing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Environmental developmental origins may explain the association, but larger twin studies are required to replicate our findings....

  9. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Adiposity as Determinants of Metabolic Health-Pooled Analysis of Two Twin Cohorts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jukarainen, Sakari; Holst, René; Dalgård, Christine

    2017-01-01

    Context: The joint effects of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body composition on metabolic health are not well known. Objective: To examine the associations of CRF, fat-free mass index (FFMI), and fat mass index (FMI) with metabolic health in individual twins and controlling for genetic...... and shared environmental effects by studying monozygotic intrapair differences. Design, Setting, and Participants: Two cross-sectional samples of healthy adult monozygotic and dizygotic twins were drawn from population-based Danish and Finnish national twin registries (n = 996 and n = 309). Main Measures...

  10. Identical twins in forensic genetics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tvedebrink, Torben; Morling, Niels

    2015-01-01

    The increase in the number of forensic genetic loci used for identification purposes results in infinitesimal random match probabilities. These probabilities are computed under assumptions made for rather simple population genetic models. Often, the forensic expert reports likelihood ratios, where...... published results accounting for close familial relationships. However, we revisit the discussion to increase the awareness among forensic genetic practitioners and include new information on medical and societal factors to assess the risk of not considering a monozygotic twin as the true perpetrator......, then data relevant for the Danish society suggests that the threshold of likelihood ratios should approximately be between 150,000 and 2,000,000 in order to take the risk of an unrecognised identical, monozygotic twin into consideration. In other societies, the threshold of the likelihood ratio in crime...

  11. Academic performance of opposite-sex and same-sex twins in adolescence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juel Ahrenfeldt, Linda; Petersen, Inge; Johnson, Wendy

    2015-01-01

    confirm a masculinizing effect of a male co-twin regarding for instance perception and cognition it remains unclear whether intra-uterine hormone transfer exists in humans. Our aim was to test the potential influences of testosterone on academic performance in OS twins. We compared ninth-grade test scores...... not provide evidence for a masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to academic performance in adolescence....... and teacher ratings of OS (n=1812) and SS (n=4054) twins as well as of twins and singletons (n=13,900) in mathematics, physics/chemistry, Danish, and English. We found that males had significantly higher test scores in mathematics than females (.06-.15 SD), whereas females performed better in Danish (.33...

  12. Atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jäderberg, Ida; Thomsen, Simon F; Kyvik, Kirsten O; Skytthe, Axel; Backer, Vibeke

    2012-03-01

    We examined the risk of atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction. Data on atopic diseases and assisted reproduction in 9694 twin pairs, 3-20 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry were collected via multidisciplinary questionnaires. The risk of atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction was compared with the risk in twins born after spontaneous conception using logistic regression and variance components analysis. Children born after assisted reproduction did not have a different risk of atopic outcomes (adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] for asthma: 0.95 [0.85, 1.07], P = 0.403; hay fever: 1.01 [0.86, 1.18], P = 0.918; and atopic dermatitis: 1.02 [0.81, 1.11], P = 0.773 respectively) compared with children born after spontaneous conception. Assisted reproduction did not modify the heritability of atopic diseases. This study does not support an association between assisted reproduction and development of atopic diseases. This result must be confirmed in subsequent studies, preferably of singleton populations. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Risk aversion and religious behaviour: Analysis using a sample of Danish twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Jytte Seested; Bech, Mickael; Christensen, Kaare; Kiil, Astrid; Hvidt, Niels Christian

    2017-08-01

    Economics offers an analytical framework to consider human behaviour including religious behaviour. Within the realm of Expected Utility Theory, religious belief and activity could be interpreted as an insurance both for current life events and for afterlife rewards. Based on that framework, we would expect that risk averse individuals would demand a more generous protection plan which they may do by devoting more effort and resources into religious activities such as church attendance and prayer, which seems to be in accordance with previous empirical results. However, a general concern regards the problems of spurious correlations due to underlying omitted or unobservable characteristics shaping both religious activities and risk attitudes. This paper examines empirically the demand for religion by analysing the association between risk attitudes on the one hand, and church attandance and prayer frequency on the other controlling for unobservable variables using survey data of Danish same-sex twin pairs. We verify the correlation between risk preferences and religion found previously by carrying out cross-sectional analyses. We also show that the association between risk attitudes and religious behaviour is driven by the subgroup of individuals who believe in an afterlife. In addition, when re-analysing our results using panel data analyses which cancel out shared factors among twin pairs, we find that the correlation found between risk aversion and religious behaviour is no longer significant indicating that other factors might explain differences in religious behaviour. Caution is needed in the interpretation of our results as the insignificant association between risk aversion and religious behaviour in the panel data analyses potentially might be due to measurement error causing attenuation bias or lack of variation within twin pairs rather than the actual absence of an association. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Familial resemblance in religiousness in a secular society: a twin study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Petersen, Inge; Hjelmborg, Jacob; Skytthe, Axel; Christensen, Kaare; Hvidt, Niels C

    2013-04-01

    It is well known that human behavior and individual psychological traits are moderately to substantially heritable. Over the past decade, an increasing number of studies have explored the genetic and environmental influence on religiousness. These studies originate predominantly from countries generally considered more religious than the very secular northern European countries. Comparisons of the results are complicated by diverse definitions of religiousness, but several studies indicate that the influence of the family environment is most predominant in early life, whereas genetic influences increase with age. We performed a population-based twin study of religiousness in a secular society using data from a Web-based survey sent to 6,707 Danish twins born 1970-1989, who were identified in the Danish Twin Registry. We applied Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of religiousness: cognition, practice, and importance. In all polygenic models and biometric analyses, we controlled for gender and age. The study sample comprised 2,237 same sex twins, a response rate of 45%. We found high correlations within both monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs in most items of religiousness, indicating a large influence from shared environmental factors. Personal religiousness such as praying to God, believing in God, and finding strength and comfort in religion were more influenced by genetic factors than were social forms of religiousness such as church attendance. We found a small tendency for increasing genetic influence with increasing age for some religious items, but not for all.

  15. Risk of Monozygotic Twins After Assisted Reproduction: A Population-Based Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parazzini, Fabio; Cipriani, Sonia; Bianchi, Stefano; Bulfoni, Camilla; Bortolus, Renata; Somigliana, Edgardo

    2016-02-01

    Recent studies have suggested that ovarian stimulation and assisted reproductive techniques (ART) may increase the frequency of monozygotic twins. In this article, we present the analysis of the estimated frequency of twin deliveries following in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Lombardy during the period 2010-2014 for a total of 450,949 pregnancies. This is a population-based study using data from the regional data base of Lombardy, a northern Italian region with a population of about 10 million inhabitants. During the considered period, a total of 461,424 single or multiple births were registered in Lombardy. After exclusion of triplets or more pregnancies, the total number of twin deliveries, in separate strata of like and unlike sex pregnancies twin deliveries, were obtained and the rate of twin deliveries was computed according to spontaneous and non-spontaneous conception and type of ART. Further, estimates of dizygotic or monozygotic twin births were calculated using Weinberg's methods. The frequency of twins deliveries was 1.24/100 deliveries after natural conception and 20.05 after assisted conception. The estimated rates of monozygotic twins was 0.45 and 0.72/100 (95% CI: 0.58-0.91) deliveries after natural and assisted conception, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (p assisted than after natural conception.

  16. Chromosomal Aberrations in Monozygotic and Dizygotic Twins Versus Singletons in Denmark During 1968-2009

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Lone Krøldrup; Larsen, Lisbeth A; Fagerberg, Christina

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Hall (Embryologic development and monozygotic twinning. Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellologiae, Vol. 45, 1996, pp. 53-57) hypothesized that chromosomal aberrations can lead to monozygotic (MZ) twinning. However, twinning and chromosomal aberrations increase prenatal mortality and could...... reduce the prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in live-born twins. We compared prevalence proportion ratios (PPR) of chromosomal aberrations and trisomy 21 (T21) in live-born twins versus singletons born in Denmark during 1968-2009. METHODS: We linked the Danish Twin Registry and a 5% random sample...... of all singletons to the Danish Cytogenetic Central Register and calculated PPR adjusted for maternal age for MZ, dizygotic (DZ), and all twins versus singletons. Zygosity was based on questionnaires or genetic markers. RESULTS: No overall difference in risk of chromosomal aberrations or T21 in twins...

  17. Familial aggregation of atrial fibrillation: a study in Danish twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christophersen, Ingrid Elisabeth; Ravn, Lasse Steen; Budtz-Joergensen, Esben

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Heritability may play a role in nonfamilial atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that a monozygotic (MZ) twin whose co-twin was diagnosed with AF would have an increased risk of the disease compared with a dizygotic (DZ) twin in the same situation. METHODS AND RESULTS: A sample......-free survival times, we compared the time span between occurrences of disease in MZ and DZ twins. The unaffected twin was included when his or her twin-sibling (the index twin) was diagnosed with AF. After adjustment for age at entry, MZ twins had a significantly shorter event-free survival time (hazard ratio......, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.0), thereby indicating a genetic component. Using biometric models, we estimated the heritability of AF to be 62% (55% to 68%), due to additive genetics. There were no significant differences across sexes. CONCLUSIONS: All the analyses of twin similarities in the present study...

  18. Twins less frequent than expected among male births in risk averse populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karasek, Deborah; Goodman, Julia; Gemmill, Alison; Falconi, April; Hartig, Terry; Magganas, Aristotle; Catalano, Ralph

    2015-06-01

    Male twin gestations exhibit higher incidence of fetal morbidity and mortality than singleton gestations. From an evolutionary perspective, the relatively high rates of infant and child mortality among male twins born into threatening environments reduce the fitness of these gestations, making them more vulnerable to fetal loss. Women do not perceive choosing to spontaneously abort gestations although the outcome may result from estimates, made without awareness, of the risks of continuing a pregnancy. Here, we examine whether the non-conscious decisional biology of gestation can be linked to conscious risk aversion. We test this speculation by measuring the association between household surveys in Sweden that gauge financial risk aversion in the population and the frequency of twins among live male births. We used time-series regression methods to estimate our suspected associations and Box-Jenkins modeling to ensure that autocorrelation did not confound the estimation or reduce its efficiency. We found, consistent with theory, that financial risk aversion in the population correlates inversely with the odds of a twin among Swedish males born two months later. The odds of a twin among males fell by approximately 3.5% two months after unexpectedly great risk aversion in the population. This work implies that shocks that affect population risk aversion carry implications for fetal loss in vulnerable twin pregnancies.

  19. Risk of sex-specific cancers in opposite-sex and same-sex twins in Denmark and Sweden

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahrenfeldt, Linda Juel; Skytthe, Axel; Möller, Sören

    2015-01-01

    -scale prospective twin study compared opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) twins to test the impact of intrauterine exposures on cancer risk. Based on the Danish and Swedish twin and cancer registries, we calculated incidence rate ratios for OS and SS twins while standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95......% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for OS/SS twins compared with the general population. RESULTS: A total of 18,001 cancers were identified during 1943-2009. No significant differences were observed between OS and SS twins, neither for the sex-specific cancers nor for cancer at all sites. All...... to prenatal testosterone - does not increase the risk of sex-specific cancers in OS females. Furthermore, the study supports that twinning per se is not a risk factor of cancer. IMPACT: Findings are reassuring as they fail to provide evidence for the hypothesis that endocrine or other difference...

  20. Heritability of slow and/or inaccurate reading ability in 33,000 adult twins with self-reported data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fibiger-Dagnæs, Steen; von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Jacob; Erbs, Lena

    2012-01-01

    Genetic influence for adult slow and/or inaccurate reading ability was studied from selfreported answers, using a dichotomous question on having difficulties in reading the Danish subtitles on foreign TV programs. The data from 33,424 twins were population based and were used for biometric analys...

  1. Lower marriage and divorce rates among twins than among singletons in Danish birth cohorts 1940-1964

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Inge; Martinussen, Torben; McGue, Matthew

    2011-01-01

    compare rates of marriage and divorce in a sample of 35,975 twins and 81,803 singletons born 1940-1964. Cox-regressions are used in order to control for potential confounders. We find that compared with singletons twins have significantly lower marriage rates: (males: 15-19 years: Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0...... twins compared with singletons (HR=0.87, 95%CI: 0.83-0.90). These differences offset each other, thus 57% of both populations remain in their first marriage until censoring. The interpretation may be that since twins have a partner from birth, they do not have the same need for marriage as singletons...

  2. Genetic and environmental factors in alexithymia: A population-based study of 8.785 Danish twin pairs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Michael Martini; Zachariae, Robert; Skytthe, Axel

    2007-01-01

    by shared (12-20%) and nonshared environmental effects (50-56%). CONCLUSION: The results from this large population-based sample suggest that genetic factors have a noticeable and similar impact on all facets of alexithymia. While the results suggested a moderate influence of shared environmental factors......BACKGROUND: The role of genetic and environmental factors for developing alexithymia is still unclear, and the aim of this study was to examine these factors in a large population-based sample of twins. METHODS: The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) was included in a mail survey of 46...... modeling of the noncategorical data, an ACE model including additive genetic, shared environmental and nonshared environmental effects, provided the best fit for all three facets of alexithymia as well as total alexithymia scores, with heritabilities of 30-33% and the remaining variance being explained...

  3. Differences in Religiousness in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Twins in a Secular Society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahrenfeldt, Linda J; Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune; Möller, Sören; Christensen, Kaare; Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Hvidt, Niels Christian

    2016-02-01

    Sex differences in religion are well known, with females generally being more religious than males, and shared environmental factors have been suggested to have a large influence on religiousness. Twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) pairs may differ because of a dissimilar psycho-social rearing environment and/or because of different exposures to hormones in utero. We hypothesized that OS females may display more masculine patterns of religiousness and, vice versa, that OS males may display more feminine patterns. We used a web-based survey conducted in Denmark, which is a secular society. The survey included 2,997 twins aged 20-40 years, identified through the population-based Danish Twin Registry. We applied la Cour and Hvidt's adaptation of Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of meaning: Cognition, Practice, and Importance, and we used Pargament's measure of religious coping (RCOPE) for the assessment of positive and negative religious coping patterns. Differences between OS and SS twins were investigated using logistic regression for each sex. The analyses were adjusted for dependence within twin pairs. No significant differences in religiousness and religious coping were found for OS and SS twins except that more OS than SS females were members of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church and fewer OS than SS females were Catholic, Muslim, or belonged to other religious denominations. Moreover, OS males at age 12 had higher rates of church attendance than did SS males. This study did not provide evidence for masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to religiousness. Nor did it show any significant differences between OS and SS males except from higher rates of church attendance in childhood among males with female co-twins.

  4. Risk of epilepsy in opposite-sex and same-sex twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mao, Yanyan; Ahrenfeldt, Linda Juel; Christensen, Kaare

    2018-01-01

    Background: There is a complex interaction between female and male sex hormones and the risk of epilepsy. Whether prenatal exposure to higher levels of sex hormones affects the development of epilepsy in childhood or later in life is not well known. The sex hormone environment of fetuses may...... be affected by the sex of the co-twin. We estimated the risk of epilepsy for twins with an opposite-sex (OS) co-twin compared with twins with a same-sex (SS) co-twin. Methods: From the Danish Twin Registry, we identified OS female twins (n = 11,078), SS female twins (n = 19,186), OS male twins (n = 11...

  5. Sharing reference data and including cows in the reference population improve genomic predictions in Danish Jersey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, G; Ma, P; Nielsen, U S; Aamand, G P; Wiggans, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Lund, M S

    2016-06-01

    Small reference populations limit the accuracy of genomic prediction in numerically small breeds, such like Danish Jersey. The objective of this study was to investigate two approaches to improve genomic prediction by increasing size of reference population in Danish Jersey. The first approach was to include North American Jersey bulls in Danish Jersey reference population. The second was to genotype cows and use them as reference animals. The validation of genomic prediction was carried out on bulls and cows, respectively. In validation on bulls, about 300 Danish bulls (depending on traits) born in 2005 and later were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1050 Danish bulls, (2) about 1050 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls. In validation on cows, about 3000 Danish cows from 87 young half-sib families were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1250 Danish bulls, (2) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls, (3) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 4800 cows, (4) about 1250 Danish bulls, 1150 US bulls and 4800 Danish cows. Genomic best linear unbiased prediction model was used to predict breeding values. De-regressed proofs were used as response variables. In the validation on bulls for eight traits, the joint DK-US bull reference population led to higher reliability of genomic prediction than the DK bull reference population for six traits, but not for fertility and longevity. Averaged over the eight traits, the gain was 3 percentage points. In the validation on cows for six traits (fertility and longevity were not available), the gain from inclusion of US bull in reference population was 6.6 percentage points in average over the six traits, and the gain from inclusion of cows was 8.2 percentage points. However, the gains from cows and US bulls were not accumulative. The total gain of including both US bulls and Danish cows was 10.5 percentage points. The results indicate that sharing reference

  6. Does education confer a culture of healthy behavior? Smoking and drinking patterns in Danish twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnson, Wendy; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Mortensen, Erik L

    2011-01-01

    and environmental sources of health-related behaviors. This study explored these influences. In a 2002 postal questionnaire, 21,522 members of the Danish Twin Registry, born during 1931-1982, reported smoking and drinking habits. The authors used quantitative genetic models to examine how these behaviors' genetic......More education is associated with healthier smoking and drinking behaviors. Most analyses of effects of education focus on mean levels. Few studies have compared variance in health-related behaviors at different levels of education or analyzed how education impacts underlying genetic...... and environmental variances differed with level of education, adjusting for birth-year effects. As expected, more education was associated with less smoking, and average drinking levels were highest among the most educated. At 2 standard deviations above the mean educational level, variance in smoking and drinking...

  7. Strategies for subtyping influenza viruses circulating in the Danish pig population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breum, Solvej Østergaard; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Trebbien, Ramona

    2010-01-01

    in the Danish pig population functional and rapid subtyping assays are required. The conventional RT-PCR influenza subtyping assays developed by Chiapponi et al. (2003) have been implemented and used for typing of influenza viruses found positive in a pan influenza A real time RT-PCR assay. The H1 and N1 assays......Influenza viruses are endemic in the Danish pig population and the dominant circulating subtypes are H1N1, a Danish H1N2 reassortant, and H3N2. Here we present our current and future strategies for influenza virus subtyping. For diagnostic and surveillance of influenza subtypes circulating...... were specific when applied on Danish influenza positive samples, whereas the N2 assay consistently showed several unspecific PCR products. A subset of positive influenza samples detected by the real time RT-PCR screening assay could not be subtyped using these assays. Therefore, new influenza subtyping...

  8. Incidence of hand eczema in a population-based twin cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lerbaek, A; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Ravn, H

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Population-based studies on the incidence of hand eczema are sparse. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective follow-up study was to determine the incidence rate of hand eczema in a population-based twin cohort. Secondly, the role of genetic factors and other potential risk factors...... for hand eczema was investigated. METHODS: A questionnaire on self-reported hand eczema was answered by 5610 and 4128 twin individuals in 1996 and 2005, respectively. Data were analysed in a Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate was 8.8 cases per 1000 person-years (95% confidence...... with an increased risk, whereas no association with age, sex, smoking or alcohol was found...

  9. The etiology of autistic traits in preschoolers : a population-based twin study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Zeeuw, E.L.; van Beijsterveldt, Catharina E M; Hoekstra, Rosa A; Bartels, Meike; Boomsma, Dorret I

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are highly heritable, but the exact etiological mechanisms underlying the condition are still unclear. METHODS: Using a multiple rater twin design in a large sample of general population preschool twins, this study aimed to (a) estimate the contribution of

  10. Danish population-based reference data for the EORTC QLQ-C30

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juul, Therese; Petersen, Morten Aagaard; Holzner, Bernhard

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: General population reference data are useful in the interpretation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results, but for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), such data have been published for only seven...... countries. In 1992, Danish general population data were collected from women only for EORTC QLQ-C30 version 1. Since no Danish reference data exists for men and women for the QLQ-C30 version 3.0, the aims of this study were to generate such data and to investigate the associations between EORTC QLQ-C30...... subscales. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to present Danish general population reference values for the EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0. Age and morbidity are important potential confounders that must be taken into account in HRQoL studies....

  11. A population-based twin study of self-esteem and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendler, K S; Gardner, C O; Prescott, C A

    1998-11-01

    Self-esteem (SE), a widely used construct in the social sciences, is usually conceptualized as a reflection of socialization and interpersonal experiences that may differ considerably between the genders. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale was assessed at personal interview in both members of 3793 unselected twin pairs (1517 male-male, 856 female-female and 1420 male-female) from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry. Gender effects on SE were assessed by both analysis of variance and biometrical twin modelling. The mean SE score was slightly but significantly lower in women v. men, and in women who grew up with a male v. a female co-twin. Twin modelling suggested that: (i) individual differences in self-esteem in both men and women were best explained by genetic and individual-specific environment factors; (ii) heritability estimates were similar in women (32%) and in men (29%); and (iii) the same genetic factors that influenced SE in women also influenced SE in men. Analyses supported the validity of the equal environment assumption for SE. The heritability of SE cannot be explained by the moderate correlation between SE and symptoms of depression. These results are inconsistent with prominent gender-related aetiological models for SE, which postulate that individual differences arise from socialization experiences both within and outside the home of origin which differ widely for the two genders. Instead, a significant proportion of the population variance in SE is due to genetically-influenced temperamental variables that are the same in men and women.

  12. Concurrent validity of the GMS-AGECAT (A3) package in a Danish nursing home population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lisbeth; Foldspang, Anders; Gulman, N.C.

    1998-01-01

    Aim. To validate the Danish version of the GMS–AGECAT (A3), the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) by comparing them to clinical ICD-10 criteria in a Danish nursing home population. Methods. With a participation of 91%, the study...... to complete the SMMSE and 78% were able to complete the GDS-15. Conclusion. The Danish version of the GMS–AGECAT has relevant diagnostic and screening properties for organic disorders in Danish nursing home populations....

  13. Ochratoxin A in Danish cereals 1986-1992 and daily intake by the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Kevin; Rasmussen, Gitte; Thorup, Inger

    1996-01-01

    Ochratoxin A is a common contaminant in Danish cereals, and surveillance of ochratoxin A in cereals has been a part of the Danish monitoring system since 1986. Occurrence of ochratoxin A is highly related to the climatic conditions during harvest. Rye is the crop which is most often contaminated...... and contains the highest levels of ochratoxin A. The result of the survey period from 1986 to 1992 (total of 1431 samples) together with food consumption data is the basis of intake calculations. Especially in years with wet weather during harvest, the daily intake of ochratoxin A for some individuals...... in the Danish population could reach levels which exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for ochratoxin A of 5 ng/kg bw suggested by The Nordic Working Group on Food Toxicology and Risk Evaluation. A maximum limit of 5 mu g ochratoxin A per kg cereal would keep the daily intake below 5 ng/kg bw....

  14. Urticaria in monozygotic and dizygotic twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Simon Francis; van der Sluis, Sophie; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2012-01-01

    Aim. To identify risk factors for urticaria, to determine the relative proportion of the susceptibility to urticaria that is due to genetic factors in an adult clinical twin sample, and to further determine whether the genetic susceptibility to urticaria overlaps with the genetic susceptibility...... to atopic diseases. Methods. A total of 256 complete twin pairs and 63 single twins, who were selected from sibships with self-reported asthma via a questionnaire survey of 21,162 adult twins from the Danish Twin Registry, were clinically interviewed about a history of urticaria and examined for atopic...... diseases. Data were analysed with Cox proportional hazards regression and variance components models. Results. A total of 151 individuals (26%) had a history of urticaria, whereas 24 (4%) had had symptoms within the past year. Female sex, HR = 2.09 (1.46-2.99), P = 0.000; hay fever, HR = 1.92 (1...

  15. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - validation of its use in a Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boie, Sidsel; Glavind, Julie; Uldbjerg, Niels

    experience is lacking. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) was developed in Sweden in 2010 and validated in Swedish women, but never validated in a Danish setting, and population. The purpose of our study was to validate the CEQ as a reliable tool for measuring the childbirth experience in Danish......Title The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - validation the use in a Danish population Introduction Childbirth experience is arguably as important as measuring birth outcomes such as mode of delivery or perinatal morbidity. A robust, validated, Danish tool for evaluating childbirth...... index of agreement between the two scores. Case description (mandatory for Clinical Report) Results (mandatory for Original Research) Face validity: All respondents stated that it was easy to understand and complete the questionnaire. Construct validity: Statistically significant higher CEQ scores were...

  16. Socio-demographic determinants of alcohol consumption in the Danish general population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bloomfield, Kim

    2008-01-01

     Aims: Little is known about specific Danish drinking patterns. This paper investigates how various socio-demographic factors are related to Danish alcohol consumption with special focus on age and sex. Methods: Data come from a national telephone survey of the Danish general population conducted...... in 2003 with a final sample size of 2,030 cases. Measures of beverage specific current drinking, overall drinking, daily drinking, heavy episodic drinking, mean consumption, volume per drinking occasion and frequency of drinking were analysed. Results: A little over 5% of the population are abstainers...... than age and sex, classical socioeconomic factors do not play a great a role in determining drinking patterns. Social integrative factors in particular influence women's drinking. Conclusions: With respect to the rest of Europe and North America, Danes consume high levels of alcohol with a large...

  17. Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in Inuit and Danish population samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bosch, Elena; Rosser, Zoë H; Nørby, Søren

    2003-01-01

    Nineteen Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), DYS19, DYS389-I, DYS389-II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS388, DYS434, DYS435, DYS436, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS460, DYS461 and DYS462 were typed in Inuit (n=70) and Danish (n=62) population samples.......Nineteen Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), DYS19, DYS389-I, DYS389-II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS388, DYS434, DYS435, DYS436, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS460, DYS461 and DYS462 were typed in Inuit (n=70) and Danish (n=62) population samples....

  18. Atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jäderberg, Ida; Thomsen, Simon F; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2012-01-01

    Jäderberg I, Thomsen SF, Kyvik KO, Skytthe A, Backer V. Atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2012; 26: 140-145. We examined the risk of atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction. Data on atopic diseases and assisted...... reproduction in 9694 twin pairs, 3-20 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry were collected via multidisciplinary questionnaires. The risk of atopic diseases in twins born after assisted reproduction was compared with the risk in twins born after spontaneous conception using logistic regression...... and variance components analysis. Children born after assisted reproduction did not have a different risk of atopic outcomes (adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] for asthma: 0.95 [0.85, 1.07], P = 0.403; hay fever: 1.01 [0.86, 1.18], P = 0.918; and atopic dermatitis: 1.02 [0.81, 1.11], P = 0...

  19. Coffee and smoking as risk factors of twin pregnancies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morales-Suárez-Varela, Maria M; Bech, Bodil Hammer; Christensen, Kaare

    2007-01-01

    their prepregnancy weight and height, coffee and alcohol intake, smoking habits, and potential confounding factors at early stages of pregnancy. We identified smoking (> 10 cigarettes/day) as a possible determinant of twinning, particularly for dizygotic twinning rates (same sex) and furthermore corroborated......Twinning rates have changed substantially over time for reasons that are only partly known. In this study we studied smoking, coffee and alcohol intake, and their possible interaction with obesity as potential determinants of twinning rates using data from the Danish National Birth Cohort between...... 1996 and 2002. We identified 82,985 pregnancies: 81,954 singleton and 1031 twins. For the twins we had data to classify 121 as monozygotic, 189 dizygotic (same sex), 313 dizygotic (opposite sex) but, 408 were of the same sex but with unknown zygosity. All mothers were interviewed about...

  20. Danish patients with chronic pancreatitis have a four-fold higher mortality rate than the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nøjgaard, Camilla; Bendtsen, Flemming; Becker, Ulrik

    2010-01-01

    We investigated mortality of patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), compared with the Danish population and sought to determine whether clinical presentations of CP can be used in prognosis. We also investigated clinical factors associated with mortality and causes of death among these patients....

  1. Prevalence and Genetics of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in the Danish Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosenberg, Niels Thomas; Nørby, Søren; Schwartz, Marianne

    2016-01-01

    a national register of hereditary eye diseases at the National Eye Clinic (NEC), a tertiary low vision rehabilitation center for the entire Danish population. The assembling of LHON pedigrees was based on the reconstruction of published families and newly diagnosed cases from 1980 to 2012 identified...... in the files of NEC. Genealogic follow-up on the maternal ancestry of all affected individuals was performed to identify a possible relation to an already known maternal line. A full genotypic characterization of the nation-based LHON cohort is provided. RESULTS: Forty different lines were identified....... The number of live affected individuals with a verified mitochondrial DNA mutation was 104 on January 1, 2013, which translates to a prevalence rate of 1:54,000 in the Danish population. CONCLUSIONS: Haplogroup distribution as well as mutational spectrum of the Danish LHON cohort do not deviate from those...

  2. Genetic consequences of population decline in the Danish population of the little owl (Athene noctua)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertoldi, Cino; Pellegrino, Irene; Cucco, Maroc

    2012-01-01

    Background: Danish populations of the little owl (Athene noctua) have experienced dramaticdeclines in size over the past century. Before 1960 the little owl population was abundantin Denmark (estimated N>2000), but between 1960 and 1980 the population declinedrapidly, and since 1980 the little ow...

  3. Cognitive Functioning after Surgery in Middle-aged and Elderly Danish Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dokkedal, Unni; Hansen, Tom G; Rasmussen, Lars S

    2016-01-01

    ,503 middle-aged and elderly twins. METHODS: Results from five cognitive tests were compared in twins exposed to surgery, classified as major, minor, hip and knee replacement, or other, with those of a reference group without surgery using linear regression adjusted for sex and age. Genetic and shared......BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is common, but it remains unclear whether there are long-term adverse cognitive effects of surgery combined with anesthesia. The authors examined the association between exposure to surgery and level of cognitive functioning in a sample of 8...... environmental confounding was addressed in intrapair analyses of 87 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic same-sexed twin pairs in whom one had a history of major surgery and the other did not. RESULTS: Statistically significantly lower composite cognitive score was found in twins with at least one major surgery...

  4. Prevalence of polyhydramnios at a Danish hospital--a population-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bundgaard, Anne; Andersen, Betina Ristorp; Rode, Line

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of polyhydramnios, the related maternal and perinatal morbidity, and to estimate the association between perinatal outcome and the degree of polyhydramnios in a Danish population. METHODS: The study population consisted of 168 w...

  5. The Danish Peregrine Falcon population is increasing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreasen, Niels Peter; Falk, Knud; Møller, Søren

    peregrine population has gradually increased – most rapidly since 2012 – to 19 known territorial pairs in 2016; some of them breeding on man-made structures (nest boxes at bridges and power plants). In this poster, we present detailed information on the reestablishment of the peregrine falcon in Denmark...... observed breeding in Demark: 3 from Sweden, 4 from Germany and 1 from Poland. Similarly, peregrines banded in Danish eyries have been observed as territorial or breeding in Sweden (2 cases) or at other locations in Denmark (5 cases). The reproduction measured as number of ‘young per successful pair......’ (reaching ringing age) and ‘young per occupied territory’ (“productivity”) is on average 2.2 and 1.3, respectively, for the entire period 2001-2016. The productivity of Danish peregrines is thus well above the critical limit (1.0 according to USFWS), where concerns may be raised. Not much is known about...

  6. The USC Adult Twin Cohorts: International Twin Study and California Twin Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cozen, Wendy; Hwang, Amie E; Cockburn, Myles G; Hamilton, Ann S; Zadnick, John; Mack, Thomas M

    2013-02-01

    The study of twin subjects permits the documentation of crude heritability and may promote the identification of specific causal alleles. We believe that at the current time, the chief research advantage of twins as subjects, especially monozygotic twins, is that the commonality of their genetic and cultural identity simplifies the interpretation of biological associations. In order to study genetic and environmental determinants of cancer and chronic diseases, we developed two twin registries, maintained at the University of Southern California: The International Twin Study (ITS) and the California Twin Program (CTP). The ITS is a volunteer registry of twins with cancer and chronic disease consisting of 17,245 twin pairs affected by cancer and chronic disease, respectively, ascertained by advertising in periodicals from 1980-1991. The CTP is a population-based registry of California-born twin pairs ascertained by linking the California birth records to the State Department of Motor Vehicles. Over 51,000 individual California twins representing 36,965 pairs completed and returned 16-page questionnaires. Cancer diagnoses in the California twins are updated by regular linkage to the California Cancer Registry. Over 5,000 cancer patients are represented in the CTP. Twins from both registries have participated extensively in studies of breast cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus type 1, mammographic density, smoking, and other traits and conditions.

  7. Estimating heritability for cause specific mortality based on twin studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scheike, Thomas; Holst, Klaus Kähler; von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Jacob

    2014-01-01

    the Danish twin registry and discuss how to define heritability for cancer occurrence. The key point is that this should be done taking censoring as well as competing risks due to e.g.  death into account. We describe the dependence between twins on the probability scale and show that various models can...... be used to achieve sensible estimates of the dependence within monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs that may vary over time. These dependence measures can subsequently be decomposed into a genetic and environmental component using random effects models. We here present several novel models that in essence...

  8. Danish cohort of monozygotic inflammatory bowel disease twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moller, Frederik Trier; Knudsen, Lina; Harbord, Marcus

    2016-01-01

    and the National Patient Register. The twins were asked to provide biological samples, questionnaires, and data access to patient files and public registries. Biological samples were collected via a mobile laboratory, which allowed for immediate centrifugation, fractionation, and storage of samples. The mean time...

  9. Intake of ruminant trans fatty acids in the Danish population aged 1-80 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Marianne Uhre; Bysted, Anette; Andersen, N. L.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To estimate the intake of ruminant trans fatty acids (TFA) in the Danish population aged 1 - 80 years. Design: Descriptive study. Subjects: A sex- and age-stratified random sample drawn from the Danish Civil Registration System. A total of 3098 participants (51% female) aged 1 - 80 yea...

  10. Characteristics of a Danish population of adults with acquired deafblindness receiving rehabilitation services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dammeyer, Jesper Herup

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to report on the characteristics of a population of 916 individuals with acquired deafblindness receiving national Danish counselling and rehabilitation services. Age, gender, prevalence, social status, and communication mode are some of the data included in this study....... Results show that 70% of the population was older than 79 years, 15% was between 65 and 79 years, and 15% of the population was younger than 65 years. Oral speech was used by 86%, sign language by 10%, and tactile sign language by 4%. Among individuals younger than 65 years, less than 50% was employed...... or in education. Results are discussed with respect to the organization of the Danish counselling and rehabilitation service system....

  11. Heritability of spinal pain and consequences of spinal pain: a comprehensive genetic epidemiologic analysis using a population-based sample of 15,328 twins ages 20-71 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartvigsen, Jan; Nielsen, Jan; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2009-01-01

    on 15,328 twin individuals (44% monozygotic and 56% dizygotic) from complete twin pairs were included. Genetic susceptibility explained approximately 38% of lumbar pain, 32% of thoracic pain, and 39% of neck pain. For patterns of pain, estimates were 7% for lumbar/thoracic, 24% for lumbar/cervical, 0......% for thoracic/cervical, and 35% for pain in all 3 areas. Moderate to high genetic correlations indicated a common genetic basis for many spinal pain syndromes. In general, heritability was higher for women, and only a minor age effect was seen. CONCLUSION: Heritability estimates for pain in different spinal......OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to different definitions of spinal pain and consequences of spinal pain. METHODS: The Danish Twin Registry contains detailed survey information on spinal pain and its consequences in twins ages 20-71 years...

  12. Does educational status impact adult mortality in Denmark? A twin approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, Mia; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo; Christensen, Kaare; Andersen, Per Kragh; Osler, Merete

    2010-07-15

    To disentangle an independent effect of educational status on mortality risk from direct and indirect selection mechanisms, the authors used a discordant twin pair design, which allowed them to isolate the effect of education by means of adjustment for genetic and environmental confounding per design. The study is based on data from the Danish Twin Registry and Statistics Denmark. Using Cox regression, they estimated hazard ratios for mortality according to the highest attained education among 5,260 monozygotic and 11,088 dizygotic same-sex twin pairs born during 1921-1950 and followed during 1980-2008. Both standard cohort and intrapair analyses were conducted separately for zygosity, gender, and birth cohort. Educational differences in mortality were demonstrated in the standard cohort analyses but attenuated in the intrapair analyses in all subgroups but men born during 1921-1935, and no effect modification by zygosity was observed. Hence, the results are most compatible with an effect of early family environment in explaining the educational inequality in mortality. However, large educational differences were still reflected in mortality risk differences within twin pairs, thus supporting some degree of independent effect of education. In addition, the effect of education may be more pronounced in older cohorts of Danish men.

  13. Heritability of Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Spectrum Based on the Nationwide Danish Twin Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hilker, Rikke; Helenius, Dorte; Fagerlund, Birgitte

    2018-01-01

    sample. The estimated 79% heritability of SZ is congruent with previous reports and indicates a substantial genetic risk. The high genetic risk also applies to a broader phenotype of SZ spectrum disorders. The low concordance rate of 33% in monozygotic twins demonstrates that illness vulnerability......BACKGROUND: Twin studies have provided evidence that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to schizophrenia (SZ) risk. Heritability estimates of SZ in twin samples have varied methodologically. This study provides updated heritability estimates based on nationwide twin data...... the heritability of SZ to be 79%. When expanding illness outcome to include SZ spectrum disorders, the heritability estimate was almost similar (73%). CONCLUSIONS: The key strength of this study is the application of a novel statistical method accounting for censoring in the follow-up period to a nationwide twin...

  14. Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis in a Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Richter, Benedikte; Hesse, Ulrik; Hansen, Alastair B

    2010-01-01

    To characterize and evaluate a Danish patient population with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), using a working definition for BPS/IC incorporating six variables, and a set of criteria defined by the European Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC); to describe...... the clinical course and treatment intensity in relation to these variables....

  15. Migraine and risk of stroke: a national population-based twin study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lantz, Maria; Sieurin, Johanna; Sjölander, Arvid; Waldenlind, Elisabet; Sjöstrand, Christina; Wirdefeldt, Karin

    2017-10-01

    Numerous studies have indicated an increased risk for stroke in patients with migraine, especially migraine with aura; however, many studies used self-reported migraine and only a few controlled for familial factors. We aimed to investigate migraine as a risk factor for stroke in a Swedish population-based twin cohort, and whether familial factors contribute to an increased risk. The study population included twins without prior cerebrovascular disease who answered a headache questionnaire during 1998 and 2002 for twins born 1935-58 and during 2005-06 for twins born between 1959 and 1985. Migraine with and without aura and probable migraine was defined by an algorithm mapping on to clinical diagnostic criteria according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Stroke diagnoses were obtained from the national patient and cause of death registers. Twins were followed longitudinally, by linkage of national registers, from date of interview until date of first stroke, death, or end of study on 31 Dec 2014. In total, 8635 twins had any migraineous headache, whereof 3553 had migraine with aura and 5082 had non-aura migraineous headache (including migraine without aura and probable migraine), and 44 769 twins had no migraine. During a mean follow-up time of 11.9 years we observed 1297 incident cases of stroke. The Cox proportional hazards model with attained age as underlying time scale was used to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for stroke including ischaemic and haemorrhagic subtypes related to migraine with aura, non-aura migraineous headache, and any migraineous headache. Analyses were adjusted for gender and cardiovascular risk factors. Where appropriate; within-pair analyses were performed to control for confounding by familial factors. The age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratio for stroke related to migraine with aura was 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.00-1.62), P = 0.05, and 1.07 (95% confidence interval 0.91-1.26), P = 0

  16. Screening history in women with cervical cancer in a Danish population-based screening program

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirschner, Benny; Poll, Susanne; Rygaard, Carsten

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the screening histories of all cervical cancers in a Danish screening population. The intention was to decide suboptimal sides of the screening program and to evaluate the significance of routine screening in the development of cervical cancer.......The aim of this study was to explore the screening histories of all cervical cancers in a Danish screening population. The intention was to decide suboptimal sides of the screening program and to evaluate the significance of routine screening in the development of cervical cancer....

  17. Chronic non-cancer pain and the epidemic prescription of opioids in the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birke, H; Kurita, G P; Sjøgren, P

    2016-01-01

    of benzodiazepine (BZD)/BZD-related drugs in the Danish population. METHODS: Data from the cross-sectional national representative Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013) were combined with The Danish National Prescription Registry at an individual level. The study populations varied...... prevalence of opioid use from 4.1% to 5.7% among CNCP individuals. Higher CNCP prevalence was related to female gender, no cohabitation partner, short education, non-Western origin, and overweight/obesity. In addition, women with CNCP, especially >65 years, became more frequent users of opioids and used...... higher doses than men. Concurrent use of BZD/BZD-related drugs decreased (13%) from 2010 to 2013, still one-third of long-term opioid user were co-medicated with these drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The use of opioids has increased in Denmark, especially among elderly women. The concurrent use of BZD...

  18. Inbreeding in the Danish populations of five Nordic sheep breeds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Anders Christian; Norberg, Elise

    2008-01-01

    In Denmark there are small populations of five Nordic sheep breeds, two of which are Danish in origin. The purpose of this study was to estimate trends in inbreeding for these breeds. All five breeds have been recording pedigrees for decades, so pedigree completeness is adequate. The rate of inbr...

  19. Total and regional fat distribution is strongly influenced by genetic factors in young and elderly twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malis, Charlotte; Rasmussen, Eva L; Poulsen, Pernille

    2005-01-01

    was to estimate the heritability (h(2)) of total and regional fat distribution in young and elderly Danish twins. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Monozygotic (108) and dizygotic (88) twins in two age groups (25 to 32 and 58 to 66 years) underwent anthropometric measurements and DXA scans. Intraclass correlations...... and etiologic components of variance were estimated for total and regional fat percentages using biometric modeling. RESULTS: The intraclass correlations demonstrated higher correlations for all fat percentages among monozygotic twins as compared with dizygotic twins. The biometric modeling revealed a major...

  20. The Characteristics of the Danish population in the Elderly-study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bilberg, Randi Marie; Andersen, Kjeld; Nielsen, Anette Søgaard

    the characteristics of the Danish population in the Elderly-study. Methods The study is a randomized controlled study and has so far enrolled 716 participants from Germany, USA, and Denmark and 341 are from Denmark. Participants are 60+ years old and fulfil the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder. The exclusions...

  1. Twin Loss: Implications for Counselors Working with Surviving Twins.(practice & Theory)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Withrow, Rebecca; Schwiebert, Valerie L.

    2005-01-01

    Multiple births are becoming increasingly prevalent due to the use of fertility drugs and women choosing to wait until later life to conceive. With the growth in the twin population, little research has been done to investigate the effects on the grief process when 1 twin dies. Counselors must understand the unique experience of twins to formulate…

  2. Excess Mortality in Hyperthyroidism: The Influence of Preexisting Comorbidity and Genetic Confounding: A Danish Nationwide Register-Based Cohort Study of Twins and Singletons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Frans; Almind, Dorthe; Christensen, Kaare; Green, Anders; Brix, Thomas Heiberg

    2012-01-01

    Context: Hyperthyroidism is associated with severe comorbidity, such as stroke, and seems to confer increased mortality. However, it is unknown whether this increased mortality is explained by hyperthyroidism per se, comorbidity, and/or genetic confounding. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased mortality and, if so, whether the association is influenced by comorbidity and/or genetic confounding. Methods: This was an observational cohort study using record-linkage data from nationwide Danish health registers. We identified 4850 singletons and 926 twins from same-sex pairs diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Each case was matched with four controls for age and gender. The Charlson score was calculated from discharge diagnoses on an individual level to measure comorbidity. Cases and controls were followed up for a mean of 10 yr (range 0–31 yr), and the hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was calculated using Cox regression analyses. Results: In singletons there was a significantly higher mortality in individuals diagnosed with hyperthyroidism than in controls [HR 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–1.46]. This persisted after adjustment for preexisting comorbidity (HR 1,28; 95% CI 1.21–1.36). In twin pairs discordant for hyperthyroidism (625 pairs), the twin with hyperthyroidism had an increased mortality compared with the corresponding cotwin (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.09–1.88). However, this was found only in dizygotic pairs (HR 1.80; 95% CI 1.27–2.55) but not in monozygotic pairs (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.60–1.50). Conclusions: Hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased mortality independent of preexisting comorbidity. The study of twin pairs discordant for hyperthyroidism suggests that genetic confounding influences the association between hyperthyroidism and mortality. PMID:22930783

  3. The prevalence and relevance of the Brugada-type electrocardiogram in the Danish general population: data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pecini, Redi; Cedergreen, Pernille Kallerup; Theilade, Simone

    2010-01-01

    The prevalence of the Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) in the Danish population is not known.......The prevalence of the Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) in the Danish population is not known....

  4. Spatio-temporal population genetics of the Danish pine marten (Martes martes)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertoldi, Cino; Barker, Stuart F.; Madsen, Aksel Bo

    2008-01-01

    A spatio-temporal study of genetic variation in the Danish pine marten (Martes martes) populations from the Jutland peninsula and from the island of Sealand was performed using 11 microsatellite markers. Samples obtained from 1892 to 2003 were subdivided into historical (prior to 1970) and recent...

  5. Does education confer a culture of healthy behavior? Smoking and drinking patterns in Danish twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Wendy; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Mortensen, Erik L; Skytthe, Axel; Batty, G David; Deary, Ian J

    2011-01-01

    More education is associated with healthier smoking and drinking behaviors. Most analyses of effects of education focus on mean levels. Few studies have compared variance in health-related behaviors at different levels of education or analyzed how education impacts underlying genetic and environmental sources of health-related behaviors. This study explored these influences. In a 2002 postal questionnaire, 21,522 members of the Danish Twin Registry, born during 1931-1982, reported smoking and drinking habits. The authors used quantitative genetic models to examine how these behaviors' genetic and environmental variances differed with level of education, adjusting for birth-year effects. As expected, more education was associated with less smoking, and average drinking levels were highest among the most educated. At 2 standard deviations above the mean educational level, variance in smoking and drinking was about one-third that among those at 2 standard deviations below, because fewer highly educated people reported high levels of smoking or drinking. Because shared environmental variance was particularly restricted, one explanation is that education created a culture that discouraged smoking and heavy drinking. Correlations between shared environmental influences on education and the health behaviors were substantial among the well-educated for smoking in both sexes and drinking in males, reinforcing this notion.

  6. Risk factors for asthma in young adults: a co-twin control study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, SF; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli; Kyvik, KO

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The liability to asthma is influenced both by genetic and environmental factors. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for asthma in young adult twin pairs during an 8-year period. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-1982 of the Danish Twin Registry, 6,090 twin pairs....... Pairs in which only one twin developed asthma -- discordant pairs -- were identified and conditional logistic regression was applied to detect effects of risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 126 monozygotic (MZ) and 273 dizygotic (DZ) discordant twin pairs were identified. In MZ twins hay fever (OR = 3...... and females = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.80, P = 0.002), and increasing levels of body mass index (BMI; OR per unit = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.20, P = 0.009) were significant predictors of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Hay fever, eczema, female sex, exercise and increasing levels of BMI were risk factors for asthma in young...

  7. A Computational Discriminability Analysis on Twin Fingerprints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yu; Srihari, Sargur N.

    Sharing similar genetic traits makes the investigation of twins an important study in forensics and biometrics. Fingerprints are one of the most commonly found types of forensic evidence. The similarity between twins’ prints is critical establish to the reliability of fingerprint identification. We present a quantitative analysis of the discriminability of twin fingerprints on a new data set (227 pairs of identical twins and fraternal twins) recently collected from a twin population using both level 1 and level 2 features. Although the patterns of minutiae among twins are more similar than in the general population, the similarity of fingerprints of twins is significantly different from that between genuine prints of the same finger. Twins fingerprints are discriminable with a 1.5%~1.7% higher EER than non-twins. And identical twins can be distinguished by examine fingerprint with a slightly higher error rate than fraternal twins.

  8. Selenium status and risk of prostate cancer in a Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Outzen, Malene; Tjønneland, Anne; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt

    2016-01-01

    Low-Se status may be associated with a higher risk of notably advanced prostate cancer. In a Danish population with a relatively low Se intake, we investigated the association between pre-diagnostic Se status and (1) the risk of total, advanced and high-grade prostate cancer and (2) all-cause and...

  9. The relationship between subjective well-being and mortality within discordant twin pairs from two independent samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saunders, Gretchen R B; Elkins, Irene J; Christensen, Kaare

    2018-01-01

    Prior research has shown robust associations between greater subjective well-being (SWB) and reduced mortality. Whether this observed association is causal in nature or due instead to confounding genetic or environmental factors affecting both SWB and mortality is not well understood. We used a c...... when accounting for demographic factors, physical health, and cognitive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record...... a combined sample of 6,802 twins drawn from two cohorts: the Longitudinal Study of Middle-Aged Danish Twins (MADT; N = 2,815, baseline age between 45 and 69 years, M = 56.8, SD = 6.4) and the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (LSADT; N = 3,987, baseline age between 70 and 97 years, M = 76.6, SD = 4...... of SWB on reduced mortality remained significant within both MZ and DZ pairs, suggesting that the association is independent of genetic and nonshared environmental confounding factors. These findings, which generalized across both younger (MADT) and older (LSADT) cohorts of adults, remained significant...

  10. Major contribution from recurrent alterations and MSH6 mutations in the Danish Lynch syndrome population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilbert, Mef; Wikman, Friedrik P; Hansen, Thomas V O

    2009-01-01

    mutations in 164 families are considered pathogenic and an additional 50 variants from 76 families are considered to represent variants of unknown pathogenicity. The different MMR genes contribute to 40% (MSH2), 29% (MLH1), and 22% (MSH6) of the mutations and the Danish population thus shows a considerably...... higher frequency of MSH6 mutations than previously described. Although 69/88 (78%) pathogenic mutations were present in a single family, previously recognized recurrent/founder mutations were causative in 75/137 (55%) MLH1/MSH2 mutant families. In addition, the Danish MLH1 founder mutation c.1667......+2_1667_+8TAAATCAdelinsATTT was identified in 14/58 (24%) MLH1 mutant families. The Danish Lynch syndrome population thus demonstrates that MSH6 mutations and recurrent/founder mutations have a larger contribution than previously recognized, which implies that the MSH6 gene should be included in routine diagnostics...

  11. Gambling Problems in the General Danish Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harrison, Glenn W.; Jessen, Lasse J.; Lau, Morten

    We compare several popular survey instruments for measuring gambling behavior and gambling propensity to assess if they differ in their classification of individuals in the general adult Danish population. We also examine correlations with standard survey instruments for alcohol use, anxiety......, depression and impulsivity. A feature of our design is that nobody was excluded on the basis of their response to a “trigger,” “gateway” or “diagnostic item” question about previous gambling history. Our sample consists of 8,405 adult Danes. We administered the Focal Adult Gambling Screen to all subjects...... and estimate prevalence of gambling problems using sample weights and controlling for sample selection. We find that 95.4% of the population has no detectable risk, 2.9% has an early risk, 0.8% has an intermediate risk, 0.7% has an advanced risk, and 0.2% can be classified as problem gamblers...

  12. Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: a population study of twins in Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Långström, Niklas; Rahman, Qazi; Carlström, Eva; Lichtenstein, Paul

    2010-02-01

    There is still uncertainty about the relative importance of genes and environments on human sexual orientation. One reason is that previous studies employed self-selected, opportunistic, or small population-based samples. We used data from a truly population-based 2005-2006 survey of all adult twins (20-47 years) in Sweden to conduct the largest twin study of same-sex sexual behavior attempted so far. We performed biometric modeling with data on any and total number of lifetime same-sex sexual partners, respectively. The analyses were conducted separately by sex. Twin resemblance was moderate for the 3,826 studied monozygotic and dizygotic same-sex twin pairs. Biometric modeling revealed that, in men, genetic effects explained .34-.39 of the variance, the shared environment .00, and the individual-specific environment .61-.66 of the variance. Corresponding estimates among women were .18-.19 for genetic factors, .16-.17 for shared environmental, and 64-.66 for unique environmental factors. Although wide confidence intervals suggest cautious interpretation, the results are consistent with moderate, primarily genetic, familial effects, and moderate to large effects of the nonshared environment (social and biological) on same-sex sexual behavior.

  13. Secular change in 13 metabolic phenotypes: A Chinese longitudinal twin study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Pang, Zengchang; Zhang, Dongfeng

    in prospective investigations. Based on Chinese twin data collected from Danish-Chinese collaboration research, we perform twin modeling on 13 metabolic phenotypes (total cholesterol; triglyceride; high density lipoprotein (HDL); low density lipoprotein (LDL); urine acid (UA); glucose; weight; body mass index...... fitted to the secular changes in each of the 13 phenotypes with best fitting model selected based on model performance. Age and sex were included as covariates in the models to adjust for their effects on secular trend. Results: Variations in secular change in 3 lipids (total cholesterol; triglyceride...

  14. Determinants of Generic vs. Brand Drug Choice: Evidence from Population-wide Danish Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skipper, Niels; Vejlin, Rune Majlund

    driven. We use population-wide Danish register data including all prescriptions for seven blockbuster drugs from 1998-2008. At the outset, descriptive statistics suggest large variation in drug choice over doctors. Nonetheless, using a two-way fixed effects model we find that the primary determinants...... of brand drug use are unobserved patient characteristics and price effects, while observed and unobserved doctor characteristics in general explain only 0.7 % of the variation in drug choice. This is suggestive evidence that the doctors in the Danish setting with no incentives to push expensive brand drugs...

  15. Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fristrup, Claus; Detlefsen, Sönke; Palnæs Hansen, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    : Death is monitored using data from the Danish Civil Registry. This registry monitors the survival status of the Danish population, and the registration is virtually complete. All data in the database are audited by all participating institutions, with respect to baseline characteristics, key indicators......AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database aims to prospectively register the epidemiology, diagnostic workup, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with pancreatic cancer in Denmark at an institutional and national level. STUDY POPULATION: Since May 1, 2011, all patients...... with microscopically verified ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas have been registered in the database. As of June 30, 2014, the total number of patients registered was 2,217. All data are cross-referenced with the Danish Pathology Registry and the Danish Patient Registry to ensure the completeness of registrations...

  16. Time trends in the natural dizygotic twinning rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derom, Catherine; Gielen, Marij; Peeters, Hilde; Frijns, Jean-Pierre; Zeegers, Maurice P A

    2011-08-01

    The natural dizygotic (DZ) twinning rate has been proposed as a reliable and useful measure of human fecundity, if adjusted for maternal age at twin birth. The aim of this study was to analyze age-adjusted trends in natural DZ twinning rates over the past 40 years using data from the 'East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS)'. This study involved 4835 naturally conceived twin pregnancies between 1969 and 2009 from the population-based Belgian 'EFPTS'. Age-adjusted trends in the incidence of natural DZ twin pregnancies were calculated using a generalized linear model with Poisson distribution. Both the natural DZ twinning rates and maternal age at twin birth increased in a linear fashion from 1969 to 2009. When age-adjusted, we found that the trend in the natural DZ twinning rate was stable during the whole time period. According to our population-based data and after age-adjustment, a stable natural DZ twinning rate could be observed over the last four decades. Under the assumption that the spontaneous DZ twinning rate is a sensor of fecundity, this indicates a stable 'high' fecundity for this population.

  17. Use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer: Danish population based cohort study

    OpenAIRE

    Jensen, Allan; Sharif, Heidi; Frederiksen, Kirsten; Kj?r, Susanne Kr?ger

    2009-01-01

    Objective To examine the effects of fertility drugs on overall risk of ovarian cancer using data from a large cohort of infertile women. Design Population based cohort study. Setting Danish hospitals and private fertility clinics. Participants 54?362 women with infertility problems referred to all Danish fertility clinics during 1963-98. The median age at first evaluation of infertility was 30 years (range 16-55 years), and the median age at the end of follow-up was 47 (range 18-81) years. In...

  18. Sex differences in jealousy: a population-based twin study in Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walum, Hasse; Larsson, Henrik; Westberg, Lars; Lichtenstein, Paul; Magnusson, Patrik K E

    2013-10-01

    According to the theory of evolved sex differences in jealousy, the challenge for women to ensure paternal investment increased their jealousy response to emotional infidelity, whereas paternal uncertainty exerted selective pressures that shaped men to become more distressed by sexual infidelity. Several studies have investigated whether the effect of these sexually dimorphic selection pressures can be detected in contemporary human populations, with conflicting results. To date, no genetically informed studies of sex differences in jealousy have been conducted. We used data from the Screening Across the Lifespan of Twins Younger (SALTY) sample, containing information concerning self-rated jealousy from 3,197 complete twin pairs collected by the Swedish Twin Registry. Intra-class correlations and structural equation models were used to assess the genetic influence on jealousy and to investigate sex differences at genetic level. We saw a highly significant sex effect on the relationship between infidelity types, indicating that men, relative to women, reported greater jealousy in response to sexual infidelity than in response to emotional infidelity. The twin models revealed significant heritabilities for both sexual (32%) and emotional (26%) jealousy. The heritabilities were of a similar magnitude in both sexes, and no qualitative sex differences could be detected. We show for the first time that variance in jealousy is to some extent explained by genetic factors. Even though our results from the mean value analyses are in line with the theory of evolved sex differences in jealousy, we could not identify any sex differences on a genetic level.

  19. Hepatitis E virus is highly prevalent in the Danish pig population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breum, Solvej Østergaard; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Deus, Nilsa de

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the Danish pig population. Faecal samples from 97 pigs, 1–5 months of age were analysed for HEV RNA by a new PriProET real time RT-PCR assay. In addition, serum samples from 71 sow herds were screened...

  20. Heritability of eleven metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Duan, Hongmei; Pang, Zengchang

    2013-01-01

    modeling was performed on full and nested models with the best fitting models selected. Results: Heritability estimates were compared between Danish and Chinese samples to identify differential genetic influences on each of the phenotypes. Except for hip circumference, all other body measures exhibited...

  1. A population-based study of gastroesophageal reflux disease and sleep problems in elderly twins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Lindam

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND & AIMS: Previous studies indicate an association between sleep problems and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD. Although both these conditions separately have moderate heritabilities, confounding by genetic factors has not previously been taken into account. This study aimed to reveal the association between sleep problems and GERD, while adjusting for heredity and other potential confounding factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional population-based study included all 8,014 same-sexed twins of at least 65 years of age and born in Sweden between 1886 and 1958, who participated in telephone interviews in 1998-2002. Three logistic regression models were used 1 external control analysis, 2 within-pair co-twin analysis with dizygotic (DZ twin pairs discordant for GERD, and 3 within-pair co-twin analysis with monozygotic (MZ twin pairs discordant for GERD. Odds ratios (ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs were calculated and adjusted for established risk factors for GERD, i.e. sex, age, body mass index (BMI, tobacco smoking, and educational level. RESULTS: A dose-response association was identified between increasing levels of sleep problems and GERD in the external control analysis. Individuals who often experienced sleep problems had a two-fold increased occurrence of GERD compared to those who seldom had sleep problems (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.8-2.4. The corresponding association was of similar strength in the co-twin analysis including 356 DZ pairs (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.4, and in the co-twin analysis including 210 MZ pairs (OR 1.5, 95% CI 0.9-2.7. CONCLUSION: A dose-dependent association between sleep problems and GERD remains after taking heredity and other known risk factors for GERD into account.

  2. Increasing seroprevalence of Clostridium difficile in an adult Danish general population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fenger, R V; Linneberg, A; Tvede, M

    2009-01-01

    The incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated infections is increasing, but it remains to be defined whether any change in the seroprevalence of C. difficile has also occurred. In a population-based study of the general adult population, 734 subjects, aged 15-69 years, were examined on two...... occasions 8 years apart (1990 and 1998) for the presence of antibodies against C. difficile in serum. The overall seroprevalence of C. difficile increased significantly from 19% in 1990 to 27% in 1998 (P... was about four times higher in 1998 than in 1990. In conclusion, the observed increase in seroprevalence suggests a higher exposure to C. difficile in the general Danish adult population....

  3. Ecological implications of changes in polychaetes population in a shallow Danish estuary

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delefosse, Matthieu

    Burrowing polychaetes are typically the most numerous and active class among macrobenthic infauna in Danish estuaries. Their ecological role is well-recognized and has been often associated with their bioturbating activities. Construction and maintenance of galleries as well as ingestion and defe......Burrowing polychaetes are typically the most numerous and active class among macrobenthic infauna in Danish estuaries. Their ecological role is well-recognized and has been often associated with their bioturbating activities. Construction and maintenance of galleries as well as ingestion...... and defecation displace sediment particles. Ventilation of their burrow irrigates the sediment. These activities transform the environment for other species: from microbes to plants (MS5). Given the important relations between bioturbating polychaetes and their ecosystem, any significant changes in population...... of a key species may have consequent impact on the ecosystem. The introduction of non-native species is an important vector of change for the often species-poor benthic community of Danish estuaries. Non-native species may bring new functions but also interact with native fauna species. The work presented...

  4. Genetic variation in Danish populations of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei: estimation of gene diversity and effective population size using RFLP data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damgaard, C.; Giese, Nanna Henriette

    1996-01-01

    Genetic variation of the barley powdery mildew fungus (Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei) was estimated in three Danish local populations. Genetic variation was estimated from the variation amongst clones of Egh, and was therefore an estimate of the maximum genetic variation in the local populations...

  5. Musical Interests and Talent: Twin Jazz Musicians and Twin Studies/Twin Research: Loss of a Preterm Multiple; Conjoined Twin Conception; Depression in Fathers of Twins; Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome/Twin News: High-Achieving Twins; Twin Children of a Tennis Star; Conjoined Twin Separation; Twin Delivery to a Giant Panda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2017-12-01

    Findings from twin studies of musical interests and talent are reviewed as a backdrop to the lives and careers of twin jazz musicians, Peter and Will Anderson. The Anderson twins exemplify many aspects of twin research, namely their matched musical abilities, shared musical interests, and common career. This overview is followed by reviews of studies and case reports of bereavement in families who have lost a preterm multiple birth infant, the conception of conjoined twins following in vitro fertilization (IVF), depression in fathers of twins, and twin-to-twin transfusion incidence in monochorionic-diamniotic IVF twin pairs. Twins highlighted in the media include high-achieving identical female twins with nearly identical academic standing, tennis star Roger Federer's two sets of identical twin children, surgical separation of craniopagus conjoined twins, and the rare delivery of twins to a 23-year-old giant panda.

  6. The Danish Collaborative Bacteraemia Network (DACOBAN) database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gradel, Kim Oren; Schønheyder, Henrik Carl; Arpi, Magnus

    2014-01-01

    % of the Danish population). The database also includes data on comorbidity from the Danish National Patient Registry, vital status from the Danish Civil Registration System, and clinical data on 31% of nonselected records in the database. Use of the unique civil registration number given to all Danish residents......The Danish Collaborative Bacteraemia Network (DACOBAN) research database includes microbiological data obtained from positive blood cultures from a geographically and demographically well-defined population serviced by three clinical microbiology departments (1.7 million residents, 32...... enables linkage to additional registries for specific research projects. The DACOBAN database is continuously updated, and it currently comprises 39,292 patients with 49,951 bacteremic episodes from 2000 through 2011. The database is part of an international network of population-based bacteremia...

  7. Founder effects and genetic population structure of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a Danish river system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Michael Møller; Mensberg, Karen-Lise Dons

    1996-01-01

    The influence of founder effects on the genetic population structure of brown trout (Salmo trutta) was studied in a small Danish river system. Samples of trout from seven locations were analysed by allozyme electrophoresis and mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis....... For comparison, allozyme data from other Danish trout populations and mtDNA data from two hatchery strains were included. Genetic differentiation among populations was found to be small but significant. Pairwise tests for homogeneity of allele and haplotype frequencies between samples showed that significance...... simulations of the influence of founder effects on mitochondrial DNA differentiation and variability showed that the observed divergence could be due either to natural founder effects or to a genetic contribution by hatchery trout. However, the allozyme results pointed towards natural founder effects...

  8. Growth curves for twins in Slovenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bricelj, Katja; Blickstein, Isaac; Bržan-Šimenc, Gabrijela; Janša, Vid; Lučovnik, Miha; Verdenik, Ivan; Trojner-Bregar, Andreja; Tul, Nataša

    2017-02-01

    Abnormalities of fetal growth are more common in twins. We introduce the growth curves for monitoring fetal growth in twin pregnancies in Slovenia. Slovenian National Perinatal Information System for the period between 2002 and 2010 was used to calculate birth weight percentiles for all live born twins for each week from 22nd to 40th week. The calculated percentiles of birth weight for all live-born twins in Slovenia served as the basis for drawing 'growth' curves. The calculated growth curves for twins will help accurately diagnose small or large twin fetuses for their gestational age in the native central European population.

  9. Effect of co-twin gender on neurodevelopmental symptoms: a twin register study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eriksson, Jonna Maria; Lundström, Sebastian; Lichtenstein, Paul; Bejerot, Susanne; Eriksson, Elias

    2016-01-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental disorders thought to have both genetic and environmental causes. It has been hypothesized that exposure to elevated levels of prenatal testosterone is associated with elevated traits of ASD and ADHD. Assuming that testosterone levels from a dizygotic male twin fetus may lead to enhanced testosterone exposure of its co-twins, we aimed to test the prenatal testosterone hypothesis by comparing same-sex with opposite-sex dizygotic twins with respect to neurodevelopmental symptoms. Neuropsychiatric traits were assessed in a population-based twin cohort from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS). Parental interviews were conducted for 16,312 dizygotic twins, 9 and 12 years old, with the Autism-Tics, ADHD, and other Comorbidities inventory (A-TAC). Girls with a female co-twin had an increased risk of reaching the cut-off score for ADHD compared with girls with a male co-twin. Both boys and girls with a female co-twin displayed a larger number of traits related to attention deficit and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors than those with a male twin. In girls, this also extended to social interaction and the combined measures for ASD and ADHD, however, with small effect sizes. Our results are reverse to what would have been expected from the prenatal testosterone hypothesis but consistent with a previous study of ASD and ADHD traits in dizygotic twins. The seemingly protective effect for girls of having a twin brother may be an effect of parent report bias, but may also be an unexpected effect of sharing the intrauterine environment with a male co-twin.

  10. Reproductive patterns among Danish women with oral clefts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yttri, Janne Elin; Christensen, Kaare; Knudsen, Lisbeth

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the reproduction pattern among Danish women born with isolated oral clefts with the Danish background population. Design and setting: A nationwide population based historic cohort-study based on three registers: The Danish Facial Cleft...... Register, The Danish Civil Registration System and the Fertility of Women and Couples Dataset. Participants: Through linkages of the registers, number of children and the exact age at childbirth of all Danish women born with an oral cleft during 1950 through 1988 (N=1,931) were obtained. These data were...

  11. Intrapair Comparison of Life-Course Appetite and Physical Activity in Elderly Danish Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Løkkegaard, Laura Ekstrøm; Larsen, Lisbeth A; Christensen, Kaare

    2016-01-01

    . They were asked to compare their appetite and physical activity to that of their co-twins in different stages of life. On an individual level, we found a positive association between current self-reported physical activity and late-life survival for elderly twins. This was supported by the intrapair...... analyses, which revealed a positive association between midlife and current physical activity and late-life survival. A positive association between lower appetite and late-life survival was found generally over the life course in the individual level analyses but not in the intrapair analyses. Kappa...

  12. Joint genome-wide association study for milk fatty acid traits in Chinese and Danish Holstein populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiujin; Buitenhuis, Albert Johannes; Lund, Mogens Sandø

    2015-01-01

    is highly consistent between the Chinese and Danish Holstein populations, such that a joint genome-wide association study (GWAS) can be performed. In this study, a joint GWAS was performed for 16 milk FA traits based on data of 784 Chinese and 371 Danish Holstein cows genotyped by a high-density bovine...... different effects in the 2 populations. Ten FA were influenced by a quantitative trait loci (QTL) region including DGAT1. Both C14:1 and the C14 index were influenced by a QTL region including SCD1 in the combined population. Other QTL regions also showed significant associations with the studied FA....... A large region (14.9–24.9 Mbp) in BTA26 significantly influenced C14:1 and the C14 index in both populations, mostly likely due to the SNP in SCD1. A QTL region (69.97–73.69 Mbp) on BTA9 showed a significantly different effect on C18:0 between the 2 populations. Detection of these important SNP...

  13. Temperament and character in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS: comparison to the general population, and genetic structure analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Garcia

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS is an on-going, large population-based longitudinal twin study. We aimed (1 to investigate the reliability of two different versions (125-items and 238-items of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI used in the CATSS and the validity of extracting the short version from the long version, (2 to compare these personality dimensions between twins and adolescents from the general population, and (3 to investigate the genetic structure of Cloninger's model. METHOD: Reliability and correlation analyses were conducted for both TCI versions, 2,714 CATSS-twins were compared to 631 adolescents from the general population, and the genetic structure was investigated through univariate genetic analyses, using a model-fitting approach with structural equation-modeling techniques based on same-sex twin pairs from the CATSS (423 monozygotic and 408 dizygotic pairs. RESULTS: The TCI scores from the short and long versions showed comparable reliability coefficients and were strongly correlated. Twins scored about half a standard deviation higher in the character scales. Three of the four temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, and Persistence had strong genetic and non-shared environmental effects, while Reward Dependence and the three character dimensions had moderate genetic effects, and both shared and non-shared environmental effects. CONCLUSIONS: Twins showed higher scores in character dimensions compared to adolescents from the general population. At least among adolescents there is a shared environmental influence for all of the character dimensions, but only for one of the temperament dimensions (i.e., Reward Dependence. This specific finding regarding the existence of shared environmental factors behind the character dimensions in adolescence, together with earlier findings showing a small shared environmental effects on character among young adults and no

  14. Overlapping chromosomal regions for fertility traits and production traits in the Danish Holstein population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Höglund, Johanna Karolina; Buitenhuis, A J; Guldbrandtsen, B

    2009-01-01

    , it is of interest to validate which of the subtraits are affected by the QTL. Phenotypic and marker data were collected from 34 grandsire families from the Danish Holstein population. First, the trait data for "fertility treatments" were separated into their underlying subtraits: uterine infections, antibiotics...

  15. Lower urinary tract symptoms--a population survey using the Danish Prostatic Symptom Score (DAN-PSS) questionnaire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kay, L; Stigsby, B; Brasso, K

    1999-01-01

    To describe voiding problems and the trouble they cause in a Danish population. Furthermore, to find symptoms specific for the ageing man, and thereby symptoms that might relate to an enlarged prostate....

  16. Oliver Sacks: Our Correspondence About Twins/Twin Research: Vanishing Twins Syndrome; Discordant Sex in MZ Twins; Pregnancy Outcomes in IVF and ICSI Conceived Twins/Print and Media: Superfetated Twins; Twins Discordant for Smoking; Twins in Fashion; Yale University Twin Hockey Players; Conjoined Twin-Visiting Professor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2017-08-01

    The late neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks, published an insightful 1986 review of Marjorie Wallace's book, The Silent Twins, in the New York Times. Taking exception to his assertion about Sir Francis Galton, I wrote a letter to the Times' editor. The letter was unpublished, but it brought a wonderful response from Sacks himself that is reproduced and examined. Next, brief reviews of twin research concerning the vanishing twin syndrome (VTS), discordant sex in a monozygotic (MZ) twin pair, and multiple pregnancy outcomes from assisted reproductive technology (ART) are presented. This section is followed by popular coverage of superfetated twins, smoking-discordant co-twins, twins in fashion, Yale University twin hockey players, and a visiting professor who was a conjoined twin.

  17. Changes in community and individual level psychosocial coronary risk factors in the Danish MONICA population, 1982-92

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Osler, Merete; Jorgensen, Torben; Gerdes, Lars Ulrik

    2002-01-01

    of the study area. At the same time type A behaviours increased in both men and women, while there were no changes in reported personal problems. The proportion of women living alone increased, while the proportion of emotionally distressed decreased. In men there were no changes in cohabitation status...... or emotional distress. The changes in the psychosocial factors were the same in different educational groups. CONCLUSION: The socioeconomic position of the population improved at the individual and the community level during the study period. This was concurrent with the declining incidence of myocardial......AIM: Myocardial infarction incidence declined by 3-5% per year from 1982-92 in the Danish study population of the WHO MONICA project. This study examined whether psychosocial coronary risk factors changed in the population during this period. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 6,695 Danish men...

  18. Reared-Apart Chinese Twins: Chance Discovery/Twin-Based Research: Twin Study of Media Use; Twin Relations Over the Life Span; Breast-Feeding Opposite-Sex Twins/Print and Online Media: Twins in Fashion; Second Twin Pair Born to Tennis Star; Twin Primes; Twin Pandas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2017-04-01

    A January 2017 reunion of 10-year-old reared-apart Chinese twin girls was captured live on ABC's morning talk show Good Morning America, and rebroadcast on their evening news program Nightline. The twins' similarities and differences, and their participation in ongoing research will be described. This story is followed by reviews of twin research concerning genetic and environmental influences on media use, twin relations across the lifespan and the breast-feeding of opposite-sex twins. Popular interest items include twins in fashion, the second twin pair born to an internationally renowned tennis star, twin primes and twin pandas.

  19. Prevalence of endometrial polyps and abnormal uterine bleeding in a Danish population aged 20-74 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dreisler, E; Stampe Sorensen, S; Ibsen, P H

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of endometrial polyps and to investigate associated abnormal uterine bleeding in a Danish population aged 20-74 years. METHODS: This was a study of a random selection of women from the Danish Civil Registration System: 1660 women were invited of whom 686 were...... verified polyps were asymptomatic. In asymptomatic premenopausal women the prevalence of polyps was 7.6%, while it was 13% in asymptomatic postmenopausal women. AUB, in particular intermenstrual bleeding, was more frequent among women without polyps (38%). By ultrasound examination, submucosal myomas were...

  20. Twin Studies of Atopic Dermatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elmose, Camilla; Thomsen, Simon Francis

    2015-01-01

    Aim. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of population-based twin studies of (a) the concordance and heritability of AD and (b) the relationship between AD and asthma and, furthermore, to reinterpret findings from previous twin studies in the light of the emerging knowledge a...

  1. The Danish Education Registers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Vibeke Myrup; Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz

    to adults continuing education and training stem from administrative education reports. Therefore, for cohorts born 1945-1990, 97 percent of the Danish population has a valid education identifier. For the immigrant population born in the same cohorts the coverage is 85-90 percent. Despite a higher level......Collection of systematic information on education is a long established practice in Denmark. Since 1910, the Danish Ministry of Education's annual reports collects information about individual-level test scores in e.g. compulsory schooling. Today, several registers from compulsory schooling...

  2. The 16th International Twin Congress: Highlights from Madrid/Twin Research: Twin Study of Partner Aggression; ABO Incompatibility in Dizygotic Twins; Growth Discordance in a Monoamniotic Twin Pair; Quick Note on Twin Implantation/In the Media: Long-Lost Twins Found; NASA Twin Experiment; Twin Brothers and the Las Vegas Attack; Retired Twin Airline Pilots; Twin Film Clips.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2018-02-01

    Highlights from the 16th International Twin Congress, held in Madrid, Spain from November 16-18, 2017, are presented. The Twin Congress, formerly held every three years, now takes place biennially with a single-day meeting organized during the off years. This meeting is the largest gathering of scientific twin researchers, medical personnel, and representatives of multiple birth organizations in the world. This overview is followed by reviews of recent twin research and commentary concerning partner aggression, ABO incompatibility in dizygotic twins, growth discordance in a monoamniotic twin pair and twin implantation. The article closes with summaries of timely topics in the media, namely a father's finding of his long-lost twin children, early results from the NASA twin experiment, twin brothers at the center of the October 2017 Las Vegas attack, retired twin airline pilots, and clips from recent films with twin-based themes.

  3. The impact of population ageing on future Danish drug expenditure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kildemoes, Helle Wallach

    expenditure among the elderly partly is due the high "costs of dying". Aims The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of the ageing Danish population on future total expenditures on out-of-hospital prescription drugs and to describe the association between age and drug expenditure among survivors......Background Population ageing is likely to place an increasing burden on future health care budgets. Several studies have demonstrated that the impact of ageing on future hospital expenditures will be overestimated when not accounting for proximity to death. This is because greater health care...... compared to that of decedents. Methods Taking expenditure during the last year of life and the changes in mortality rates into account, future drug expenditure was projected by multiplying estimated mean annual drug expenditure according to age, gender and survival status by the predicted future number...

  4. Brazilian Twin Registry: A Bright Future for Twin Studies/Twin Research: Twin Study of Alcohol Consumption and Mortality; Oxygen Uptake in Adolescent Twins/In the News: Superfecundated Twins In Vietnam; Adolescent Twin Relations; Twin and Triplet Co-Workers; A Special Twin Ultrasound; Monozygotic Twins With Different Skin Color; Identical Twin Returns from Space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2016-06-01

    The establishment of the Brazilian Twin Registry for the study of genetic, social, and cultural influences on behavior is one of eleven newly funded projects in the Department of Psychology at the University of São Paulo. These 11 interrelated projects form the core of the university's Center for Applied Research on Well-Being and Human Behavior. An overview of the planned twin research and activities to date is presented. Next, two recent twin studies are reviewed, one on the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality, and the other on factors affecting maximal oxygen uptake. Twins cited in the media include the first identified superfecundated twins in Vietnam, adolescent twin relations, twins and triplets who work together, monozygotic twins with different skin tones and a co-twin control study that addresses the effects of space travel.

  5. The Danish Education Registers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Vibeke Myrup; Würtz Rasmussen, Astrid

    to adults continuing education and training stem from administrative education reports. Therefore, for cohorts born 1945-1990, 97 percent of the Danish population has a valid education identifier. For the immigrant population born in the same cohorts the coverage is 85-90 percent. Despite a higher level......Collection of systematic information on education is a long established practice in Denmark. Since 1910, the Danish Ministry of Education’s annual reports collects information about individual-level test scores in e.g. compulsory schooling. Today, several registers from compulsory schooling...

  6. The Danish Education Registers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Vibeke Myrup; Rasmussen, Astrid Würtz

    2011-01-01

    Collection of systematic information on education is a long established practice in Denmark. Since 1910, the Danish Ministry of Education’s annual reports collects information about individual-level test scores in e.g. compulsory schooling. Today, several registers from compulsory schooling...... to adults continuing education and training stem from administrative education reports. Therefore, for cohorts born 1945-1990, 97 percent of the Danish population has a valid education identifier. For the immigrant population born in the same cohorts the coverage is 85-90 percent. Despite a higher level...

  7. A note on twin-singleton differences in asthma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Simon Francis; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Backer, Vibeke

    2008-01-01

    Twins constitute a valuable resource for genetic studies of asthma. However, critics argue that twins are 'special' in terms of prenatal environment and upbringing and therefore nonrepresentative. In respect to asthma a small range of studies report differential morbidity in twins compared...... with singletons. We review some of the possible explanations for these findings and conclude that results from twin studies of asthma can be extrapolated to the general population....

  8. The Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gundtoft, Per Hviid; Varnum, Claus; Pedersen, Alma Becic

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register (DHR) is to continuously monitor and improve the quality of treatment of primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: The DHR is a Danish nationwide arthroplasty register established in January 1995...

  9. Weight, length and head circumference standards based on a population of Danish newborn boys and girls in gestational weeks 25 to 43

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulrich, M; Høst, A; Kamper, J

    1997-01-01

    Growth standards of birth weight, birth length and birth head circumference were constructed based on a population of Danish newborn boys and girls in gestational weeks twenty-five to forty-three. Study populations were residents of the municipality of Odense for later gestational ages and reside......Growth standards of birth weight, birth length and birth head circumference were constructed based on a population of Danish newborn boys and girls in gestational weeks twenty-five to forty-three. Study populations were residents of the municipality of Odense for later gestational ages...... and residents of the county of Funen for early gestational ages. Strict selection criteria were employed....

  10. Trends in lifestyle coronary risk factors in the Danish MONICA population 1982-1992

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gerdes, Lars Ulrik; Brønnum-Hansen, H; Osler, M

    2002-01-01

    Myocardial infarction incidence rate declined 3-5% per year during 1982-1992 in the Danish study population of the WHO MONICA Project. We examined whether smoking habits, alcohol intake, dietary habits and physical activity levels changed in the population during the same period. Data from 6695 men...... in 30-, 40- and 50-y-old women, but increased 0.9% per year in 60-y-old women. The percentages of heavy cigarette smoking men and women nevertheless remained constant and close to 30%. Total alcohol intake declined among 30-y-olds, but appeared constant in other age groups. However, among 60-y-old men...

  11. Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders in a Danish 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Cohort Compared to the Total Danish Population-A Nationwide Register Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vangkilde, Anders; Olsen, Line; Hoeffding, Louise K

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Cross-sectional studies have shown associations between 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and schizophrenia. However, large-scale prospective studies have been lacking. We, therefore, conducted the first large-scale population based study on the risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia...... in persons identified with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. METHODS: Danish nationwide registers were linked to establish a cohort consisting of all Danish citizens born during 1955-2004 and the cohort was followed from January 1, 1994 until December 31, 2013. Data were analyzed using survival analyses...... and adjusted for calendar year, age, sex, and parental mental health history. RESULTS: A total of 156 individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome were identified, out of which 6 individuals were diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders following identification with 22q11 deletion syndrome. Identified...

  12. Apgar score is related to development of atopic dermatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naeser, Vibeke; Kahr, Niklas; Stensballe, Lone Graff

    2013-01-01

    . We cross-linked with data from the Danish National Birth Registry and performed cotwin control analysis in order to test the impact of birth characteristics on the risk of atopic dermatitis. Results. Apgar score, OR (per unit) = 1.23 (1.06-1.44), P = 0.008, and female sex, OR = 1.31 (1.06-1.61), P...... = 0.012, were risk factors for atopic dermatitis in cotwin control analysis, whereas birth anthropometric factors were not significantly related to disease development. Risk estimates in monozygotic and dizygotic twins were not significantly different for the identified risk factors. Conclusions......Aim. To study the impact of birth characteristics on the risk of atopic dermatitis in a twin population. Methods. In a population-based questionnaire study of 10,809 twins, 3-9 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry, we identified 907 twin pairs discordant for parent-reported atopic dermatitis...

  13. Familial resemblance in religiousness in a secular society

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Petersen, Inge; Hjelmborg, Jacob

    2013-01-01

    generally considered more religious than the very secular northern European countries. Comparisons of the results are complicated by diverse definitions of religiousness, but several studies indicate that the influence of the family environment is most predominant in early life, whereas genetic influences...... increase with age. We performed a population-based twin study of religiousness in a secular society using data from a Web-based survey sent to 6,707 Danish twins born 1970-1989, who were identified in the Danish Twin Registry. We applied Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of religiousness: cognition...

  14. Association Between Prepartum Maternal Iron Deficiency and Offspring Risk of Schizophrenia: Population-Based Cohort Study With Linkage of Danish National Registers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Holger J; Nielsen, Philip R; Pedersen, Carsten B

    2010-01-01

    Recent findings suggest that maternal iron deficiency may increase the risk of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder in offspring. We initiated this study to determine whether maternal prepartum anemia influences offspring risk of schizophrenia. We conducted a population-based study with individual...... a 1.60-fold (95% confidence interval = 1.16-2.15) increased risk of schizophrenia. Although the underlying mechanisms are unknown and independent replication is needed, our findings suggest that maternal iron deficiency increases offspring risk of schizophrenia....... record linkage of the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, and the Danish National Hospital Register. In a cohort of 1 115 752 Danish singleton births from 1978 to 1998, cohort members were considered as having a maternal history of anemia if the mother had received...

  15. Association Between Prepartum Maternal Iron Deficiency and Offspring Risk of Schizophrenia: Population-Based Cohort Study With Linkage of Danish National Registers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Holger J; Nielsen, Philip R; Pedersen, Carsten B

    2011-01-01

    Recent findings suggest that maternal iron deficiency may increase the risk of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder in offspring. We initiated this study to determine whether maternal prepartum anemia influences offspring risk of schizophrenia. We conducted a population-based study with individual...... a 1.60-fold (95% confidence interval = 1.16-2.15) increased risk of schizophrenia. Although the underlying mechanisms are unknown and independent replication is needed, our findings suggest that maternal iron deficiency increases offspring risk of schizophrenia....... record linkage of the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, and the Danish National Hospital Register. In a cohort of 1 115 752 Danish singleton births from 1978 to 1998, cohort members were considered as having a maternal history of anemia if the mother had received...

  16. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome - diagnosis and prognosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hajrić-Egić Amira

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a serious complication of monozygotic, monochorionic, diamniotic twins resulting from transplacental vascular communications. In this syndrome blood is thought to be shunted from one twin - donor,who develops anaemia,growth retardation and oligoamnios, to the other twin - recipient,who becomes plethoric,macrosomic and develops polyhydroamnios. The incidence of twin-twin transfusion syndrome ranges from 5-15% of all twin pregnancies. If this condition develops in the second trimester, it is usually associated with spontaneous abortion and death of one or both fetuses before viability. Developing the syndrome in the third trimester has better perinatal outcome. Mortality rates ranging from 56%-100%, depending on gestational age and severity of the syndrome. The ultrasound criterias for diagnosis, in this study,were the presence of twins of the same sex with discordant growth, with oligohydroamnios in one twin sac and polyhydroamnios in the other one, one placenta and thin membrane between twins. The present study shows clinical course of 14 cases and value of Doppler ultrasound to analyze the usefulness of umbilical artery blood flow velocimetry for predicting the risk of twin-twin transfusion syndrome. 14 twin pregnancies with twin-twin transfusion syndrome were diagnosed during the last four years period and prospectivelly followed. 9 cases were diagnosed before the completion od 28 weeks of gestation.The mean gestational age was 21,6_+4,2 weeks at diagnosis and 23,2+_3,6 weeks at delivery. 5 cases were diagnosed after 28 weeks of gestation. The mean gestational age in this group was 29,6+_2,1 weeks at diagnosis and 33+_3,3 weeks at delivery. The survival rate in this study was 29%(8/28.9 cases ended in spontaneous abortion between 18th and 27th weeks of pregnancy (table 1 and 5 in premature labor (table 2.There were 7 intrauterine death (5 at admission and 2 few days after admission and 13 neonatal deaths

  17. Trends in selected biological risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the Danish MONICA population, 1982-1992

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gerdes, L U; Brønnum-Hansen, H; Madsen, Mette

    2000-01-01

    Data from 6695 men and women of ages 30, 40, 50, and 60 years, examined in the Danish WHO MONICA surveys in 1982-84, in 1986-87, and in 1991-92, were analyzed to estimate secular trends in body height and weight, blood pressure, and serum total, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. Body...... height increased 0.1% per year, and body mass index increased 0.4% per year in women. Diastolic blood pressure increased 0.4% per year in women and 0.6% per year in 60-year-old men. HDL cholesterol declined 0.4% per year. Body mass indices in men, diastolic blood pressures in men age......, systolic blood pressures, total- and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride did not change. The levels of biological risk factors in the Danish WHO MONICA study population did not show trends during the 1980s that help explain the declining incidence of myocardial infarction in the population....

  18. Effect of birth order on neonatal morbidity and mortality among very low birthweight twins: a population based study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinwell, E; Blickstein, I; Lusky, A; Reichman, B

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study the effect of birth order on the risk for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), chronic lung disease (CLD), adverse neurological findings, and death in very low birthweight (VLBW; < 1500 g) twins. Methods: A population based study of VLBW infants from the Israel National VLBW Infant Database. The sample included all complete sets of VLBW twin pairs admitted to all 28 neonatal intensive care units between 1995 and 1999. Outcome variables were compared by birth order and stratified by mode of delivery and gestational age, using General Estimating Equation models, with results expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Second twins were at increased risk for RDS (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.76), CLD (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.66), and death (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.51) but not for adverse neurological findings (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.60). Mode of delivery did not significantly influence outcome. The odds ratio for RDS in the second twin was inversely related to gestational age, and the increased risk for RDS and CLD was found in both vaginal and caesarean deliveries. Conclusions: VLBW second twins are at increased risk for acute and chronic lung disease and neonatal mortality, irrespective of mode of delivery. PMID:14977899

  19. The number of persons with alcohol problems in the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anders B.G.; Hvidtfeldt, Ulla Arthur; Grønbæk, Morten

    2011-01-01

    , which included a personal interview of 14,566 individuals (response rate 66.7 %), and of 5,552 individuals who completed a self-administered questionnaire containing the Alcohol Use Disorder Test (AUDIT) (response rate 50.9%). Heavy drinkers were defined as consuming >14/21 drinks/week (women....... Results: In the Danish population, 20% were heavy drinkers (862,876 persons 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 672,002—1,195,069), 14% had harmful alcohol use (620,301 persons 95% CI: 439,221—944,992), 3% were dependent drinkers (147,528 persons 95% CI: 118,196—188,384). Being male was associated...

  20. Is suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) associated with subclinical depression in the Danish General Suburban Population Study?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kvetny, Jan; Ellervik, Christina; Bech, Per

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The first phase of the Danish General Suburban Population Study (GESUS) including 8214 individuals was an attempt to evaluate the association between subclinical hypothyroidism without or with elevated peroxidase antibodies and depression. No such association was found. In the second...

  1. The independence of physical attractiveness and symptoms of depression in a female twin population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGovern, R J; Neale, M C; Kendler, K S

    1996-03-01

    The relationship between physical attractiveness and symptoms of depression was investigated in a general population simple of 1,100 female twins. Photographs were rated by 4 raters. Symptoms of depression were measured by the Depression sub-scale of the SCL-54, by a self-rating based on the DSM-III-R, and by an MD diagnosis based on a structured interview (SCID). No relationships between ratings of physical attractiveness and symptoms of depression were found.

  2. Perinatal hepatic infarction in twin-twin transfusion.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Sullivan, M J

    2012-02-03

    We report a case of a twin pregnancy which was complicated by a twin-twin transfusion in which the recipient twin was noted to have an intra-abdominal echogenic mass. This twin died at two days of age of hepatic infarction. The donor twin was healthy at birth, at thirty weeks\\' gestation, and did not have any subsequent problems. Fetal intra-abdominal echogenicity may be a marker of hepatic infarction.

  3. The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Steinbjørn

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) was established by the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group as a national clinical database. It was established for the purpose of supporting research and development in adult patients with primary brain tumors in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: DNOR has...... advantage of reporting indicators is the related multidisciplinary discussions giving a better understanding of what actually is going on, thereby facilitating the work on adjusting the national guidelines in the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group. CONCLUSION: The establishment of DNOR has optimized the quality...

  4. The database of the Danish Renal Cancer Group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Astrid Christine; Søgaard, Mette; Mehnert, Frank

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF THE DATABASE: The main purpose of the database of the Danish Renal Cancer Group (DaRenCaData) is to improve the quality of renal cancer treatment in Denmark and secondarily to conduct observational research. STUDY POPULATION: DaRenCaData includes all Danish patients with a first......-time diagnosis of renal cancer in the Danish National Pathology Registry since August 1, 2010. MAIN VARIABLES: DaRenCaData holds data on demographic characteristics, treatments, and pathology collected through linkage to central registries and online registration of a few clinical key variables. Eight quality...... indicators have been selected for monitoring treatment quality and outcome after renal cancer. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The incidence of renal cancer in Denmark has increased from 12.7 per 100,000 population-years in 2010-2011 to 15.9 per 100,000 population-years in 2014-2015. A total of 3,977 Danish patients...

  5. Linkage between the Danish National Health Service Prescription Database, the Danish Fetal Medicine Database, and other Danish registries as a tool for the study of drug safety in pregnancy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Lars Henning; Petersen, Olav Bjørn; Nørgaard, Mette

    2016-01-01

    A linked population-based database is being created in Denmark for research on drug safety during pregnancy. It combines information from the Danish National Health Service Prescription Database (with information on all prescriptions reimbursed in Denmark since 2004), the Danish Fetal Medicine...

  6. Genetic determinants of hair and eye colours in the Scottish and Danish populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mengel-From, Jonas; Wong, Terence H; Morling, Niels

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Eye and hair colour is highly variable in the European population, and is largely genetically determined. Both linkage and association studies have previously been used to identify candidate genes underlying this variation. Many of the genes found were previously known as underlying...... mutant mouse phenotypes or human genetic disease, but others, previously unsuspected as pigmentation genes, have also been discovered. RESULTS: We assayed the hair of a population of individuals of Scottish origin using tristimulus colorimetry, in order to produce a quantitative measure of hair colour....... Cluster analysis of this data defined two groups, with overlapping borders, which corresponded to visually assessed dark versus red/light hair colour. The Danish population was assigned into categorical hair colour groups. Both cohorts were also assessed for eye colour. DNA from the Scottish group...

  7. Playing a Musical Instrument as a Protective Factor against Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Twin Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balbag, M Alison; Pedersen, Nancy L; Gatz, Margaret

    2014-01-01

    Increasing evidence supports that playing a musical instrument may benefit cognitive development and health at young ages. Whether playing an instrument provides protection against dementia has not been established. In a population-based cotwin control study, we examined the association between playing a musical instrument and whether or not the twins developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Participation in playing an instrument was taken from informant-based reports of twins' leisure activities. Dementia diagnoses were based on a complete clinical workup using standard diagnostic criteria. Among 157 twin pairs discordant for dementia and cognitive impairment, 27 pairs were discordant for playing an instrument. Controlling for sex, education, and physical activity, playing a musical instrument was significantly associated with less likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36 [95% confidence interval 0.13-0.99]). These findings support further consideration of music as a modifiable protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment.

  8. Awareness of human papillomavirus in 23 000 Danish men from the general male population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Ann; Munk, Christian; Liaw, Kai-Li

    2009-01-01

    Men play an important role in transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV). Both in men and in women HPV causes great morbidity, such as cervical cancer, penile and anal cancer, and genital warts. The awareness of HPV and its consequences is essential to a successful vaccination program against HPV....... In this study, we assessed awareness of HPV in Danish men. A random sample of men aged 18-45 years from the general male population was invited to participate in the study. The participants filled in a self-administered questionnaire with questions concerning awareness of HPV, lifestyle, and sexual habits....... In the period from November 2006 to June 2007, more than 23 000 men were included in the study (participation rate approximately 71%). Overall, 10% of the participants reported to have heard of HPV. Comparison with an earlier study in Danish women showed lower awareness in men than in women (25%). Higher...

  9. The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry, revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilley, Emily C H; Silberg, Judy L

    2013-02-01

    The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR) is a population-based registry of more than 56,000 twins primarily born or living in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The MATR employs several methods of ascertaining twins, and devotes considerable resources to tracking and maintaining communication with MATR participants. Researchers may utilize the MATR for administration of research services including study recruitment, collection of DNA, archival data set creation, as well as data collection through mailed, phone, or online surveys. In addition, the MATR houses the MATR Repository, with over 1,200 blood samples available for researchers interested in DNA genotyping. For over 35 years MATR twins have participated in research studies with investigators from diverse scientific disciplines and various institutions. These studies, which have resulted in numerous publications, have covered a range of topics, including the human microbiome, developmental psychopathology, depression, anxiety, substance use, epigenetics of aging, children of twins, pre-term birth, social attitudes, seizures, eating disorders, as well as sleep homeostasis. Researchers interested in utilizing twins are encouraged to contact the MATR to discuss potential research opportunities.

  10. Hyperthyroidism is associated with work disability and loss of labour market income

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brandt, Frans; Thvilum, Marianne; Hegedüs, Laszlo

    2015-01-01

    nodular goitre (TNG) HR was 2.10 (95% CI: 1.02-4.36). With respect to labour market income, the income of hyperthyroid individuals increased on average 1189 € less than their controls (Psimilar results...... market income. Similar results in monozygotic twins discordant for hyperthyroidism suggest that genetic confounding is unlikely.......OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk of disability pension and changes in labour market income in patients with hyperthyroidism. METHODS: From a 5% random sample of the Danish population and twins from the Danish Twin Registry we identified 1942 hyperthyroid singletons and 7768 non-hyperthyroid (matched...

  11. Impaired Fertility Associated with Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Thyroid Autoimmunity: The Danish General Suburban Population Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Dorthe Feldthusen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The aim of this study was to estimate the significance of TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb, and mild (subclinical hypothyroidism in women from The Danish General Suburban Population Study (GESUS on the number of children born, the number of pregnancies, and the number of spontaneous abortions. Methods. Retrospective cross sectional study of 11254 women participating in GESUS. Data included biochemical measurements and a self-administrated questionnaire. Results. 6.7% had mild (subclinical hypothyroidism and 9.4% prevalent hypothyroidism. In women with mild hypothyroidism TPOAb was significantly elevated and age at first child was older compared to controls. TSH and TPOAb were negatively linearly associated with the number of children born and the number of pregnancies in the full cohort in age-adjusted and multiadjusted models. TSH or TPOAb was not associated with spontaneous abortions. Mild (subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with a risk of not having children and a risk of not getting pregnant in age-adjusted and multiadjusted models. Prevalent hypothyroidism was not associated with the number of children born, the number of pregnancies, or spontaneous abortions. Conclusion. Impaired fertility is associated with TSH, TPOAb, and mild (subclinical hypothyroidism in a Danish population of women.

  12. Disease-Concordant Twins Empower Genetic Association Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tan, Qihua; Li, Weilong; Vandin, Fabio

    2017-01-01

    and ordinary healthy samples as controls. We examined the power gain of the twin-based design for various scenarios (i.e., cases from monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs concordant for a disease) and compared the power with the ordinary case-control design with cases collected from the unrelated patient...... concordant for a disease, should confer increased power in genetic association analysis because of their genetic relatedness. We conducted a computer simulation study to explore the power advantage of the disease-concordant twin design, which uses singletons from disease-concordant twin pairs as cases...... population. Simulation was done by assigning various allele frequencies and allelic relative risks for different mode of genetic inheritance. In general, for achieving a power estimate of 80%, the sample sizes needed for dizygotic and monozygotic twin cases were one half and one fourth of the sample size...

  13. Prevalence of sunburn and sun-related behaviour in the Danish population: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Køster, Brian; Thorgaard, Camilla; Philip, Anja; Clemmensen, Inge H

    2010-07-01

    In Denmark, the incidence of melanoma has been increasing since the 1960s. Intermittent exposure to ultraviolet radiation and a history of sunburn and sunbed use are known risk factors. We describe the association between use of protective measures, sun-related behaviour and experience of sunburn in the Danish population three months after the start of the campaign. A population-based sample of 3,499 persons aged 15-59 years completed a questionnaire that included items on exposure to ultraviolet radiation. We examined the relations between sunburn and sun-related behaviour by logistic regression analysis. Within the previous 12 months, 35% of the study population had experienced sunburn. Sunburn became less frequent with age (odds ratio (OR) 4.44; 15-19 vs. 50-59) and skin type (OR 2.57; I vs. III). Sunburn was negatively associated with shade and clothing and positively with use of sunscreens. We found no significant difference in sunscreen use between intentional tanners who experienced sunburn and those who did not. A larger fraction of unintentional tanners with sunburn than those who were not sunburnt had used sunscreen. Sunscreen was used to prolong the time spent in the sun by 66% of sunburnt people; however, we found no association between duration of sun exposure and sunscreen use. Future campaigns to reduce the prevalence of sunburn in the Danish population must especially target young persons and intentional tanning, and they should emphasize that sunscreen cannot be used to extend the time spent in the sun and that shade and clothing provide the best protection against sunburn.

  14. 'Biracial'-Looking Twins: A New Twin Type?/Twin Research: Twins with Cystic Teratomas; Sleep Quality and Body Mass Index; Previable Membrane Rupture/Print and Online Reports: Twins Born to a Sister Surrogate; NASA Twin Study; African-Cosmopolitan Twin Fashion Inspirations; Triplet Hockey Stars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2017-06-01

    Dizygotic (DZ) co-twins born to mothers and fathers from different racial or ethnic backgrounds often resemble one parent much more than the other. As such, these pairs comprise a unique subset of twins for investigating how others' responses to their different looks may affect their personalities and self-esteem. This article describes some of these twin pairs and some challenges of raising them, and suggests ways they may be used in research. Next, recent twin research on cystic teratomas, relations between sleep quality and body mass index, and previable membrane rupture is described. The final section concerns twins, twin studies, and related events in the media, namely: twins born to a sister surrogate, the NASA twin investigation, inspiring African-Cosmopolitan twins in fashion, and triplet Hockey Stars.

  15. Occupational Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Danish Population-Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Würtz, Else Toft; Schlünssen, Vivi; Malling, Tine Halsen; Hansen, Jens Georg; Omland, Øyvind

    2015-08-01

    The aim was to explore the impact of occupation on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a cross-sectional population-based study among subjects aged 45 to 84 years. In a stratified sampling 89 general practitioners practices (GPP) in Denmark recruited 3106 males and 1636 females through the Danish Civil Registration System. COPD was defined by spirometry by the 2.5(th)-centile Lower Limit of Normal of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. Information about smoking, occupational exposure and the respective occupations were obtained from questionnaires. Occupations followed the Danish adaptation of The International Standard Classification of Occupations, revision 1988 (DISCO-88). Exposure to vapour, gas, dust (organic and inorganic), and fume (VGDF) in each occupation (yes/no) was evaluated by two independent specialist in occupational medicine. Exposures were divided in no, low, medium, and high exposure as 0, occupation with VGDF exposure. Adjusted for smoking, age, sex, and GPP a dose-dependent association of COPD was found among workers in jobs with high organic dust exposure, with OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.09-2.24). Restricted to agriculture the OR was 1.59 (95% CI: 1.08-2.33). No association was observed for workers in jobs with inorganic dust, fume/gas, or vapour exposures. In summary, occupational organic dust exposure was associated to the prevalence of COPD.

  16. The Danish Testicular Cancer database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daugaard, Gedske; Kier, Maria Gry Gundgaard; Bandak, Mikkel

    2016-01-01

    AIM: The nationwide Danish Testicular Cancer database consists of a retrospective research database (DaTeCa database) and a prospective clinical database (Danish Multidisciplinary Cancer Group [DMCG] DaTeCa database). The aim is to improve the quality of care for patients with testicular cancer (TC......) in Denmark, that is, by identifying risk factors for relapse, toxicity related to treatment, and focusing on late effects. STUDY POPULATION: All Danish male patients with a histologically verified germ cell cancer diagnosis in the Danish Pathology Registry are included in the DaTeCa databases. Data...... collection has been performed from 1984 to 2007 and from 2013 onward, respectively. MAIN VARIABLES AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The retrospective DaTeCa database contains detailed information with more than 300 variables related to histology, stage, treatment, relapses, pathology, tumor markers, kidney function...

  17. The Danish Lung Cancer Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Erik; Rasmussen, Torben Riis

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR) was established by the Danish Lung Cancer Group. The primary and first goal of the DLCR was to improve survival and the overall clinical management of Danish lung cancer patients. STUDY POPULATION: All Danish primary lung cancer patients since...... 2000 are included into the registry and the database today contains information on more than 50,000 cases of lung cancer. MAIN VARIABLES: The database contains information on patient characteristics such as age, sex, diagnostic procedures, histology, tumor stage, lung function, performance...... the results are commented for local, regional, and national audits. Indicator results are supported by descriptive reports with details on diagnostics and treatment. CONCLUSION: DLCR has since its creation been used to improve the quality of treatment of lung cancer in Denmark and it is increasingly used...

  18. Remembering Irving I. Gottesman: Twin Research Colleague and Friend Extraordinaire/Research Studies: Face-Lift Technique Comparison in Identical Twins; Raising Preterm Twins; Fetal Behavior in Dichorionic Twin Pregnancies; Co-Bedding and Stress Reduction in Twins/Public Interest: Identical Co-Twins' Same Day Delivery; Teaching Twins in Bosnia; Twin Auctioneers; Sister, the Play.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2016-12-01

    Dr Irving I. Gottesman, a colleague, friend, and long-time member of the International Society of Twin Studies passed away on June 29, 2016. His contributions to twin research and some personal reflections are presented to honor both the man and the memory. This tribute is followed by short reviews of twin research concerning differences between cosmetic surgical techniques, the rearing of preterm twins, behavioral observations of dichorionic fetal twins, and the outcomes of co-bedding twins with reference to stress reduction. Interesting and informative articles in the media describe identical co-twins who delivered infants on the same day, educational policies regarding twins in Bosnia and the United Kingdom, unusual practices of twin auctioneers, and a theatrical production, Sister, featuring identical twins in the leading roles.

  19. Maternal obesity in singleton versus twin gestations: a population-based matched case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucovnik, Miha; Blickstein, Isaac; Verdenik, Ivan; Trojner-Bregar, Andreja; Tul, Natasa

    2015-04-01

    To examine the impact of pre-pregnancy obesity on adverse outcomes in twin compared to singleton pregnancies. Dichorionic twin gestations with maternal body mass index >30 were matched to three singleton controls. Both obese groups were matched (1:3) with non-obese controls. Rates of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cesarean section, and preterm birth were compared. One hundred eighty-nine dichorionic twin pregnancies in obese mothers were matched to 567 twin pregnancies in non-obese mothers, and to 567 singleton pregnancies in obese mothers. The latter were matched to 1701 non-obese mothers with singletons. Preeclampsia was more common in obese mothers with both twins and singletons (odds ratio (OR) 3.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.18-7.16 and OR 6.53, 95% CI 3.75-11.4, respectively) as was gestational diabetes (OR 4.35, 95% CI 2.18-8.69; OR 5.53 95% CI 3.60-8.50). Obese mothers with singletons were more likely to deliver abdominally, but the cesarean rates were obesity independent in twins. Obese mothers were more likely to deliver at Obesity-attributable adverse outcomes are lower in twins compared to singletons. Obesity increases the risk of preterm birth regardless of plurality.

  20. DNA methylation age is associated with mortality in a longitudinal Danish twin study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Lene; Lenart, Adam; Tan, Qihua

    2016-01-01

    included a 10-year longitudinal study of the 86 oldest-old twins (mean age of 86.1 at follow-up), which subsequently were followed for mortality for 8 years. We found that the DNAm age is highly correlated with chronological age across all age groups (r = 0.97), but that the rate of change of DNAm age...

  1. [Adult twins].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlemaine, Christiane

    2006-12-31

    This paper explores the deep roots of closeness that twins share in their youngest age and their effect on their destiny at the adult age. Psychologists believe the bond between twins begins in utero and develops throughout the twins' lives. The four patterns of twinship described show that the twin bond is determined by the quality of parenting that twins receive in their infancy and early childhood. Common problems of adult twins bring about difficulties to adapt in a non-twin world. The nature versus nurture controversy has taken on new life focusing on inter-twin differences and the importance of parent-child interaction as fundamental to the growth and development of personality.

  2. Psychosocial Development in a Danish Population of Children with Cochlear Implants and Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dammeyer, Jesper

    2010-01-01

    Research has shown a prevalence of psychosocial difficulties ranging from about 20% to 50% among children with hearing loss. This study evaluates the prevalence of psychosocial difficulties in a Danish population in relation to different explanatory variables. Five scales and questionnaires measuring sign language, spoken language, hearing…

  3. Is compliance with hospital accreditation Associated with length of stay and acute readmission? A Danish nationwide population-base study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Falstie-Jensen, Anne Mette; Nørgaard, Mette; Hollnagel, Erik

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between compliance with hospital accreditation and length of stay (LOS) and acute readmission (AR). DESIGN: A nationwide population-based follow-up study from November 2009 to December 2012. SETTING: Public, non-psychiatric Danish hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: In-...

  4. Socioeconomic position and breast reconstruction in Danish women

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvilsom, Gitte B; Hölmich, Lisbet R; Frederiksen, Kirsten Skovsgaard

    2011-01-01

    Few studies have been conducted on the socioeconomic position of women undergoing breast reconstruction, and none have been conducted in the Danish population. We investigated the association between educational level and breast reconstruction in a nationwide cohort of Danish women with breast...

  5. The Fourth International Network of Twin Registries: Overview from Osaka/Research Reviews: Familial Fraternal Twinning; Twin Study of Masculine Faces; Physical Aggression and Epigenetics; Prenatal Education for Parents of Twins/Current Events: 2016 Guinness Book of World Records; Oldest Living Male Twins; Twins Reunited at Sixty-Nine; Panda Twins; Twins.com.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2015-12-01

    The 4th International Network of Twin Registries (INTR) Consortium Meeting took place in Osaka, Japan, September 28-29, 2015. The venue was the Osaka Medical Center for Medical Innovation and Translational Research. An overview of presentations and other activities is provided. Next, 1930s research on familial fraternal twinning, preference for masculine faces, physical aggression and epigenetics, and a prenatal education program for parents of multiples are described. Current twin-related events include the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records (GWR), the oldest living male twins, newly reunited twins, the birth of panda twins and a controversial twin-based website.

  6. Radioactive substances in the Danish building materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulbak, K.

    1986-01-01

    Building materials as any other materials of natural occurrence contain small concentrations of natural radioactive elements. This natural radioactivity affects people inside buildings. This publiccation refers measurements of the Danish building materials, and radiation doses originating from this source affecting the Danish population are related to the other components of background radioactivity. (EG)

  7. The Danish Heart Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Özcan, Cengiz; Juel, Knud; Lassen, Jens Flensted

    2016-01-01

    AIM: The Danish Heart Registry (DHR) seeks to monitor nationwide activity and quality of invasive diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with ischemic heart disease as well as valvular heart disease and to provide data for research. STUDY POPULATION: All adult (≥15 years) patients...... undergoing coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting, and heart valve surgery performed across all Danish hospitals were included. MAIN VARIABLES: The DHR contains a subset of the data stored in the Eastern and Western Denmark Heart Registries (EDHR...

  8. The Placenta in Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome and Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couck, Isabel; Lewi, Liesbeth

    2016-06-01

    Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) are complications unique to monochorionic twin pregnancies and their shared circulation. Both are the result of the transfusion imbalance in the intertwin circulation. TTTS is characterized by an amniotic fluid discordance, whereas in TAPS, there is a severe discordance in hemoglobin levels. The article gives an overview of the typical features of TTTS and TAPS placentas.

  9. Increased risk of type 2 diabetes in elderly twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Pernille; Grunnet, Louise G; Pilgaard, Kasper

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Genetic susceptibility, low birth weight (LBW), and aging are key etiological factors in the development of type 2 diabetes. LBW is common among twins. It is unknown whether twin status per se is associated with risk of type 2 diabetes, and valid concordance rates of type 2 diabetes...... in twins on a lifetime perspective are lacking. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A clinical study was done on a population-based cohort of same-sex elderly monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins (n = 297) and singleton control subjects (C) (n = 71) including measures of anthropometry and glucose tolerance...

  10. Intake of macro- and micronutrients in Danish vegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristensen, Nadja B; Madsen, Mia L; Hansen, Tue H; Allin, Kristine H; Hoppe, Camilla; Fagt, Sisse; Lausten, Mia S; Gøbel, Rikke J; Vestergaard, Henrik; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf

    2015-10-30

    Since information about macro- and micronutrient intake among vegans is limited we aimed to determine and evaluate their dietary and supplementary intake. Seventy 18-61 years old Danish vegans completed a four-day weighed food record from which their daily intake of macro- and micronutrients was assessed and subsequently compared to an age-range-matched group of 1,257 omnivorous individuals from the general Danish population. Moreover, the vegan dietary and supplementary intake was compared to the 2012 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Dietary intake differed significantly between vegans and the general Danish population in all measured macro- and micronutrients (p vegans the intake of macro- and micronutrients (including supplements) did not reach the NNR for protein, vitamin D, iodine and selenium. Among vegan women vitamin A intake also failed to reach the recommendations. With reference to the NNR, the dietary content of added sugar, sodium and fatty acids, including the ratio of PUFA to SFA, was more favorable among vegans. At the macronutrient level, the diet of Danish vegans is in better accordance with the NNR than the diet of the general Danish population. At the micronutrient level, considering both diet and supplements, the vegan diet falls short in certain nutrients, suggesting a need for greater attention toward ensuring recommended daily intake of specific vitamins and minerals.

  11. Antenatal management of twin-twin transfusion syndrome and twin anemia-polycythemia sequence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slaghekke, Femke; Zhao, Depeng P; Middeldorp, Johanna M; Klumper, Frans J; Haak, Monique C; Oepkes, Dick; Lopriore, Enrico

    2016-08-01

    Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) are severe complications in monochorionic twin pregnancies associated with high mortality and morbidity risk if left untreated. Both diseases result from imbalanced inter-twin blood transfusion through placental vascular anastomoses. This review focuses on the differences in antenatal management between TTTS and TAPS. Expert commentary: The optimal management for TTTS is fetoscopic laser coagulation of the vascular anastomoses, preferably using the Solomon technique in which the whole vascular equator is coagulated. The Solomon technique is associated with a reduction of residual anastomosis and a reduction in post-operative complications. The optimal management for TAPS is not clear and includes expectant management, intra-uterine transfusion with or without partial exchange transfusion and fetoscopic laser surgery.

  12. The Danish Sarcoma Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Peter Holmberg; Lausten, Gunnar Schwarz; Pedersen, Alma B

    2016-01-01

    AIM: The aim of the database is to gather information about sarcomas treated in Denmark in order to continuously monitor and improve the quality of sarcoma treatment in a local, a national, and an international perspective. STUDY POPULATION: Patients in Denmark diagnosed with a sarcoma, both...... skeletal and ekstraskeletal, are to be registered since 2009. MAIN VARIABLES: The database contains information about appearance of symptoms; date of receiving referral to a sarcoma center; date of first visit; whether surgery has been performed elsewhere before referral, diagnosis, and treatment; tumor...... of Diseases - tenth edition codes and TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours, and date of death (after yearly coupling to the Danish Civil Registration System). Data quality and completeness are currently secured. CONCLUSION: The Danish Sarcoma Database is population based and includes sarcomas occurring...

  13. Cynical hostility, socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and symptom load: a cross-sectional analysis in a Danish population-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Ulla; Lund, Rikke; Damsgaard, Mogens Trab

    2004-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cross-sectional association between cynical hostility and high symptom load in a Danish population-based study. Furthermore, the aim was to investigate to what extent health risk behaviors mediated this association. METHODS: Data were based on a postal questionnaire...

  14. Contact dermatitis to hair dyes in a Danish adult population: an interview-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søsted, H; Hesse, U; Menné, T

    2005-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Contact allergy to hair dye ingredients is a well-known entity seen both in consumers using hair dyes and among hairdressers with occupational contact dermatitis. Surveys show that consumers with even severe adverse skin reactions to hair dyes only rarely contact the healthcare services....... The frequency of hair dye-induced skin reactions in the consumer population is unknown. OBJECTIVES: An epidemiological investigation with the aim of establishing the proportion of hair dye-induced skin reactions was performed in a population-based sample. METHODS: A representative random sample (n = 4000......) was taken of the Danish adult population. Personal interview questions were asked regarding adverse skin reactions to hair dyes, either compatible with a classical allergic eczematous reaction with redness, scaling and itching or a severe allergic reaction with oedema of the forehead and face. The response...

  15. A Possible Twin: The 1960s Twin Study Revisited/Twin Research: Twin-to-Twin Heart Transplantation; Distinguishing Monozygotic Twins; Twin Conceptions via Oocyte Donation; Factors Affecting Craniofacial Traits/In the Media: Triplet Delivery in the UK; Conjoined Twins and the Concept of Self; Colombian Twin Trainers; Skin Grafting to Save an Identical Co-Twin; Lack of Physical Flaws in Dolly the Cloned Sheep; Possible Conjoined Twins of Opposite-Sex; Passing of the Remaining Twin From the World's Longest Separated Pair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2018-04-01

    This article begins with the story of a 51-year-old Los Angeles, California man, Justin Goldberg, whose daughter caught a glimpse of his striking look-alike at a popular market. Many people have so-called doppelgängers, but this occurrence is especially intriguing - the individual in question, born in New York City in the mid-1960s to an unwed mother, was an adoptee placed by the Louise Wise Adoption Agency. This agency, under the guidance of a prominent psychiatrist, decided to place twins in separate homes. Some of these twin children were part of a controversial child development study that was hidden from them and their parents. Next, recent and current twin research on heart transplantation, distinguishing monozygotic co-twins, twin conceptions via oocyte donation and factors affecting craniofacial traits are summarized. The article concludes with highlights on twins in the media, specifically, a triplet delivery in the United Kingdom, self-concept and consciousness in conjoined twins, Colombian twin trainers, skin grafting to save an identical co-twin, lack of physical flaws in Dolly the cloned sheep, possible opposite-sex conjoined twins, and the passing of the remaining twin from the world's longest separated pair.

  16. Calculation of individual and population doses on Danish territory resulting from hypothetical core-melt accidents at the Barsebaeck reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    Individual and population doses within Danish territory are calculated from hypothetical, severe core-melt accidents at the Swedish nuclear plant at Barsebaeck. The fission product inventory of the Barsebaeck reactor is calculated. The release fractions for the accidents are taken from WASH-1400. Based on parametric studies, doses are calculated for very unfavourable, but not incredible weather conditions. The probability of such conditions in combination with wind direction towards Danish territory is estimated. Doses to bone marrow, lungs, GI-tract and thyroid are calculated based on dose models developed at Risoe. These doses are found to be consistent with doses calculated with the models used in WASH-1400. (author)

  17. Biannual monitoring of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid susceptibility in Danish pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus F.) populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaiser, Caroline; Kristensen, Michael; Jensen, Karl-Martin Vagn

    2015-01-01

    ) were used. Pollen beetle populations were collected from 47 locations of Denmark with the help of the consultants and the farmers of the various regions in 2014. Further six populations were tested from Sweden and one from Germany. In the following year 2015, the monitoring continued to find out......The pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus F.) is a serious pest in the northern countries in oilseed rape. To determine the present level of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid susceptibility of Danish pollen beetle populations, standardized methods recommended by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee......, if the resistance level which was determined in 2014 was stable in selected regions. Therefore pollen beetle populations from 14 locations in Denmark and five locations in Germany have been tested. For all tests the standardised methods for pyrethroids, the Adult-vial-test No. 11 and the Adult-vials-test No. 21...

  18. The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Helle Mätzke; Nordbye-Nielsen, Kirsten; Møller-Madsen, Bjarne

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program is a combined follow-up program and national clinical quality database that aims to monitor and improve the quality of health care for children with cerebral palsy (CP). STUDY POPULATION: The database includes children with CP aged 0...... indicators in three of five regions in Denmark comprising 432 children with CP, corresponding to a coverage of 82% of the expected population. CONCLUSION: The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program is currently under development as a national clinical quality database in Denmark. The database holds...

  19. Highlights from the 15th International Congress of Twin Studies/Twin Research: Differentiating MZ Co-twins Via SNPs; Mistaken Infant Twin-Singleton Hospital Registration; Narcolepsy With Cataplexy; Hearing Loss and Language Learning/Media Mentions: Broadway Musical Recalls Conjoined Hilton Twins; High Fashion Pair; Twins Turn 102; Insights From a Conjoined Twin Survivor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2015-02-01

    Highlights from the 15th International Congress of Twin Studies are presented. The congress was held November 16-19, 2014 in Budapest, Hungary. This report is followed by summaries of research addressing the differentiation of MZ co-twins by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), an unusual error in infant twin-singleton hospital registration, twins with childhood-onset narcolepsy with cataplexy, and the parenting effects of hearing loss in one co-twin. Media interest in twins covers a new Broadway musical based on the conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, male twins becoming famous in fashion, twins who turned 102 and unique insights from a conjoined twin survivor. This article is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth (Liz) Hamel, DZA twin who met her co-twin for the first time at age seventy-eight years. Liz and her co-twin, Ann Hunt, are listed in the 2015 Guinness Book of Records as the longest separated twins in the world.

  20. Trends in the obstetric features and management of twin pregnancies.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Smith, K E

    2010-03-01

    There are no reports outlining the trends in obstetric features and clinical management of twin pregnancies in an Irish obstetric population. The aim of this study was to investigate these factors for all twin pregnancies delivered during the 19 year period between 1989 and 2007, at Galway University Hospital (GUH). There were 52,199 infants delivered at GUH, of which 1594 infants (3.05% of births) were twins, related to 797 twin pregnancies. The overall incidence of twin pregnancies was 1.52%, increasing from 0.8%-1.0% in the early years of the study to 1.7-1.8% in the latter years of the study (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in incidence of twins born to mothers aged 30-39 years, alongside a significant reduction to mothers aged 20-29 years (P<0.01). The caesarean section rate overall was 41.5% (331\\/797), of which 54% (n=179) were elective, and 46% (n=152) were emergency, representing an emergency caesarean section rate of 19.1% of all twin pregnancies, and of 24.6% after exclusion of elective caesarean sections. The caesarean section rate for twins increased from 30% in 1989 to greater than 50% in the latter years of the study (P<0.01), related largely to a significant increase in elective caesarean sections (P<0.01). The combined vaginal-caesarean delivery rate was remarkably low at 0.75% of all twin pregnancies, and 1% after exclusion of elective caesarean sections. The preterm delivery rates were 4.1% (<32 weeks), and 16.3% (<36 weeks), with an overall perinatal mortality rate of 37 per 1000. These findings highlight the altered demographic and clinical aspects of twin pregnancies in an Irish obstetric population.

  1. Patterns of sedentary time and ambulatory physical activity in a Danish population of girls and women with Rett syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stahlhut, Michelle; Downs, Jenny; Aadahl, Mette

    2018-01-01

    in a Danish population of females with RTT. Advancing age and lower walking skills were associated with higher levels of sedentary time. Implications for Rehabilitation Sedentary lifestyles in individuals with disabilities have a negative impact on health and quality of life. High levels of sedentary time...

  2. The Danish National Acute Leukemia Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østgård, Lene Sofie Granfeldt; Nørgaard, Jan Maxwell; Raaschou-Jensen, Klas Kræsten

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The main aim of the Danish National Acute Leukemia Registry (DNLR) was to obtain information about the epidemiology of the hematologic cancers acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). STUDY POPULATION: The registry...... was established in January 2000 by the Danish Acute Leukemia Group and has been expanded over the years. It includes adult AML patients diagnosed in Denmark since 2000, ALL patients diagnosed since 2005, and MDS patients diagnosed since 2010. The coverage of leukemia patients exceeds 99%, and the coverage of MDS...... years. To ensure this high coverage, completeness, and quality of data, linkage to the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish National Registry of Patients, and several programmed data entry checks are used. CONCLUSION: The completeness and positive predictive values of the leukemia data have...

  3. Determinants of vitamin D status in a general population of Danish adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thuesen, B.; Husemoen, L.; Fenger, M.

    2012-01-01

    Background and aimsDanish legislation regarding food fortification has been very restrictive and vitamin D deficiency is thought to be common in Denmark due to inadequate dietary intakes and the fact that in Denmark (latitude 56°N) vitamin D is only synthesized in the skin after exposure to solar...... radiation during summertime (April–September). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vitamin D status of a general adult population in Denmark and, in addition, associations between vitamin D status and distinct lifestyle factors were studied. MethodsA random sample of 6784 persons from a general...... population aged 30–60years participated in a health examination in 1999–2001. Serum samples from all participants were stored and levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured by HPLC in 2009. The method was compared to another HPLC method. Information on dietary intake of vitamin D and other...

  4. Late language emergence in 24-month-old twins: heritable and increased risk for late language emergence in twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Mabel L; Zubrick, Stephen R; Taylor, Catherine L; Gayán, Javier; Bontempo, Daniel E

    2014-06-01

    This study investigated the etiology of late language emergence (LLE) in 24-month-old twins, considering possible twinning, zygosity, gender, and heritability effects for vocabulary and grammar phenotypes. A population-based sample of 473 twin pairs participated. Multilevel modeling estimated means and variances of vocabulary and grammar phenotypes, controlling for familiality. Heritability was estimated with DeFries-Fulker regression and variance components models to determine effects of heritability, shared environment, and nonshared environment. Twins had lower average language scores than norms for single-born children, with lower average performance for monozygotic than dizygotic twins and for boys than girls, although gender and zygosity did not interact. Gender did not predict LLE. Significant heritability was detected for vocabulary (0.26) and grammar phenotypes (0.52 and 0.43 for boys and girls, respectively) in the full sample and in the sample selected for LLE (0.42 and 0.44). LLE and the appearance of Word Combinations were also significantly heritable (0.22-0.23). The findings revealed an increased likelihood of LLE in twin toddlers compared with single-born children that is modulated by zygosity and gender differences. Heritability estimates are consistent with previous research for vocabulary and add further suggestion of heritable differences in early grammar acquisition.

  5. Endogenous and Antipsychotic-Related Risks for Diabetes Mellitus in Young People With Schizophrenia: A Danish Population-Based Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajkumar, Anto P; Horsdal, Henriette Thisted; Wimberley, Theresa; Cohen, Dan; Mors, Ole; Børglum, Anders D; Gasse, Christiane

    2017-07-01

    Diabetes mellitus contributes to excessive cardiovascular deaths and reduced life expectancy in schizophrenia. This population-based cohort study investigated the endogenous risk for diabetes in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia and evaluated the risks added by starting antipsychotic treatment in people with schizophrenia. The study followed all people born in Denmark on or after Jan. 1, 1977, until Jan. 1, 2013 (N=2,736,510). The Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register ascertained schizophrenia diagnoses. The Danish National Prescription Registry provided data on prescriptions of antipsychotics. Diabetes was ascertained from the Danish National Patient Register and Danish National Prescription Registry. The authors estimated the endogenous and antipsychotic-related risks for diabetes by using Cox proportional hazards regression models, while accounting for potential confounders. Of the cohort members, 14,118 (0.52%) developed diabetes, and 8,945 (0.33%) developed schizophrenia during follow-up (49,582,279 person-years). The adjusted hazard ratio for diabetes was 3.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71-5.41) in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia compared with the general population. The risk for diabetes after starting antipsychotic treatment was significantly higher (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.95-6.82) than the risk in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia, after adjustment for family history of diabetes and other potential confounders. First-line treatment with either first-generation antipsychotics (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.32-7.05) or second-generation antipsychotics (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.73-6.83) increased the risk for diabetes without a statistically significant difference. Appropriate sensitivity analyses limited to type 2 diabetes corroborated these results. Schizophrenia confers a high endogenous risk for diabetes, and the risk is further increased by both first-generation and second-generation antipsychotics

  6. The Danish Welfare Commission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjerding, Allan Næs

    2006-01-01

    on public services, and install economic incentives for the behaviour of private households. The paper then digs into the proposals of the commission that are broadly grouped into five policy target areas con-cerning (1) the ageing of the population, (2) the incentives for labour market participation, (3......The paper deals with the main report of the Danish Welfare Commission and the one-hundred-and-nine proposals on the structure of the future Danish welfare state that the com-mission has put forward. Following upon a brief review of the discussion on the work of the Danish Welfare Commission......) competitiveness in the global economy, (4) behavioural regulation of the use of public bene-fits and services, and (5) management within tight budgets of an increasing demand on health and care. Finally, the concluding section sums up the discussion and elaborates on the debate on the Welfare Commission’s work...

  7. Molecular dynamics simulation of albite twinning and pericline twinning in low albite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Bin; Knowles, Kevin M

    2013-01-01

    Two twinning laws, the albite law and the pericline law, are the predominant growth twinning modes in triclinic plagioclase feldspars such as low albite, NaAlSi 3 O 8 , in which the aluminum and silicon atoms are in an ordered arrangement on the tetrahedral sites of the aluminosilicate framework. In the terminology used formally to describe deformation twinning in a triclinic lattice, these twin laws can be described as Type I and Type II twin laws, respectively, with the pericline twin law being conjugate to the albite twin law. In this study, twin boundaries have been constructed for low albite according to these two twinning laws and studied by molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that suitably constructed twin boundary models are quite stable for both albite twinning and pericline twinning during molecular dynamics simulation. The calculated twin boundary energy of an albite twin is significantly lower than that of a pericline twin, in accord with the experimental observation that albite twinning is the more commonly observed mode seen in plagioclase feldspars. The results of the molecular dynamics simulations also agree with conclusions from the prior work of Starkey that glide twinning in low albite is not favoured energetically. (paper)

  8. Art for twins: Yorùbá artists and their statues/twin research studies: twins' education and conceptions; diurnal preference; inherited eye diseases; ultrasound counseling when twins are conjoined/popular twin reports: twin sisters (the film); rare pregnancy; diet test; French twins reared apart and reunited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2014-06-01

    The Yorùbá of Nigeria are well known for their high twinning rate and the statues they create to commemorate deceased twins. An impressive collection of this artwork was displayed at the University of California's Fowler Museum in Los Angeles between October 13, 2013 and March 2, 2014. An overview of this exhibit is provided. Next, twin research on maternal education and conception, diurnal preference, inherited eye diseases, and ultrasound counseling for couples with conjoined twins are briefly summarized. This article concludes with a discussion of media-based items related to twins. The topics include an award-winning twin film, a rare pregnancy, a diet test, and the separation and chance reunion of monozygotic female twins.

  9. Are twins at risk of cancer: results from the Swedish family-cancer database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemminki, Kari; Chen, Bowang

    2005-10-01

    A few twin studies on cancer have addressed questions on the possible carcinogenic or protective effects of twining by comparing the occurrence of cancer in twins and singletons. The nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database of 10.2 million individuals and 69,654 0- to 70-year-old twin pairs were used to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all main cancers compared to singletons. The overall risk of cancer in same- or different-sex twins was at the same level as the risk for singletons. Testicular cancer, particularly seminoma, was increased among same-sex twins (1.54) and all twins to an SIR of 1.38. Among other tumors, neurinomas and non-thyroid endocrine gland tumors were increased. Colorectal cancers and leukemia were decreased among all twins. Melanoma and squamous cell skin cancer were decreased in male same-sex twins. The data on this unselected population of twins suggest that twinning per se is not a risk factor of cancer. In utero hormonal exposures or postnatal growth stimulation may be related to the risk of testicular cancer and pituitary tumors. Protective effects against colorectal cancer may be related to a beneficial diet, and in melanoma and skin cancer, to socioeconomic factors. The study involved multiple comparisons, and internal consistency between the results was one of the main factors considered for their plausibility. The results should encourage others working on twin and singleton populations to examine the specific associations and emerging hypotheses.

  10. Increasing trends in childlessness in recent birth cohorts - a registry-based study of the total Danish male population born from 1945 to 1980

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Priskorn, L; Holmboe, Sarah; Jacobsen, R

    2012-01-01

    The fertility rate has recently declined in many parts of the World, including Europe. To a large extent, this change can be explained by the socio-economic development. However, increasing fertility problems and widespread occurrence of poor semen quality could in part explain the few births....... The objective of this registry based study was to investigate birth cohort related trends in fertility and childlessness among Danish men. The study population comprised all 1 616 677 men in Denmark born from 1945 to 1980 of whom 1 359 975 (84.1%) were native Danes. Data were obtained from Statistics Denmark...... and contained information from The National Danish Birth Registry and The Danish In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Registry. For consecutive birth cohorts of native Danish men cumulative fertility rates at age 45 declined from 1.91 children per man in the 1945 birth cohort to 1.71 for men born in 1960...

  11. Twinning in muskox and the cytogenetic investigation of a freemartin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. J. Reindl

    1993-12-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence of twinning has been documented for muskox in both wild and captive populations. Of two known captive twin births only one set survived beyond 120 days. In both cases the twins were male-female pairs and both females showed abnormal sexual development. Two sets of stillborn twins have also been recorded. All four stillborn fetuses were female and none showed anomalies of the reproductive tract upon post-mortem examination. Blood cultures from the surviving male and female twins revealed that both were chimeric, indicating the admixture of fetal blood. Fibroblast cultures were normal for the respective sex of each individual. The freemartin heifer had anatomical abnormalities of the clitoris as well as the secondary sex characteristics of a male.

  12. Therapeutic modalities of twin to twin transfusion syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šulović N.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTTS accounts for approximately 10% of monochorionic twin pregnancies and, if left untreated, is associated with high morbidity and mortality rate. A net transfusion of blood flow from one fetus (donor twin to the other (recipient twin via placental vascular anastomoses has been supposed as the major etiology of TTTTS. The donor twin becomes hypovolemic and oliguria, oligohydramnios, and a variable degree of growth restriction develop, whereas the recipient twin manifests polyuria, polyhydramnios, and hydrops in response to hypervolemia. TTTTS can be treated by either serial amniocentesis or selective fetoscopic laser coagulation of the communicating vessels. The rationale for removal of large volumes of amniotic fluid is to prevent preterm delivery secondary to polyhydramnios and to improve fetal circulation by reducing pressure on the chorionic plate. On the other hand, the goal of laser therapy is to occlude vascular anastomoses, thereby interrupting intertwin blood exchange. Although laser treatment is associated with increased survival rate and reduced neurologic complications, compared with amnioreduction, it requires highly specialized centers, whereas serial amniocentesis has the advantage of being performed worldwide. Therefore, the optimal treatment for pregnancies complicated with TTTTS is still controversial.

  13. The effect of chorionicity and twin-to-twin delivery time interval on short-term outcome of the second twin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjortø, Sofie; Nickelsen, Carsten; Petersen, Janne

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Objectives: To investigate the effect of chorionicity and twin-to-twin delivery time interval on short-term outcome in the second twin. Additionally, to investigate predictors of adverse outcome in both twins. Methods: Data included vaginally delivered twins (≥ 36 weeks) from Copenhagen ...

  14. Traits of ADHD and autism in girls with a twin brother

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Attermann, Jørn; Obel, Carsten; Bilenberg, Niels

    2012-01-01

    It has been hypothesized that prenatal exposure to testosterone may be associated with traits of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a population-based study of dizygotic female twins to elucidate this hypothesis, assuming that the sex...... of the co-twin influences the level of prenatal exposure to testosterone. We invited parents of 24,552 3- to 15-year-old twins to answer questionnaires on traits of ADHD and ASD. We analysed the data using a proportional odds model with sex of the co-twin as an instrumental variable for prenatal exposure...... to testosterone of female twins. We received responses for 6,339 girls from dizygotic twin pairs. Odds ratios for male versus female co-twin were 0.71 (95 % confidence interval 0.61-0.81) for ADHD traits and 0.74 (0.66-0.83) for ASD traits, indicating that a twin brother reduces traits of ADHD and ASD in females...

  15. Strabismus Incidence in a Danish Population-Based Cohort of Children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torp-Pedersen, Tobias; Boyd, Heather A; Skotte, Line

    2017-01-01

    , overall and by subtype, among children 7 years or younger. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study was conducted with data from 96 842 children enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age-specific incidence and cumulative incidence and median...... identified in the cohort. We found an overall cumulative strabismus incidence of 2.56% (95% CI, 2.42-2.69) at 7 years. The overall incidence was similar among boys and girls. Two hundred sixteen participants (16.5%) (95% CI, 14.5-18.6) had congenital esotropia, 177 (13.5%) (95% CI, 11.7-15.5) had fully...... accommodative esotropia, 252 (19.3%) (95% CI, 17.1-21.5) had partially accommodative esotropia, and 181 (13.8%) (95% CI, 12.0-15.8) had exotropia. The esotropia:exotropia ratio was 5.4:1 (95% CI, 3.4:1 to 7.5:1). Age-specific incidence curves for congenital esotropia, fully accommodative esotropia, partially...

  16. Favourable effect of TNF-alpha inhibitor (infliximab) on Blau syndrome in monozygotic twins with a de novo CARD15 mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Milman, Nils; Andersen, Claus B; Hansen, Annette

    2006-01-01

    Blau syndrome is a hereditary granulomatous disease caused by mutations in the CARD15 gene that is diagnosed in children of young age with exanthema/erythema, arthritis/periarthritis and/or uveitis. We report two cases of Blau syndrome in Danish Caucasian monozygotic male twins, exhibiting...... a heterozygous de novo R334W mutation in codon 334 of CARD15. The patients were initially diagnosed as having sarcoidosis. In both twins, symptoms (exanthema, arthritis/periarthritis) started at 1 year of age, and were followed by uveitis at 7-10 years of age. There was no involvement of the lungs or other...... quality of life. At follow up at 20 years of age (after 2-5 years of infliximab treatment) the twins had an almost normal physical appearance and a normal psychomotoric development, indicating a favourable short-term prognosis of the disease. Blau syndrome has pathologic, clinical and therapeutic features...

  17. New population-based references for birth weight, length, and head circumference in singletons and twins from 23 to 43 gestation weeks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankilampi, Ulla; Hannila, Marja-Leena; Saari, Antti; Gissler, Mika; Dunkel, Leo

    2013-09-01

    Birth size curves are needed for clinical and epidemiological purposes. We constructed birth weight (BW), length (BL), and head circumference (BHC) references, assessed effects of twinness and parity, and defined cut-off points for small, appropriate, and large for gestational age. Birth register data of all 753,036 infants born in 1996-2008 in Finland were cleaned to create references reflecting optimal intrauterine growth. The final data included 533,666 singletons and 15,033 twins (median gestation weeks (gws) 40.0 and 37.1, respectively, 41.6% primiparous). Sex-specific BW, BL, and BHC references were constructed from 23 to 43 gws separately for singletons and twins born to primiparous or multiparous mothers. GAMLSS method was used for modelling. In singletons from 36 gws onwards, increased BW and BL were observed in comparison to previous reference from 1979-1983. Twins diverged from singletons from 30 gws onwards. At 37.0 gws, mean BW was 400 g lower and mean BL 1.2 cm shorter than in singletons. From 30 gws onwards, birth size was larger in infants of multiparous than primiparous mothers. Population-based birth size references are available for the evaluation of birth size. Accounting for plurality and parity improves the accuracy of birth size evaluation.

  18. Vitamin D: should the supply in the Danish population be increased?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Lone Banke; Hansen, G. L.; Hansen, E.

    2000-01-01

    of reduced production from the skin secondary to extensive covering, skin pigmentation and many hours spent indoors. It is concluded that the elderly and dark-skinned (veiled) women will benefit from an increased vitamin D supply. Four strategies to increase vitamin D supply were considered: dietary changes......A working group was established to evaluate the need for an increased vitamin D intake in the Danish population. Vitamin D is primarily important for calcium homeostasis, calcium absorption in the intestine and calcium content in bones, and thereby for the strength of the bones. Only a few foods...... biochemical signs of osteomalacia. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis. In Denmark, for instance, 13 000 admissions each year are caused by hip fractures alone, almost all among elderly people. Dark-skinned women often constitute a problem with respect to vitamin D sufficiency because...

  19. Twin Research and the Arts: Interconnections / Twin Research: Twin Studies of Sexual Orientation; A Historical Biological Twin Gem; GWAS Approach to Who Has Twins / Newsworthy: Twins on College Campuses; 'Brainprint': Personal Identification by Brain Waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2016-08-01

    The interrelatedness between twin research and the arts is explored via a new play about a famous case. In the 1960s, identical twin David Bruce Reimer was accidentally castrated as an infant during circumcision to correct a urinary problem. The decision to raise him as a girl, and the consequences of that decision, are explored in the new theatrical production of Boy. Other examples of the arts mirroring science, and vice versa, are described. Next, brief reviews and summaries of twin research on sexual orientation, 1860s' knowledge of placental arrangements and twinning mechanisms, and genes underlying multiple birth conception and fertility related measures are provided. This article concludes with a look at twins on college campuses and the identification of individuals by their brain waves. A correction and clarification regarding my article on the Brazilian Twin Registry in the last issue of THG (Segal, 2016) is also provided.

  20. Higher Rates of DZ Twinning in a Twenty-First Century Birth Cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhea, Sally Ann; Corley, Robin P; Heath, Andrew C; Iacono, William G; Neale, Michael C; Hewitt, John K

    2017-09-01

    The Colorado Twin Registry is a population based registry initiated in 1984 with the involvement of the Colorado Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics. Recruitment includes birth cohorts several years prior to 1984 and all subsequent years. As part of a recent evaluation of Colorado birth records for the years 2006 through 2008 we became aware of a shifting trend in the proportion of MZ and DZ twins in the Colorado population. Historically (Bulmer 1970 The biology of twinning in man, Clarendon, Oxford) we have expected a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 ratio of MZ, same-sex DZ and opposite sex DZ twins in Caucasian populations. An excess of MZ pairs in most studies was assumed to be due to selection bias. Somewhat more recently, Hur et al.(1995 Behav Genet 25, 337-340) provided evidence that the DZ twinning rate was falling and that therefore selection bias was not the reason for higher MZ enrollment in most twin studies. They suggested that twin researchers might consider strategies to over-enroll DZ pairs to maximize statistical power. In contrast, we now find that of the 3217 twin births in Colorado from 2006 to 2008 with identified sex information the MZ rate is estimated at only 22%, and we have corroborating reports from other states of similar estimates. These were calculated applying Weinberg's rule which assumes an equal birth rate for same sex and opposite sex DZ pairs so that the proportion of MZ in a sample is the proportion of same sex (MM + FF) minus the proportion of opposite-sex (MF, FM). We explore factors, such as an increase in the proportion of non-Caucasian parents and an increase in average maternal age, which may contribute to this shift.

  1. Reporting the national antimicrobial consumption in Danish pigs: influence of assigned daily dosage values and population measurement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dupont, Nana Hee; Fertner, Mette Ely; Kristensen, Charlotte Sonne

    2016-01-01

    Transparent calculation methods are crucial when investigating trends in antimicrobial consumption over time and between populations. Until 2011, one single standardized method was applied when quantifying the Danish pig antimicrobial consumption with the unit "Animal Daily Dose" (ADD). However...... assignment methods, Denmark has also experienced a shift in the production pattern, towards a larger export of live pigs. The aims of this paper were to (1) describe previous and current ADD assignment methods used by the major Danish institutions and (2) to illustrate how ADD assignment method and choice...... DANMAP and DVFA were only identical for 48 % of antimicrobial products approved for use in pigs. From 2007 to 2013, the total number of ADDs per year increased by 9 % when using the new DVFA ADD-values, but decreased by 2 and 7 % when using the new DANMAP ADD-values or the old VetStat ADD...

  2. Cancer incidence among Danish Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Hansen, Helle Ploug; Hoff, Andreas; Ross, Lone; Johansen, Christoffer

    2012-12-01

    American Seventh-day Adventists have been reported to have lower cancer mortality and incidence than the general population. Adventists do not consume tobacco, alcohol or pork, and many adhere to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle. Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. In this study, we investigated whether the incidence of cancer in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. We followed 11,580 Danish Adventists and Baptists in the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry, which contains information on cases of cancer for 1943-2008. Cancer incidence in the cohort was compared with that in the general Danish population as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and within-cohort comparisons were made with a Cox model. Lower cancer incidences were observed for both Seventh-day Adventist men (SIR, 66; 95% CI, 60-72) and women (85; 80-91). The same result was observed for Baptists although not as low. The differences were most pronounced for smoking-related cancers such as those of the buccal cavity and lung (SIR, 20; 13-30 for Seventh-day Adventist men and 33; 22-49 for Seventh-day Adventist women). The incidences of other lifestyle-related cancers, such as of stomach, rectum, liver and cervix, were also decreased. In general, the SIRs were lower for men than for women, and Adventists had lower hazard rates than Baptists. Our findings point to the benefits of compliance with public health recommendations and indicate that lifestyle changes in the population might change the cancer risks of individuals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Intragranular twinning, detwinning, and twinning-like lattice reorientation in magnesium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Wei; Gao, Yanfei; Li, Nan; Parish, Chad M.; Liu, Wenjun; Liaw, Peter K.; An, Ke

    2016-01-01

    Deformation twinning plays a critical role on improving metals or alloys ductility, especially for hexagonal close-packed materials with low symmetry crystal structure. A rolled Mg alloy was selected as a model system to investigate the extension twinning behaviors and characteristics of parent-twin interactions by nondestructive in situ 3D synchrotron X-ray microbeam diffraction. Besides twinning-detwinning process, the “twinning-like” lattice reorientation process was captured within an individual grain inside a bulk material during the strain reversal. The distributions of parent, twin, and reorientated grains and sub-micron level strain variation across the twin boundary are revealed. A theoretical calculation of the lattice strain confirms that the internal strain distribution in parent and twinned grains correlates with the experimental setup, grain orientation of parent, twin, and surrounding grains, as well as the strain path changes. The study suggests a novel deformation mechanism within the hexagonal close-packed structure that cannot be determined from surface-based characterization methods.

  4. Maternal use of antibiotics and the risk of childhood febrile seizures: a Danish population-based cohort.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica E Miller

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: In a large population-based cohort in Denmark to examine if maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy, as a marker of infection, increases the risk of febrile seizures in childhood in a large population-based cohort in Denmark. METHODS: All live-born singletons born in Denmark between January 1, 1996 and September 25, 2004 and who were alive on the 90(th day of life were identified from the Danish National Birth Registry. Diagnoses of febrile seizures were obtained from the Danish National Hospital Register and maternal use of antibiotics was obtained from the National Register of Medicinal Product Statistics. Hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI were estimated by Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: We followed 551,518 singletons for up to 5 years and identified a total of 21,779 children with a diagnosis of febrile seizures. Slightly increased hazard ratios were observed among most exposure groups when compared to the unexposed group, ex. HR 1.08 95% CI: 1.05-1.11 for use of any systemic antibiotic during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: We found weak associations between the use of pharmacologically different antibiotics during pregnancy and febrile seizures in early childhood which may indicate that some infections, or causes or effects of infections, during pregnancy could affect the fetal brain and induce susceptibility to febrile seizures.

  5. Extension twin variant selection during uniaxial compression of a magnesium alloy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pei, Y.; Godfrey, A.; Jiang, J.

    2012-01-01

    is also observed in that smaller grains are less likely to contain lower ranked twin variants. For both 5% and 10% compression no clear relationship exists between the volume fraction of each twin variant in a given grain population and the Schmid factor for the twin variant. A positive linear......Samples of the magnesium alloy AZ31 have been deformed by compression to strains of 5% and 10% and microstructural observations made to investigate the activation of specific {1 0 1¯ 2} extension twin variants. The twinning has been analyzed on a grain-by-grain basis for more than 260 grains...... to determine both the number of extension twin variants in each grain, and the volume fraction of each. At 5% strain approx. 30% of the grains contain twins corresponding to variants with the third or lower ranked Schmid factor, with the fraction increasing to 40% after 10% compression. A grain size effect...

  6. The Danish Intensive Care Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Christian Fynbo; Møller, Morten Hylander; Nielsen, Henrik

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of this database is to improve the quality of care in Danish intensive care units (ICUs) by monitoring key domains of intensive care and to compare these with predefined standards. STUDY POPULATION: The Danish Intensive Care Database (DID) was established in 2007...... and standardized mortality ratios for death within 30 days after admission using case-mix adjustment (initially using age, sex, and comorbidity level, and, since 2013, using SAPS II) for all patients and for patients with septic shock. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The DID currently includes 335,564 ICU admissions during 2005...

  7. Infertility, infertility treatment, and congenital malformations: Danish national birth cohort

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jin Liang; Basso, Olga; Obel, Carsten; Bille, Camilla; Olsen, Jørn

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To examine whether infertile couples (with a time to pregnancy of > 12 months), who conceive naturally or after treatment, give birth to children with an increased prevalence of congenital malformations. Design Longitudinal study. Setting Danish national birth cohort. Participants Three groups of liveborn children and their mothers: 50 897 singletons and 1366 twins born of fertile couples (time to pregnancy ≤ 12 months), 5764 singletons and 100 twins born of infertile couples who conceived naturally (time to pregnancy > 12 months), and 4588 singletons and 1690 twins born after infertility treatment. Main outcome measures Prevalence of congenital malformations determined from hospital discharge diagnoses. Results Compared with singletons born of fertile couples, singletons born of infertile couples who conceived naturally or after treatment had a higher prevalence of congenital malformations—hazard ratios 1.20 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.35) and 1.39 (1.23 to 1.57). The overall prevalence of congenital malformations increased with increasing time to pregnancy. When the analysis was restricted to singletons born of infertile couples, babies born after treatment had an increased prevalence of genital organ malformations (hazard ratio 2.32, 1.24 to 4.35) compared with babies conceived naturally. No significant differences existed in the overall prevalence of congenital malformations among twins. Conclusions Hormonal treatment for infertility may be related to the occurrence of malformations of genital organs, but our results suggest that the reported increased prevalence of congenital malformations seen in singletons born after assisted reproductive technology is partly due to the underlying infertility or its determinants. The association between untreated infertility and congenital malformations warrants further examination. PMID:16893903

  8. Simulations of stress-induced twinning and de-twinning: A phase field model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Shenyang; Henager, Chuck H.; Chen Longqing

    2010-01-01

    Twinning in certain metals or under certain conditions is a major plastic deformation mode. Here we present a phase field model to describe twin formation and evolution in a polycrystalline fcc metal under loading and unloading. The model assumes that twin nucleation, growth and de-twinning is a process of partial dislocation nucleation and slip on successive habit planes. Stacking fault energies, energy pathways (γ surfaces), critical shear stresses for the formation of stacking faults and dislocation core energies are used to construct the thermodynamic model. The simulation results demonstrate that the model is able to predict the nucleation of twins and partial dislocations, as well as the morphology of the twin nuclei, and to reasonably describe twin growth and interaction. The twin microstructures at grain boundaries are in agreement with experimental observation. It was found that de-twinning occurs during unloading in the simulations, however, a strong dependence of twin structure evolution on loading history was observed.

  9. Lean body mass change over 6 years is associated with dietary leucine intake in an older Danish population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Cameron Keith; Ankarfeldt, Mikkel Z; Capra, Sandra; Bauer, Judy; Raymond, Kyle; Heitmann, Berit Lilienthal

    2016-05-01

    Higher protein intake, and particularly higher leucine intake, is associated with attenuated loss of lean body mass (LBM) over time in older individuals. Dietary leucine is thought to be a key mediator of anabolism. This study aimed to assess this relationship over 6 years among younger and older adult Danes. Dietary leucine intake was assessed at baseline and after 6 years in men and women, aged 35-65 years, participating in the Danish cohort of the WHO-MONICA (Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease) study (n 368). Changes in LBM over the 6 years were measured by bioelectrical impedance using equations developed for this Danish population. The association between leucine and LBM changes was examined using multivariate linear regression and ANCOVA analyses adjusted for potential confounders. After adjustment for baseline LBM, sex, age, energy intake and physical activity, leucine intake was associated with LBM change in those older than 65 years (n 79), with no effect seen in those younger than 65 years. Older participants in the highest quartile of leucine intake (7·1 g/d) experienced LBM maintenance, whereas lower intakes were associated with LBM loss over 6 years (for trend: β=0·434, P=0·03). Sensitivity analysis indicated no effect modification of sex or the presence of CVD. Greater leucine intake in conjunction with adequate total protein intake was associated with long-term LBM retention in a healthy older Danish population. This study corroborates findings from laboratory investigations in relation to protein and leucine intakes and LBM change. A more diverse and larger sample is needed for confirmation of these results.

  10. Twins and Kindergarten Separation: Divergent Beliefs of Principals, Teachers, Parents, and Twins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Lynn Melby

    2015-01-01

    Should principals enforce mandatory separation of twins in kindergarten? Do school separation beliefs of principals differ from those of teachers, parents of twins, and twins themselves? This survey questioned 131 elementary principals, 54 kindergarten teachers, 201 parents of twins, and 112 twins. A majority of principals (71%) believed that…

  11. Generalised joint hypermobility and knee joint hypermobility: prevalence, knee joint symptoms and health-related quality of life in a Danish adult population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Junge, Tina; Henriksen, Peter; Hansen, Sebrina; Østengaard, Lasse; Golightly, Yvonne M; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit

    2017-10-27

    Several biomechanical factors, such as knee joint hypermobility (KJH), are suggested to play a role in the etiology of knee joint symptoms and knee osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the prevalence or consequences of KJH solely or included in the classification of generalized joint hypermobility (GJHk) is unknown for a general population. Therefore, the objectives were to report the prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH, as well as the association of these conditions to knee joint symptoms, severity and duration of symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a Danish adult population. This study is a cross-sectional population-based survey of 2056 Danish adults. Respondents received online questionnaires of GJHk and KJH, knee joint symptoms, the severity and duration of these, as well as HRQoL. Total response rate was 49% (n = 1006). The prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH was 13% and 23%, mostly representing women. More than half of the respondents with GJHk and KJH had knee joint symptoms. The odds for reporting knee joint symptoms, severity of knee joint symptoms and duration of knee joint symptoms were twice as high for respondents with GJHk and KJH. Respondents with GJHk and KJH reported lower HRQoL. GJHk and KJH were frequently reported in the Danish adult population, mostly in women. Respondents with GJHk and KJH were two times more likely to report knee joint-related symptoms such as pain, reduced performance of usual activity and lower HRQoL. The impact of these conditions on HRQoL is comparable with knee osteoarthritis. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  12. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome: etiology, severity and rational management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Gemert, M. J.; Umur, A.; Tijssen, J. G.; Ross, M. G.

    2001-01-01

    The twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a serious complication of monochorionic twin pregnancies. Partly as a result of an inadequate understanding of the pathophysiology of the syndrome, there is a lack of consensus in clinical management. We sought to review the available information on the etiology

  13. A twin study of specific bulimia nervosa symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzeo, S E; Mitchell, K S; Bulik, C M; Aggen, S H; Kendler, K S; Neale, M C

    2010-07-01

    Twin studies have suggested that additive genetic factors significantly contribute to liability to bulimia nervosa (BN). However, the diagnostic criteria for BN remain controversial. In this study, an item-factor model was used to examine the BN diagnostic criteria and the genetic and environmental contributions to BN in a population-based twin sample. The validity of the equal environment assumption (EEA) for BN was also tested. Participants were 1024 female twins (MZ n=614, DZ n=410) from the population-based Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry. BN was assessed using symptom-level (self-report) items consistent with DSM-IV and ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Items assessing BN were included in an item-factor model. The EEA was measured by items assessing similarity of childhood and adolescent environment, which have demonstrated construct validity. Scores on the EEA factor were used to specify the degree to which twins shared environmental experiences in this model. The EEA was not violated for BN. Modeling results indicated that the majority of the variance in BN was due to additive genetic factors. There was substantial variability in additive genetic and environmental contributions to specific BN symptoms. Most notably, vomiting was very strongly influenced by additive genetic factors, while other symptoms were much less heritable, including the influence of weight on self-evaluation. These results highlight the importance of assessing eating disorders at the symptom level. Refinement of eating disorder phenotypes could ultimately lead to improvements in treatment and targeted prevention, by clarifying sources of variation for specific components of symptomatology.

  14. Playing a Musical Instrument as a Protective Factor against Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Twin Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Alison Balbag

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Increasing evidence supports that playing a musical instrument may benefit cognitive development and health at young ages. Whether playing an instrument provides protection against dementia has not been established. In a population-based cotwin control study, we examined the association between playing a musical instrument and whether or not the twins developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Participation in playing an instrument was taken from informant-based reports of twins’ leisure activities. Dementia diagnoses were based on a complete clinical workup using standard diagnostic criteria. Among 157 twin pairs discordant for dementia and cognitive impairment, 27 pairs were discordant for playing an instrument. Controlling for sex, education, and physical activity, playing a musical instrument was significantly associated with less likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36 [95% confidence interval 0.13–0.99]. These findings support further consideration of music as a modifiable protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment.

  15. The mobility of growth twins synthesized by sputtering: Tailoring the twin thickness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velasco, Leonardo; Hodge, Andrea M.

    2016-01-01

    The current work presents a protean twin thickness contour zone map that illustrates how the nucleation and the mobility of twin boundaries affects the twin thickness of sputtered films. The twin thickness contour zone map can be used as a versatile guide to synthesize fully nanotwinned films with tailored twin thicknesses in materials with a wide range of stacking fault energies. The nucleation and mobility of twin boundaries was studied in four Cu alloys of different compositions (Cu-6wt.%Al, Cu-4wt.%Al, Cu-2wt.%Al, and Cu-10wt.%Ni), having stacking fault energies ranging from 6 mJ/m 2 to 60 mJ/m 2 . The films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, where the twin thickness varied from 2 nm to 35 nm. Our experimental results show that it is possible to control the twin thickness. Three main mechanisms are explained to describe twin nucleation and twin boundary mobility, which are correlated to the interplay of specific sputtering conditions and the deposition temperature.

  16. Midlife Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Dementia Over 43 Years of Follow-Up: A Population-Based Study From the Swedish Twin Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handing, Elizabeth P; Andel, Ross; Kadlecova, Pavla; Gatz, Margaret; Pedersen, Nancy L

    2015-10-01

    Midlife alcohol consumption (beer, wine, and spirits) was examined in relation to dementia incidence over 43 years. Participants were 12,326 members of the population-based Swedish Twin Registry born during 1907-1925 who responded to items about alcohol consumption in 1967/1970, subsequently classified as nondrinking (0 grams of ethanol per day), light (1-5g/d), moderate (5-12g/d), heavy (12-24g/d), and very heavy (>24g/d) drinking. Dementia was identified from the National Patient and Cause of Death Registries. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for cluster-correlated data were used in cohort analyses. Conditional logistic regression (dementia-discordant pairs) and mixed effects models (dementia-concordant pairs) were used in twin analyses. Overall, nondrinkers did not differ from light drinkers in dementia risk. Heavy drinking (hazard ratio = 1.10, p = .028) and very heavy drinking (hazard ratio = 1.18, p = .033) were associated with increased dementia risk controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular factors. More alcohol from spirits was related to increased risk of dementia, whereas more alcohol from wine with decreased risk, although the association for wine reversed direction at high amounts. Relative to co-twins drinking light amounts, moderate-to-heavy drinking twins had (a) greater risk of dementia by 57% (p = .006, 300% in monozygotic pairs only) and (b) reduced time to dementia by 4.76 years (p = .019, 4.78 years in monozygotic pairs only). Averaging more than 12 grams of alcohol per day may increase risk of dementia. Alcohol from spirits appears particularly important for the increased dementia risk. Genetic and/or familial factors do not explain these associations. Alcohol use reduction may be a useful population-wide intervention strategy. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Fatigue and workload among Danish fishermen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Remmen, Line Nørgaard; Herttua, Kimmo; Riss-Jepsen, Jørgen

    2017-01-01

    . Highest levels of fatigue were observed among fishermen at Danish seiners (mean 10.21), and fatigue scores decreased with more days at sea. However, none of these results were significant. Adjusted analyses showed that physical workload was significantly related to general fatigue (b = 0.20, 95% CI: 0...... was additionally significantly associated to the levels of physical and mental fatigue. Fishermen had a lower average score for all fatigue dimensions compared to those seen in general Danish working population. Prospective studies are required to assess whether the identified associations are causal....

  18. Quality of life in the Danish general population--normative data and validity of WHOQOL-BREF using Rasch and item response theory models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noerholm, V; Groenvold, M; Watt, T

    2004-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to investigate the construct validity of the WHOQOL-BREF by use of Rasch and Item Response Theory models and to examine the stability of the model across high/low scoring individuals, gender, education, and depressive illness. Furthermore......, the objective of the study was to estimate the reference data for the quality of life questionnaire WHOQOL-BREF in the general Danish population and in subgroups defined by age, gender, and education. METHODS: Mail-out-mail-back questionnaires were sent to a randomly selected sample of the Danish general...... population. The response rate was 68.5%, and the sample reported here contained 1101 respondents: 578 women and 519 men (four respondents did not indicate their genders). RESULTS: Each of the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF scale fitted a two-parameter IRT model, but did not fit the Rasch model. Due...

  19. Population dynamics of bacteria involved in enhanced biological phosphorus removal in Danish wastewater treatment plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mielczarek, Artur Tomasz; Nguyen, Hien Thi Thu; Nielsen, Jeppe Lund; Nielsen, Per Halkjær

    2013-03-15

    The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process is increasingly popular as a sustainable method for removal of phosphorus (P) from wastewater. This study consisted of a comprehensive three-year investigation of the identity and population dynamics of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in 28 Danish municipal wastewater treatment plants with nutrient removal. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was applied to quantify ten probe-defined populations of PAO and GAO that in total constituted a large fraction (30% on average) of the entire microbial community targeted by the EUBmix probes. Two PAO genera, Accumulibacter and Tetrasphaera, were very abundant in all EBPR plants (average of 3.7% and 27% of all bacteria, respectively), and their abundance was relatively stable in the Danish full-scale plants without clear temporal variations. GAOs were occasionally present in some plants (Competibacter in 11 plants, Defluviicoccus in 6 plants) and were consistent in only a few plants. This shows that these were not core species in the EBPR communities. The total GAO abundance was always lower than that of Accumulibacter. In plants without EBPR design, the abundance of PAO and GAO was significantly lower. Competibacter correlated in general with high fraction of industrial wastewater. In specific plants Accumulibacter correlated with high C/P ratio of the wastewater and Tetrasphaera with high organic loading. Interestingly, the relative microbial composition of the PAO/GAO species was unique to each plant over time, which gives a characteristic plant-specific "fingerprint". Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Genetic and Environmental Effects on Stuttering: A Twin Study from Finland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rautakoski, Pirkko; Hannus, Therese; Simberg, Susanna; Sandnabba, N. Kenneth; Santtila, Pekka

    2012-01-01

    The present study explored the prevalence of self-reported stuttering in a Finnish twin population and examined the extent to which the variance in liability to stuttering was attributable to genetic and environmental effects. We analyzed data of 1728 Finnish twins, born between 1961 and 1989. The participants were asked to complete a…

  1. Resting Heart Rate Is Not Associated with Cognitive Function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wod, M; Jensen, M T; Galatius, S

    2018-01-01

    Aims: In order to examine the hypothesis that elevated resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with impaired cognitive score, we investigated the relationship between RHR and cognitive score in middle-aged, elderly and old Danish subjects from the general population. Methods: Composite cognitive s...... cognitive score (1,049 pairs of 2,049 pairs [51% (95% CI 49–53), p relation to cognitive function in the general population....... and hypertension, RHR was not associated with cognitive function. Furthermore, the intrapair analyses showed that RHR was not associated with cognitive score testing within twin pairs, as measured by the proportion of twin pairs in which the twin with higher RHR also was the twin with the lowest composite...

  2. The Qingdao Twin Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duan, Haiping; Ning, Feng; Zhang, Dongfeng

    2013-01-01

    In 1998, the Qingdao Twin Registry was initiated as the main part of the Chinese National Twin Registry. By 2005, a total of 10,655 twin pairs had been recruited. Since then new twin cohorts have been sampled, with one longitudinal cohort of adolescent twins selected to explore determinants of me...

  3. Twins and non-twin siblings: different estimates of shared environmental influence in early childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koeppen-Schomerus, Gesina; Spinath, Frank M; Plomin, Robert

    2003-04-01

    Twin studies typically indicate shared environmental influence for cognitive abilities, especially in early childhood. However, across studies, DZ twin correlations tend to be greater than non-twin sibling correlations, suggesting that twin estimates of shared environment are to some extent specific to twins. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of more than 1800 MZ and 1800 same-sex DZ pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), a study of twins born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995. For this analysis, we obtained comparable data from more than 130 same-sex younger siblings of the twins. Twins and their younger siblings were assessed for language, cognitive abilities and behavior problems by their parents at 2 and 3 years of age. For language and cognitive measures at both 2 and 3 years, but not for behavior problems, estimates of shared environment were more than twice as large for twins as compared to non-twin siblings. We conclude that about half of twin study estimates of shared environment for cognitive abilities in early childhood are specific to twins. Although many possibilities exist for explaining the special shared environment effect for twins, we suggest that cognitive-relevant experiences that are not shared by siblings are shared by twins because they are exactly the same age.

  4. Evidence of genetic susceptibility to infectious mononucleosis: a twin study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, A E; Hamilton, A S; Cockburn, M G; Ambinder, R; Zadnick, J; Brown, E E; Mack, T M; Cozen, W

    2012-11-01

    Infectious mononucleosis is a clinical manifestation of primary Epstein-Barr virus infection. It is unknown whether genetic factors contribute to risk. To assess heritability, we compared disease concordance in monozygotic to dizygotic twin pairs from the population-based California Twin Program and assessed the risk to initially unaffected co-twins. One member of 611 and both members of 58 twin pairs reported a history of infectious mononucleosis. Pairwise concordance in monozygotic and dizygotic pairs was respectively 12·1% [standard error (s.e.)=1·9%] and 6·1% (s.e.=1·2%). The relative risk (hazard ratio) of monozygotic compared to dizygotic unaffected co-twins of cases was 1·9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·1-3·4, P=0·03], over the follow-up period. When the analysis was restricted to same-sex twin pairs, that estimate was 2·5 (95% CI 1·2-5·3, P=0·02). The results are compatible with a heritable contribution to the risk of infectious mononucleosis.

  5. HLA associations and risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder in Danish population-based cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vase, Maja Ølholm; Maksten, Eva Futtrup; Strandhave, Charlotte

    2015-01-01

    Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a feared complication to organ transplantation, associated with substantial morbidity and inferior survival. Risk factors for PTLD include T cell–depleting induction therapy and primary infection or reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus....... Possible associations between certain HLA types and the risk of developing PTLD have been reported by other investigators; however, results are conflicting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, population-based study on 4295 Danish solid organ transplant patients from the Scandiatransplant database...... can be clinically useful after transplantation in personalized monitoring schemes. Given the strong linkage disequilibrium in the HLA region, the associations must be interpreted carefully. The large size, virtually complete ascertainment of cases and no loss to follow-up remain important strengths...

  6. Establishment and baseline characteristics of a nationwide Danish cohort of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kulas Søborg, Marie-Louise; Leganger, Julie; Quitzau Mortensen, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Objectives.: The aim of this study was to investigate national prevalence, general demographic characteristics and survival of Danish patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Method.: A population-based cohort study was conducted using a database consisting of the entire Danish population alive...

  7. Genetic and environmental influences on adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: a large Swedish population-based study of twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, H; Asherson, P; Chang, Z; Ljung, T; Friedrichs, B; Larsson, J-O; Lichtenstein, P

    2013-01-01

    Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently persists into adulthood. Family and twin studies delineate a disorder with strong genetic influences among children and adolescents based on parent- and teacher-reported data but little is known about the genetic and environmental contribution to DSM-IV ADHD symptoms in adulthood. We therefore aimed to investigate the impact of genetic and environmental influences on the inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms of ADHD in adults. Twin methods were applied to self-reported assessments of ADHD symptoms from a large population-based Swedish twin study that included data from 15 198 Swedish male and female twins aged 20 to 46 years. The broad heritability [i.e., A + D, where A is an additive genetic factor and D (dominance) a non-additive genetic factor] was 37% (A = 11%, D = 26%) for inattention and 38% (A = 18%, D = 20%) for hyperactivity-impulsivity. The results also indicate that 52% of the phenotypic correlation between inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity (r = 0.43) was explained by genetic influences whereas the remaining part of the covariance was explained by non-shared environmental influences. These results were replicated across age strata. Our findings of moderate broad heritability estimates are consistent with previous literature on self-rated ADHD symptoms in older children, adolescents and adults and retrospective reports of self-rated childhood ADHD by adults but differ from studies of younger children with informant ratings. Future research needs to clarify whether our data indicate a true decrease in the heritability of ADHD in adults compared to children, or whether this relates to the use of self-ratings in contrast to informant data.

  8. Clinical indications for antibiotic use in Danish general practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aabenhus, Rune; Hansen, Malene Plejdrup; Siersma, Volkert Dirk

    2017-01-01

    of routine electronic antibiotic prescriptions from Danish general practice. Subjects: All 975,626 patients who redeemed an antibiotic prescription at outpatient pharmacies during the 1-year study period (July 2012 to June 2013). Main outcome measures: Number of prescriptions per clinical indication. Number......Objective: To assess the availability and applicability of clinical indications from electronic prescriptions on antibiotic use in Danish general practice. Design: Retrospective cohort register-based study including the Danish National Prescription Register. Setting: Population-based study...... from electronic prescriptions are accessible and available to provide an overview of drug use, in casu antibiotic prescriptions, in Danish general practice. These clinical indications may be further explored in detail to assess rational drug use and congruence with guidelines, but validation...

  9. Fasting plasma total ghrelin concentrations in monozygotic twins discordant for obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leskelä, Piia; Ukkola, Olavi; Vartiainen, Johanna; Rönnemaa, Tapani; Kaprio, Jaakko; Bouchard, Claude; Kesäniemi, Y Antero

    2009-02-01

    Ghrelin is a hormone that is involved in the regulation of food intake. Neuronal, endocrine, and genetic factors have been shown to regulate plasma ghrelin levels; but the determinants of fasting ghrelin concentrations are not yet fully understood. The main aim was to explore the roles of adiposity and genetic differences in determining fasting plasma total ghrelin levels. We measured total ghrelin levels in a population of 23 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for obesity. In addition, 2 variants of ghrelin gene, namely, Arg51Gln and Leu72Met, were genotyped in 3 populations of monozygotic twin pairs: 23 obesity-discordant, 43 lean-concordant, and 46 obesity-concordant twin pairs. In discordant twins, lean co-twins had higher fasting plasma total ghrelin levels (950 pg/mL, SD = 328 pg/mL) than obese twins (720 pg/mL, SD = 143 pg/mL; P = .003). Arg51Gln-polymorphism of the ghrelin gene was equally distributed between the twin groups. However, there were significant differences in genotype frequencies at the Leu72Met polymorphism between the discordant and obese-concordant groups (P = .003) and between the discordant and lean-concordant groups (P = .011), but not between the 2 concordant groups. In the discordant group, there were fewer Met carriers (4%) than among the obese (17%) or the lean-concordant groups (15%). Plasma total ghrelin levels are affected by acquired obesity independent of genetic background. The Leu72 allele is particularly common among monozygotic twins discordant for obesity, suggesting that this ghrelin allele is more permissive in the regulation of energy balance. The ghrelin gene may thus play a role in the regulation of variability of body weight, such that Leu72 allele carriers are more prone to weight variability in response to environmental factors.

  10. Attractiveness Differences Between Twins Predicts Evaluations of Self and Co-Twin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Principe, Connor P.; Rosen, Lisa H.; Taylor-Partridge, Teresa; Langlois, Judith H.

    2012-01-01

    One of the most consistent findings in psychology shows that people prefer and make positive attributions about attractive compared with unattractive people. The goal of the current study was to determine the power of attractiveness effects by testing whether these social judgments are made where attractiveness differences are smallest: between twins. Differences in facial attractiveness predicted twins’ evaluations of self and their co-twin (n = 158; 54 male). In twin pairs, the more attractive twin judged their less attractive sibling as less physically attractive, athletic, socially competent, and emotionally stable. The less attractive twin did the reverse. Given that even negligible differences in facial attractiveness predicted self and co-twin attitudes, these results provide the strongest test yet of appearance-based stereotypes. PMID:23467329

  11. Danish Palliative Care Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønvold, Mogens; Adsersen, Mathilde; Hansen, Maiken Bang

    2016-01-01

    Aims: The aim of the Danish Palliative Care Database (DPD) is to monitor, evaluate, and improve the clinical quality of specialized palliative care (SPC) (ie, the activity of hospital-based palliative care teams/departments and hospices) in Denmark. Study population: The study population is all...... patients were registered in DPD during the 5 years 2010–2014. Of those registered, 96% had cancer. Conclusion: DPD is a national clinical quality database for SPC having clinically relevant variables and high data and patient completeness....

  12. Insulin-like growth factor I and anthropometric parameters in a Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friedrich, N; Jørgensen, Torben; Juul, A

    2012-01-01

    study was to analyse the associations between anthropometric measures and IGF-I levels in a population-based sample. From the Danish cross-sectional Health2006 study 3,328 subjects (1,835 women; 1,493 men) aged 19-72 years were included in the analyses. Serum IGF-I levels were determined...... consumption, smoking and physical activity. Our large cross-sectional study suggests that IGF-I may serve as the link between obesity and mortality although any causal relation cannot be inferred and longitudinal analyses are needed to clarify the causal relation.......During the last decade several studies indicated that low insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I levels are related to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Obesity represents one further main cardiovascular risk factor which might also be related to IGF-I. The objective of the present...

  13. Risk of asthma in adult twins with type 2 diabetes and increased body mass index

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, S F; Duffy, D L; Kyvik, K O

    2011-01-01

    . RESULTS: The risk of asthma was increased in subjects with type 2 diabetes relative to nondiabetic subjects both in men (13.5%vs 7.5%), P = 0.001 and in women (16.6%vs 9.6%), P = 0.001. The result remained significant after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, marital status...... asthma and type 2 diabetes, 0.20 (0.01-0.40), P = 0.047; between asthma and BMI in women, 0.15 (0.07-0.22), P type 2 diabetes, 0.40 (0.29-0.43), P type 2 diabetes and increased BMI are strongly associated in adults, particularly in women......AIM: To examine the relationship between asthma, type 2 diabetes and increased body mass index (BMI) in adult twins. METHODS: We performed record linkage between questionnaire-defined asthma and BMI, and hospital discharge diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in 34,782 Danish twins, 20-71 years of age...

  14. The Danish Smoking Cessation Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Mette; Tønnesen, Hanne

    2016-01-01

    Background: The Danish Smoking Cessation Database (SCDB) was established in 2001 as the first national healthcare register within the field of health promotion. Aim of the database: The aim of the SCDB is to document and evaluate smoking cessation (SC) interventions to assess and improve their qu......‐free. The database is increasingly used in register-based research.......Background: The Danish Smoking Cessation Database (SCDB) was established in 2001 as the first national healthcare register within the field of health promotion. Aim of the database: The aim of the SCDB is to document and evaluate smoking cessation (SC) interventions to assess and improve...... their quality. The database was also designed to function as a basis for register-based research projects. Study population The population includes smokers in Denmark who have been receiving a face-to-face SC intervention offered by an SC clinic affiliated with the SCDB. SC clinics can be any organisation...

  15. Power Estimation for Gene-Longevity Association Analysis Using Concordant Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tan, Qihua; Zhao, Jing Hua; Kruse, Torben A

    2014-01-01

    Statistical power is one of the major concerns in genetic association studies. Related individuals such as twins are valuable samples for genetic studies because of their genetic relatedness. Phenotype similarity in twin pairs provides evidence of genetic control over the phenotype variation...... in a population. The genetic association study on human longevity, a complex trait that is under control of both genetic and environmental factors, has been confronted by the small sample sizes of longevity subjects which limit statistical power. Twin pairs concordant for longevity have increased probability...... an approximate of 2- to 3-fold increase in sample sizes needed for longevity cutoff at age 90 as compared with that at age 95. Overall, our results showed high value of twins in genetic association studies on human longevity....

  16. Danish VISA-A questionnaire with validation and reliability testing for Danish-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iversen, J. V.; Bartels, E. M.; Jørgensen, J. E.

    2016-01-01

    The VISA-A questionnaire has proven to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing severity of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). The aim was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the VISA-A questionnaire for a Danish-speaking AT population, and subsequently perform validity and reliability tests...

  17. Monochorionic twin pregnancies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hack, K.E.A.

    2008-01-01

    Following widespread application of assisted reproductive technology modalities and the increased age of motherhood, the incidence of twin gestations has increased markedly. Twins are either monozygotic or dizygotic. Dizygotic (i.e. fraternal) twins result from the fertilization of two different

  18. Use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer: Danish Population Based Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Allan; Sharif, Heidi; Frederiksen, Kirsten; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger

    2009-02-05

    To examine the effects of fertility drugs on overall risk of ovarian cancer using data from a large cohort of infertile women. Population based cohort study. Danish hospitals and private fertility clinics. 54,362 women with infertility problems referred to all Danish fertility clinics during 1963-98. The median age at first evaluation of infertility was 30 years (range 16-55 years), and the median age at the end of follow-up was 47 (range 18-81) years. Included in the analysis were 156 women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (cases) and 1241 subcohort members identified in the cohort during follow-up in 2006. Effect of four groups of fertility drugs (gonadotrophins, clomifene citrate, human chorionic gonadotrophin, and gonadotrophin releasing hormone) on overall risk of ovarian cancer after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Analyses within cohort showed no overall increased risk of ovarian cancer after any use of gonadotrophins (rate ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 1.37), clomifene (1.14, 0.79 to 1.64), human chorionic gonadotrophin (0.89, 0.62 to 1.29), or gonadotrophin releasing hormone (0.80, 0.42 to 1.51). Furthermore, no associations were found between all four groups of fertility drugs and number of cycles of use, length of follow-up, or parity. No convincing association was found between use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer.

  19. Do assisted-reproduction twin pregnancies require additional antenatal care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jauniaux, E; Ben-Ami, I; Maymon, R

    2013-02-01

    obviously at higher risk of perinatal complications than singletons due to a natural increase in the incidence of fetal anomalies, antenatal disorders and obstetric and neonatal complications associated with the development of two fetuses instead of one. Overall, our review indicates that some antenatal complications are more frequent in assisted-conception twin pregnancies than in spontaneous twin pregnancies but their prevalence is low and thus their impact on the morbidity and mortality of an individual assisted-conception twin pregnancy is limited. Assisted reproduction treatment has become available to older women with pre-existing maternal medical conditions such as chronic hypertension and diabetes. The increased obstetrical risks in this population must be considered prior to attempts at assisted conception, and the transfer of more than one embryo should be avoided in women with a pre-existing maternal medical condition. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anckarsäter, Henrik; Lundström, Sebastian; Kollberg, Linnea; Kerekes, Nora; Palm, Camilla; Carlström, Eva; Långström, Niklas; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Halldner, Linda; Bölte, Sven; Gillberg, Christopher; Gumpert, Clara; Råstam, Maria; Lichtenstein, Paul

    2011-12-01

    The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) is an ongoing longitudinal twin study targeting all twins born in Sweden since July 1, 1992. Since 2004, parents of twins are interviewed regarding the children's somatic and mental health and social environment in connection with their 9th or 12th birthdays (CATSS-9/12). By January 2010, 8,610 parental interviews concerning 17,220 twins had been completed, with an overall response rate of 80%. At age 15 (CATSS-15) and 18 (CATSS-18), twins and parents complete questionnaires that, in addition to assessments of somatic and mental health, include measures of personality development and psychosocial adaptation. Twin pairs in CATSS-9/12 with one or both twins screening positive for autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, learning disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and/or eating problems have been followed with in-depth questionnaires on family, social environment and personality, and subsequently by clinical assessments at age 15 together with randomly selected population controls, including 195 clinically assessed twin pairs from the first 2 year cohorts (CATSS-15/DOGSS). This article describes the cohorts and study groups, data collection, and measures used. Prevalences, distributions, heritability estimates, ages at onset, and sex differences of mental health problems in the CATSS-9/12, that were analyzed and found to be overall comparable to those of other clinical and epidemiological studies. The CATSS study has the potential of answering important questions on the etiology of childhood mental health problems and their role in the development of later adjustment problems.

  1. Higher Prevalence of Left-Handedness in Twins? Not After Controlling Birth Time Confounders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heikkilä, Kauko; Vuoksimaa, Eero; Saari-Kemppainen, Aulikki; Kaprio, Jaakko; Rose, Richard J; Haukka, Jari; Pitkäniemi, Janne; Iivanainen, Matti

    2015-10-01

    Pregnancy- and birth-related factors may have an effect on handedness. Compared with singletons, twins have a lower birth weight, shorter gestational age, and are at higher risk for birth complications. We tested whether the prevalence of left-handedness is higher among twins than singletons, and if so, whether that difference is fully explained by pregnancy and birth-related differences between twins and singletons. We analyzed Finnish population-based datasets; included were 8,786 twins and 5,892 singletons with information on birth weight (n = 12,381), Apgar scores (n = 11,129), and gestational age (n = 11,811). Two twin cohorts were involved: FinnTwin12 included twins born during 1983-1987, and FinnTwin16 included twins born during 1974-1979. We had two comparison groups of singletons: 4,101 individuals born during 1986-1988 and enrolled in the Helsinki Ultrasound Trial, and 1,791 individuals who were partners of FinnTwin16 twins. We used logistic regression models with writing hand as the outcome for comparison and evaluating effects of covariates. Left-handedness was more common in twins (9.67%) than in singletons (8.27%; p = .004). However, Apgar scores were associated with handedness, and after controlling for covariates, we found no difference in the prevalence of left-handedness between twins and singletons. Increased left-handedness among twins, often reported by others, was evident in our data, but only among our older twin cohorts, and that association disappeared after removing effects of perinatal covariates.

  2. Estimating twin concordance for bivariate competing risks twin data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scheike, Thomas; Holst, Klaus K.; Hjelmborg, Jacob B.

    2014-01-01

    For twin time-to-event data, we consider different concordance probabilities, such as the casewise concordance that are routinely computed as a measure of the lifetime dependence/correlation for specific diseases. The concordance probability here is the probability that both twins have experience...... events with the competing risk death. We thus aim to quantify the degree of dependence through the casewise concordance function and show a significant genetic component...... the event of interest. Under the assumption that both twins are censored at the same time, we show how to estimate this probability in the presence of right censoring, and as a consequence, we can then estimate the casewise twin concordance. In addition, we can model the magnitude of within pair dependence...... over time, and covariates may be further influential on the marginal risk and dependence structure. We establish the estimators large sample properties and suggest various tests, for example, for inferring familial influence. The method is demonstrated and motivated by specific twin data on cancer...

  3. Modeling acardiac twin pregnancies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groot, Rosa; van den Wijngaard, Jeroen P. H. M.; Umur, Asli; Beek, Johan F.; Nikkels, Peter G. J.; van Gemert, Martin J. C.

    2007-01-01

    Acardiac twin pregnancies are a rare but severe complication of monochorionic twinning, where the acardiac twin lacks cardiac function but nevertheless grows during pregnancy because it is perfused by the pump twin through a set of placental arterioarterial and venovenous anastomoses. Because the

  4. Health disparities between immigrant and Danish cleaners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Marie B; Rasmussen, Charlotte D N; Carneiro, Isabella G

    2011-01-01

    hundred and fifty-one cleaners, consisting of 166 Danes (88% women) and 179 immigrants (74% women) (6 with unknown ethnicity), from 9 workplaces in Denmark participated in the study. Health and work ability were obtained by objective (e.g., BMI and blood pressure) and self-reported measures (e.g., work......PURPOSE: It is unknown whether immigrants working in the cleaning industry have a poorer health and work ability than cleaners from the native population. The main aim was to investigate differences in objective and self-reported health measures between immigrant and Danish cleaners. METHODS: Three...... ability, self-rated health, and musculoskeletal symptoms). In order to investigate differences between Danish and immigrant cleaners, logistic regression analyses and General Linear Models were performed. RESULTS: When controlling for age, sex, workplace, job seniority, and smoking, more Danish compared...

  5. Risk of schizophrenia in second-generation immigrants: a Danish population-based cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cantor-Graae, Elizabeth; Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker

    2007-01-01

    Background. Urban birth, a risk factor for schizophrenia, is more frequent among second-generation immigrants. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the increased risk for schizophrenia found in second-generation immigrants is explained by the degree of urbanization of birthplace...... for urbanization of birthplace and parental characteristics reduced these risks slightly. However, urbanization had a lesser effect in second-generation immigrants than in Danes. History of residence abroad was a risk factor for schizophrenia, regardless of whether parents were foreign-born or native Danes...... and/or factors related to parentage, such as geographic origin or history of residence abroad during upbringing.Method. Using data from the Danish Civil Registration System (CRS), we established a population-based cohort of 2.0 million Danes (persons born in Denmark). Schizophrenia in cohort members...

  6. Mutations found in the Danish population causing Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tørring, Pernille M; Brusgaard, Klaus

    2011-01-01

    University Hospital, Denmark HHT is an autosomal vascular disorder caused by mutations of either of three loci ENG, ACVLR1 or MADH4. HHT is characterised by recurrent nosebleeds, mucocutaneous telangiectases, and more severe visceral malformations. During the last decade the Danish HHT centre has...

  7. The Danish national quality database for births

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Charlotte Brix; Flems, Christina; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

    2016-01-01

    Aim of the database: The aim of the Danish National Quality Database for Births (DNQDB) is to measure the quality of the care provided during birth through specific indicators. Study population: The database includes all hospital births in Denmark. Main variables: Anesthesia/pain relief, continuous...... Medical Birth Registry. Registration to the Danish Medical Birth Registry is mandatory for all maternity units in Denmark. During the 5 years, performance has improved in the areas covered by the process indicators and for some of the outcome indicators. Conclusion: Measuring quality of care during...

  8. Personality and birth order in monozygotic twins adopted apart: a test of Sulloway's theory; Research Reviews: twin births and cancer risk in mothers, male sexual dysfunction, twin study of ultimatum game behavior; Human Interest: 'The Land of Twins', twin-like reunion-I, twin-like reunion-II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2008-02-01

    A brief overview of Sulloway's (1996) theory of birth order and personality is presented. A reared apart twin approach for testing his personality findings regarding openness to experience and conscientiousness in first borns and later borns is described. This is followed by summaries of three recent twin studies. The topics include cancer risk in mother of twins, sexual dysfunction in males and responder behavior during ultimatum games. This article concludes with a discussion of twinning rates and rituals among the Yoruba of western Nigeria, and descriptions of two unusual reunions between siblings and twins.

  9. The healthy donor effect impacts self-reported physical and mental health - results from the Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rigas, A S; Skytthe, A; Erikstrup, C

    2017-01-01

    AIMS: This study aimed at quantifying the healthy donor effect by comparing self-perceived mental and physical health between blood donors and non-donors. BACKGROUND: In theory, the selection process known as the healthy donor effect should result in better self-perceived, health-related quality...... of life in donors than in non-donors. METHODS: The Short Form-12 data from the Danish Twin Registry (DTR) was compared with the data from the Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS). Data on age, sex and smoking status were included in the analyses. The multivariable linear regression analysis was stratified......-perceived mental health was associated with a blood donor. With the increase in age, better self-perceived physical health was associated with blood donation....

  10. Genetic overlap between type 2 diabetes and depression in Swedish and Danish twin registries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kan, C; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Christensen, K

    2016-01-01

    A bidirectional association between type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and depression has been consistently reported. Depression is associated with worse biomedical outcomes and increased mortality. The mechanisms underlying the association of T2DM with depression remain unclear. One possible question we can...... the association is primarily attributed to genetic effects in females. In the Danish sample, genetic effects account for the majority of the covariance in both males and females. Qualitative genetic sex differences are observed in both samples. We believe this is the first study to demonstrate significant genetic...

  11. The nature of pseudo-twinning modes on the basis of a twin classification scheme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Jung B.; Sundararaman, M.; Krishnan, M.

    2011-01-01

    Pseudo-twins can form in ordered structures under high stress conditions. These twins are defined by lattice sites that are at twin positions but are incorrectly occupied by different species of atoms. The present note discusses if it is possible to further classify pseudo-twins into different modes based on the nature of associated twinning elements.

  12. Exploring Subclinical Phenotypic Features in Twin Pairs Discordant for Cleft Lip and Palate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leslie, Elizabeth J; Carlson, Jenna C; Cooper, Margaret E

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Monozygotic twins of an individual with an orofacial cleft have a significantly elevated risk for orofacial cleft compared with the general population, but still the concordance rate for orofacial cleft in monozygotic twins is about 40% to 50%. The goal of this study was to determine w...

  13. Acceptable noise level with Danish, Swedish, and non-semantic speech materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brännström, K Jonas; Lantz, Johannes; Nielsen, Lars Holme

    2012-01-01

    reported results from American studies. Generally, significant differences were seen between test conditions using different types of noise within ears in each population. Significant differences were seen for ANL across populations, also when the non-semantic ISTS was used as speech signal. Conclusions......Abstract Objective: Acceptable noise level (ANL) has been established as a method to quantify the acceptance of background noise while listening to speech presented at the most comfortable level. The aim of the present study was to generate Danish, Swedish, and a non-semantic version of the ANL...... test and investigate normal-hearing Danish and Swedish subjects' performance on these tests. Design: ANL was measured using Danish and Swedish running speech with two different noises: Speech-weighted amplitude-modulated noise, and multitalker speech babble. ANL was also measured using the non...

  14. Development of and recovery from long-term pain. A 6-year follow-up study of a cross-section of the adult Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Jørgen; Ekholm, Ola; Sjøgren, Per

    2004-01-01

    A 6-year follow-up study of a cross-section of the adult Danish population, based on data from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys in 1994 and 2000 is presented. The pain populations were identified through the pain intensity verbal rating scale (VRS) included in the Short Form 36. The 2000...... survey also included a question on duration of pain (>6 months). Using this as the 'gold standard', a validation study was performed, which identified the highest accuracy (85%) at the VRS cut-off level: no pain, very mild, or mild pain (control group) versus moderate, severe, or very severe pain (pain.......2-2.0], short education (OR 1.5, CI 1.0-2.2), poor self-rated health (OR 3.3, CI 2.4-4.7), and having at least one long-standing disease (OR 2.6, CI 2.0-3.4). Significant predictors for pain recovery were male gender, younger age, cohabitation status, good self-rated health, good mental health, having no long...

  15. Long-Term Neuropsychological Outcome in Preterm Twins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Iannone

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Few long-term studies have yet described neuropsychological outcome in preterm twins. Our aim was to assess, by long-term evaluation, neuropsychological outcome in preterm twins in order to define a correct follow-up program. Our study was a cohort one, with an index and a comparison group. Neonatal medical records of all preterm newborns admitted to our centre between 1991 and 1997 were reviewed and selected patients were recalled. The sample population included two matched groups of children aged 6—12 years, 86 twins and 86 singletons, submitted to paediatric, neurological, psychological, and ophthalmological examinations. Inclusion criteria were twin pregnancy and gestational age 27—36 weeks for index group; same gestational age, but single pregnancy, for the comparison group. All children underwent paediatric and neuropsychiatric examinations, cognitive assessment, and psychological evaluation by standardized tests for screening of learning specific disorders and language difficulties, and finally, ophthalmological examination. In order to study their role in predicting neuropsychological outcome, we examined some perinatal prognostic factors by statistical analysis. Unfavourable neuropsychological outcome was observed in 55/172 (32% children, with different prevalence in the two groups, 42/172 (24% in twins and 13/172 (8% in singletons. Statistical analysis performed for examined prognostic factors showed significant differences in neuropsychological outcome with regard only to gestational age < 32 weeks, low birth weight, intraventricular haemorrhage, and periventricular leukomalacia. The incidence of neuropsychological diseases in the two groups showed significant difference about language and learning difficulties. Our data suggest that preterm twins represent a particular high-risk category of premature babies, mostly regarding the risk of so-called “minimal brain dysfunction”, so a careful follow-up is recommended.

  16. Small effect of genetic factors on neck pain in old age: a study of 2,108 Danish twins 70 years of age and older

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartvigsen, Jan; Petersen, Hans Christian; Frederiksen, Henrik

    2005-01-01

    STUDY DESIGN: Classic twin study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the heritability of neck pain in persons 70 years of age and older. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies have shown a moderate effect of genetic factors on back pain in the elderly. Genetic influence on neck pain in old age...... calculated and compared for monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Further, heritability estimates were calculated using bivariate probit estimation. RESULTS: A total of 2,108 twin individuals, including 1,054 complete twin pairs, answered the question related to neck pain at intake into the Longitudinal Study...... environmental risk factors (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, disc prolapse, and coronary heart disease) showed no significant additive genetic, dominant genetic, or common environmental effects. CONCLUSION: Genetic factors do not play an important role in the liability to neck pain in persons 70 years...

  17. Psychiatric disease incidence among Danish Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Johansen, Christoffer; Ross, Lone; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Hvidt, Niels Christian

    2013-10-01

    Previous studies suggest that religious practice can have a positive effect on mental health, but may also have potential for harm. In Denmark, unique possibilities are available for studying the influence of religious practice on mental health: Denmark is characterized as a secular society and it is possible to follow members of religious societies in nationwide registers. In this study, we follow a cohort of Danish Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) and Baptists in a nationwide psychiatry register and compare the incidence in this cohort with the general population. We followed a cohort of 5,614 SDA and 3,663 Baptists in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, which contained information on psychiatric hospitalizations from 1970 to 2009. Psychiatric disease incidence in the cohort was compared with that in the general Danish population as standardized incidence ratios and within-cohort comparisons were made with a Cox model. The cohort had decreased incidence of abuse disorders compared to the general population. Furthermore, among Baptists, decreased incidence of unipolar disorders among men and decreased incidence of schizophrenia among women were observed. Surprisingly, we observed an increased incidence rate of unipolar disorder among women. In this nationwide cohort study with 40 years of follow-up, we observed increased incidence rates of unipolar disorders among women and decreased rates of alcohol- and drug-related psychiatric disorders compared to the general Danish population. We have no mechanistic explanation for the increased incidence of unipolar disorders among women, but discuss several hypotheses that could explain this observation.

  18. Addressing social inequality in aging by the danish occupational social class measurement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Ulla; Krølner, Rikke; Nilsson, Charlotte Juul

    2014-01-01

    To present the Danish Occupational Social Class (DOSC) measurement as a measure of socioeconomic position (SEP) applicable in a late midlife population, and to analyze associations of this measure with three aging-related outcomes in midlife, adjusting for education.......To present the Danish Occupational Social Class (DOSC) measurement as a measure of socioeconomic position (SEP) applicable in a late midlife population, and to analyze associations of this measure with three aging-related outcomes in midlife, adjusting for education....

  19. Development in incidence of breast cancer in non-screened Danish women, 1973-2002--a population-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuglede, Niels; Langballe, Oline; Svendsen, Anne Louise

    2006-01-01

    The authors report on the incidence rates of breast cancer overall and by histology in a population of unscreened women constituting approximately 80% of the total population of women in Denmark from 1973-2002, utilizing the files of the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry. The age-specific incidence...... no disproportionate changes by histology in any age group from 1988-2002. Thus, previous reports of a disproportionate increase in lobular breast cancer could not be confirmed in a non-screened population, whereas important changes over the past decade in the age-specific incidence pattern of breast cancer particular...... rates of breast cancer increased throughout the period, and further, marked changes in the age-specific incidence pattern were observed, where the plateau and change of slope around the age of 46-48 in 1973-1981 shifted to around age 64-66 years in 1994-2002. Age-period-cohort modeling indicated...

  20. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome : from placental anastomoses to long-term outcome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lopriore, Enrico

    2006-01-01

    Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a severe complication of monochorionic twin pregnancies associated with high perinatal mortality and morbidity rates. Placental vascular anastomoses, almost invariably present in monochorionic placentas, are the essential anatomical substrate for the

  1. Is that me or my twin? Lack of self-face recognition advantage in identical twins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matteo Martini

    Full Text Available Despite the increasing interest in twin studies and the stunning amount of research on face recognition, the ability of adult identical twins to discriminate their own faces from those of their co-twins has been scarcely investigated. One's own face is the most distinctive feature of the bodily self, and people typically show a clear advantage in recognizing their own face even more than other very familiar identities. Given the very high level of resemblance of their faces, monozygotic twins represent a unique model for exploring self-face processing. Herein we examined the ability of monozygotic twins to distinguish their own face from the face of their co-twin and of a highly familiar individual. Results show that twins equally recognize their own face and their twin's face. This lack of self-face advantage was negatively predicted by how much they felt physically similar to their co-twin and by their anxious or avoidant attachment style. We speculate that in monozygotic twins, the visual representation of the self-face overlaps with that of the co-twin. Thus, to distinguish the self from the co-twin, monozygotic twins have to rely much more than control participants on the multisensory integration processes upon which the sense of bodily self is based. Moreover, in keeping with the notion that attachment style influences perception of self and significant others, we propose that the observed self/co-twin confusion may depend upon insecure attachment.

  2. Twin RSA

    OpenAIRE

    Lenstra, Arjen K.; Weger, De; Benjamin, M. M.

    2005-01-01

    We introduce Twin RSA, pairs of RSA moduli (n, n+ 2), and formulate several questions related to it. Our main questions are: is Twin RSA secure, and what is it good for? © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.

  3. Excess Mortality in Patients Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism: A Nationwide Cohort Study of Singletons and Twins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thvilum, Marianne; Brandt, Frans; Almind, Dorthe; Christensen, Kaare; Brix, Thomas Heiberg

    2013-01-01

    Background: Although hypothyroidism is associated with increased morbidity, an association with increased mortality is still debated. Our objective was to investigate, at a nationwide level, whether a diagnosis of hypothyroidism influences mortality. Methods: In an observational cohort study from January 1, 1978 until December 31, 2008 using record-linkage data from nationwide Danish health registers, 3587 singletons and 682 twins diagnosed with hypothyroidism were identified. Hypothyroid individuals were matched 1:4 with nonhypothyroid controls with respect to age and gender and followed over a mean period of 5.6 years (range 0–30 years). The hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was calculated using Cox regression analyses. Comorbidity was evaluated using the Charlson score (CS). Results: In singletons with hypothyroidism, the mortality risk was increased (HR 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–1.65). Although the effect attenuated, hypothyroidism remained associated with increased mortality when evaluating subjects with a CS = 0 (HR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05–1.44). In twin pairs discordant for hypothyroidism, the hypothyroid twin had excess mortality compared with the corresponding euthyroid cotwin (HR 1.40; 95% CI 0.95–2.05). However, after stratifying for zygosity, hypothyroidism was associated with excess mortality in dizygotic twin pairs (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.00–2.58), whereas the association attenuated in monozygotic pairs (HR 1.06; 95% CI 0.55–2.05). Conclusions: Hypothyroidism is associated with an excess mortality of around 50%, which to some degree is explained by comorbidity. In addition, the finding of an association between hypothyroidism and mortality within disease discordant dizygotic but not monozygotic twin pairs indicates that the association between hypothyroidism and mortality is also influenced by genetic confounding. PMID:23365121

  4. Danish Hip Arthroscopy Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mygind-Klavsen, Bjarne; Grønbech Nielsen, Torsten; Maagaard, Niels

    2016-01-01

    Danish Hip Arthroscopy Registry (DHAR) was initiated in 2012 as a web-based prospective registry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and report the epidemiologic and perioperative data of the first 2000 procedures in a Danish hip arthroscopy population and to describe the development of DHAR...... was 0.65 and HAGOS sub-scores were 51 (pain), 49 (symptoms), 53 (ADL), 35 (sport), 20 (physical activity) and 29, respectively. We conclude that patients undergoing hip arthroscopy report considerable pain, loss of function, reduced level of activity and reduced quality-of-life prior to surgery....... The problems with development and maintaining a large clinical registry are described and further studies are needed to validate data completeness. We consider the development of a national clinical registry for hip arthroscopy as a successful way of developing and maintaining a valuable clinical...

  5. The Danish Prostate Cancer Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen-Nielsen, Mary; Høyer, Søren; Friis, Søren

    2016-01-01

    variables include Gleason scores, cancer staging, prostate-specific antigen values, and therapeutic measures (active surveillance, surgery, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and chemotherapy). DESCRIPTIVE DATA: In total, 22,332 patients with prostate cancer were registered in DAPROCAdata as of April 2015......AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Prostate Cancer Database (DAPROCAdata) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively collected data on patients with incident prostate cancer in Denmark since February 2010. The overall aim of the DAPROCAdata is to improve the quality of prostate cancer...... care in Denmark by systematically collecting key clinical variables for the purposes of health care monitoring, quality improvement, and research. STUDY POPULATION: All Danish patients with histologically verified prostate cancer are included in the DAPROCAdata. MAIN VARIABLES: The DAPROCAdata...

  6. The Danish Fetal Medicine Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ekelund, Charlotte K; Petersen, Olav B; Jørgensen, Finn S

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To describe the establishment and organization of the Danish Fetal Medicine Database and to report national results of first-trimester combined screening for trisomy 21 in the 5-year period 2008-2012. DESIGN: National register study using prospectively collected first-trimester screening...... data from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database. POPULATION: Pregnant women in Denmark undergoing first-trimester screening for trisomy 21. METHODS: Data on maternal characteristics, biochemical and ultrasonic markers are continuously sent electronically from local fetal medicine databases (Astraia Gmbh...... software) to a central national database. Data are linked to outcome data from the National Birth Register, the National Patient Register and the National Cytogenetic Register via the mother's unique personal registration number. First-trimester screening data from 2008 to 2012 were retrieved. MAIN OUTCOME...

  7. Evidence for a major role of heredity in Graves' disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brix, T H; Kyvik, K O; Christensen, Kaare

    2001-01-01

    The etiology of Graves' disease (GD), affecting up to 2% of a population in iodine-sufficient areas, is incompletely understood. According to current thinking, the development of GD depends on complex interactions among genetic, environmental, and endogenous factors. However, the relative...... contributions of the genetic and environmental factors remain to be clarified. In this study we report probandwise concordance rates for GD in a new cohort of same sex twin pairs born between 1953 and 1976 (young cohort), ascertained from the nationwide population-based Danish Twin Register. To elucidate...... the magnitude of the genetic and environmental influence in the etiology of GD, these new twin data were pooled with our previously published twin data on GD (old cohort). The old cohort consisted of 2338 same sex twin pairs born between 1870 and 1920 who had participated in questionnaire surveys during...

  8. Level of anxiety in parents of high-risk premature twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanardo, V; Freato, F; Cereda, C

    1998-01-01

    We attempted to define parental anxiety in a population of parents of high-risk premature twins (mean birth weight 1,493 +/- 227 kg; mean gestational age 33 +/- 3.5 weeks), admitted to III level NICU. We specifically examined the following factors; gestational age of the twins, whether or not the twins had ventilatory support, pulmonary sequelae, major malformations or intra-ventricular hemorrhage, parental gender and highest level of education obtained by the parent. In the immediate pre-discharge period and a month later, a questionnaire (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) was given to all parents of premature twins presenting for the discharge. The parents of 30 twins entered the study twice, at the discharge of their first twin (mean postnatal age 40 +/- 32 days), and one month later. They included 15 mothers and 11 fathers, aged 33 +/- 5.5 and 33 +/- 4.2 years, and at the second evaluation 11 mothers and 10 fathers, respectively. As case-controls we examined parental anxiety of fifteen consecutive singleton high-risk prematures, with equal gestational age, discharged immediately after. Our results indicate that the parents of high-risk twin and singleton prematures present an elevated, lasting state-trait anxiety level. Pre- and post-discharge parental anxiety is more elevated (not significant) in twinning with respect to the prematurity alone. When assessed separately by parental gender, in both these groups an increased (not significant) anxiety was persistently found in the mothers. We recommend that, although neonatologists generally define the discharge of the high-risk premature based upon the acquired stabilization of vital parameters, they pay special attention to the twin group we have identified which is at increased risk for predischarge parental anxiety.

  9. Influence of chorionicity on perinatal outcome in a large cohort of Danish twin pregnancies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oldenburg, Anna; Rode, Line; Bødker, Birgit

    2012-01-01

    December 2006. Outcome data were retrieved from the National Board of Health. Results Among 2038 twin pregnancies, 1757 (86.2%) were dichorionic (DC) and 281 (13.8%) were monochorionic diamniotic (MC). MC pregnancies had a more than three-fold higher rate of spontaneous fetal loss in both second and third...... trimester compared to DC pregnancies; 6.0% versus 1.9% for at least one fetus in second trimester (p...’ gestation, women’s chance of having two live infants one month after delivery levels out between MC and DC, if both fetuses are alive at 24 weeks....

  10. Congenital Chagas's disease in an urban population: investigation of infected twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoff, R; Mott, K E; Milanesi, M L; Bittencourt, A L; Barbosa, H S

    1978-01-01

    In the Nordeste de Amaralina suburb of Salvador Bahia, Brazil, 47 of 285 pregnant women surveyed had complement fixing antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi. At delivery T. cruzi was detected in one of 17 placentas from the sero-positive women. The offspring of this case were premature twins and T. cruzi was detected in the peripheral blood of each before death. At autopsy the gastro-intestinal tract and urinary bladder of both were severely affected. Immunofluorescence tests on cord sera, including the single case with T. cruzi in the placenta, were negative for IgM antibodies to T. cruzi. The mother of the infected twins and three of her living children, who were born and have resided in the city, were also infected with T. cruzi. Although the children had visited an area endemic for Chagas's disease for short periods, the mode of transmission in this family may have been transplacental. The value of the immunofluorescence test in the diagnosis of congenital Chagas's disease is discussed.

  11. Sports pairs: insights on athletic talent; research reviews: twins with leukemia; parents and twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Nancy L

    2007-06-01

    Twin research exploring genetic and environmental influences on athletic interests and talents is reviewed. Illustrative examples of twin athletes representing a variety of sports activities are presented. This is followed by an overview of twin studies offering critical insights into the onset and progress of leukemia. In the last section, timely events involving twins and parents of twins will be described--each case provides a new look at an old question.

  12. The Brazilian Twin Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Paulo H; Oliveira, Vinicius C; Junqueira, Daniela R; Cisneros, Lígia C; Ferreira, Lucas C; Murphy, Kate; Ordoñana, Juan R; Hopper, John L; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci F

    2016-12-01

    The Brazilian Twin Registry (BTR) was established in 2013 and has impelled twin research in South America. The main aim of the initiative was to create a resource that would be accessible to the Brazilian scientific community as well as international researchers interested in the investigation of the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the development of common diseases, phenotypes, and human behavior traits. The BTR is a joint effort between academic and governmental institutions from Brazil and Australia. The collaboration includes the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne in Australia, the Australian Twin Registry, as well as the research foundations CNPq and CAPES in Brazil. The BTR is a member of the International Network of Twin Registries. Recruitment strategies used to register twins have been through participation in a longitudinal study investigating genetic and environmental factors for low back pain occurrence, and from a variety of sources including media campaigns and social networking. Currently, 291 twins are registered in the BTR, with data on demographics, zygosity, anthropometrics, and health history having been collected from 151 twins using a standardized self-reported questionnaire. Future BTR plans include the registration of thousands of Brazilian twins identified from different sources and collaborate nationally and internationally with other research groups interested on twin studies.

  13. High heritability of liability to abdominal aortic aneurysms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mejnert Jørgensen, Trine; Christensen, Kaare; Lindholt, Jes Sanddal

    2016-01-01

    of genetic and environmental factors can be assessed by comparing concordance rates between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Higher phenotypic similarity between MZ than DZ twins indicates a genetic attribution to the etiology. The objective of this study was to investigate the heritability of AAA...... among Danish twins using concordance rates and heritability estimates. METHODS: The Danish Twin Registry was used to identify all Danish twin pairs (born 1880-1971) where both twins were alive on January 1, 1977. AAA cases were then identified using the National Patient Registry and the Registry...... of Cause of Death. Probandwise concordance rates were calculated and heritability estimated using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The study identified 414 twins with AAA; 69.8% (289/414) were men and 30.2% (125/414) women. The probandwise concordance rate in MZ twins was 30% (95% CI 20...

  14. Reduction in pedometer-determined physical activity in the adult Danish population from 2007 to 2012

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matthiessen, Jeppe; Andersen, Elisabeth Wreford; Raustorp, Anders

    2015-01-01

    Aims: To examine the development in pedometer-determined physical activity from 2007–2008 to 2011–2012 in the adult Danish population. Methods: The study population comprised two random samples of 18–75-year-old individuals who took part in cross-sectional studies in 2007–2008 (n=224) and 2011......–2012 (n=1515). Pedometer data (sealed Yamax SW 200) were obtained for seven consecutive days. Data for 1624 participants (48.2% men) were included in the analysis. An overall step-defined activity level was examined based on a graduated step index (sedentary, low active, somewhat active, active, highly.......1%) lower overall step-defined activity level was observed in 2011–2012 compared to 2007–2008. These changes were primarily due to a reduced level of activity among women. The proportion of individuals taking ⩾10,000 steps/day decreased non-significantly from 34.8% to 29.3%, whereas the proportion taking...

  15. Methylomic analysis of monozygotic twins discordant for autism spectrum disorder and related behavioural traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, C C Y; Meaburn, E L; Ronald, A; Price, T S; Jeffries, A R; Schalkwyk, L C; Plomin, R; Mill, J

    2014-04-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) defines a group of common, complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the aetiology of ASD has a strong genetic component, there is considerable monozygotic (MZ) twin discordance indicating a role for non-genetic factors. Because MZ twins share an identical DNA sequence, disease-discordant MZ twin pairs provide an ideal model for examining the contribution of environmentally driven epigenetic factors in disease. We performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in a sample of 50 MZ twin pairs (100 individuals) sampled from a representative population cohort that included twins discordant and concordant for ASD, ASD-associated traits and no autistic phenotype. Within-twin and between-group analyses identified numerous differentially methylated regions associated with ASD. In addition, we report significant correlations between DNA methylation and quantitatively measured autistic trait scores across our sample cohort. This study represents the first systematic epigenomic analyses of MZ twins discordant for ASD and implicates a role for altered DNA methylation in autism.

  16. Favourable effect of TNF-alpha inhibitor (infliximab) on Blau syndrome in monozygotic twins with a de novo CARD15 mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Milman, Nils; Andersen, Claus B.; Hansen, Annette

    2006-01-01

    Blau syndrome is a hereditary granulomatous disease caused by mutations in the CARD15 gene that is diagnosed in children of young age with exanthema/erythema, arthritis/periarthritis and/or uveitis. We report two cases of Blau syndrome in Danish Caucasian monozygotic male twins, exhibiting...... a heterozygous de novo R334W mutation in codon 334 of CARD15. The patients were initially diagnosed as having sarcoidosis. In both twins, symptoms (exanthema, arthritis/periarthritis) started at 1 year of age, and were followed by uveitis at 7-10 years of age. There was no involvement of the lungs or other...... organs. An initial course of standard antituberculous treatment had no effect on the symptoms. Hydroxychloroquine and cyclosporine A were also ineffective, and the latter caused impaired renal function. Partial symptomatic relief was obtained with prednisolone and increased benefit was observed...

  17. A Danish national survey of women operated with mid-urethral slings in 2001

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ammendrup, Astrid Cecilie; Jørgensen, Anette; Sander, Pia

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To perform a national survey on self-reported cure, satisfaction and complications four years after mid-urethral sling (MUS) for urinary stress incontinence in Danish women operated in 2001. DESIGN: A postal questionnaire survey. POPULATION: All Danish women who received an MUS operation...

  18. Morbidity and medicine prescriptions in a nationwide Danish population of patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glintborg, Dorte; Hass Rubin, Katrine; Nybo, Mads; Abrahamsen, Bo; Andersen, Marianne

    2015-05-01

    The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increased in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the prevalence of other diseases is not clarified. We aimed to investigate morbidity and medicine prescriptions in PCOS. A National Register-based study. Patients with PCOS (PCOS Denmark and an embedded cohort; PCOS Odense University Hospital (OUH)) and one control population. Premenopausal women with PCOS underwent clinical and biochemical examination (PCOS OUH, n=1217). PCOS Denmark (n=19 199) included women with PCOS in the Danish National Patient Register. Three age-matched controls were included per patient (n=57 483). Diagnosis codes and filled prescriptions. The mean (range) age of the PCOS Denmark group and controls was 30.6 (12-60) years. Patients in PCOS Denmark had higher Charlson index, higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension than controls. PCOS was associated with a two times increased risk of stroke and thrombosis, whereas the risk of other cardiovascular diseases was not increased. Thyroid disease, asthma, migraine, and depression were more prevalent in PCOS Denmark vs controls, whereas fractures were rarer. Infertility was increased in patients compared with controls, but the mean number of births was higher in PCOS. Medicine prescriptions within all diagnosis areas were significantly higher in PCOS patients than in controls.In PCOS OUH, polycystic ovaries (PCO) and irregular menses were associated with a more adverse metabolic risk profile, but individual Rotterdam criteria were not associated with cardiometabolic diagnoses. Cardiometabolic and psychiatric morbidity were significantly increased in a Danish population with PCOS. Medical diseases are frequent also in young patients with PCOS. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

  19. Psychosocial Development in a Danish Population of Children With Cochlear Implants and Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dammeyer, Jesper Herup

    2010-01-01

    Research has shown a prevalence of psychosocial difficulties ranging from about 20 to 50 percent among children with hearing loss. This study evaluates the prevalence of psychosocial difficulties in a Danish population in relation to different explanatory variables. Five scales and questionnaires...... disabilities, the prevalence was three times greater compared to children without additional disabilities. If sign-language and/or oral language abilities are good, the children do not have a substantially higher level of psychosocial difficulties than do hearing children. This study documents the importance...

  20. Needle twins and right-angled twins in minerals: comparison between experiment and theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salje, E.K.H.; Buckley, A.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Ishibashi, Y.; Nord, G.L.

    1998-01-01

    Transformation twinning in minerals forms isolated twin walls, intesecting walls with corner junctions, and wedge-shaped twins as elements of hierarchical patterns. When cut perpendicular to the twin walls, the twins have characteristic shapes, right-angled and needle-shaped wall traces, which can be observed by transmission electron microscopy or by optical microscopy. Theoretical geometries of wall shapes recently derived for strain-related systems should hold for most displacive and order-disorder type phase transitions: 1) right-angled twins show curved junctions; 2) needle-shaped twins contain flat wall segments near the needle tip if the elastic behaviour of the mineral is dominated by its anisotroyp; 3) additional bending forces and pinning effects lead to curved walls near the junction that make the needle tip appear more blunt. Bent right-angled twins were analyzed in Gd2(MoO4)3. Linear needle tips were found in WO3, [N(CH3)4]2.ZnBr4 CrAl, BiVO4, GdBa2Cu3O7, and PbZrO. Parabolic tips occur in K2Ba(NO2)4, and GeTe whereas exponential curvatures appear in BaTiO3, KSCN, Pb3(PO4)2, CaTiO3, alkali feldspars, YBa2Cu3O7, and MnAl. The size and shape of the twin microstructure relates to its formation during the phase transition and the subsequent annealing history. The mobility of the twin walls after formation depends not only on the thermal activation but also on the structure of the wall, which may be pinned to impurities on a favorable structural site. Depinnign energies are often large compared with thermal energies for diffusion. This leads to kinetic time scales for twin coarsening that are comparable to geological time scales. Therefore, transformation twins that exhibit needle domains not only indicate that the mineral underwent a structural phase transition but also contain information about its subsequent geological history.

  1. Adverse metabolic risk profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children compared to Danish children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munch-Andersen, T; Sorensen, K; Andersen, L B; Aachmann-Andersen, N J; Aksglaede, L; Juul, A; Helge, J W

    2013-06-01

    During recent decades, the prevalence of metabolic morbidity has increased rapidly in adult Greenlandic Inuit. To what extent this is also reflected in the juvenile Inuit population is unknown. The objective was, therefore, in the comparison with Danish children, to evaluate metabolic profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children from the capital in the southern and from the northern most villages 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children were examined with anthropometrics, pubertal staging, fasting blood samples, and a maximal aerobic test. Both Inuit children living in Nuuk and the northern villages had significantly higher glucose, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 levels, and diastolic blood pressure compared with Danish children after adjustment for differences in adiposity and aerobic fitness levels. The Inuit children living in Nuuk had significantly higher BMI, body fat %, HbA1 c, and significantly lower aerobic fitness and ApoA1 levels than northern living Inuit children. Greenlandic Inuit children had adverse metabolic health profile compared to the Danish children, the differences where more pronounced in Inuit children living in Nuuk. The tendencies toward higher prevalence of diabetes and metabolic morbidity in the adult Greenlandic Inuit population may also be present in the Inuit children population. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

  2. The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Friis-Andersen H

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Hans Friis-Andersen1,2, Thue Bisgaard2,3 1Surgical Department, Horsens Regional Hospital, Horsens, Denmark; 2Steering Committee, Danish Hernia Database, 3Surgical Gastroenterological Department 235, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark Aim of database: To monitor and improve nation-wide surgical outcome after groin hernia repair based on scientific evidence-based surgical strategies for the national and international surgical community. Study population: Patients ≥18 years operated for groin hernia. Main variables: Type and size of hernia, primary or recurrent, type of surgical repair procedure, mesh and mesh fixation methods. Descriptive data: According to the Danish National Health Act, surgeons are obliged to register all hernia repairs immediately after surgery (3 minute registration time. All institutions have continuous access to their own data stratified on individual surgeons. Registrations are based on a closed, protected Internet system requiring personal codes also identifying the operating institution. A national steering committee consisting of 13 voluntary and dedicated surgeons, 11 of whom are unpaid, handles the medical management of the database. Results: The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database comprises intraoperative data from >130,000 repairs (May 2015. A total of 49 peer-reviewed national and international publications have been published from the database (June 2015. Conclusion: The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database is fully active monitoring surgical quality and contributes to the national and international surgical society to improve outcome after groin hernia repair. Keywords: nation-wide, recurrence, chronic pain, femoral hernia, surgery, quality improvement

  3. Breast cancer onset in twins and women with bilateral disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartman, Mikael; Hall, Per; Edgren, Gustaf

    2008-01-01

    PURPOSE: Little is known of the onset of breast cancer in high-risk populations. We investigated the risk of breast cancer in twin sisters and in the contralateral breast taking family history into consideration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a Scandinavian population-based cohort of 2,499 fe...

  4. Danish dental education:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moore, Rod

    1985-01-01

    The effects of Danish cultural traditions on dental education in Denmark are described, as well as the system's current structure and developing issues. Some Danish ideas for future exports of dental education programs and dental personnel are also discussed.......The effects of Danish cultural traditions on dental education in Denmark are described, as well as the system's current structure and developing issues. Some Danish ideas for future exports of dental education programs and dental personnel are also discussed....

  5. Digital Twins in Health Care: Ethical Implications of an Emerging Engineering Paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruynseels, Koen; Santoni de Sio, Filippo; van den Hoven, Jeroen

    2018-01-01

    Personalized medicine uses fine grained information on individual persons, to pinpoint deviations from the normal. 'Digital Twins' in engineering provide a conceptual framework to analyze these emerging data-driven health care practices, as well as their conceptual and ethical implications for therapy, preventative care and human enhancement. Digital Twins stand for a specific engineering paradigm, where individual physical artifacts are paired with digital models that dynamically reflects the status of those artifacts. When applied to persons, Digital Twins are an emerging technology that builds on in silico representations of an individual that dynamically reflect molecular status, physiological status and life style over time. We use Digital Twins as the hypothesis that one would be in the possession of very detailed bio-physical and lifestyle information of a person over time. This perspective redefines the concept of 'normality' or 'health,' as a set of patterns that are regular for a particular individual , against the backdrop of patterns observed in the population. This perspective also will impact what is considered therapy and what is enhancement, as can be illustrated with the cases of the 'asymptomatic ill' and life extension via anti-aging medicine. These changes are the consequence of how meaning is derived, in case measurement data is available. Moral distinctions namely may be based on patterns found in these data and the meanings that are grafted on these patterns. Ethical and societal implications of Digital Twins are explored. Digital Twins imply a data-driven approach to health care. This approach has the potential to deliver significant societal benefits, and can function as a social equalizer, by allowing for effective equalizing enhancement interventions. It can as well though be a driver for inequality, given the fact that a Digital Twin might not be an accessible technology for everyone, and given the fact that patterns identified across a

  6. The Danish Inguinal Hernia database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis-Andersen, Hans; Bisgaard, Thue

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: To monitor and improve nation-wide surgical outcome after groin hernia repair based on scientific evidence-based surgical strategies for the national and international surgical community. STUDY POPULATION: Patients ≥18 years operated for groin hernia. MAIN VARIABLES: Type and size...... access to their own data stratified on individual surgeons. Registrations are based on a closed, protected Internet system requiring personal codes also identifying the operating institution. A national steering committee consisting of 13 voluntary and dedicated surgeons, 11 of whom are unpaid, handles...... the medical management of the database. RESULTS: The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database comprises intraoperative data from >130,000 repairs (May 2015). A total of 49 peer-reviewed national and international publications have been published from the database (June 2015). CONCLUSION: The Danish Inguinal Hernia...

  7. Danish Colorectal Cancer Group Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingeholm, Peter; Gögenur, Ismail; Iversen, Lene H

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of the database, which has existed for registration of all patients with colorectal cancer in Denmark since 2001, is to improve the prognosis for this patient group. STUDY POPULATION: All Danish patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer who are either diagnosed......, and other pathological risk factors. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The database has had >95% completeness in including patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma with >54,000 patients registered so far with approximately one-third rectal cancers and two-third colon cancers and an overrepresentation of men among rectal...... diagnosis, surgical interventions, and short-term outcomes. The database does not have high-resolution oncological data and does not register recurrences after primary surgery. The Danish Colorectal Cancer Group provides high-quality data and has been documenting an increase in short- and long...

  8. Ancient DNA extracted from Danish aurochs (Bos primigenius)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Gravlund; Aaris-Sørensen, Kim; Hofreiter, Michael

    2012-01-01

    study of genetic variation of Danish aurochs. In addition, for all specimens we address correlations between the ability to obtain DNA sequences and various parameters such as the age of the sample, the collagen content, the museum storage period, Danish geography and whether the specimens were found...... in an archeological or geological context. We find that aurochs from southern Scandinavia display a star-shaped population genetic structure, that is indicative of a local and relatively recent diversification from a few ancestral haplotypes that may have originated in the ancestral Western European population before...... migration northwards during the retreat of the glaciers. Scenarios suggesting several invasions of genetically distinct aurochs are not supported by these analyses. Rather, our results suggest that a single continuous migration northward occurred. Our findings also suggest, although with only limited...

  9. The genetic and environmental influences on childhood obesity: a systematic review of twin and adoption studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Silventoinen, K; Rokholm, B; Kaprio, J

    2010-01-01

    In this systematic review, we aimed to collect together all previous twin and adoption studies on childhood and adolescent obesity up to the age of 18 years. Using several sources, we identified nine twin and five adoption studies; all of these studies had used relative weight as an indicator...... a substantial effect in mid-childhood, but this effect disappeared at adolescence. Adoption studies supported the role of family environment in childhood obesity as correlations were found between adoptees and adoptive parents; however, correlations were substantially stronger between parents...... of obesity. Except the two twin studies from the Korean population, all studies represented Caucasian populations. In a meta-analysis of these twin studies, we found that genetic factors had a strong effect on the variation of body mass index (BMI) at all ages. The common environmental factors showed...

  10. More of the same: Danish foreign and security policy after Afghanistan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Peter Viggo

    2016-01-01

    The deployment of ground forces to Helmand (2006-2014) resulted in the worst fighting experienced by the Danish army since its defeat to Prussia in 1864 and more casualties (43 fatalities and 214 wounded) than all other international operations conducted by the Danish armed forces since World War...... Two. The financial costs were also unprecedented as the total civilian and military expenditures on Afghanistan came to approximately €2.68 billion by the end of 2014. Although some politicians now regard the Afghan war as a mistake and more than half of the Danish population do not consider it worth...

  11. Predictors of fibromyalgia: a population-based twin cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markkula, Ritva A; Kalso, Eija A; Kaprio, Jaakko A

    2016-01-15

    Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pain syndrome, the mechanisms and predictors of which are still unclear. We have earlier validated a set of FM-symptom questions for detecting possible FM in an epidemiological survey and thereby identified a cluster with "possible FM". This study explores prospectively predictors for membership of that FM-symptom cluster. A population-based sample of 8343 subjects of the older Finnish Twin Cohort replied to health questionnaires in 1975, 1981, and 1990. Their answers to the set of FM-symptom questions in 1990 classified them in three latent classes (LC): LC1 with no or few symptoms, LC2 with some symptoms, and LC3 with many FM symptoms. We analysed putative predictors for these symptom classes using baseline (1975 and 1981) data on regional pain, headache, migraine, sleeping, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking, and zygosity, adjusted for age, gender, and education. Those with a high likelihood of having fibromyalgia at baseline were excluded from the analysis. In the final multivariate regression model, regional pain, sleeping problems, and overweight were all predictors for membership in the class with many FM symptoms. The strongest non-genetic predictor was frequent headache (OR 8.6, CI 95% 3.8-19.2), followed by persistent back pain (OR 4.7, CI 95% 3.3-6.7) and persistent neck pain (OR 3.3, CI 95% 1.8-6.0). Regional pain, frequent headache, and persistent back or neck pain, sleeping problems, and overweight are predictors for having a cluster of symptoms consistent with fibromyalgia.

  12. The Danish East India Company

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Karsten Engsig

    2005-01-01

    The article analysis the first Danish East India Company incorporated in 1616, which was the first Danish Stock Company and which has impacts even on modern Danish company la......The article analysis the first Danish East India Company incorporated in 1616, which was the first Danish Stock Company and which has impacts even on modern Danish company la...

  13. Influence of twin and multi-rig trawl systems on CPUE in the Danish Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) fishery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feekings, Jordan P.; Berg, Casper Willestofte; Krag, Ludvig Ahm

    2016-01-01

    analyse catchrates of four target species, Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), cod (Gadus morhua), plaice (Pleuronectesplatessa) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), to try and understand how the use of multi-rig trawlshave altered catch rates within the Danish demersal trawl fishery over the last 16...

  14. Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis in a Danish population: a study using the 2008 criteria of the European Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Richter, B.; Hesse, U.; Hansen, Alastair Bierre

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To characterize and evaluate a Danish patient population with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), using a working definition for BPS/IC incorporating six variables, and a set of criteria defined by the European Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC...

  15. Ventricular strain changes in monochorionic twins with and without twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor-Clarke, Marisa C; Matsui, Hikoro; Roughton, Michael; Wimalasundera, Ruwan C; Gardiner, Helena M

    2013-06-01

    The objective of the study was to investigate whether vector velocity imaging (VVI), a non-Doppler speckle tracking ultrasound technology, is feasible in twin pregnancies and can aid management of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Twenty-seven women pregnant with monochorionic diamniotic twins affected by TTTS and 28 monochorionic pregnancies that did not develop TTTS were included in a prospective case-control study at a fetal medicine center. Fetal echocardiograms were recorded with dummy electrocardiography to retain original frame rates when exported for offline speckle tracking analysis using Syngo-VVI software (Siemens Corp, Munich, Germany). Right and left ventricular (LV) free wall Lagrangian strain was measured from the original coordinates. Within-twin pair ventricular strain differences including relationship to Quintero staging and response to laser therapy for TTTS were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The VVI strain measurements could be analyzed in 182 of 200 TTTS and 96 of 112 non-TTTS control ventricles. Within-pair strain was concordant in non-TTTS controls. Recipient LV strain was reduced at all Quintero stages compared with donors (P < .01). Recipient right ventricular strain was reduced only in stages 3 and 4 (P < .01). Strain improved at a median of 2 weeks following successful laser therapy. Intertwin differences in strain were independent of weight discordance. Recipient LV strain is reduced in stages 1 and 2 TTTS. Within-pair strain discordance may distinguish early TTTS from growth discordance and guide timing of and management following treatment. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Lifetime anorexia nervosa in young men in the community : Five cases and their co-twins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raevuori, Anu; Keski-Rahkonen, Anna; Hoek, Hans W.; Sihvola, Elina; Rissanen, Aila; Kaprio, Jaakko

    Objective: To describe patterns, comorbidity, and outcomes from a case series of anorexia nervosa (AN) among young men from the general population and their co-twins. Method: Men (N = 2,122) born between 1975 and 1979 from Finnish twin cohorts were screened for lifetime eating disorders by

  17. Benchmarking Danish Industries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gammelgaard, Britta; Bentzen, Eric; Aagaard Andreassen, Mette

    2003-01-01

    compatible survey. The International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) doesbring up the question of supply chain management, but unfortunately, we did not have access to thedatabase. Data from the members of the SCOR-model, in the form of benchmarked performance data,may exist, but are nonetheless...... not public. The survey is a cooperative project "Benchmarking DanishIndustries" with CIP/Aalborg University, the Danish Technological University, the DanishTechnological Institute and Copenhagen Business School as consortia partners. The project has beenfunded by the Danish Agency for Trade and Industry...

  18. Twin pregnancy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sperling, Lene; Tabor, A

    2001-01-01

    Determination of chorionicity is one of the most important issues in the management of twin pregnancy. Modern ultrasound equipment has made it possible to accurately assess placentation already in the first trimester with the lambda sign. With regard to prenatal diagnosis, it is important to know...... for clinicians caring for twin pregnancies....

  19. Danish emergency plan for Barsebaeck Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-01-01

    A revised edition of the Danish emergency plan for the Swedish Power Plant Barsebaeck (about 20 km from the Danish Territory) is prepared at the request of Environmental Council in cooperation with police management and civil defense organisations. The plan is valid from October 1981. The emergency plan defines the emergency organization and the provisions to be taken quickly to protect the population if it is exposed to ionizing radiation from release of radioactive effluents as a result of an accident in the Barsebaeck power plant. The emergency plan is based upon Regulation no. 278, June 27, 1963 and Regulation no. 502, October 1, 1974. (EG)

  20. Heritability of myopia and ocular biometrics in Koreans: the healthy twin study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Myung Hun; Zhao, Di; Kim, Woori; Lim, Dong-Hui; Song, Yun-Mi; Guallar, Eliseo; Cho, Juhee; Sung, Joohon; Chung, Eui-Sang; Chung, Tae-Young

    2013-05-01

    To estimate the heritabilities of myopia and ocular biometrics among different family types among a Korean population. We studied 1508 adults in the Healthy Twin Study. Spherical equivalent, axial length, anterior chamber depth, and corneal astigmatism were measured by refraction, corneal topography, and A-scan ultrasonography. To see the degree of resemblance among different types of family relationships, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Variance-component methods were applied to estimate the genetic contributions to eye phenotypes as heritability based on the maximum likelihood estimation. Narrow sense heritability was calculated as the proportion of the total phenotypic variance explained by additive genetic effects, and linear and nonlinear effects of age, sex, and interactions between age and sex were adjusted. A total of 240 monozygotic twin pairs, 45 dizygotic twin pairs, and 938 singleton adult family members who were first-degree relatives of twins in 345 families were included in the study. ICCs for spherical equivalent from monozygotic twins, pooled first-degree pairs, and spouse pairs were 0.83, 0.34, and 0.20, respectively. The ICCs of other ocular biometrics were also significantly higher in monozygotic twins compared with other relative pairs, with greater consistency and conformity. The estimated narrow sense heritability (95% confidence interval) was 0.78 (0.71-0.84) for spherical equivalent; 0.86 (0.82-0.90) for axial length; 0.83 (0.76-0.91) for anterior chamber depth; and 0.70 (0.63-0.77) for corneal astigmatism. The estimated heritability of spherical equivalent and ocular biometrics in the Korean population suggests the compelling evidence that all traits are highly heritable.

  1. Danish Register of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lange, Peter; Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard; Sorknæs, Anne Dichmann

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Register of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (DrCOPD) is a nationwide database aiming to describe the quality of treatment of all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: DrCOPD comprises data on all patients...

  2. Importance of genetic factors in the etiology of atopic dermatitis: a twin study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Simon F; Ulrik, Charlotte S; Kyvik, Kirsten O

    2007-01-01

    The susceptibility to develop atopic dermatitis can be attributed both to genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the relative impact of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of atopic dermatitis in a population-based sample of twins. From the birth cohorts of 1953-1982 who wer...... dermatitis both in male and female patients (p = 0.98). The estimates were adjusted for age. The susceptibility to develop atopic dermatitis is attributable to mainly genetic differences between people. However, differences in environmental exposures also are of importance......The susceptibility to develop atopic dermatitis can be attributed both to genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the relative impact of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of atopic dermatitis in a population-based sample of twins. From the birth cohorts of 1953-1982 who were...... with a threefold increased risk among cotwins of an affected fraternal twin, relative to the general population. Genes accounted for 82% and nonshared environmental factors accounted for 18% of the individual susceptibility to develop atopic dermatitis. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to atopic...

  3. Physical activity, fitness, glucose homeostasis, and brain morphology in twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rottensteiner, Mirva; Leskinen, Tuija; Niskanen, Eini; Aaltonen, Sari; Mutikainen, Sara; Wikgren, Jan; Heikkilä, Kauko; Kovanen, Vuokko; Kainulainen, Heikki; Kaprio, Jaakko; Tarkka, Ina M; Kujala, Urho M

    2015-03-01

    The main aim of the present study (FITFATTWIN) was to investigate how physical activity level is associated with body composition, glucose homeostasis, and brain morphology in young adult male monozygotic twin pairs discordant for physical activity. From a population-based twin cohort, we systematically selected 10 young adult male monozygotic twin pairs (age range, 32-36 yr) discordant for leisure time physical activity during the past 3 yr. On the basis of interviews, we calculated a mean sum index for leisure time and commuting activity during the past 3 yr (3-yr LTMET index expressed as MET-hours per day). We conducted extensive measurements on body composition (including fat percentage measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), glucose homeostasis including homeostatic model assessment index and insulin sensitivity index (Matsuda index, calculated from glucose and insulin values from an oral glucose tolerance test), and whole brain magnetic resonance imaging for regional volumetric analyses. According to pairwise analysis, the active twins had lower body fat percentage (P = 0.029) and homeostatic model assessment index (P = 0.031) and higher Matsuda index (P = 0.021) compared with their inactive co-twins. Striatal and prefrontal cortex (subgyral and inferior frontal gyrus) brain gray matter volumes were larger in the nondominant hemisphere in active twins compared with those in inactive co-twins, with a statistical threshold of P physical activity is associated with improved glucose homeostasis and modulation of striatum and prefrontal cortex gray matter volume, independent of genetic background. The findings may contribute to later reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and mobility limitations.

  4. Characterization of the genetic profile of five Danish dog breeds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertoldi, Cino; Kristensen, T. N.; Loeschcke, Volker

    2013-01-01

    This investigation presents results from a genetic characterization of 5 Danish dog breeds genotyped on the CanineHD BeadChip microarray with 170,000 SNP. The breeds investigated were 1) Danish Spitz (DS; n = 8), 2) Danish-Swedish Farm Dog (DSF; n = 18), 3) Broholmer (BR; n = 22), 4) Old Danish...... Pointing Dog (ODP; n = 24), and 5) Greenland Dog (GD; n = 23). The aims of the investigation were to characterize the genetic profile of the abovementioned dog breeds by quantifying the genetic differentiation among them and the degree of genetic homogeneity within breeds. The genetic profile...... as the degree of polymorphism (P%) ranked the dog breeds in the order DS > DSF > BR > ODP > GD. Interestingly, the breed with a tenfold higher census population size compared to the other breeds, the Greenland Dog, had the lowest within-breed genetic variation, emphasizing that census size is a poor predictor...

  5. Hospitalization for Pneumonia among Individuals With and Without HIV Infection, 1995-2007: A Danish Population-Based, Nationwide Cohort Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sogaard, Ole S; Lohse, Nicolai; Gerstoft, Jan

    2008-01-01

    ). Risk factors were assessed by Poisson regression. Results. @nbsp; The study included 3516 persons with HIV infection and 328,738 persons without HIV infection, which provided 23,677 person-years and 2,944,760 person-years of observation, respectively. Incidence rates of pneumonia in HIV......-infected individuals decreased from 50.6 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 42.9-59.7 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years) during 1995-1996 to 19.7 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 16.2-23.8 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years) during 2005-2007. Compared......-infected population. Methods. @nbsp; This was an observational cohort study conducted during 1995-2007. Each member of a Danish population-based nationwide cohort of HIV-infected individuals was matched with up to 99 control individuals from the general population. Data on age, mortality, emigration, and hospital...

  6. Differences in outcome between twins and singletons born very preterm: results from a population-based European cohort.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papiernik, E.; Zeitlin, J.; Delmas, D.; Blondel, B.; Kunzel, W.; Cuttini, M.; Weber, T.; Petrou, S.; Gortner, L.; Kollee, L.A.A.; Draper, E.S.

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: About 10% of twins are born before 32 weeks of gestation and very preterm birth rates are increasing. Preterm twins tend to have more favourable outcomes than singletons of the same gestational age, but fewer data are available for very preterm infants. This study aims to determine

  7. Differences in outcome between twins and singletons born very preterm: results from a population-based European cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Papiernik, Emile; Zeitlin, Jennifer; Delmas, Dominique

    2010-01-01

    About 10% of twins are born before 32 weeks of gestation and very preterm birth rates are increasing. Preterm twins tend to have more favourable outcomes than singletons of the same gestational age, but fewer data are available for very preterm infants. This study aims to determine whether outcom...

  8. Loop electrosurgical excision of the cervix and risk for spontaneous preterm delivery in twin pregnancies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noehr, Bugge; Jensen, Allan; Frederiksen, Kirsten

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between three cervical procedures (biopsy with no treatment, ablation, and loop electrosurgical excision procedure [LEEP]) and subsequent spontaneous preterm delivery in twin pregnancies using population-based data from various nationwide registries....... METHODS:: The study population consisted of all twin deliveries in Denmark during a 9-year period, 1997-2005. Information on the deliveries, including cervical procedures, was obtained from various national registries. In all, 9,868 deliveries were eligible for analyses, of which 3,228 were delivered...... spontaneously preterm (32.7%). Preterm delivery was defined as gestational age between 21 weeks and 37 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between cervical procedures and preterm delivery. RESULTS: Twin pregnancies subsequent to LEEP had a significantly increased risk...

  9. Milk production and composition in Danish Holstein, Danish Red, and Danish Jersey cows supplemented with saturated or unsaturated fat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Larsen, Mette Krogh; Hymøller, Lone

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the experiment was to study the response in milk production and composition of substituting barley with either saturated or unsaturated fat in mixed rations (MR) for dairy cows. The experiment included 35 Danish Holstein (DH), 39 Danish Red (DR), and 31 Danish Jersey (DJ) cows from...

  10. Disordered Gambling Prevalence: Methodological Innovations in a General Danish Population Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Glenn W; Jessen, Lasse J; Lau, Morten I; Ross, Don

    2018-03-01

    We study Danish adult gambling behavior with an emphasis on discovering patterns relevant to public health forecasting and economic welfare assessment of policy. Methodological innovations include measurement of formative in addition to reflective constructs, estimation of prospective risk for developing gambling disorder rather than risk of being falsely negatively diagnosed, analysis with attention to sample weights and correction for sample selection bias, estimation of the impact of trigger questions on prevalence estimates and sample characteristics, and distinguishing between total and marginal effects of risk-indicating factors. The most significant novelty in our design is that nobody was excluded on the basis of their response to a 'trigger' or 'gateway' question about previous gambling history. Our sample consists of 8405 adult Danes. We administered the Focal Adult Gambling Screen to all subjects and estimate prospective risk for disordered gambling. We find that 87.6% of the population is indicated for no detectable risk, 5.4% is indicated for early risk, 1.7% is indicated for intermediate risk, 2.6% is indicated for advanced risk, and 2.6% is indicated for disordered gambling. Correcting for sample weights and controlling for sample selection has a significant effect on prevalence rates. Although these estimates of the 'at risk' fraction of the population are significantly higher than conventionally reported, we infer a significant decrease in overall prevalence rates of detectable risk with these corrections, since gambling behavior is positively correlated with the decision to participate in gambling surveys. We also find that imposing a threshold gambling history leads to underestimation of the prevalence of gambling problems.

  11. Time trends in physical activity in leisure time in the Danish population from 1987 to 2005

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Christina Bjørk; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Helge, Jørn Wulff

    2010-01-01

    AIMS: To examine time trends in leisure-time physical activity in the Danish population from 1987 to 2005. METHODS: Analyses were based on four national representative population surveys of 4752 respondents in 1987, 4667 in 1994, 16,688 in 2000, and 14,566 in 2005. Associations between leisure......-time physical activity (dichotomised into high versus low) and temporal changes according to year of birth, age, and calendar-year were estimated in an age-period-cohort logistic regression model. Time trends in socioeconomic differences in physical activity were analysed by testing interaction terms. RESULTS......: The odds ratio (OR) of being highly physically active in leisure time in 2005 compared to 1987 was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.3-1.9) among men and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5-2.2) among women. The age- and calendar-year-adjusted probability of being highly physically active increased with year of birth. The OR of being highly...

  12. Use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer: Danish Population Based Cohort Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Allan; Sharif, Heidi; Frederiksen, Kirsten

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of fertility drugs on overall risk of ovarian cancer using data from a large cohort of infertile women. DESIGN: Population based cohort study. SETTING: Danish hospitals and private fertility clinics. PARTICIPANTS: 54,362 women with infertility problems referred...... confounding factors. RESULTS: Analyses within cohort showed no overall increased risk of ovarian cancer after any use of gonadotrophins (rate ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 1.37), clomifene (1.14, 0.79 to 1.64), human chorionic gonadotrophin (0.89, 0.62 to 1.29), or gonadotrophin releasing...... hormone (0.80, 0.42 to 1.51). Furthermore, no associations were found between all four groups of fertility drugs and number of cycles of use, length of follow-up, or parity. CONCLUSION: No convincing association was found between use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer....

  13. The Heritability of Prostate Cancer in the Nordic Twin Study of Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Jacob; Scheike, Thomas; Holst, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    Background: Prostate cancer is thought to be the most heritable cancer, although little is known about how this genetic contribution varies across age. Methods: To address this question, we undertook the world’s largest prospective study in the Nordic Twin Study of Cancer cohort, including 18...... risk and liability. Results: The cumulative risk of prostate cancer was similar to that of the background population. The cumulative risk for twins whose co-twin was diagnosed with prostate cancer was greater for MZ than for DZ twins across all ages. Among concordantly affected pairs, the time between...... diagnoses was significantly shorter for MZ than DZ pairs (median 3.8 versus 6.5 years, respectively). Genetic differences contributed substantially to variation in both the risk and the liability (heritability=58% (95% CI 52%–63%) of developing prostate cancer. The relative contribution of genetic factors...

  14. Differences in diagnostic activity in general practice and findings for individuals invited to the danish screening programme for colorectal cancer: a population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juul, Jakob Søgaard; Andersen, Berit; Laurberg, Søren; Carlsen, Anders Helles; Olesen, Frede; Vedsted, Peter

    2018-06-22

    To investigate the diagnostic activity in general practice and the cumulative incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in individuals invited to the Danish national screening programme for CRC. A historical population-based cohort study. The Danish CRC screening programme and general practice. The 376,198 individuals invited to the Danish CRC screening programme from 1 March to 31 December 2014. The diagnostic activity (consultations and haemoglobin measures) in general practice in the year preceding the screening invitation and the cumulated incidence of CRC in the year following the screening invitation. Screening participants had significantly higher diagnostic activity than non-participants. Individuals with a positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT) had higher diagnostic activity compared to individuals with a negative FIT, and a small increase in the months leading up to the invitation. Individuals with a screen-detected CRC had lower diagnostic activity than individuals with no CRC. In total, 308 (25.3%) of CRCs diagnosed in the invited population were diagnosed outside the screening programme. Non-participants with CRC more often had low socio-economic status, high comorbidity and stage IV CRC than participants with CRC. There was a tendency that participants and those with a positive FIT had a higher diagnostic activity the year before the screening. This was not seen for those with CRC detected through screening. CRC must still be diagnosed in general practice in the invited population and non-participants are of special interest as they have higher risk of late stage CRC. Key Points Current awareness:Individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) in screening may be symptomatic and CRC may still occur outside screening in the invited population. Most important points:The majority of individuals with CRC in screening cannot be expected to be diagnosed on symptomatic presentation in general practice GPs have to be aware that CRC still occurs outside screening in

  15. The Danish Hymnbook

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kirsten

    2010-01-01

    After an introduction to the use of the word artifact as it is defined by Brian Malley in his work on the Bible as artifact, follows a section on The Danish Hymnbook as Artifac, a section on The Danish Hymnbook between Artifact and Text, and a section on The Danish Hymnbook as Text. The article e...

  16. Birth size and gestational age in opposite-sex twins as compared to same-sex twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo; Yokoyama, Yoshie

    2018-01-01

    It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear whether birth size in twins is affected by the sex of their co-twin. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 21 twin cohorts in 15 countries derived from the COllaborative project of Develo......It is well established that boys are born heavier and longer than girls, but it remains unclear whether birth size in twins is affected by the sex of their co-twin. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 21 twin cohorts in 15 countries derived from the COllaborative project....... In girls, birth size was not associated (5 g birth weight; 95% CI -8 to -18 and -0.089 cm birth length; 95% CI -0.202 to 0.025) with the sex of the co-twin. Gestational age was slightly shorter in boy-boy pairs than in boy-girl and girl-girl pairs. When birth size was standardized by gestational age......, the magnitude of the associations was attenuated in boys, particularly for birth weight. In conclusion, boys with a co-twin sister are heavier and longer at birth than those with a co-twin brother. However, these differences are modest and partly explained by a longer gestation in the presence of a co...

  17. Exploring Anxiety Symptoms in a Large-Scale Twin Study of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Their Co-Twins and Controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallett, Victoria; Ronald, Angelica; Colvert, Emma; Ames, Catherine; Woodhouse, Emma; Lietz, Stephanie; Garnett, Tracy; Gillan, Nicola; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Scahill, Lawrence; Bolton, Patrick; Happé, Francesca

    2013-01-01

    Background: Although many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience difficulties with anxiety, the manifestation of these difficulties remains unresolved. The current study assessed anxiety in a large population-based twin sample, aged 10-15 years. Phenotypic analyses were used to explore anxiety symptoms in children with ASDs,…

  18. Assessment of heterogeneity between European Populations: a Baltic and Danish replication case-control study of SNPs from a recent European ulcerative colitis genome wide association study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Vibeke; Ernst, Anja; Sventoraityte, Jurgita; Kupcinskas, Limas; Jacobsen, Bent A; Krarup, Henrik B; Vogel, Ulla; Jonaitis, Laimas; Denapiene, Goda; Kiudelis, Gediminas; Balschun, Tobias; Franke, Andre

    2011-10-13

    Differences in the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease between different European countries and ethnicities have previously been reported. In the present study, we wanted to assess the role of 11 newly identified UC risk variants, derived from a recent European UC genome wide association study (GWAS) (Franke et al., 2010), for 1) association with UC in the Nordic countries, 2) for population heterogeneity between the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, and, 3) eventually, to drive some of the previous findings towards overall genome-wide significance. Eleven SNPs were replicated in a Danish sample consisting of 560 UC patients and 796 controls and nine missing SNPs of the German GWAS study were successfully genotyped in the Baltic sample comprising 441 UC cases and 1156 controls. The independent replication data was then jointly analysed with the original data and systematic comparisons of the findings between ethnicities were made. Pearson's χ2, Breslow-Day (BD) and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests were used for association analyses and heterogeneity testing. The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was not associated with UC in the Danish panel. The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was significantly associated with UC in the combined Baltic, Danish and Norwegian UC study sample driven by the Norwegian panel (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79-0.98, P = 0.02). No association was found between rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) and UC (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.95-1.52, P = 0.10) or between UC and all other remaining SNPs. We had 94% chance of detecting an association for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) in the combined replication sample, whereas the power were 55% or lower for the remaining SNPs.Statistically significant PBD was found for OR heterogeneity between the combined Baltic, Danish, and Norwegian panel versus the combined German, British, Belgian, and Greek panel (rs7520292 (P = 0.001), rs12518307 (P = 0.007), and rs2395609 (TCP11) (P = 0.01), respectively).No SNP reached genome

  19. Clinical Features in a Danish Population-Based Cohort of Probable Multiple System Atrophy Patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Starhof, Charlotte; Korbo, Lise; Lassen, Christina Funch

    2016-01-01

    Background: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare, sporadic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. We aimed to describe the clinical features of Danish probable MSA patients, evaluate their initial response to dopaminergic therapy and examine mortality. Methods: From the Danish National...... the criteria for probable MSA. We recorded clinical features, examined differences by MSA subtype and used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to examine mortality. Results: The mean age at onset of patients with probable MSA was 60.2 years (range 36-75 years) and mean time to wheelchair dependency was 4.7 years...

  20. Prenatal diagnosis of conjoined twins by magnetic resonance imaging: report of two cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, Alex Sandro Rolland de; Medeiros, Cynthia Coelho de; Lins, Glaucia Virginia de Queiroz; Noronha Neto, Carlos; Lima, Marcelo Marques de Souza

    2006-01-01

    Conjoined twins have a rare prevalence and special curiosity among physicians and the general population. The reported frequency varies from 1:50,000 to 1:200,000 pregnancies. Its early diagnosis becomes very important when we think about pregnancy management, method of delivery and neonatal care. We describe two cases of conjoined twins diagnosed by ultrasound and magnetic resonance during prenatal care with the aim to better studying the fetus anatomy. The first conjoined twins were cephalopagus sharing head, thorax and abdominal wall and with two pelvis and four arms and four legs. The second were thoracopagus, united by thorax and part of abdomen. Magnetic resonance imaging contribution was not important to diagnose conjoined twins. However, it was useful to describe the shared organs, contributing to define fetal outcome. (author)

  1. Fetal growth disorders in twin gestations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Breathnach, Fionnuala M

    2012-06-01

    Twin growth is frequently mismatched. This review serves to explore the pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie growth aberrations in twin gestations, the prenatal recognition of abnormal twin growth, and the critical importance of stratifying management of abnormal twin growth by chorionicity. Although poor in utero growth of both twins may reflect maternal factors resulting in global uteroplacental dysfunction, discordant twin growth may be attributed to differences in genetic potential between co-twins, placental dysfunction confined to one placenta only, or one placental territory within a shared placenta. In addition, twin-twin transfusion syndrome represents a distinct entity of which discordant growth is a common feature. Discordant growth is recognized as an independent risk factor for adverse perinatal outcome. Intertwin birth weight disparity of 18% or more should be considered to represent a discordance threshold, which serves as an independent risk factor for adverse perinatal outcome. At this cutoff, perinatal morbidity is found to increase both for the larger and the smaller twin within a discordant pair. There remains uncertainty surrounding the sonographic parameters that are most predictive of discordance. Although heightening of fetal surveillance in the face of discordant twin growth follows the principles applied to singleton gestations complicated by fetal growth restriction, the timing of intervention is largely influenced by chorionicity.

  2. Register-based follow-up of social benefits and other transfer payments: accuracy and degree of completeness in a Danish interdepartmental administrative database compared with a population-based survey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjøllund, Niels Henrik Ingvar; Andersen, Johan Hvid; Larsen, F. B.

    2007-01-01

    -related transfer payment and 98.2% for self-support. Among persons with a record of sickness benefit, 52.4% reported no transfer payment. CONCLUSION: The DREAM database is feasible for follow-up of social and economic consequences of disease. Respondents may be unaware of payments transferred by the public......BACKGROUND: Social consequences of disease may be subject to register based follow-up. A Danish database, DREAM, allows weekly follow-up of any public transfer payment. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the register for use in public health research. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The DREAM...... database includes information on all public transfer payments administered by Danish ministries, municipalities, and Statistics Denmark for all Danish citizens on a weekly basis since 1991. The DREAM database was compared with self-reported information on sources of income in a population survey from 2001...

  3. Neonatal status of twins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Božinović Dragica

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiple pregnancy is a pregnancy where more than one fetus develops simultaneously in the womb, as a result of the ovulation and fertilization of more than one egg. It is relatively rare in humans and represents the rest of the phylogenetic stages. The most common are twins and they indicate the development of two fetuses in the womb. The frequency of twin pregnancies is about 1%. Multiple pregnancies belong to a group of high-risk pregnancies because of the many complications that occur during the pregnancy: higher number of premature deliveries, bleeding, early neonatal complications and higher perinatal morbidity and mortality. Such pregnancies and infants require greater supervision and monitoring. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of baby twins born at the maternity ward of the General Hospital in Prokuplje and their morbidity and mortality. Data on the total number of deliveries, number of twins, parity and maternal age, gestational age, body weight of twins, method of delivery, Apgar score and perinatal mortality were collected and statistically analyzed by means of retrospective analysis of operative birth and neonatal protocol for 6 years (2005 of 2010. Out of 4527 mothers who gave birth 43 were pairs of twins, or 0.95% of women gave birth to twins. These babies are more likely born by Caesarean section, but delivered with slightly lower birth weight.

  4. Veterinary and medical aspects of abortion in Danish sheep

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agerholm, Jørgen S.; Aalbæk, Bent; Fog-Larsen, Anne Marie

    2006-01-01

    The Danish sheep population totals around 144,000 animals, but little is known of the causes and prevalance of diseases. This study focuses on the causes of abortion in Danish sheep. During one breeding season, aborted foetuses and stillbirths with signs of intrauterine death or malformation were...... submitted for laboratory examination from a population of 3,758 breeding ewes. Samples from 24 incidents of abortion and 21 ewes delivering malformed lambs or lambs with ante partum decomposition were submitted. A specific aetiology was established in 66.7% and 14.3% of the cases, respectively. Bacterial...... pathogens were the most prevalent cause of abortion. Several of the abortifacients were zoonotic microorganisms, for example Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Toxoplasma gondii. The identified microorganisms probably represent the most common causes...

  5. Trends in the delivery route of twin pregnancies in the United States, 2006-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bateni, Zhoobin H; Clark, Steven L; Sangi-Haghpeykar, Haleh; Aagaard, Kjersti M; Blumenfeld, Yair J; Ramin, Susan M; Lee, Henry C; Fox, Karin A; Moaddab, Amirhossein; Shamshirsaz, Amir A; Salmanian, Bahram; Hosseinzadeh, Pardis; Racusin, Diana A; Erfani, Hadi; Espinoza, Jimmy; Dildy, Gary A; Belfort, Michael A; Shamshirsaz, Alireza A

    2016-10-01

    To determine the trends of cesarean delivery rate among twin pregnancies from 2006 to 2013. This is a population-based, cross-sectional analysis of twin live births from United State birth data files of the National Center for Health Statistics for calendar years 2006 through 2013. We stratified the population based on the gestational age groups, maternal race/ethnicity, advanced maternal age (AMA) which was defined by age more than 35 years and within the standard birth weight groups (group 1: birth weight 500-1499g, group 2: birth weight 1500-2499g and group 3: birth weight >2500g). We also analyzed the effect of different risk factors for cesarean delivery in twins. There were 1,079,102 infants born of twin gestations in the U.S. from 2006 to 2013, representing a small but significant increase in the proportion of twin births among all births (3.2% in 2006 versus 3.4% in 2013). The rate of cesarean delivery in twin live births peaked at 75.3% in 2009, and was significantly lower (74.8%) in 2013. The rate of the twin live birth with the breech presentation increased steadily from 26.3% in 2006 to 29.1% in 2013. For the fetus of the twin pregnancy presented as breech, the cesarean delivery rate peaked at 92.2% in 2010, falling slightly but significantly in the ensuing 3 years. The results demonstrated that the decrease in cesarean delivery rate was due to fewer cesareans in non-Hispanic white patients; all other ethnic subgroups showed increasing rates of cesarean delivery throughout the study. Gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, previous cesarean delivery and breech presentation were all significant risk factors for cesarean delivery during the entire study period. Induction of labor and premature rupture of the membranes were associated with lower rates of cesarean delivery in twins. The recent decrease in the cesarean delivery rate in twin gestation appears to be largely attributable to a decline in cesarean among pregnancies complicated by breech

  6. Danish Women in the Trades

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Elsebet Frydendal

    1997-01-01

    A review on the Danish situation on womens entry and participation as tradeswomen in the Danish Construction Industry.......A review on the Danish situation on womens entry and participation as tradeswomen in the Danish Construction Industry....

  7. Rash related to use of scented products. A questionnaire study in the Danish population. Is the problem increasing?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, J D; Andersen, T F; Thomsen, L K

    2000-01-01

    . Further, it was determined whether risk of self-reported 1st-time rash from scented products had increased during the past 15 years compared to the preceding period. The sample consisted of 1537 persons, 801 female and 736 male, above the age of 15 years. The participants were interviewed person......Fragrances are used in many types of cosmetic and household products, which are an important part of everyday life in modern society. The aim of the current investigation was to describe the frequency of self-reported rash due to scented products in a random sample of the adult Danish population...

  8. Fundamentally Danish?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henkel, Heiko

    2010-01-01

    A closer look at the Muhammad cartoon crisis illuminates some of the key issues that were, and continue to be, at stake for the various actors in the public contestations over the legitimate place of Muslims (and the Islamic tradition) in Danish society. Using a conceptual framework developed...... by Axel Honneth, I suggest in this article that the cartoon crisis is part of an ongoing struggle for recognition in Denmark, through which the terms by which Muslims residing in Denmark are recognized as legitimate citizens/residents of Danish society are negotiated—and on which Muslims may recognize...... the demands of Danish majority society as legitimate. As much as the cartoon affair was an event that, as Palle Weis (2006) writes, “suddenly” ruptured Danish society in 2005, it was therefore also part of a process that continues to shape social actors and their relationships....

  9. Cohort Profile : The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twin Registry (NAS-NRC Twin Registry)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gatz, Margaret; Harris, Jennifer R.; Kaprio, Jaakko; McGue, Matt; Smith, Nicholas L.; Snieder, Harold; Spiro, Avron; Butler, David A.

    The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twin Registry (NAS-NRC Twin Registry) is a comprehensive registry of White male twin pairs born in the USA between 1917 and 1927, both of the twins having served in the military. The purpose was medical research and ultimately improved

  10. Childhood and adult cancer in twins: evidence from the Utah genealogy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neale, Rachel E; Mineau, Geraldine; Whiteman, David C; Brownbill, Pat A; Murphy, Michael F G

    2005-05-01

    Evidence suggests that the in utero environment may contribute to subsequent development of cancers in childhood and adulthood. Raised levels of estrogen during pregnancy may be the primary in utero etiologic factor. Mothers of twins have higher estrogen levels during pregnancy than mothers of singletons, therefore, assessment of cancer risk in twins may be informative. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of cancer among twin and singleton newborns selected from the Utah Population Database, matched on birth year and sex. Cancer diagnoses were determined by linkage with the Utah state cancer register. Relative rates of all cancers in childhood and in adulthood in twins compared with singletons, and for specific cancers including testicular, breast and melanoma, were calculated using Poisson regression. Twin (35,271) and singleton (74,199) births were identified, among whom there were 336 and 691 cancer diagnoses, respectively. The relative risk (RR) of childhood cancer in twins compared with singletons was 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-1.24] and of adult cancer was 1.06 (0.92-1.22). We found nonsignificant increases in risk among adult twins for cancers of the breast, prostate, testis, lymphatic system, thyroid, and large bowel. The largest departures from unity were for testicular cancer (RR 1.47; 95% CI, 0.73-2.95) and melanoma (RR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.42-1.06). These results are consistent with the body of evidence suggesting that twins have a reduced risk of cancer in childhood. Although there is no overall differential in adult cancer risk, these data support the hypothesis that the in utero environment may play an important role in specific cancers.

  11. Dementia and Traffic Accidents: A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Jindong Ding; Siersma, Volkert; Nielsen, Connie Thurøe; Vass, Mikkel; Waldorff, Frans Boch

    2016-09-27

    As a consequence of a rapid growth of an ageing population, more people with dementia are expected on the roads. Little is known about whether these people are at increased risk of road traffic-related accidents. Our study aims to investigate the risk of road traffic-related accidents for people aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of dementia in Denmark. We will conduct a nationwide population-based cohort study consisting of Danish people aged 65 or older living in Denmark as of January 1, 2008. The cohort is followed for 7 years (2008-2014). Individual's personal data are available in Danish registers and can be linked using a unique personal identification number. A person is identified with dementia if the person meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) a diagnosis of the disease in the Danish National Patient Register or in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, and/or (2) at least one dementia diagnosis-related drug prescription registration in the Danish National Prescription Registry. Police-, hospital-, and emergency room-reported road traffic-related accidents occurred within the study follow-up are defined as the study outcome. Cox proportional hazard regression models are used for the main analysis. Our study protocol has 3 phases including data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The first phase of register-based data collection of 853,228 individual's personal information was completed in August, 2016. The next phase is data analysis, which is expected to be finished before December 2016, and thereafter writing publications based on the findings. The study started in January 2016 and will end in December 2018. This study covers the entire elderly population of Denmark, and thereby will avoid selection bias due to nonparticipation and loss to follow-up. Furthermore, this ensures that the study results are reliable and generalizable. However, underreporting of traffic-related accidents may occur, which will limit estimation

  12. Monozygotic twins with discordant intestinal rotation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Vance L.; Nwomeh, Benedict C.; Long, Frederick

    2006-01-01

    Previous case reports have suggested a strong concordance of intestinal malrotation among identical twins. This has led to the recommendation that the asymptomatic twin undergo screening when malrotation is discovered in the identical sibling. We present a case of monozygotic twins in which one twin presented with intestinal malrotation with midgut volvulus while the other twin was found to have normal gastrointestinal anatomy. (orig.)

  13. Monozygotic twins with discordant intestinal rotation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, Vance L.; Nwomeh, Benedict C. [Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Columbus Children' s Hospital, Columbus, OH (United States); Long, Frederick [Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Radiology, Columbus Children' s Hospital, Columbus, OH (United States)

    2006-04-15

    Previous case reports have suggested a strong concordance of intestinal malrotation among identical twins. This has led to the recommendation that the asymptomatic twin undergo screening when malrotation is discovered in the identical sibling. We present a case of monozygotic twins in which one twin presented with intestinal malrotation with midgut volvulus while the other twin was found to have normal gastrointestinal anatomy. (orig.)

  14. Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Simon Francis; Suppli Ulrik, Charlotte; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

    2006-01-01

    environment, whereas the aetiology of 'sporadic' hay fever was mainly genetic. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is attributable to major genetic influences. However, effects of family environment and upbringing are also of importance in families where asthma is present. These results......BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is putatively the result both of genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the significance and magnitude of genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-82 of The Danish...... effects accounted for 29% of the individual susceptibility to hay fever. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to hay fever both in males and in females. In families with asthma, the susceptibility to develop hay fever was, in addition to genes, to a great extent ascribable to family...

  15. Danish Vernacular

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hyams, Inger Louise Berling

    2014-01-01

    Despite the number of internationally successful Danish architects like Jacobsen, Utzon and in recent years Ingels just to name a few, Danish architecture has always leaned greatly on international architectural history and theory. This is only natural for a small nation. However, since the begin...

  16. The utility of twins in developmental cognitive neuroscience research: How twins strengthen the ABCD research design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacono, William G; Heath, Andrew C; Hewitt, John K; Neale, Michael C; Banich, Marie T; Luciana, Monica M; Madden, Pamela A; Barch, Deanna M; Bjork, James M

    2018-08-01

    The ABCD twin study will elucidate the genetic and environmental contributions to a wide range of mental and physical health outcomes in children, including substance use, brain and behavioral development, and their interrelationship. Comparisons within and between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs, further powered by multiple assessments, provide information about genetic and environmental contributions to developmental associations, and enable stronger tests of causal hypotheses, than do comparisons involving unrelated children. Thus a sub-study of 800 pairs of same-sex twins was embedded within the overall Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) design. The ABCD Twin Hub comprises four leading centers for twin research in Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia, and Missouri. Each site is enrolling 200 twin pairs, as well as singletons. The twins are recruited from registries of all twin births in each State during 2006-2008. Singletons at each site are recruited following the same school-based procedures as the rest of the ABCD study. This paper describes the background and rationale for the ABCD twin study, the ascertainment of twin pairs and implementation strategy at each site, and the details of the proposed analytic strategies to quantify genetic and environmental influences and test hypotheses critical to the aims of the ABCD study. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Conjoined (Siamese) Twins in Zambia

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    year-old Zambian multiparous mother gave birth to a set of twins with two heads ... (symmetric or mirror image) but one twin attached with an incomplete foetus is known as hetropagtrs. (asymmetrical). Thoracopagus twins (joined at the chest).

  18. Ferrobielastic twinning in irradiated quartz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiau, S.M.

    1986-01-01

    Cultured quartz is usually free from electrical twinning; however, it may occur if the seed crystal is twinned or if undue applied forces are exerted on the crystal. Ferrobielastic twinning was studied optically (photoelastic effect) and electrically (piezoelectric effect). At room temperature, twins were perceptible at stresses of about 2.l5 x 10 8 N/m 2 , and crystals switched from their original states to the alternative twin states at stresses about 5.0 x 10 8 N/m 2 (called coercive stress). The decrease in coercive stress with increasing temperature was observed, and these coercive stresses become very low as temperatures reach to 300 0 C. The effects of irradiation on the twinning in quartz were also studied. The presence of defects produced by irradiation was utilized to pin the domain wall motion. Both neutrons and gamma rays were employed. The stress required to nucleate an appreciable volume of twins is about twice as high for irradiated crystals than for those unirradiated. This result demonstrated that the irradiated crystals can tolerate higher stresses. However, the coercive stress for complete switch-over was not much different for irradiated and unirradiated crystals. It appears that the defects caused by irradiation eliminate the initial twinning events but do not affect switch-over

  19. Voice similarity in identical twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Gysel, W D; Vercammen, J; Debruyne, F

    2001-01-01

    If people are asked to discriminate visually the two individuals of a monozygotic twin (MT), they mostly get into trouble. Does this problem also exist when listening to twin voices? Twenty female and 10 male MT voices were randomly assembled with one "strange" voice to get voice trios. The listeners (10 female students in Speech and Language Pathology) were asked to label the twins (voices 1-2, 1-3 or 2-3) in two conditions: two standard sentences read aloud and a 2.5-second midsection of a sustained /a/. The proportion correctly labelled twins was for female voices 82% and 63% and for male voices 74% and 52% for the sentences and the sustained /a/ respectively, both being significantly greater than chance (33%). The acoustic analysis revealed a high intra-twin correlation for the speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) of the sentences and the fundamental frequency (F0) of the sustained /a/. So the voice pitch could have been a useful characteristic in the perceptual identification of the twins. We conclude that there is a greater perceptual resemblance between the voices of identical twins than between voices without genetic relationship. The identification however is not perfect. The voice pitch possibly contributes to the correct twin identifications.

  20. Screening for celiac disease in Danish adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horwitz, Anna; Skaaby, Tea; Kårhus, Line Lund

    2015-01-01

    Objective. The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) as recorded in the Danish National Patient Registry is ∼50/100,000 persons. This is much lower than the reported prevalence of CD in other Nordic countries and underdiagnosis is suspected. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of CD in a population...

  1. The nature of behavioural correlates of healthy ageing: a twin study of lifestyle in mid to late life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGue, Matt; Skytthe, Axel; Christensen, Kaare

    2014-06-01

    With the greying of the industrialized world has come increased interest in identifying the modifiable lifestyle factors that promote healthy and successful ageing. Whereas many of the behavioural correlates of late-life morbidity and mortality have been identified, relatively little is known about the origins of individual differences in these factors. A sample of 12,714 twins, including both members of 3806 pairs of known zygosity, ascertained through the Danish Twin Registry and aged 40 to 80 years, completed a self-report assessment of six lifestyle factors associated with ageing: smoking, drinking, diet and physical, social and intellectual activities. Standard biometric methods were used to analyse the twin data and determine the extent to which individual differences in each of the lifestyle factors are heritable. For each of the six lifestyle factors, the estimate of heritability ranged from 32% (95% CI: 19-42%) for the diet scale to 69% (62-72%) for the smoking measure. Biometric estimates of the contribution of the twins' common rearing environment were uniformly small (≤6%). There was little evidence that standardized biometric estimates varied by gender or age. Individuals likely construct lifestyles in part to complement and reinforce underlying genetically influenced dispositions and talents. The heritable nature of lifestyle factors implies that the behavioural and genetic contributors to ageing processes are not necessarily conceptually distinct but rather reflect the complexity of gene-environment interplay in ageing. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

  2. Risk factors for cesarean delivery and adverse neonatal outcome in twin pregnancies attempting vaginal delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schachter-Safrai, Natali; Karavani, Gilad; Haj-Yahya, Rani; Ofek Shlomai, Noa; Porat, Shay

    2018-02-24

    Twin vaginal delivery presents a unique clinical challenge for obstetricians. The Twin Birth Study demonstrated the safety of planned vaginal delivery regarding neonatal outcomes. However, that study lacked a description of the risk factors associated with and the outcome of unplanned cesarean section. The aim of this study is to identify potential risk factors for cesarean section and delivery related neonatal morbidity and mortality in women with twin pregnancy attempting vaginal delivery. A retrospective cohort study including 1070 women with twin pregnancy that underwent a trial of labor between 2003 and 2015. The study population was divided according to the mode of delivery: vaginal delivery, combined vaginal-cesarean and intrapartum cesarean delivery of both twins. Several risk factors and neonatal outcomes were examined by both univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis. The rate of vaginal delivery of both twins was 88.3%, whereas the rates of combined vaginal cesarean and unplanned cesarean delivery were 4.6% and 7.1%, respectively. Nulliparity and nonvertex presentation of twin B were found to be independently associated with cesarean delivery for both twins. Additionally, nonvertex presentation of twin B was independently associated with combined vaginal-cesarean delivery. The proportion of neonates with Apgar score cesarean group compared with those delivered by the vaginal route alone. Nulliparity and nonvertex presentation of twin B were found to be associated with intrapartum cesarean delivery in twin pregnancies. © 2018 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  3. Knowledge and training needs among Danish nurses about CAM

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lunde, Anita

    2010-01-01

    Background: The increased use of CAM among the Danish population is well documented as are patient’s requests to discuss CAM with a healthcare professional. It is suggested that among different groups of healthcare professionals nurses are the most “open minded” about CAM. This makes it important...... to explore nurses’ knowledge about CAM and their needs for training. Methods: Similar to international investigations a Danish “CAM-knowledge” questionnaire was developed that included multiple choice, yes/no and 5 points scale answers. Validity was established through initial pilot testing. Contacts...... to a randomized sample of 2500 nurses were established through the Danish Nurses Foundation. The questionnaires were mailed by post with the possibility of anonymous return. The data material was analyzed using non-parametic methods. Results: The response rate was 67 % and 1458 completed questionnaires were...

  4. Danish Wind Power

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Henrik; Hvelplund, Frede; Østergaard, Poul Alberg

    In a normal wind year, Danish wind turbines generate the equivalent of approx. 20 percent of the Danish electricity demand. This paper argues that only approx. 1 percent of the wind power production is exported. The rest is used to meet domestic Danish electricity demands. The cost of wind power...... misleading. The cost of CO2 reduction by use of wind power in the period 2004-2008 was only 20 EUR/ton. Furthermore, the Danish wind turbines are not paid for by energy taxes. Danish wind turbines are given a subsidy via the electricity price which is paid by the electricity consumers. In the recent years...... is paid solely by the electricity consumers and the net influence on consumer prices was as low as 1-3 percent on average in the period 2004-2008. In 2008, the net influence even decreased the average consumer price, although only slightly. In Denmark, 20 percent wind power is integrated by using both...

  5. Deformation twinning: Influence of strain rate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, G.T. III

    1993-11-01

    Twins in most crystal structures, including advanced materials such as intermetallics, form more readily as the temperature of deformation is decreased or the rate of deformation is increased. Both parameters lead to the suppression of thermally-activated dislocation processes which can result in stresses high enough to nucleate and grow deformation twins. Under high-strain rate or shock-loading/impact conditions deformation twinning is observed to be promoted even in high stacking fault energy FCC metals and alloys, composites, and ordered intermetallics which normally do not readily deform via twinning. Under such conditions and in particular under the extreme loading rates typical of shock wave deformation the competition between slip and deformation twinning can be examined in detail. In this paper, examples of deformation twinning in the intermetallics TiAl, Ti-48Al-lV and Ni{sub 3}A as well in the cermet Al-B{sub 4}C as a function of strain rate will be presented. Discussion includes: (1) the microstructural and experimental variables influencing twin formation in these systems and twinning topics related to high-strain-rate loading, (2) the high velocity of twin formation, and (3) the influence of deformation twinning on the constitutive response of advanced materials.

  6. Cancer mortality does not differ between migrants and Danish-born patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Norredam, Marie; Olsbjerg, Maja; Petersen, Jørgen H

    2014-01-01

    between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 1999 were included and matched 1:4 on age and sex with Danish-born patients. Cancer patients in the cohort were identified through the Danish Cancer Registry and deaths and emigrations through the Central Population Register. Using a Cox regression model, mean sex......INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare cancer mortality among migrant patients with cancer mortality in Danish-born patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a historical prospective cohort study. All non-Western migrants (n = 56,273) who were granted a right to residency in Denmark......-specific hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality were estimated by ethnicity; adjusting for age, income, co-morbidity and disease stage. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in mortality for gynaecological cancers between migrant women (HR = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-1.80) and Danish...

  7. Fingerprint recognition with identical twin fingerprints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Xunqiang; Chen, Xinjian; Yang, Xin; Tian, Jie

    2012-01-01

    Fingerprint recognition with identical twins is a challenging task due to the closest genetics-based relationship existing in the identical twins. Several pioneers have analyzed the similarity between twins' fingerprints. In this work we continue to investigate the topic of the similarity of identical twin fingerprints. Our study was tested based on a large identical twin fingerprint database that contains 83 twin pairs, 4 fingers per individual and six impressions per finger: 3984 (83*2*4*6) images. Compared to the previous work, our contributions are summarized as follows: (1) Two state-of-the-art fingerprint identification methods: P071 and VeriFinger 6.1 were used, rather than one fingerprint identification method in previous studies. (2) Six impressions per finger were captured, rather than just one impression, which makes the genuine distribution of matching scores more realistic. (3) A larger sample (83 pairs) was collected. (4) A novel statistical analysis, which aims at showing the probability distribution of the fingerprint types for the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, has been conducted. (5) A novel analysis, which aims at showing which finger from identical twins has higher probability of having same fingerprint type, has been conducted. Our results showed that: (a) A state-of-the-art automatic fingerprint verification system can distinguish identical twins without drastic degradation in performance. (b) The chance that the fingerprints have the same type from identical twins is 0.7440, comparing to 0.3215 from non-identical twins. (c) For the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, the probability distribution of five major fingerprint types is similar to the probability distribution for all the fingers' fingerprint type. (d) For each of four fingers of identical twins, the probability of having same fingerprint type is similar.

  8. Fingerprint recognition with identical twin fingerprints.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xunqiang Tao

    Full Text Available Fingerprint recognition with identical twins is a challenging task due to the closest genetics-based relationship existing in the identical twins. Several pioneers have analyzed the similarity between twins' fingerprints. In this work we continue to investigate the topic of the similarity of identical twin fingerprints. Our study was tested based on a large identical twin fingerprint database that contains 83 twin pairs, 4 fingers per individual and six impressions per finger: 3984 (83*2*4*6 images. Compared to the previous work, our contributions are summarized as follows: (1 Two state-of-the-art fingerprint identification methods: P071 and VeriFinger 6.1 were used, rather than one fingerprint identification method in previous studies. (2 Six impressions per finger were captured, rather than just one impression, which makes the genuine distribution of matching scores more realistic. (3 A larger sample (83 pairs was collected. (4 A novel statistical analysis, which aims at showing the probability distribution of the fingerprint types for the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, has been conducted. (5 A novel analysis, which aims at showing which finger from identical twins has higher probability of having same fingerprint type, has been conducted. Our results showed that: (a A state-of-the-art automatic fingerprint verification system can distinguish identical twins without drastic degradation in performance. (b The chance that the fingerprints have the same type from identical twins is 0.7440, comparing to 0.3215 from non-identical twins. (c For the corresponding fingers of identical twins which have same fingerprint type, the probability distribution of five major fingerprint types is similar to the probability distribution for all the fingers' fingerprint type. (d For each of four fingers of identical twins, the probability of having same fingerprint type is similar.

  9. Predictors of changes in physical activity in a prospective cohort study of the Danish adult population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zimmermann, Esther; Ekholm, Ola; Grønbaek, Morten

    2008-01-01

    AIM: To investigate predictors of changes in physical activity, in a prospective population-based study. METHODS: Data were from the Danish Health Interview Surveys in 1994 and 2000, and included persons between 16 and 64 years of age who answered the questions on physical activity and various...... interval (CI) 1.24-3.48, and OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.34-3.71), poor self-rated health (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.25-3.58, and OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.10-2.80), and believing that one's own effort has no effect on health (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.20-2.88, and OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.00-2.65). For men, further predictors for physical...

  10. The classical twin study and beyond

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boomsma, D.I.; Busjahn, A.; Peltonen, L.

    2002-01-01

    Twin studies have been a valuable source of information about the genetic basis of complex traits. To maximize the potential of twin studies, large, worldwide registers of data on twins and their relatives have been established. Here, we provide an overview of the current resources for twin

  11. Birth weight, sex, and celiac disease: a nationwide twin study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuja-Halkola R

    2017-11-01

    =1.11–2.02. However, the association was not significant in within-pair analyses for both dizygotic and monozygotic twins and for both sexes.Conclusion: This population-based study found that in male twins, higher birth weight was associated with higher risk of CD. However, when comparing discordant twin pairs in within-twin pair analyses, there was no statistically significant association between birth weight, intrauterine growth, and future risk of CD. Keywords: autoimmune, gestational age, gluten, registries, risk factors, twins

  12. Transformations of the Danish Field of Welfare Work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Jan Thorhauge

    2017-01-01

    a set of welfare professions, each of which provides a specific subset of welfare benefits, or services. These professionals - agents of the Danish field of welfare work – make up the population of the analysis: teachers, social workers, occupational therapists, social educators, nurses, librarians...

  13. Epidemiological and clinical analysis of a consecutive series of conjoined twins in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Frías, María Luisa; Bermejo, Eva; Mendioroz, Jacobo; Rodríguez-Pinilla, Elvira; Blanco, Manuel; Egüés, Javier; Félix, Valentín; García, Angel; Huertas, Héctor; Nieto, Carmen; López, José Antonio; López, Santiago; Paisán, Luis; Rosa, Alejandro; Vázquez, María Socorro

    2009-04-01

    The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency and certain epidemiological characteristics of a consecutive series of conjoined twins born in Spain. We used data from the Spanish Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations for the period April 1976 to 2006. Because the Spanish law permitting voluntary termination of pregnancies (TOP) when the fetus presented malformations was effective by the end of 1985, we analyzed the data in 4 periods, 2 before 1986 and 2 after. During the first period (1976-1979) only live births were recorded, whereas both still and live births were included in the other three (1980-1985, 1986-1995, and 1996-2006). In the present study, the cases were classified as symmetrical (16 pairs) and asymmetrical (1 pair) conjoined twins. Each pair of conjoined twins was considered as only one case for calculations, regardless of the type of union. Among a total of 2,281,604 consecutive births between 1980 and 2006, there were a total of 15 cases of symmetrical conjoined twins giving a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 (1/152,107), whereas there was only 1 stillborn asymmetrical conjoined twin pair (0.04/100,000). Among the 13,418 consecutive stillborns surveyed, 6 cases of conjoined twins were identified (either symmetrical or asymmetrical) giving a frequency of 44.72 per 100,000, and 11 pairs were identified among the 2,425,583 total live births surveyed during the first period 1976 to 1979, a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000. Thus, the frequency among stillborn infants is 99.34 times higher than that observed among live births. However, the frequency for the total births (3 last periods) showed a decreasing trend from 1.47 per 100,000 birth in the first period (1980-1985) when TOP was illegal, to a value of 0.09 per 100,000 in the last period, more than 16-fold lower, probably because of the TOP of affected fetuses. Therefore, we consider that the frequencies observed in the period 1980 to 1985 are the basal values in our population. The most

  14. Offspring's Leukocyte Telomere Length, Paternal Age, and Telomere Elongation in Sperm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kimura, Masayuki; Cherkas, Lynn F; Kato, Bernet S

    2008-01-01

    ), the NHLBI Family Heart Study (NHLBI-Heart), the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (Danish Twins), and the UK Adult Twin Registry (UK Twins). Using Southern blots, Q-FISH, and flow-FISH, we also measured telomere parameters in sperm from 46 young (50 years) donors. Paternal age...... had an independent effect, expressed by a longer LTL in males of the Framingham Offspring and Danish Twins, males and females of the NHLBI-Heart, and females of UK Twins. For every additional year of paternal age, LTL in offspring increased at a magnitude ranging from half to more than twice......Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a complex genetic trait. It shortens with age and is associated with a host of aging-related disorders. Recent studies have observed that offspring of older fathers have longer LTLs. We explored the relation between paternal age and offspring's LTLs in 4 different...

  15. Exotic quarks in Twin Higgs models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheng, Hsin-Chia [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis,One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Jung, Sunghoon [School of Physics, Korea Institute for Advanced Study,85 Hoegiro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-722 (Korea, Republic of); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory,2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Salvioni, Ennio [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis,One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Tsai, Yuhsin [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis,One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics,Department of Physics, University of Maryland,College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

    2016-03-14

    The Twin Higgs model provides a natural theory for the electroweak symmetry breaking without the need of new particles carrying the standard model gauge charges below a few TeV. In the low energy theory, the only probe comes from the mixing of the Higgs fields in the standard model and twin sectors. However, an ultraviolet completion is required below ∼ 10 TeV to remove residual logarithmic divergences. In non-supersymmetric completions, new exotic fermions charged under both the standard model and twin gauge symmetries have to be present to accompany the top quark, thus providing a high energy probe of the model. Some of them carry standard model color, and may therefore be copiously produced at current or future hadron colliders. Once produced, these exotic quarks can decay into a top together with twin sector particles. If the twin sector particles escape the detection, we have the irreducible stop-like signals. On the other hand, some twin sector particles may decay back into the standard model particles with long lifetimes, giving spectacular displaced vertex signals in combination with the prompt top quarks. This happens in the Fraternal Twin Higgs scenario with typical parameters, and sometimes is even necessary for cosmological reasons. We study the potential displaced vertex signals from the decays of the twin bottomonia, twin glueballs, and twin leptons in the Fraternal Twin Higgs scenario. Depending on the details of the twin sector, the exotic quarks may be probed up to ∼ 2.5 TeV at the LHC and beyond 10 TeV at a future 100 TeV collider, providing a strong test of this class of ultraviolet completions.

  16. Sport disciplines, types of sports, and waist circumference in young adulthood - a population-based twin study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rottensteiner, Mirva; Mäkelä, Sara; Bogl, Leonie H; Törmäkangas, Timo; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kujala, Urho M

    2017-10-01

    The benefits of physical activity (PA) in preventing abdominal obesity are well recognized, but the role of different sport disciplines remains open. We aimed, therefore, to investigate how participation in different sport disciplines, and the number and types of sports engaged in are associated with waist circumference (WC) in young adulthood. This population-based cohort study comprised 4027 Finnish twin individuals (1874 men), with a mean age of 34 y (32-37), who answered a survey, including self-measured WC. We extracted the number and identified the types (aerobic, power, and mixed) of the different sport disciplines respondents reported participating in. The number of sport disciplines participated in was inversely associated with WC, the linear decrease averaging 1.38 cm (95% CI 1.10-1.65) per each additional sport discipline. The result persisted after adjustment for the main covariates, such as volume of PA and diet quality. Among dizygotic twin pairs discordant for sports participation (0-2 vs. 5 or more disciplines), the mean within-pair difference in WC was 4.8 cm (95% CI 0.4-9.1) for men and 11.2 cm (95% CI 4.4-18.0) for women; among discordant monozygotic pairs, no differences were observed. In men, all three types of sports were individually associated with smaller WC, while in women, only mixed and power sports showed this association. Participation in several sport disciplines and sport types was associated with smaller WC among young adults in their mid-30s. Shared genetic background may explain some of the associations.

  17. Twin Higgs Asymmetric Dark Matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García García, Isabel; Lasenby, Robert; March-Russell, John

    2015-09-18

    We study asymmetric dark matter (ADM) in the context of the minimal (fraternal) twin Higgs solution to the little hierarchy problem, with a twin sector with gauged SU(3)^{'}×SU(2)^{'}, a twin Higgs doublet, and only third-generation twin fermions. Naturalness requires the QCD^{'} scale Λ_{QCD}^{'}≃0.5-20  GeV, and that t^{'} is heavy. We focus on the light b^{'} quark regime, m_{b^{'}}≲Λ_{QCD}^{'}, where QCD^{'} is characterized by a single scale Λ_{QCD}^{'} with no light pions. A twin baryon number asymmetry leads to a successful dark matter (DM) candidate: the spin-3/2 twin baryon, Δ^{'}∼b^{'}b^{'}b^{'}, with a dynamically determined mass (∼5Λ_{QCD}^{'}) in the preferred range for the DM-to-baryon ratio Ω_{DM}/Ω_{baryon}≃5. Gauging the U(1)^{'} group leads to twin atoms (Δ^{'}-τ^{'}[over ¯] bound states) that are successful ADM candidates in significant regions of parameter space, sometimes with observable changes to DM halo properties. Direct detection signatures satisfy current bounds, at times modified by dark form factors.

  18. Attachment to the Romantic Partner and Sibling: Attachment Hierarchies of Twins and Non-Twin Siblings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sascha Schwarz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that romantic partners and siblings are important attachment figures. This study compares the attachment to the romantic partner with the attachment to the sibling as a function of the participant’s sibling type among monozygotic (MZ twins, dizygotic (DZ twins, and non-twin (NT siblings. The results show that MZ twins prefer their sibling to their romantic partner whereas DZ twins are equally attached to their sibling and romantic partner. In contrast, NT siblings are more attached to their romantic partner compared to their sibling. These results indicate that genetic relatedness has profound impact on a person’s attachment hierarchy and the relative rank of the romantic partner and the sibling.

  19. Neighbour and traffic noise annoyance at home - prevalence and trends among Danish adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Birgit; Ekholm, Ola

    2015-01-01

    Neighbour and traffic noise are affecting many people in their everyday life, implying adverse effects on quality of life and health. In many countries, the most dominant noise sources disturbing people in their homes are traffic and neighbours. The aims of the present study were to examine...... survey) with adequate response rates varying from 57% to 74%. All samples were drawn at random from the adult Danish population (16 years or older). The purpose of the surveys was to describe the status and trends in health and morbidity in the adult Danish population and the factors that influence...

  20. Smoking and risk for psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lønnberg, Ann Sophie; Skov, Lone; Skytthe, Axel

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Smoking is a potential risk factor for psoriasis. Both psoriasis and smoking habits are partly explained by genetic factors. However, twin studies investigating the association between these traits are limited. METHODS: Questionnaire-based data on smoking habits and psoriasis were...... collected for 34,781 twins, aged 20-71 years, from the Danish Twin Registry. A co-twin control analysis was performed on 1700 twin pairs discordant for lifetime history of smoking. Genetic and environmental correlations between smoking and psoriasis were estimated using classical twin modeling. RESULTS......: After multivariable adjustment, age group (50-71 vs. 20-49 years) and childhood exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) were significantly associated with psoriasis in the whole population (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.29 [P = 0.021] and OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.10-1.49 [P...

  1. Spatial patterns of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Danish Pig Farms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birkegård, Anna Camilla; Ersbøll, A. K.; Hisham Beshara Halasa, Tariq

    2016-01-01

    antimicrobial resistance genes, ermB, ermF, sulI, sulII, tet(M), tet(O) and tet(W), was quantified by a high-throughput qPCR. It was evaluated whether the sample method resulted in a study population representative of Danish pig farms with finishers where it was found that the study population was biased...

  2. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years in twin-twin transfusion syndrome survivors randomized for the Solomon trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Klink, Jeanine M M; Slaghekke, Femke; Balestriero, Marina A; Scelsa, Barbara; Introvini, Paola; Rustico, Mariangela; Faiola, Stefano; Rijken, Monique; Koopman, Hendrik M; Middeldorp, Johanna M; Oepkes, Dick; Lopriore, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    The preferred treatment for twin-twin transfusion syndrome is fetoscopic laser coagulation of inter-twin vascular anastomoses on the monochorionic placenta. Severe postoperative complications can occur when inter-twin vascular anastomoses remain patent including twin-anemia polycythemia sequence or recurrent twin-twin transfusion syndrome. To minimize the occurrence of residual anastomoses, a modified laser surgery technique, the Solomon technique, was developed in which the entire vascular equator is coagulated. In the Solomon randomized controlled trial (NTR1245), the Solomon technique was associated with a significant reduction in twin-anemia polycythemia sequence and recurrence of twin-twin transfusion syndrome when compared with the standard laser surgery technique. Although a significant improvement in perinatal outcome was shown after the Solomon technique, the clinical importance should also be ascertained with long-term follow-up evaluation of the surviving children. The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in surviving children with twin-twin transfusion syndrome who were included in the Solomon randomized trial and treated with either the Solomon technique or standard laser surgery technique. Routine standardized follow-up evaluation in survivors, at least 2 years after the estimated date of delivery, was performed at 2 of the 5 centers that participated in the Solomon trial: Buzzi Hospital Milan (Italy) and Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands). The primary outcome of this follow-up study was survival without long-term neurodevelopmental impairment at age 2 years. Neurodevelopmental impairment was defined as cerebral palsy, cognitive and/or motor development score of neurodevelopmental impairment) was detected in 95 of 141 cases (67%) in the Solomon group and in 99 of 146 cases (68%) in the standard group (P = .92). Neurodevelopmental impairment in long-term survivors who were included for follow

  3. Talent Development and Capacity Building in Small Nations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjort, Mette

    2016-01-01

    In a small-nation film and media ecology, cogent thinking about capacity building is of critical importance. In the context of Danish documentary filmmaking, twinning has emerged as a promising model. Twinning engages Danish filmmakers with a world beyond Denmark, thereby counteracting certain...

  4. The Association between Genetic Variations of CHI3L1, Levels of the Encoded Glycoprotein YKL-40 and the Lipid Profile in a Danish Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Stine Brinkløv; Rathcke, Camilla Noelle; Skaaby, Tea

    2012-01-01

    The inflammatory biomarker YKL-40 seems to play a role in atherosclerosis and is elevated in patients with obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the YKL-40 encoding gene, CHI3L1, are associated with inter-individual YKL-40 levels. One study...... of the differentiated lipid profile in a Danish general population....

  5. Cancer mortality does not differ between migrants and Danish-born patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørredam, Marie Louise; Larsen, Maja Olsbjerg; Petersen, Jørgen Holm

    2014-01-01

    between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 1999 were included and matched 1:4 on age and sex with Danish-born patients. Cancer patients in the cohort were identified through the Danish Cancer Registry and deaths and emigrations through the Central Population Register. Using a Cox regression model, mean sex......-specific hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality were estimated by ethnicity; adjusting for age, income, co-morbidity and disease stage. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in mortality for gynaecological cancers between migrant women (HR = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-1.80) and Danish......-born women. Correspondingly, migrant women (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.49-1.17) showed no significant differences in breast cancer mortality compared with Danish-born women. Regarding lung cancer, neither migrant women (HR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.45-1.40) nor men (HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53-1.14) presented statistical...

  6. Assessment of heterogeneity between European Populations: a Baltic and Danish replication case-control study of SNPs from a recent European ulcerative colitis genome wide association study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonaitis Laimas

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Differences in the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease between different European countries and ethnicities have previously been reported. In the present study, we wanted to assess the role of 11 newly identified UC risk variants, derived from a recent European UC genome wide association study (GWAS (Franke et al., 2010, for 1 association with UC in the Nordic countries, 2 for population heterogeneity between the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, and, 3 eventually, to drive some of the previous findings towards overall genome-wide significance. Methods Eleven SNPs were replicated in a Danish sample consisting of 560 UC patients and 796 controls and nine missing SNPs of the German GWAS study were successfully genotyped in the Baltic sample comprising 441 UC cases and 1156 controls. The independent replication data was then jointly analysed with the original data and systematic comparisons of the findings between ethnicities were made. Pearson's χ2, Breslow-Day (BD and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH tests were used for association analyses and heterogeneity testing. Results The rs5771069 (IL17REL SNP was not associated with UC in the Danish panel. The rs5771069 (IL17REL SNP was significantly associated with UC in the combined Baltic, Danish and Norwegian UC study sample driven by the Norwegian panel (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79-0.98, P = 0.02. No association was found between rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7 and UC (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.95-1.52, P = 0.10 or between UC and all other remaining SNPs. We had 94% chance of detecting an association for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7 in the combined replication sample, whereas the power were 55% or lower for the remaining SNPs. Statistically significant PBD was found for OR heterogeneity between the combined Baltic, Danish, and Norwegian panel versus the combined German, British, Belgian, and Greek panel (rs7520292 (P = 0.001, rs12518307 (P = 0.007, and rs2395609 (TCP11 (P = 0

  7. The Danish National Youth Study 2014

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pisinger, Veronica; Mikkelsen, Stine Schou; Bendtsen, Pernille

    2017-01-01

    schools and 10 vocational schools. RESULTS: A total of 75,853 students participated (70,674 high school students and 5179 vocational school students). In the participating schools, 85% of high school students and 69% of vocational school students took part in the survey. A total of 166 school leaders......AIMS: This paper aims to give a description of the Danish National Youth Study 2014 in terms of study design, study population and questionnaire content. The differences between participants and non-participants regarding socioeconomic characteristics are also described. METHODS: The Danish...... National Youth Study 2014 was a web-based survey with data collected through self-completion questionnaires administered in the classroom. There were two questionnaires: one for students, with >250 core questions; and one for school leaders on the school environment. Data collection took place at 119 high...

  8. The Danish National Health Survey 2010. Study design and respondent characteristics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Anne Illemann; Ekholm, Ola; Glümer, Charlotte

    2012-01-01

    In 2010 the five Danish regions and the National Institute of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark conducted a national representative health survey among the adult population in Denmark. This paper describes the study design and the sample and study population as well as the conte...

  9. The Danish Retail Market

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aastrup, Jesper; Bjerre, Mogens; Kornum, Niels

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the Danish retail market. A detailed picture of the Danish grocery sector is provided, and we highlight issues from the specialty sectors of fashion and DIY as well as patterns of internationalisation among Danish retailers. We further profile the Danish consumer...... in terms of consumption patterns and demographic changes as well as some specific consumer tendencies with a special emphasis on sustainability issues. E-commerce is taken up as a special theme, both profiling the consumer side and the retailer side. This part is exemplified with books and groceries...

  10. Probability and heritability estimates on primary osteoarthritis of the hip leading to total hip arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skousgaard, Søren Glud; Hjelmborg, Jacob; Skytthe, Axel

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Primary hip osteoarthritis, radiographic as well as symptomatic, is highly associated with increasing age in both genders. However, little is known about the mechanisms behind this, in particular if this increase is caused by genetic factors. This study examined the risk and heritab......INTRODUCTION: Primary hip osteoarthritis, radiographic as well as symptomatic, is highly associated with increasing age in both genders. However, little is known about the mechanisms behind this, in particular if this increase is caused by genetic factors. This study examined the risk...... and heritability of primary osteoarthritis of the hip leading to a total hip arthroplasty, and if this heritability increased with increasing age. METHODS: In a nationwide population-based follow-up study 118,788 twins from the Danish Twin Register and 90,007 individuals from the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register...... not have had a total hip arthroplasty at the time of follow-up. RESULTS: There were 94,063 twins eligible for analyses, comprising 835 cases of 36 concordant and 763 discordant twin pairs. The probability increased particularly from 50 years of age. After sex and age adjustment a significant additive...

  11. Fetal cardiac remodeling in twin pregnancy conceived by assisted reproductive technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzuela-Alcaraz, B; Cruz-Lemini, M; Rodríguez-López, M; Goncé, A; García-Otero, L; Ayuso, H; Sitges, M; Bijnens, B; Balasch, J; Gratacós, E; Crispi, F

    2018-01-01

    Recent data suggest that singleton fetuses conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) present cardiovascular remodeling that may persist postnatally. Twin pregnancies are more frequent in the ART population and are associated with increased adverse perinatal outcomes, such as hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes and preterm birth. However, it is unknown whether cardiac remodeling is also present in twin pregnancies conceived by ART. Our aim was to assess the presence of fetal cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in twin pregnancies conceived by ART as compared with those conceived spontaneously (SC). This was a prospective cohort study including 50 dichorionic twin fetuses conceived by ART and 50 SC twin fetuses. The study protocol included collection of baseline/perinatal data and a fetal ultrasound examination at 28-30 weeks' gestation, including assessment of estimated fetal weight, fetoplacental Doppler and fetal echocardiography. Measurements of atrial area, atrial/heart ratio, ventricular sphericity index, free wall thickness, mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursions, and systolic and early diastolic peak velocities were assessed. Multilevel analyses were used to compare perinatal and ultrasonographic parameters. Comparisons of echocardiographic variables were adjusted for parental age, paternal body mass index and incidence of pre-eclampsia. Compared with SC twins, ART twin fetuses showed significant cardiac changes, predominantly affecting the right heart, such as dilated atria (right atrial/heart area: 15.7 ± 3.1 vs 18.4 ± 3.2, P fetal cardiac programing in ART. These results open opportunities for early detection and intervention in infants conceived by ART. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. The Danish letters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beier, Sofie; Ejlers, Steen

    2011-01-01

    The talk will focus on Danish type designers and their work on Æ (AE), Ø (Oslash) and Å (Aring). These 'anomalies' found in the Danish written language, often causes difficulties for type designers. The counters of Ø/ø sometimes appear overcrowded, the uppercase Æ can result in an uncomfortably o......' attempt to create the optimal variation of these letters, we will give a brief introduction to the Danish typography tradition ranging from the early 20th Century and up until today....

  13. More Danish, More English

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chopin, Kimberly Renée

    -up approachto determining language use. This research has implications for other institutions which are affected by similar language issues. It adds to existing work on English-medium instruction in higher education, and adds to discussions on domain loss and the language of education inuniversities.......Universities in Denmark are becoming increasingly internationalized, and areincreasingly using English as a language of research, teaching, and administration. At the same time, the Danish language is seen by some as being under threat, and Danish public discourse has focused on what role...... the Danish language may play in higher education in Denmark. This study investigates both trends through a focus on recently implemented language policies at one Danish university faculty which mandate that graduate instruction becarried out only in English, and undergraduate instruction only in Danish...

  14. The 2011 Danish Election - Summary of the 2011 Danish election campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Nicolas Hopmann

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available On September 15, 2011 a record-high turn-out of 88 percent of the approx. 4 million Danes eligible to vote for the Danish parliament, the Folketing, was reached. This paper gives a short descriptive summary of the 2011 Danish election campaign. Irrespective of which side would win the position as primeminister, one thing was given: an exceptional era in Danish politics was coming to an end. After ten years of a Right Liberal-Conservative minority government supported by the Danish People's Party, Danish poli-tics would return to its classic modus operandi of centrist parties determining the prime-minister. By a margin of a few thousand votes, the red block won the elections and the new prime minister of Denmark is the Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt. This article describes the political context prior to the election campaign, the course of the election campaign, furthermore it presents the election results in a historical perspective and shortly discusses the challenges the new government is facing.

  15. Digital Twins in Health Care: Ethical Implications of an Emerging Engineering Paradigm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koen Bruynseels

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Personalized medicine uses fine grained information on individual persons, to pinpoint deviations from the normal. ‘Digital Twins’ in engineering provide a conceptual framework to analyze these emerging data-driven health care practices, as well as their conceptual and ethical implications for therapy, preventative care and human enhancement. Digital Twins stand for a specific engineering paradigm, where individual physical artifacts are paired with digital models that dynamically reflects the status of those artifacts. When applied to persons, Digital Twins are an emerging technology that builds on in silico representations of an individual that dynamically reflect molecular status, physiological status and life style over time. We use Digital Twins as the hypothesis that one would be in the possession of very detailed bio-physical and lifestyle information of a person over time. This perspective redefines the concept of ‘normality’ or ‘health,’ as a set of patterns that are regular for a particular individual, against the backdrop of patterns observed in the population. This perspective also will impact what is considered therapy and what is enhancement, as can be illustrated with the cases of the ‘asymptomatic ill’ and life extension via anti-aging medicine. These changes are the consequence of how meaning is derived, in case measurement data is available. Moral distinctions namely may be based on patterns found in these data and the meanings that are grafted on these patterns. Ethical and societal implications of Digital Twins are explored. Digital Twins imply a data-driven approach to health care. This approach has the potential to deliver significant societal benefits, and can function as a social equalizer, by allowing for effective equalizing enhancement interventions. It can as well though be a driver for inequality, given the fact that a Digital Twin might not be an accessible technology for everyone, and given the fact

  16. Digital Twins in Health Care: Ethical Implications of an Emerging Engineering Paradigm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruynseels, Koen; Santoni de Sio, Filippo; van den Hoven, Jeroen

    2018-01-01

    Personalized medicine uses fine grained information on individual persons, to pinpoint deviations from the normal. ‘Digital Twins’ in engineering provide a conceptual framework to analyze these emerging data-driven health care practices, as well as their conceptual and ethical implications for therapy, preventative care and human enhancement. Digital Twins stand for a specific engineering paradigm, where individual physical artifacts are paired with digital models that dynamically reflects the status of those artifacts. When applied to persons, Digital Twins are an emerging technology that builds on in silico representations of an individual that dynamically reflect molecular status, physiological status and life style over time. We use Digital Twins as the hypothesis that one would be in the possession of very detailed bio-physical and lifestyle information of a person over time. This perspective redefines the concept of ‘normality’ or ‘health,’ as a set of patterns that are regular for a particular individual, against the backdrop of patterns observed in the population. This perspective also will impact what is considered therapy and what is enhancement, as can be illustrated with the cases of the ‘asymptomatic ill’ and life extension via anti-aging medicine. These changes are the consequence of how meaning is derived, in case measurement data is available. Moral distinctions namely may be based on patterns found in these data and the meanings that are grafted on these patterns. Ethical and societal implications of Digital Twins are explored. Digital Twins imply a data-driven approach to health care. This approach has the potential to deliver significant societal benefits, and can function as a social equalizer, by allowing for effective equalizing enhancement interventions. It can as well though be a driver for inequality, given the fact that a Digital Twin might not be an accessible technology for everyone, and given the fact that patterns

  17. DNA damage response in monozygotic twins discordant for smoking habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcon, Francesca; Carotti, Daniela; Andreoli, Cristina; Siniscalchi, Ester; Leopardi, Paola; Caiola, Stefania; Biffoni, Mauro; Zijno, Andrea; Medda, Emanuela; Nisticò, Lorenza; Rossi, Sabrina; Crebelli, Riccardo

    2013-03-01

    Previous studies in twins indicate that non-shared environment, beyond genetic factors, contributes substantially to individual variation in mutagen sensitivity; however, the role of specific causative factors (e.g. tobacco smoke, diet) was not elucidated. In this investigation, a population of 22 couples of monozygotic twins with discordant smoking habits was selected with the aim of evaluating the influence of tobacco smoke on individual response to DNA damage. The study design virtually eliminated the contribution of genetic heterogeneity to the intra-pair variation in DNA damage response, and thus any difference in the end-points investigated could directly be attributed to the non-shared environment experienced by co-twins, which included as main factor cigarette smoke exposure. Peripheral lymphocytes of study subjects were challenged ex vivo with γ-rays, and the induction, processing, fixation of DNA damage evaluated through multiple approaches. Folate status of study subjects was considered significant covariate since it is affected by smoking habits and can influence radiosensitivity. Similar responses were elicited by γ-rays in co-twins for all the end-points analysed, despite their discordant smoking habits. Folate status did not modify DNA damage response, even though a combined effect of smoking habits, low-plasma folic acid level, and ionising radiation was observed on apoptosis. A possible modulation of DNA damage response by duration and intensity of tobacco smoke exposure was suggested by Comet assay and micronucleus data, but the effect was quantitatively limited. Overall, the results obtained indicate that differences in smoking habits do not contribute to a large extent to inter-individual variability in the response to radiation-induced DNA damage observed in healthy human populations.

  18. Age of Onset in Concordant Twins and Other Relative Pairs With Multiple Sclerosis

    OpenAIRE

    Sadovnick, A. Dessa; Yee, Irene M.; Guimond, Colleen; Reis, Jacques; Dyment, David A.; Ebers, George C.

    2009-01-01

    The ages of onset in multiple sclerosis cases span more than 7 decades. Data are presented for affected relative pairs from a Canadian population base of 30,000 multiple sclerosis index cases (1993?2008). The effects of genetic sharing, parent of origin, intergenerational versus collinear differences, and gender on the ages of onset were evaluated in the following concordant pairs: monozygotic twins (n?=?29), dizygotic twins (n?=?10), siblings (n?=?614), first cousins (n?=?405), half siblings...

  19. Chronic Neurodegenerative Illnesses and Epilepsy in Danish Adventists and Baptists: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Gimsing, Louise NØrreslet; Bautz, Andrea; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Johansen, Christoffer

    2017-01-01

    Limited knowledge of the influence of lifestyle risk factors and religious living on chronic neurological diseases exists. Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) do not consume tobacco, alcohol, or pork, and many adhere to lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. We investigated whether the incidence of four common chronic neurological illnesses: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. Three of the illnesses are neurodegenerative, whereas epilepsy can occur at any age. We compared hospital admission rates for some major neurological diseases among members of the Danish Religious Societies Health Study comprising 6,532 SDA and 3,720 Baptists with the general Danish population. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) stratified by sex, age, and calendar time were calculated. SIR of dementia or Alzheimer's disease was significantly decreased for members of both communities (SDA, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-#x2013;0.90 and Baptists, 0.59; 0.47-#x2013;0.73). The SIRs of Parkinson's disease and epilepsy were not significantly different compared to the general population. We observe reduced incidence for dementia or Alzheimer's disease in a large cohort of members of two religious communities characterized by lifestyle recommendations. More studies are needed to disentangle the interaction between such lifestyle and other components of the religious belief system.

  20. 'Twin2twin' an innovative method of empowering midwives to strengthen their professional midwifery organisations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadée, Franka; Perdok, Hilde; Sam, Betty; de Geus, Myrte; Kweekel, Liselotte

    2013-10-01

    midwives need professional support from a national midwifery organisation to be able to provide the services that are by regulatory mechanisms and accreditation expected of them. Not all midwives in the world are united in a professional organisation. The aim of this project was to strengthen the midwifery organisations of Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. During the process of the project it was realised that the development of a platform of exchange at organisational level would be enhanced by introducing personal exchange between individual midwives. In response to this new insight the original project plan was adjusted by incorporating the twin2twin method. twin2twin is a feminist methodology of mutual exchange between twenty pairs of midwives from different organisations (in this case Sierra Leone and the Netherlands). The method can be distinguished by 10 specific steps. It was developed, used and (re)evaluated through focus group discussions, storytelling and written evaluations. twinning of organisations was strengthened by adding a human component to the process. With the use of the 'twin2twin' method, midwives were encouraged to invested in a professional and personal bond with their 'twin sister'. This bond was independent and went beyond the relatively short four year project period. Through personal engagement and mutual exchange of knowledge and skills, midwives empowered each other to build and strengthen their midwifery organisations both in Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. (Empowerment refers to the expansion in people's ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them (Narayan, 2005); organisational empowerment includes processes and structures that enhance members' skills and provides them with the mutual support necessary to effect community level change (Zimmerman, 1995).). despite challenges we are convinced that twin2twin can be of additional benefit for the success of other projects

  1. The Danish Schizophrenia Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baandrup, Lone; Cerqueira, Charlotte; Haller, Lea

    2016-01-01

    Aim of database: To systematically monitor and improve the quality of treatment and care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. In addition, the database is accessible as a resource for research. Study population: Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving mental health care...... to the data for use in specific research projects by applying to the steering committee. Conclusion: The Danish Schizophrenia Registry represents a valuable source of informative data to monitor and improve the quality of care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. However, continuous resources and time...

  2. The Danish Anaesthesia Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Antonsen, Kristian; Rosenstock, Charlotte Vallentin; Lundstrøm, Lars Hyldborg

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of the Danish Anaesthesia Database (DAD) is the nationwide collection of data on all patients undergoing anesthesia. Collected data are used for quality assurance, quality development, and serve as a basis for research projects. STUDY POPULATION: The DAD was founded in 2004....... In addition, an annual DAD report is a benchmark for departments nationwide. CONCLUSION: The DAD is covering the anesthetic process for the majority of patients undergoing anesthesia in Denmark. Data in the DAD are increasingly used for both quality and research projects....

  3. Are there common genetic and environmental factors behind the endophenotypes associated with the metabolic syndrome?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Benyamin, B; Sørensen, T I A; Schousboe, K

    2007-01-01

    and environmental factors influencing this cluster in a general population of twin pairs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multivariate genetic analysis was performed on nine endophenotypes associated with the metabolic syndrome from 625 adult twin pairs of the GEMINAKAR study of the Danish Twin Registry. RESULTS: All......AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The cluster of obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and hypertension, called the metabolic syndrome, has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether there are common genetic...... endophenotypes showed moderate to high heritability (0.31-0.69) and small cial environmental background...

  4. Heritability and environmental effects for self-reported periods with stuttering: A twin study from Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fagnani, Corrado; Fibiger, Steen; Skytthe, Axel

    2011-01-01

    Genetic influence for stuttering was studied based on adult self-reporting. Using nation-wide questionnaire answers from 33,317 Danish twins, a univariate biometric analysis based on the liability threshold model was performed in order to estimate the heritability of stuttering. The self......-reported incidences for stuttering were from less than 4% for females to near 9% for males. Both probandwise concordance rate and tetrachoric correlation were substantially higher for monozygotic compared to dizygotic pairs, indicating substantial genetic influence on individual liability. Univariate biometric...... analyses showed that additive genetic and unique environmental factors best explained the observed concordance patterns. Heritability estimates for males/females were 0.84/0.81. Moderate unique environmental effects were also found. Genetic influence for stuttering was studied based on adult self...

  5. Prenatal x-ray and childhood cancer in twins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harvey, E.B.

    1983-01-01

    In order to evaluate the causal nature of the relationship between prenatal x-ray exposure and childhood cancer, a case control study was conducted in a population of over 32,000 twins born in the state of Connecticut from 1930-1969 and followed to age 15. Thirty-two incident cancer cases were identified by linking the Connecticut Twin and Tumor registries. Each case was matched with four controls on year of birth, sex, race, and survival. Prenatal x-ray information as well as reproductive, delivery and birth data were obtained from the hospital of birth, the physician providing prenatal care, private radiology groups and interviews with hospital staff. The case control study which obtained exposure information on selected subjects found an increased risk of childhood cancer from prenatal x-ray exposure. The risk associated with radiation exposure was elevated in the following subcategories: mother with history of pregnancy loss, a gravity greater than 1, under 30 years of age, and twins weighing five pounds or more at birth. The results, though based on small numbers, strengthen the association between prenatal x-ray exposure and childhood cancer

  6. Education in Twins and Their Parents Across Birth Cohorts Over 100 years: An Individual-Level Pooled Analysis of 42-Twin Cohorts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silventoinen, Karri; Jelenkovic, Aline; Latvala, Antti; Sund, Reijo; Yokoyama, Yoshie; Ullemar, Vilhelmina; Almqvist, Catarina; Derom, Catherine A; Vlietinck, Robert F; Loos, Ruth J F; Kandler, Christian; Honda, Chika; Inui, Fujio; Iwatani, Yoshinori; Watanabe, Mikio; Rebato, Esther; Stazi, Maria A; Fagnani, Corrado; Brescianini, Sonia; Hur, Yoon-Mi; Jeong, Hoe-Uk; Cutler, Tessa L; Hopper, John L; Busjahn, Andreas; Saudino, Kimberly J; Ji, Fuling; Ning, Feng; Pang, Zengchang; Rose, Richard J; Koskenvuo, Markku; Heikkilä, Kauko; Cozen, Wendy; Hwang, Amie E; Mack, Thomas M; Siribaddana, Sisira H; Hotopf, Matthew; Sumathipala, Athula; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Sung, Joohon; Kim, Jina; Lee, Jooyeon; Lee, Sooji; Nelson, Tracy L; Whitfield, Keith E; Tan, Qihua; Zhang, Dongfeng; Llewellyn, Clare H; Fisher, Abigail; Burt, S Alexandra; Klump, Kelly L; Knafo-Noam, Ariel; Mankuta, David; Abramson, Lior; Medland, Sarah E; Martin, Nicholas G; Montgomery, Grant W; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Pedersen, Nancy L; Dahl Aslan, Anna K; Corley, Robin P; Huibregtse, Brooke M; Öncel, Sevgi Y; Aliev, Fazil; Krueger, Robert F; McGue, Matt; Pahlen, Shandell; Willemsen, Gonneke; Bartels, Meike; van Beijsterveldt, Catharina E M; Silberg, Judy L; Eaves, Lindon J; Maes, Hermine H; Harris, Jennifer R; Brandt, Ingunn; Nilsen, Thomas S; Rasmussen, Finn; Tynelius, Per; Baker, Laura A; Tuvblad, Catherine; Ordoñana, Juan R; Sánchez-Romera, Juan F; Colodro-Conde, Lucia; Gatz, Margaret; Butler, David A; Lichtenstein, Paul; Goldberg, Jack H; Harden, K Paige; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M; Duncan, Glen E; Buchwald, Dedra; Tarnoki, Adam D; Tarnoki, David L; Franz, Carol E; Kremen, William S; Lyons, Michael J; Maia, José A; Freitas, Duarte L; Turkheimer, Eric; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Boomsma, Dorret I; Kaprio, Jaakko

    2017-10-01

    Whether monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins differ from each other in a variety of phenotypes is important for genetic twin modeling and for inferences made from twin studies in general. We analyzed whether there were differences in individual, maternal and paternal education between MZ and DZ twins in a large pooled dataset. Information was gathered on individual education for 218,362 adult twins from 27 twin cohorts (53% females; 39% MZ twins), and on maternal and paternal education for 147,315 and 143,056 twins respectively, from 28 twin cohorts (52% females; 38% MZ twins). Together, we had information on individual or parental education from 42 twin cohorts representing 19 countries. The original education classifications were transformed to education years and analyzed using linear regression models. Overall, MZ males had 0.26 (95% CI [0.21, 0.31]) years and MZ females 0.17 (95% CI [0.12, 0.21]) years longer education than DZ twins. The zygosity difference became smaller in more recent birth cohorts for both males and females. Parental education was somewhat longer for fathers of DZ twins in cohorts born in 1990-1999 (0.16 years, 95% CI [0.08, 0.25]) and 2000 or later (0.11 years, 95% CI [0.00, 0.22]), compared with fathers of MZ twins. The results show that the years of both individual and parental education are largely similar in MZ and DZ twins. We suggest that the socio-economic differences between MZ and DZ twins are so small that inferences based upon genetic modeling of twin data are not affected.

  7. A twin study of perfume-related respiratory symptoms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elberling, J; Lerbaek, A; Kyvik, K O

    2009-01-01

    Respiratory symptoms from environmental perfume exposure are main complaints in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities and often coincide with asthma and or eczema. In this population-based twin study we estimate the heritability of respiratory symptoms related to perfume and if co......-occurrences of the symptoms in asthma, atopic dermatitis, hand eczema or contact allergy are influenced by environmental or genetic factors common with these diseases. In total 4,128 twin individuals (82%) responded to a questionnaire. The heritability of respiratory symptoms related to perfume is 0.35, 95%CI 0.......14-0.54. Significant associations (prespiratory symptoms and asthma, atopic dermatitis, hand eczema or contact allergy are not attributable to shared genetic or shared environmental/familial factors, except possibly for atopic dermatitis where genetic pleiotropy with respiratory symptoms...

  8. A tale of twin Higgs: natural twin two Higgs doublet models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Jiang-Hao

    2016-01-01

    In original twin Higgs model, vacuum misalignment between electroweak and new physics scales is realized by adding explicit ℤ 2 breaking term. Introducing additional twin Higgs could accommodate spontaneous ℤ 2 breaking, which explains origin of this misalignment. We introduce a class of twin two Higgs doublet models with most general scalar potential, and discuss general conditions which trigger electroweak and ℤ 2 symmetry breaking. Various scenarios on realising the vacuum misalignment are systematically discussed in a natural composite two Higgs double model framework: explicit ℤ 2 breaking, radiative ℤ 2 breaking, tadpole-induced ℤ 2 breaking, and quartic-induced ℤ 2 breaking. We investigate the Higgs mass spectra and Higgs phenomenology in these scenarios.

  9. Using Twins to Better Understand Sibling Relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark, Katharine M; Pike, Alison; Latham, Rachel M; Oliver, Bonamy R

    2017-03-01

    We compared the nature of the sibling relationship in dyads of varying genetic relatedness, employing a behavioural genetic design to estimate the contribution that genes and the environment have on this familial bond. Two samples were used-the Sisters and Brothers Study consisted of 173 families with two target non-twin children (mean ages = 7.42 and 5.22 years respectively); and the Twins, Family and Behaviour study included 234 families with two target twin children (mean age = 4.70 years). Mothers and fathers reported on their children's relationship with each other, via a postal questionnaire (the Sisters and Brothers Study) or a telephone interview (the Twins, Family and Behaviour study). Contrary to expectations, no mean level differences emerged when monozygotic twin pairs, dizygotic twin pairs, and non-twin pairs were compared on their sibling relationship quality. Behavioural genetic analyses also revealed that the sibling bond was modestly to moderately influenced by the genetic propensities of the children within the dyad, and moderately to substantially influenced by the shared environment common to both siblings. In addition, for sibling negativity, we found evidence of twin-specific environmental influence-dizygotic twins showed more reciprocity than did non-twins. Our findings have repercussions for the broader application of results from future twin-based investigations.

  10. Recruited into Danishness?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lapina, Linda

    2017-01-01

    This article critically examines emergence of Danishness via an autoethnography of passing as Danish. Drawing on feminist scholarship, the author conceptualizes passing as an embodied, affective and discursive relation; simultaneously spontaneous and laboured, fleeting and solid, emergent and con...

  11. The genetic basis for cognitive ability, memory, and depression symptomatology in middle-aged and elderly chinese twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chunsheng; Sun, Jianping; Ji, Fuling

    2015-01-01

    The genetic influences on aging-related phenotypes, including cognition and depression, have been well confirmed in the Western populations. We performed the first twin-based analysis on cognitive performance, memory and depression status in middle-aged and elderly Chinese twins, representing...... the world's largest and most rapidly aging population. The sample consisted of 384 twin pairs with a median age of 50 years. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale; memory was assessed using the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale; depression...... with heritability 0.44 for cognition and 0.56 for memory. Multivariate analysis by the reduced Cholesky model estimated significant genetic (rG = 0.69) and unique environmental (rE = 0.25) correlation between cognitive ability and memory. The model also estimated weak but significant inverse genetic correlation...

  12. The identical-twin transfusion syndrome: a source of error in estimating IQ resemblance and heritability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munsinger, H

    1977-01-01

    identical twin transfusion syndrome is to lower the IQ of the lighter birthweight twin, rather than to raise the IQ of the more fortunate partner or to influence the IQ of both members. This reanalysis suggests that postnatal cultural and social environment produce little of the total phenotypic variation in IQ found in the normal population. In the future, investigators who use twin studies to estimated heritability must ascertain whether their identical twin pairs suffered from the identical twin transfusion syndrome. Accurate estimates of heritability can only be obtained using identical twins who do not suffer from placental circulation problems. Most likely, the identical twin transfusion syndrome produces anoxia and brain damage during early prenatal development in the smaller identical twin. The anoxia is caused by a lowering of the haemoglobin content of the smaller twin by 35% or more.

  13. Incidence of spontaneous twin anemia-polycythemia sequence in monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies: Single-center prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokouchi, Tae; Murakoshi, Takeshi; Mishima, Takashi; Yano, Hiroko; Ohashi, Madoka; Suzuki, Takashi; Shinno, Takashi; Matsushita, Mitsuru; Nakayama, Satoru; Torii, Yuichi

    2015-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to prospectively estimate the incidence of spontaneous twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS) in monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies. We prospectively examined umbilical cord hemoglobin (Hb) and reticulocyte count of consecutive monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies delivered at Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital from December 2006 to September 2013. We excluded cases of twin-twin transfusion syndrome, intrauterine fetal demise, and missing data (Hb and reticulocyte count missing from the medical record). TAPS was diagnosed using the postnatal criteria of intertwin Hb difference >8.0 g/dL and reticulocyte count ratio >1.7. Acute feto-fetal hemorrhage was defined as Hb difference >7 g/dL and reticulocyte count ratio <1.7. A total of 185 monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies were included in this study. Three fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for postnatal TAPS, and one fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for acute feto-fetal hemorrhage. The incidence of spontaneous TAPS in monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies was 1.6% (3/185) at Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  14. Occupational position and its relation to mental distress in a random sample of Danish residents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rugulies, Reiner Ernst; Madsen, Ida E H; Nielsen, Maj Britt D

    2010-01-01

    PURPOSE: To analyze the distribution of depressive, anxiety, and somatization symptoms across different occupational positions in a random sample of Danish residents. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 591 Danish residents (50% women), aged 20-65, drawn from an age- and gender-stratified random...... sample of the Danish population. Participants filled out a survey that included the 92 item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-92). We categorized occupational position into seven groups: high- and low-grade non-manual workers, skilled and unskilled manual workers, high- and low-grade self...

  15. Danish Technology Framework

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonke, Sten; Jørgensen, Tom Rydahl

    This report investigates the occurrence of foundation failures within the context of the Danish construction technology framework. The report comprises a definition/typology section on the basis of which Danish regulatory and administrative procedures in relation to foundation failures are reviewed....

  16. Heritability, assortative mating and gender differences in violent crime: results from a total population sample using twin, adoption, and sibling models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisell, Thomas; Pawitan, Yudi; Långström, Niklas; Lichtenstein, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Research addressing genetic and environmental determinants to antisocial behaviour suggests substantial variability across studies. Likewise, evidence for etiologic gender differences is mixed, and estimates might be biased due to assortative mating. We used longitudinal Swedish total population registers to estimate the heritability of objectively measured violent offending (convictions) in classic twin (N = 36,877 pairs), adoptee-parent (N = 5,068 pairs), adoptee-sibling (N = 10,610 pairs), and sibling designs (N = 1,521,066 pairs). Type and degree of assortative mating were calculated from comparisons between spouses of siblings and half-siblings, and across consecutive spouses. Heritability estimates for the liability of violent offending agreed with previously reported heritability for self-reported antisocial behaviour. While the sibling model yielded estimates similar to the twin model (A ≈ 55%, C ≈ 13%), adoptee-models appeared to underestimate familial effects (A ≈ 20-30%, C ≈ 0%). Assortative mating was moderate to strong (r (spouse) = 0.4), appeared to result from both phenotypic assortment and social homogamy, but had only minor effect on variance components. Finally, we found significant gender differences in the etiology of violent crime.

  17. The Danish fat tax—Effects on consumption patterns and risk of ischaemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bødker, Malene; Pisinger, Charlotta Holm; Toft, Ulla

    2015-01-01

    sale of the included foodstuffs decreased by 0.9%. The fat tax was associated with marginal changes in population risk of IHD. One estimate suggests an increased population risk of IHD by 0.2% and the other estimate suggests that the risk of IHD decreased by 0.3%. Conclusions: The Danish fat tax had......Objective: To examine the effects on consumption and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) of the Danish fat tax, effective from October 2011 to January 2013. Methods: We used comprehensive retail outlet data on the sale of twelve foodstuff categories targeted by the fat tax. Data covered January...

  18. SUSY meets her twin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katz, Andrey [Theory Division, CERN,CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Département de Physique Théorique and Center for Astroparticle Physics (CAP),Université de Genève,24 quai Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève 4 (Switzerland); Mariotti, Alberto [Theoretische Natuurkunde and IIHE/ELEM, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,and International Solvay Institutes,Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium); Pokorski, Stefan [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw,ul. Pasteura 5, PL-02-093 Warsaw (Poland); Redigolo, Diego [Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University,Tel-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science,Rehovot 7610001 (Israel); Ziegler, Robert [Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics (TTP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,Engesserstraße 7, D-76128 Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2017-01-31

    We investigate the general structure of mirror symmetry breaking in the Twin Higgs scenario. We show, using the IR effective theory, that a significant gain in fine tuning can be achieved if the symmetry is broken hardly. We emphasize that weakly coupled UV completions can naturally accommodate this scenario. We analyze SUSY UV completions and present a simple Twin SUSY model with a tuning of around 10% and colored superpartners as heavy as 2 TeV. The collider signatures of general Twin SUSY models are discussed with a focus on the extended Higgs sectors.

  19. From monster to twin reversed arterial perfusion: a history of acardiac twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obladen, Michael

    2010-05-01

    A human being born without heart and head, i.e., the acardius/acranius malformation, has been described since antiquity. Superstition and fear made it a mystical disorder, a sign of God's wrath. The inquisition ruled that acranic infants should not be baptized and located the soul in the brain. Acardia was not associated with twin gestation until the reports of Mery in 1720 and Winslow in 1740. In 1850, Meckel identified the pathogenetic mechanism as reversed perfusion due to large arterio-arterial and veno-venous anastomoses; he believed the heart would fail to develop or arrest during development, and the acardiac fetus would be maintained by arterial perfusion from the pump twin. In 1859, Claudius articulated that after normal initial development, the heart degenerates when reversed flow in the aorta leads to thrombosis. Today, it is assumed that both mechanisms may exist. With the advent of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis and radiofrequency ablation of the acardiac twin's circulation, it became possible to save the pump twin.

  20. Monochorionic twin pregnancies: a systematic approach to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Complications unique to these pregnancies include Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), Twin Polycythaemia Anaemia Sequence (TAPS), Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction (sIUGR) and death of the co-twin. Adhering to a systematic and objective approach of management, can lead to early recognition and ...

  1. The Beginnings of Danish Speech Perception

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østerbye, Torkil

    , in the light of the rich and complex Danish sound system. The first two studies report on native adults’ perception of Danish speech sounds in quiet and noise. The third study examined the development of language-specific perception in native Danish infants at 6, 9 and 12 months of age. The book points......Little is known about the perception of speech sounds by native Danish listeners. However, the Danish sound system differs in several interesting ways from the sound systems of other languages. For instance, Danish is characterized, among other features, by a rich vowel inventory and by different...... reductions of speech sounds evident in the pronunciation of the language. This book (originally a PhD thesis) consists of three studies based on the results of two experiments. The experiments were designed to provide knowledge of the perception of Danish speech sounds by Danish adults and infants...

  2. Prevalence and Diagnostic Spectrum of Generalized Retinal Dystrophy in Danish Children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bertelsen, Mette; Jensen, Hanne; Larsen, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Purpose: The aim of the present population-based cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence and diagnostic spectrum of generalized retinal dystrophy in Danish children. Methods: The Danish Registry for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children comprises all visually impaired......: Of the 1,204,235 Danish children aged 0-17 years on 1 October 2011, 2017 children were registered as visually impaired. Of these, 153 cases were attributed to generalized retinal dystrophy, corresponding to a prevalence of 13 per 100,000 children. The age-specific prevalence increased prominently...... children residing in Denmark aged 0-17 years. Among registered children, the primary diagnosis of generalized retinal dystrophy was assessed by chart review, including fundus photographs and electroretinograms. Age-specific data for live children in Denmark were retrieved from Statistics Denmark. Results...

  3. Substance use among Danish psychiatric patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Tina; Jespersen, Hans Søe Riis; Vinberg, Maj

    2018-01-01

    a questionnaire regarding their use of alcohol and other drugs of abuse. The questionnaire was based on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), supplemented by questions regarding use of tobacco and illicit drugs. The results were compared with those uses in the general population. Results: In total...... equivalents. Compared to the general population, the psychiatric patients had higher odds of being current smokers and having used illicit drugs within the past month. Women with psychiatric disorders were twice as likely to binge drink on a monthly basis. No significant difference was found in the patients......’ AUDIT scores compared to the general population. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate a substantial and problematic use of tobacco and illicit drugs among Danish psychiatric patients, greater than in the general population....

  4. The incidence rate of HIV type-1 drug resistance in patients on antiretroviral therapy: a nationwide population-based Danish cohort study 1999-2005

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Audelin, A.M.; Lohse, N.; Obel, N.

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Newer antiretroviral treatment regimens for HIV carry a lower risk of inducing drug resistance mutations. We estimated changes in incidence rates (IRs) of new mutations in HIV-infected individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: Population-based data...... were obtained from the Danish HIV Cohort Study and the Danish HIV Sequence Database. We included treatment-naive patients initiating HAART after December 1997 and computed time to first drug resistance mutation, identified as new mutations detected within 1 year after a 60-day period of treatment.......077). The IR of PI resistance decreased from 7.5 (1.4-21.8) in 1999 to 2.9 (0.7-11.4) in 2002-2003 (P=0.148). The IRs were low for specific resistance mutations, except for M184V (IR 5.6 [4.0-7.9]) and K103N (IR 8.2 [5.6-12.0]). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of acquired drug resistance has decreased among HIV...

  5. Sources of individual differences in depressive symptoms: analysis of two samples of twins and their families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendler, K S; Walters, E E; Truett, K R; Heath, A C; Neale, M C; Martin, N G; Eaves, L J

    1994-11-01

    Self-reported symptoms of depression are commonly used in mental health research to assess current psychiatric state, yet wide variation in these symptoms among individuals has been found in both clinical and epidemiologic populations. The authors sought to understand, from a genetic-epidemiologic perspective, the sources of individual differences in depressive symptoms. Self-reported symptoms of depression were assessed in two samples of twins and their spouses, parents, siblings, and offspring: one sample contained volunteer twins recruited through the American Association of Retired Persons and their relatives (N = 19,203 individuals) and the other contained twins from a population-based twin registry in Virginia and their relatives (N = 11,242 individuals). Model fitting by an iterative, diagonal, weighted least squares method was applied to the 80 different family relationships in the extended twin-family design. Independent analyses of the two samples revealed that the level of depressive symptoms was modestly familial, and familial resemblance could be explained solely by genetic factors and spousal resemblance. The estimated heritability of depressive symptoms was between 30% and 37%. There was no evidence that the liability to depressive symptoms was environmentally transmitted from parents to offspring or was influenced by environmental factors shared either generally among siblings or specifically between twins. With correction for unreliability of measurement, genetic factors accounted for half of the stable variance in depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms in adulthood partly reflect enduring characteristics of temperament that are substantially influenced by hereditary factors but little, or not at all, by shared environmental experiences in the family of origin.

  6. Twinning rate in a sample from a Brazilian hospital with a high standard of reproductive care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Maria Duccini Dal Colletto

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: Epidemiological studies on twin births have been motivated mostly by the positive correlation between twinning rate and human fertility, prematurity, low birth weight, increased risk of infant death and long term risk for morbidity. OBJECTIVE: This paper intends to estimate the incidence of multiple births in a private hospital in Brazil with a high standard of reproductive care, and to evaluate the effects of maternal age, gestation order and assisted fertilization on twinning rate. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: First-class tertiary private hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The multiple birth rate was investigated among 7,997 deliveries from 1995 to 1998, including 7,786 singletons, 193 twins, 17 triplets and one quadruplet. RESULTS: The rates per 1,000 dizygotic and monozygotic pairs and for triplets were estimated as 19.51, 4.50 and 2.13, respectively. The dizygotic and triplet rates were the highest observed in Brazil up to the present day. The twinning rate among primigravidae older than 30 years was very high (45.02 per 1,000 and was due to a disproportionately high frequency of dizygotic pairs. The triplet rate was also very high among the mothers of this age group (5.71 per 1,000. These facts are strong indicators that these women were the ones most frequently submitted to assisted reproductive techniques. The mean maternal age of the studied population was about six years higher than that estimated for mothers in the general population of southeastern Brazil. Primigravidae aged under 30 years as well as multigravidae showed similar twinning rates, which were almost 20 per 1,000. Among the deliveries of multigravidae older than 30 years, an unusually high frequency of monozygotic twins was observed (7.04 per 1,000, probably as a consequence of the residual effect of long-term use of oral contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS: The dizygotic twinning rate increased from 13.51 to 28.98 per 1,000 over the four years

  7. Clinical characteristics and consequences of hand eczema - an 8-year follow-up study of a population-based twin cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lerbaek, Anne; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Ravn, Henrik

    2008-01-01

    affected. Mean hand eczema severity index score in individuals with clinical symptoms was 12.0. Sick leave was reported by 12.4%; job change by 8.5%. Being in the lowest socio-economic group and atopic dermatitis were risk factors for sick leave [odds ratio (OR) = 5.6; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1......BACKGROUND: Few population-based clinical follow-up studies on hand eczema are reported. Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize clinical symptoms and to examine occupational and medical consequences as well as persistence of hand eczema in a population-based twin cohort. PATIENTS.......5-22.9 and OR = 2.9; 95% CI 1.0-8.1]. The majority (63.4%) had seen a doctor at least once, and atopic dermatitis was a risk factor for more than 1 visit (OR = 3.0; 95% CI 1.4-6.4). Duration of >10 years was a risk factor for persistence of symptoms, which was reported by 67.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical picture...

  8. Associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and cardiometabolic risk factors in a Danish adult population: the DIPI study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arentoft, Johanne Louise; Hoppe, Camilla; Andersen, Elisabeth Wreford

    2018-01-01

    Diet is recognised as one modifiable lifestyle factor for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We aimed at investigating the associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) indicated by a Dietary Quality Index (DQI) and selected cardiometabolic risk factors in a cross-...

  9. A tale of twin Higgs: natural twin two Higgs doublet models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Jiang-Hao [Amherst Center for Fundamental Interactions, Department of Physics,University of Massachusetts Amherst,710 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002 (United States)

    2016-12-28

    In original twin Higgs model, vacuum misalignment between electroweak and new physics scales is realized by adding explicit ℤ{sub 2} breaking term. Introducing additional twin Higgs could accommodate spontaneous ℤ{sub 2} breaking, which explains origin of this misalignment. We introduce a class of twin two Higgs doublet models with most general scalar potential, and discuss general conditions which trigger electroweak and ℤ{sub 2} symmetry breaking. Various scenarios on realising the vacuum misalignment are systematically discussed in a natural composite two Higgs double model framework: explicit ℤ{sub 2} breaking, radiative ℤ{sub 2} breaking, tadpole-induced ℤ{sub 2} breaking, and quartic-induced ℤ{sub 2} breaking. We investigate the Higgs mass spectra and Higgs phenomenology in these scenarios.

  10. Benchmarking the energy situation of Danish municipalities - Rural production and urban efficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fertner, Christian; Groth, Niels Boje

    Energy is a key issue for sustainable urban development, mainly related to the twin challenges of climate change and resource scarcity (Droege 2011). Despite agendas set on national and international level, local authorities are the key actors in this transformation (Lewis et al. 2013). European...... initiatives as the Covenant of Mayors or Energy Cities are closely following this development and supporting local authorities in their actions. Still, a general benchmarking of states and efforts is still missing which could however increase the use of good practice and enforce discussions in lagging cities....... Against this background, a model was developed in the ongoing European FP7 project PLEEC (www.pleecproject.eu) to measure the energy situation in cities, called “Energy-Smart City”, compiling over 50 energy-related indicators. In this paper we adapt the model to the Danish context and benchmark the 98...

  11. Migraine and risk of cardiovascular diseases: Danish population based matched cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adelborg, Kasper; Szépligeti, Szimonetta Komjáthiné; Holland-Bill, Louise; Ehrenstein, Vera; Horváth-Puhó, Erzsébet; Henderson, Victor W; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

    2018-01-31

    To examine the risks of myocardial infarction, stroke (ischaemic and haemorrhagic), peripheral artery disease, venous thromboembolism, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and heart failure in patients with migraine and in a general population comparison cohort. Nationwide, population based cohort study. All Danish hospitals and hospital outpatient clinics from 1995 to 2013. 51 032 patients with migraine and 510 320 people from the general population matched on age, sex, and calendar year. Comorbidity adjusted hazard ratios of cardiovascular outcomes based on Cox regression analysis. Higher absolute risks were observed among patients with incident migraine than in the general population across most outcomes and follow-up periods. After 19 years of follow-up, the cumulative incidences per 1000 people for the migraine cohort compared with the general population were 25 v 17 for myocardial infarction, 45 v 25 for ischaemic stroke, 11 v 6 for haemorrhagic stroke, 13 v 11 for peripheral artery disease, 27 v 18 for venous thromboembolism, 47 v 34 for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and 19 v 18 for heart failure. Correspondingly, migraine was positively associated with myocardial infarction (adjusted hazard ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.36 to 1.64), ischaemic stroke (2.26, 2.11 to 2.41), and haemorrhagic stroke (1.94, 1.68 to 2.23), as well as venous thromboembolism (1.59, 1.45 to 1.74) and atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (1.25, 1.16 to 1.36). No meaningful association was found with peripheral artery disease (adjusted hazard ratio 1.12, 0.96 to 1.30) or heart failure (1.04, 0.93 to 1.16). The associations, particularly for stroke outcomes, were stronger during the short term (0-1 years) after diagnosis than the long term (up to 19 years), in patients with aura than in those without aura, and in women than in men. In a subcohort of patients, the associations persisted after additional multivariable adjustment for body mass index and smoking

  12. Functional and genetic epidemiological characterisation of the FFAR4 (GPR120) p.R270H variant in the Danish population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestmar, Marie Aare; Andersson, Ehm A; Christensen, Charlotte Riis

    2016-01-01

    . Association with quantitative metabolic traits comprised 8720 non-diabetic individuals. RESULTS: p.R270H showed reduced surface expression of FFAR4. Ligand-independent activity was eliminated and strongly impaired through the Gq and Gi signalling pathways, respectively. The ligand-induced maximal signalling...... reactive protein; hs-CRP) and liver function (alanine aminotransferase) in the Danish population (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that p.R270H of FFAR4 impairs Gq and Gi signalling of FFAR4 in vitro; however, this impaired signalling for p.R270H does not translate into associations with human...

  13. Breast conserving treatment in Denmark, 1989-1998. A nationwide population-based study of the Danish Breast Cancer Co-operative Group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ewertz, M.; Kempel, M.M.; During, M.

    2008-01-01

    patients in Denmark. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To evaluate the results of this treatment, we performed a nationwide population-based follow-up study of patients aged less than 75 years treated in Denmark from 1989 to 1998 based on the database of Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. RESULTS: At 15 years...... of follow-up, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival was 69% among 3 758 patients who received the recommended treatment. Within the first 10 years of follow-up, the cumulative incidences of loco-regional recurrences, distant metastases or other malignant disease, or death as a first event were 9...

  14. Morbidity and medicine prescriptions in a nationwide Danish population of patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glintborg, Dorte; Hass Rubin, Katrine; Nybo, Mads

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increased in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the prevalence of other diseases is not clarified. We aimed to investigate morbidity and medicine prescriptions in PCOS. DESIGN: A National Register-based study. METHODS: Patients with PCOS (PCOS...... Denmark and an embedded cohort; PCOS Odense University Hospital (OUH)) and one control population. Premenopausal women with PCOS underwent clinical and biochemical examination (PCOS OUH, n=1217). PCOS Denmark (n=19 199) included women with PCOS in the Danish National Patient Register. Three age......-matched controls were included per patient (n=57 483). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis codes and filled prescriptions. RESULTS: The mean (range) age of the PCOS Denmark group and controls was 30.6 (12-60) years. Patients in PCOS Denmark had higher Charlson index, higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia...

  15. Preliminary investigation on reliability of genomic estimated breeding values in the Danish and Swedish Holstein Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Su, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Gregersen, V R

    2010-01-01

    or no effects, and a single prior distribution common for all SNP. It was found that, in general, the model with a common prior distribution of scaling factors had better predictive ability than any mixture prior models. Therefore, a common prior model was used to estimate SNP effects and breeding values......Abstract This study investigated the reliability of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) in the Danish Holstein population. The data in the analysis included 3,330 bulls with both published conventional EBV and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. After data editing, 38,134 SNP markers...... were available. In the analysis, all SNP were fitted simultaneously as random effects in a Bayesian variable selection model, which allows heterogeneous variances for different SNP markers. The response variables were the official EBV. Direct GEBV were calculated as the sum of individual SNP effects...

  16. Heritability of resting heart rate and association with mortality in middle-aged and elderly twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Magnus T; Wod, Mette; Galatius, Søren

    2018-01-01

    , heritability estimates were 0.23 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.30); 0.27 (0.15 to 0.38) for males and 0.17 (0.06 to 0.28) for females. In multivariable models adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary function, smoking, physical activity and zygosity, RHR was significantly associated......OBJECTIVE: Resting heart rate (RHR) possibly has a hereditary component and is associated with longevity. We used the classical biometric twin study design to investigate the heritability of RHR in a population of middle-aged and elderly twins and, furthermore, studied the association between RHR...... in RHR. CONCLUSIONS: RHR is a trait with a genetic influence in middle-aged and elderly twins free of cardiovascular disease. RHR is independently associated with longevity even when familial factors are controlled for in a twin design....

  17. Establishing a Twin Registry in Guinea-Bissau

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerregaard-Andersen, Morten; Gomes, Margarida A; Joaquím, Luis C

    2013-01-01

    represent a powerful tool. Though twin studies have been carried out by the Bandim Health Project for more than 30 years, the renewed registry described here was officially established in 2009 and includes both a cohort of newborn twins and a cohort of young and adult twins. Currently more than 1,500 twins...

  18. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa in same-sex and opposite-sex twins: lack of association with twin type in a nationwide study of Finnish twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raevuori, Anu; Kaprio, Jaakko; Hoek, Hans W; Sihvola, Elina; Rissanen, Aila; Keski-Rahkonen, Anna

    2008-12-01

    The authors tested the hypothesis that either prenatal feminization or masculinization hormone influences in utero or later socialization affects the risk for anorexia and bulimia nervosa and disordered eating in members of opposite-sex twin pairs. Finnish twins (N=2,426 women, N=1,962 men with known zygosity) from birth cohorts born 1974-1979 were assessed at age 22 to 28 years with a questionnaire for eating disorder symptoms. Based on the questionnaire screen, women (N=292), men (N=53), and their cotwins were interviewed to assess diagnoses of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (per DSM-IV and broad criteria). In women from opposite-sex twin pairs, the prevalence of DSM-IV or broad anorexia nervosa was not significantly different than that of women from monozygotic pairs or same-sex dizygotic pairs. Of the five male anorexia nervosa probands, only one was from an opposite-sex twin pair. Bulimia nervosa in men was too rare to be assessed by zygosity; the prevalence of DSM-IV or broad bulimia nervosa did not differ in women from opposite- versus same-sex twin pairs. In both sexes, the overall profile of indicators on eating disorders was rather similar between individuals from opposite- and same-sex pairs. The authors found little evidence that the risk for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or disordered eating was associated with zygosity or sex composition of twin pairs, thus making it unlikely that in utero femininization or masculinization or socialization effects of growing up with an opposite-sex twin have a major influence on the later development of eating disorders.

  19. Heteropagus twinning on back -- a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debnath, Bidyut; Biswas, Sumitra Kumar

    2011-07-01

    Heteropagus twins, also called parasitic twins, are malformation of the foetus where the development of one twin is incomplete. They are attached most commonly to the lower chest and upper abdomen. We report a case of heteropagus twin, where the parasite possessed well-formed limb as well as blind ending intestine. It was attached to the back of the host by a broad pedicle. We take this opportunity to classify areas of confusion prevailing regarding twinning, foetus in foetu, teratoma and caudal duplication.

  20. Long-term relationships between symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and self-esteem in a prospective longitudinal study of twins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edbom, Tobias; Lichtenstein, Paul; Granlund, Mats; Larsson, Jan-Olov

    2006-06-01

    To study the long-term relationship between symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the developing self-esteem in a population-based sample of twins. The cohort is all twin pair families born in Sweden between May 1985 and December 1986 (n = 1.480). Wave 1 took place in 1994 when the twins were 8 years old and wave 2 in 1999 when the children were 13 years old. In wave 1 and 2 the parents completed questionnaires regarding ADHD-symptoms about their children. In wave 2 the twins completed a questionnaire about self-esteem and Youth Self Report (YSR). ADHD-symptoms and self-esteem were analyzed in the total study group. There was a long-term relationship between high scores of parental-reported ADHD-symptoms at 8 and 13 years of age and low scores in measures of self-reported self-esteem at 13 years of age. In the cotwin control method controlling for YSR internalizing problem, paired comparisons within the twin pairs revealed that a high score of ADHD-symptoms at age 8 was related to significantly lower scores at age 13 in the self-esteem. The long-term relationships between ADHD-symptoms and a low self-esteem in a population-based sample were confirmed by the co-twin analyses.

  1. Familial Risk and Heritability of Cancer Among Twins in Nordic Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mucci, Lorelei A.; Hjelmborg, Jacob B.; Harris, Jennifer R.

    2016-01-01

    Importance: Estimates of familial cancer risk from population-based studies are essential components of cancer risk prediction. Objective: To estimate familial risk and heritability of cancer types in a large twin cohort. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective study of 80 309 monozygotic ...

  2. Heritability of tic disorders: a twin-family study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zilhão, N R; Olthof, M C; Smit, D J A; Cath, D C; Ligthart, L; Mathews, C A; Delucchi, K; Boomsma, D I; Dolan, C V

    2017-04-01

    Genetic-epidemiological studies that estimate the contributions of genetic factors to variation in tic symptoms are scarce. We estimated the extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to tics, employing various phenotypic definitions ranging between mild and severe symptomatology, in a large population-based adult twin-family sample. In an extended twin-family design, we analysed lifetime tic data reported by adult mono- and dizygotic twins (n = 8323) and their family members (n = 7164; parents and siblings) from 7311 families in the Netherlands Twin Register. We measured tics by the abbreviated version of the Schedule for Tourette and Other Behavioral Syndromes. Heritability was estimated by genetic structural equation modeling for four tic disorder definitions: three dichotomous and one trichotomous phenotype, characterized by increasingly strictly defined criteria. Prevalence rates of the different tic disorders in our sample varied between 0.3 and 4.5% depending on tic disorder definition. Tic frequencies decreased with increasing age. Heritability estimates varied between 0.25 and 0.37, depending on phenotypic definitions. None of the phenotypes showed evidence of assortative mating, effects of shared environment or non-additive genetic effects. Heritabilities of mild and severe tic phenotypes were estimated to be moderate. Overlapping confidence intervals of the heritability estimates suggest overlapping genetic liabilities between the various tic phenotypes. The most lenient phenotype (defined only by tic characteristics, excluding criteria B, C and D of DSM-IV) rendered sufficiently reliable heritability estimates. These findings have implications in phenotypic definitions for future genetic studies.

  3. Relationship between refractive error and ocular biometrics in twin children: the Guangzhou Twin Eye Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Decai; Liu, Bin; Huang, Shengsong; Huang, Wenyong; He, Mingguang

    2014-09-01

    A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship between refractive error and ocular biometrics in children from the Guangzhou twin eye study. Twin participants aged 7-15 years were selected from Guangzhou Twin Eye Study. Ocular examinations included visual acuity measurement, ocular motility evaluation, autorefraction under cycloplegia, and anterior segment, media, and fundus examination. Axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and corneal curvature radius were measured using partial coherence laser interferometry. A multivariate linear regression model was used for statistical analysis. Twin children from Guangzhou city showed a decreased spherical equivalent with age, whereas both AL and ACD were increased and corneal curvature radius remained unchanged. When adjusted by age and gender, the data from 77% of twins presenting with spherical equivalent changes indicated that these were caused by predictable variables (R2 = 0.77, P biometrics. Refractive status is largely determined by axial length as the major factor.

  4. Mortality among Danish merchant seamen from 1970 to 1985

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brandt, L P; Kirk, N U; Jensen, O C

    1994-01-01

    A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the mortality patterns of Danish merchant seamen in the period 1970-1985. The population census in 1970 in Denmark was the source of information on individual occupation, age, and marital status. All men aged 20-64 years and economically activ...

  5. Twin anemia polycythemia sequence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slaghekke, Femke

    2014-01-01

    In this thesis we describe that Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS) is a form of chronic feto-fetal transfusion in monochorionic (identical) twins based on a small amount of blood transfusion through very small anastomoses. For the antenatal diagnosis of TAPS, Middle Cerebral Artery – Peak

  6. Nature versus nurture: identical twins and bariatric surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagedorn, Judith C; Morton, John M

    2007-06-01

    Genetics and environment both play a role in weight maintenance. Twin studies may help clarify the influence of nature vs nurture in weight loss. We present the largest U.S. experience with monozygotic (MZ) twins undergoing bariatric surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of four sets of MZ twins who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) surgery and laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) placement at three different institutions. BMI and co-morbidities were examined pre- and postoperatively, and laboratory values were recorded. All four sets of twins are female, live together, and have similar professions. Twin cohort 1 had near identical weight loss patterns after open RYGBP surgery in 1996 (preop 146/142 kg; 2 years 82/82; and 10 years 108/107). Twin cohort 1 also both underwent cholecystectomies within the first year postoperatively. Twin cohort 2 underwent laparoscopic RYGBP surgery and also required cholecystectomies in the first postoperative year. Cohort 2 also experienced nearly identical weight loss at 1 year (36.7% vs 37.0% BMI loss). Twin cohort 3 underwent LAGB placement with two different surgeons with differing amounts of weight loss at 6 months (6.5% vs 15.7% BMI loss). Finally, twin cohort 4 underwent laparoscopic RYGBP with 2-year BMI loss of 39% vs 34%. In twin cohort 4, the twin who lost less weight lived apart from her twin and extended family, and her weight loss was less than the twin living with her family. Two sets of MZ twins had identical responses to bariatric surgery. The other two sets of identical twins had differential weight loss results, possibly due to differences in surgical approach and social support. While genetics do exert a strong influence on weight loss and maintenance, this case series demonstrates the potential effect of social support and postoperative management upon postoperative weight loss in the presence of identical genetics.

  7. Danish SDHW Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon

    1996-01-01

    The status of Danish technology for solar heating systems for hot water supply as well as R&D work in the field is presented.......The status of Danish technology for solar heating systems for hot water supply as well as R&D work in the field is presented....

  8. Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders and the Risk of Subsequent Anorexia Nervosa: A Danish Population Register Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Sandra M; Bulik, Cynthia M; Thornton, Laura M; Mattheisen, Manuel; Mortensen, Preben B; Petersen, Liselotte

    2015-11-01

    Anxiety disorders and anorexia nervosa are frequently acknowledged to be highly comorbid conditions, but still, little is known about the clinical and aetiological cohesion of specific anxiety diagnoses and anorexia nervosa. Using the comprehensive Danish population registers, we aimed to determine the risk of anorexia nervosa in patients with register-detected severe anxiety disorders. We also explored whether parental psychopathology was associated with offspring's anorexia nervosa. Anxiety disorders increased the risk of subsequent anorexia nervosa, with the highest risk observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Especially, male anxiety patients were at an increased risk for anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, an increased risk was observed in offspring of fathers with panic disorder. A diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder, constitutes a risk factor for subsequent diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. These observations support the notion that anxiety disorders and anorexia nervosa share etiological mechanisms and/or that anxiety represents one developmental pathway to anorexia nervosa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

  9. Illustrations of the twin paradox

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebhan, E.

    1985-01-01

    In order to provide a more intuitive understanding of the twin paradox, several illustrations of this are presented. In one of these, each of the twins is equipped with a lamp whose monochromatic light can be observed by the other. In other illustrations the travelling twin uses an Einstein train instead of a space ship, all the cars of the train and all stations along the route of the train being equipped with clocks. (author)

  10. Twins in Ancient Greece: a synopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malamitsi-Puchner, Ariadne

    2016-01-01

    This brief outline associates twins with several aspects of life in Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology twins caused ambivalent reactions and were believed to have ambivalent feelings for each other. Very often, they were viewed as the representatives of the dualistic nature of the universe. Heteropaternal superfecundation, which dominates in ancient myths, explains on one hand, the god-like qualities and, on the other hand, the mortal nature of many twins. An assumption is presented that legends referring to twins might reflect the territorial expansions of Ancient Greeks in Northern Mediterranean, around the Black Sea, in Asia Minor, as well as North East Africa. In conclusion, in Greek antiquity, twins have been used as transitional figures between myth and reality.

  11. The Danish Heart Failure Registry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schjødt, Inge; Nakano, Anne; Egstrup, Kenneth

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of the Danish Heart Failure Registry (DHFR) is to monitor and improve the care of patients with incident heart failure (HF) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: The DHFR includes inpatients and outpatients (≥18 years) with incident HF. Reporting to the DHFR is mandatory......: The main variables recorded in the DHFR are related to the indicators for quality of care in patients with incident HF: performance of echocardiography, functional capacity (New York Heart Association functional classification), pharmacological therapy (angiotensin converting enzyme/angiotensin II...

  12. A short Introduction to Danish Hymnody

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balslev-Clausen, Peter

    1988-01-01

    After a general introduction of Danish Hymnody an analysis of 4 Danish Hymns from Thomas Kingo to K.L. Aastrup, followed by a presentation of "Songs from Denmark"......After a general introduction of Danish Hymnody an analysis of 4 Danish Hymns from Thomas Kingo to K.L. Aastrup, followed by a presentation of "Songs from Denmark"...

  13. Twin birth order, birthweight and birthweight discordance: any relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Onyiriuka A.N.

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: It is widely believed that in twin pairs, at birth, the first-born weigh more than the second-born but this concept has been challenged. Objective: To assess the truthfulness of this common concept that first-born twins are usually heavier than their second-born siblings at birth. Methods: In a series of 104 sets of live-born twins, the birth weights of first-born twins were compared with those of their second-born siblings, after controlling for gender. Their intra-pair birthweight differences were determined and twin pairs whose birthweight difference was 15% or more were designated as discordant. Results: Twin I was heavier than Twin II in 61.5% of cases while Twin II was heavier than Twin I in 28.9% of cases. Twins I and II had equal birthweights in 9.6% of cases. Comparing the mean birthweight of the first-born-male twin with that of second-born- male twin, it was 2515+427g (95% Confidence Interval, CI=2402-2628 versus 2432 +435g (95% CI=2321-2543 p>0.05. The mean birthweight of first-born-female twin was 2326+445g (95% CI=2214-2439 while that of the second-born-female twin was 2325+501g (95% CI=2197-2453 p>0.05. When the birthweight difference exceeded 750g, the probability that Twin I will be heavier than Twin II was 83.3% (5 of 6. Conclusion: Although the first-born twin was more often heavier than their second-born siblings, either could weigh more or less at birth. The larger the birthweight difference between growth-discordant twin pair, the greater the probability that the heavier twin would be delivered first

  14. Sex Ratio and Twinning in Women with Hyperemesis or Pre-eclampsia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basso, Olga; Olsen, Jørn

    2001-01-01

    We examined twinning and fetal gender in births of women with a hospital diagnosis of pre-eclampsia or hyperemesis. We also investigated sex ratio in infants whose mothers had had hyperemesis or pre-eclampsia in a different pregnancy. From all the hospitalized cases in Denmark between 1980 and 1996...... we extracted 6,227 births with hyperemesis and 24,764 with pre-eclampsia. Twins were more frequent in pregnancies with either condition. The male to female sex ratio was 1.04 (95%CI = 1.02-1.05) in the reference population, 0.87 (95% CI = 0.82-0.91) in births with hyperemesis, and 1.10 (95% CI = 1...

  15. Evaluation of five DNA extraction methods for purification of DNA from atherosclerotic tissue and estimation of prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in tissue from a Danish population undergoing vascular repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindholt Jes S

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To date PCR detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic lesions from Danish patients has been unsuccessful. To establish whether non-detection was caused by a suboptimal DNA extraction method, we tested five different DNA extraction methods for purification of DNA from atherosclerotic tissue. Results The five different DNA extraction methods were tested on homogenate of atherosclerotic tissue spiked with C. pneumoniae DNA or EB, on pure C. pneumoniae DNA samples and on whole C. pneumoniae EB. Recovery of DNA was measured with a C. pneumoniae-specific quantitative real-time PCR. A DNA extraction method based on DNA-binding to spin columns with a silica-gel membrane (DNeasy Tissue kit showed the highest recovery rate for the tissue samples and pure DNA samples. However, an automated extraction method based on magnetic glass particles (MagNA Pure performed best on intact EB and atherosclerotic tissue spiked with EB. The DNeasy Tissue kit and MagNA Pure methods and the highly sensitive real-time PCR were subsequently used on 78 atherosclerotic tissue samples from Danish patients undergoing vascular repair. None of the samples were positive for C. pneumoniae DNA. The atherosclerotic samples were tested for inhibition by spiking with two different, known amounts of C. pneumoniae DNA and no samples showed inhibition. Conclusion As a highly sensitive PCR method and an optimised DNA extraction method were used, non-detection in atherosclerotic tissue from the Danish population was probably not caused by use of inappropriate methods. However, more samples may need to be analysed per patient to be completely certain on this. Possible methodological and epidemiological reasons for non-detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic tissue from the Danish population are discussed. Further testing of DNA extraction methods is needed as this study has shown considerable intra- and inter-method variation in DNA recovery.

  16. Novel epigenetic changes unveiled by monozygotic twins discordant for smoking habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allione, Alessandra; Marcon, Francesca; Fiorito, Giovanni; Guarrera, Simonetta; Siniscalchi, Ester; Zijno, Andrea; Crebelli, Riccardo; Matullo, Giuseppe

    2015-01-01

    Exposure to cigarette smoking affects the epigenome and could increase the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Changes in DNA methylation associated with smoking may help to identify molecular pathways that contribute to disease etiology. Previous studies are not completely concordant in the identification of differentially methylated regions in the DNA of smokers. We performed an epigenome-wide DNA methylation study in a group of monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for smoking habits to determine the effect of smoking on DNA methylation. As MZ twins are considered genetically identical, this model allowed us to identify smoking-related DNA methylation changes independent from genetic components. We investigated the whole blood genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in 20 MZ twin pairs discordant for smoking habits by using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. We identified 22 CpG sites that were differentially methylated between smoker and non-smoker MZ twins by intra-pair analysis. We confirmed eight loci already described by other groups, located in AHRR, F2RL3, MYOG1 genes, at 2q37.1 and 6p21.33 regions, and also identified several new loci. Moreover, pathway analysis showed an enrichment of genes involved in GTPase regulatory activity. Our study confirmed the evidence of smoking-related DNA methylation changes, emphasizing that well-designed MZ twin models can aid the discovery of novel DNA methylation signals, even in a limited sample population.

  17. Prescribing during pregnancy and lactation with reference to the Swedish classification system - A population-based study among Danish women

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Olesen, C; Sorensen, HT; de Jong-van den Berg, L; Olsen, J; Steffensen, FH

    Aim. To assess the current prescribing pattern for 15,756 primiparae before, during, and after their pregnancies with reference to fetal and neonatal risk. Method. A prescription database study with linkage to The Danish Medical Birth Registry from 1991 to 1996. The drug subsidy system in Danish

  18. Legal method in danish law

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blume, Peter Erik

    and furthermore a brief account of Danish legal history is provided. The following chapters concern: • Legal institutions, • Statute and Statutory Law • Legal Decisions • Legal Literature and Legal Knowledge • Other National Legal Sources • External Influences on Danish Law......This book describes how legal method is used within the Danish legal system. Its target group is foreign lawyers and law students who have an interest in knowing how Danish law commonly is determined and applied. In the first chapters legal method and legal sources in general are defined...

  19. Managing Danish pupils’ well-being

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ratner, Helene Gad; Gad, Christopher

    The concept of well-being has become a key category of social and political imagination, cultivating new understandings of 'what it means to be a capable person' (Corsín Jiménez, 2008, 2). In 2015, the Danish Ministry of Education began conducting national, annual measurements of Danish pupils...... national objectives for pupils' well-being; 2) the Danish newspaper A4's interactive, online mapping of pupils' well-being at all Danish schools, developed from the same numbers (accessed through their juridical right to access government files) but using different calculative techniques and aimed...

  20. Quantitative ultrasound of the hand phalanges in a cohort of monozygotic twins: influence of genetic and environmental factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guglielmi, G. [Scientific Institute Hospital, Department of Radiology, San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy); Terlizzi, F. de [IGEA Biophysics Lab, Carpi (Italy); Torrente, I.; Mingarelli, R. [Mendel Institute, Rome (Italy); Dallapiccola, B. [Scientific Institute Hospital, Department of Radiology, San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy); Mendel Institute, Rome (Italy)

    2005-11-01

    Our objective was to evaluate the similarities and differences in bone mass and structure between pairs of monozygotic twins as measured by means of the quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technique. A cohort of monozygotic twins was measured by QUS of the hand phalanges using the DBM sonic bone profiler (IGEA, Carpi, Italy). The parameters studied were amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS), ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI), signal dynamics (SDy) and bone transmission time (BTT). Linear correlation coefficients, multivariate linear analysis and the ANOVA test were used to assess intrapair associations between variables and to determine which factors influence the intrapair differences in QUS variables. One hundred and six pairs of monozygotic twins were enrolled in the study, 68 females and 38 males in the age range 5 to 71 years. Significant intrapair correlations were obtained in the whole population and separately for males and females, regarding height (r =0.98-0.99, p <0.0001), weight (r =0.95-0.96, p <0.0001), AD-SoS (r =0.90-0.92, p <0.0001), BTT (r =0.94-0.95, p <0.0001) and other QUS parameters (r >0.74, p <0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that intrapair differences between AD-SoS, SDy, UBPI and BTT are significantly influenced by age in the whole population and in the female population. Furthermore, the ANOVA test showed, for the female group, a significant increase in the intrapair differences in SDy and UBPI above 40 years. A relative contribution of genetic factors to skeletal status could be observed by phalangeal QUS measurement in monozygotic twins. A significant increase in the intrapair difference in QUS parameters with increasing age and onset of menopause also suggests the importance of environmental factors in the female twin population. (orig.)

  1. Association between the birth of twins and parental divorce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jena, Anupam B; Goldman, Dana P; Joyce, Geoffrey

    2011-04-01

    Mothers of multiple births face higher rates of postpartum depression, yet evidence on the marital consequences of multiple births is limited. We examined the association between twin births and parental divorce. We used the 1980 U.S. Census to identify a large sample of mothers with and without twin births. The goal was to estimate multivariate logistic models of the association between birth of twins and divorce adjusting for race, age at marriage and first birth, and college education. We examined whether the association was affected by maternal education, age and sex composition of twins, and family size. Twins at first birth were associated with greater parental divorce compared with singletons (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.16; absolute risk 13.7% with twins compared with 12.7%; P=.02). The association was statistically greater among mothers not attending college (14.9% with twins compared with 13.3%; P=.01) compared with those with some college (10.4% with twins compared with 10.5%; P=.34); those with children older than 8 years (15.6% with twins compared with 13.5%; P<.01) compared with younger children (10.6% with twins compared with 10.8%; P=.42); and those with at least one twin girl (13.8% with twins compared with 12.6%; P=.03) compared with twin boys (12.1% with twins compared with 12.5%, P=.38). Mothers with four or more children had a larger association between birth of twins and divorce (15.4% for mothers with twins at fourth birth compared with 11.3% for all other mothers with four or more children; P<.01) compared with mothers with twins at first birth (13.7% for twins at first birth compared with 12.7%; P=.02). Health consequences of twin births for children and mothers are well known. Twin births may be associated with longer-term parental divorce. Specific groups, namely mothers not completing college and mothers who already have more children, may be at higher risk. II.

  2. Use of SSRIs among Danish children: a nationwide study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pottegård, Anton; Zoega, H.; Hallas, J.

    2014-01-01

    Our objective was to describe the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the entire Danish population of children and adolescents from 1995 to 2011. Data on filled SSRIs were obtained for all children in Denmark aged 5-17 during 1995-2011. The amount and type of SSRIs filled we...

  3. The Danish Press during the German Occupation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roslyng-Jensen, Palle

    2010-01-01

    Censorship, self-censorship in Danish newspapers and Danish Radio during the German occupation of Denmark 1940-45......Censorship, self-censorship in Danish newspapers and Danish Radio during the German occupation of Denmark 1940-45...

  4. The Role of Grain Orientation and Grain Boundary Characteristics in the Mechanical Twinning Formation in a High Manganese Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shterner, Vadim; Timokhina, Ilana B.; Rollett, Anthony D.; Beladi, Hossein

    2018-04-01

    In the current study, the dependence of mechanical twinning on grain orientation and grain boundary characteristics was investigated using quasi in-situ tensile testing. The grains of three main orientations (i.e., , , and parallel to the tensile axis (TA)) and certain characteristics of grain boundaries (i.e., the misorientation angle and the inclination angle between the grain boundary plane normal and the TA) were examined. Among the different orientations, and were the most and the least favored orientations for the formation of mechanical twins, respectively. The orientation was intermediate for twinning. The annealing twin boundaries appeared to be the most favorable grain boundaries for the nucleation of mechanical twinning. No dependence was found for the inclination angle of annealing twin boundaries, but the orientation of grains on either side of the annealing twin boundary exhibited a pronounced effect on the propensity for mechanical twinning. Annealing twin boundaries adjacent to high Taylor factor grains exhibited a pronounced tendency for twinning regardless of their inclination angle. In general, grain orientation has a significant influence on twinning on a specific grain boundary.

  5. The Influence of Chorion Type on Health Measures at Birth and Dental Development in Australian and Dutch Twins: A Comparative Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mihailidis, S.; Bockmann, M.; McConnell, E.; Hughes, T.; van Beijsterveldt, C.E.M.; Boomsma, D.I.; McMaster, M.T.; Townsend, G.

    2015-01-01

    Chorion type may significantly influence the prenatal environment of twins. This study explored the associations between chorion type and gestational age, birth weight, birth length, and the timing of emergence of the first primary tooth in two populations of twins, Australian and Dutch.

  6. Quality development of Danish strawberries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Peder; Stacey, Julia

    1999-01-01

    The quality of fruit and berries has often been the topic of debate and Danish strawberries have been both praised and criticized. Therefore the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Danish Fruit Growers' Association, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and MAPP have joined together...... in a project about quality assurance of strawberries. One purpose of the project has been to provide systematic knowledge about Danish consumers' attitudes towards strawberries, knowledge, buying behaviour and consumption of strawberries. Another purpose has been to take an active part in the development...... of new strawberry varieties and growing methods and also to support better distribution and sale of strawberries. During 1999, focus group interviews and a representative study with 1174 householdswere carried out. In-home tests of existing and new varieties of strawberries will be carried out during...

  7. Skewed X inactivation and survival: a 13-year follow-up study of elderly twins and singletons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mengel-From, Jonas; Thinggaard, Mikael; Christiansen, Lene

    2012-01-01

    In mammalian females, one of the two X chromosomes is inactivated in early embryonic life. Females are therefore mosaics for two cell populations, one with the maternal and one with the paternal X as the active X chromosome. A skewed X inactivation is a marked deviation from a 50:50 ratio...... mortality than the majority of women who had a more skewed DS (hazard ratio: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.04-1.64). The association between X inactivation and mortality was replicated in dizygotic twin pairs for which the co-twin with the lowest DS also had a statistically significant tendency to die first in the twin....... In populations of women past 55-60 years of age, an increased degree of skewing (DS) is found. Here the association between age-related skewing and mortality is analyzed in a 13-year follow-up study of 500 women from three cohorts (73-100 years of age at intake). Women with low DS had significantly higher...

  8. Gluten intake in 6- to 36-month-old Danish infants and children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoppe, Camilla; Trolle, Ellen; Gondolf, Ulla Holmboe

    2013-01-01

    the intake of gluten from wheat, barley, rye and oats in a cross-sectional National Danish Survey of Dietary Habits among Infants and Young Children (2006–2007). The study population comprised a random sample of 1743 children aged 6–36 months, recruited from the National Danish Civil Registry. The protein...... contents from wheat, rye, barley and oats were found in the National Danish Food Composition Table, and multiplied with the amounts in the recipes. The amounts of gluten were calculated as the amount of cereal protein × 0·80 for wheat and oats, ×0·65 for rye and ×0·50 for barley. Dietary intake...... was recorded daily for seven consecutive days in pre-coded food records supplemented with open-answer possibilities. Gluten intake increased with age (P

  9. The Danish Intensive Care Database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christiansen CF

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Christian Fynbo Christiansen,1 Morten Hylander Møller,2 Henrik Nielsen,1 Steffen Christensen3 1Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, 2Department of Intensive Care 4131, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 3Department of Intensive Care, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Aim of database: The aim of this database is to improve the quality of care in Danish intensive care units (ICUs by monitoring key domains of intensive care and to compare these with predefined standards. Study population: The Danish Intensive Care Database (DID was established in 2007 and includes virtually all ICU admissions in Denmark since 2005. The DID obtains data from the Danish National Registry of Patients, with complete follow-up through the Danish Civil Registration System. Main variables: For each ICU admission, the DID includes data on the date and time of ICU admission, type of admission, organ supportive treatments, date and time of discharge, status at discharge, and mortality up to 90 days after admission. Descriptive variables include age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index score, and, since 2010, the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II. The variables are recorded with 90%–100% completeness in the recent years, except for SAPS II score, which is 73%–76% complete. The DID currently includes five quality indicators. Process indicators include out-of-hour discharge and transfer to other ICUs for capacity reasons. Outcome indicators include ICU readmission within 48 hours and standardized mortality ratios for death within 30 days after admission using case-mix adjustment (initially using age, sex, and comorbidity level, and, since 2013, using SAPS II for all patients and for patients with septic shock. Descriptive data: The DID currently includes 335,564 ICU admissions during 2005–2015 (average 31,958 ICU admissions per year. Conclusion: The DID provides a

  10. Do MZ twins have discordant experiences of friendship? A qualitative hypothesis-generating MZ twin differences study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, Nicola; Plomin, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Using a qualitative monozygotic (MZ) twin differences design we explored whether adolescent MZ twins report discordant peer relationships and, if so, whether they perceive them as causes, consequences or correlates of discordant behaviour. We gathered free-response questionnaire data from 497 families and conducted in-depth telephone interviews with 97 of them. Within this dataset n = 112 families (23% of the sample) described discordant peer relationships. Six categories of discordance were identified (peer victimisation, peer rejection, fewer friends, different friends, different attitudes to friendship and dependence on co-twin). Participants described peer relationship discordance arising as a result of chance occurrences, enhanced vulnerability in one twin or discordant behaviour. Consequences of discordant peer relationships were seen as discordance in self-confidence, future plans, social isolation, mental health and interests. In all cases the twin with worse peer experiences was seen as having a worse outcome. Specific hypotheses are presented. PMID:28727730

  11. Testicular cancer in twins: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neale, R E; Carrière, P; Murphy, M F G; Baade, P D

    2008-01-15

    In a meta-analysis of testicular cancer in twins, twins had a 30% increased risk (estimate 1.31, 95% CI 1.1-1.6), providing indirect support for the hypothesis that in utero hormone variations influence risk of testicular cancer. The summary-estimate for dizygotic twins was 1.3 (1.0-1.7) and for monozygotic or same sex twins 1.4 (1.2-1.8).

  12. Development of Danish wind power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, Niels I.

    2004-01-01

    The modern phase of Danish wind power started after the oil crisis in 1973. Based on long traditions of Danish wind power dating back to the beginning of the century a new commercial phase was initiated by small industrial entrepreneurs with support by the Danish government, the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and green organizations. During the eighties technological development resulted in increased cost efficiency, while the investment subsidies from the state were gradually phased out. Conflicts between utilities and wind power producers over tariffs and the costs of grid connections, then slowed down the penetration of wind power on the Danish market. In addition, many local municipalities were setting up administrative barriers for wind turbines. These barriers were removed by government intervention in the early nineties when favourable feed-in tariffs were introduced together with easy access to the grid, simple procedures for construction allowances and priority to green electricity. As a result wind power was booming in the Danish home market and Danish turbines achieved a global market share of around 50%. After a change of government in December 2001, however the Danish home market for wind power has more or less collapsed. (Author)

  13. Prosocial and self-interested intra-twin pair behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins in the early to middle childhood transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yirmiya, Karen; Segal, Nancy L; Bloch, Guy; Knafo-Noam, Ariel

    2018-04-06

    Several related and complementary theoretical frameworks have been proposed to explain the existence of prosocial behavior, despite its potential fitness cost to the individual. These include kin selection theory, proposing that organisms have a propensity to help those to whom they are genetically related, and reciprocity, referring to the benefit of being prosocial, depending on past and future mutual interactions. A useful paradigm to examine prosociality is to compare mean levels of this behavior between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Here, we examined the performance of 883 6.5-year-old twins (139 MZ and 302 DZ same-sex 6.5-year-old full twin pairs) in the Differential Productivity Task. In this task, the twins' behaviors were observed under two conditions: working for themselves vs. working for their co-twin. There were no significant differences between the performances of MZ and DZ twins in the prosocial condition of the task. Correlations within the twin dyads were significantly higher in MZ than DZ twins in the self-interested condition. However, similar MZ and DZ correlations were found in the prosocial condition, supporting the role of reciprocity in twins' prosociality towards each other. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. [The Murcia Twin Registry. A resource for research on health-related behaviour].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordoñana, Juan R; Sánchez Romera, Juan F; Colodro-Conde, Lucía; Carrillo, Eduvigis; González-Javier, Francisca; Madrid-Valero, Juan J; Morosoli-García, José J; Pérez-Riquelme, Francisco; Martínez-Selva, José M

    Genetically informative designs and, in particular, twin studies, are the most widely used methodology to analyse the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to inter-individual variability. These studies basically compare the degree of phenotypical similarity between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. In addition to the traditional estimate of heritability, this kind of registry enables a wide variety of analyses which are unique due to the characteristics of the sample. The Murcia Twin Registry is population-based and focused on the analysis of health-related behaviour. The observed prevalence of health problems is comparable to that of other regional and national reference samples, which guarantees its representativeness. Overall, the characteristics of the Registry facilitate developing various types of research as well as genetically informative designs, and collaboration with different initiatives and consortia. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  15. Danish Gynecological Cancer Database

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Sarah Mejer; Bjørn, Signe Frahm; Jochumsen, Kirsten Marie

    2016-01-01

    AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Gynecological Cancer Database (DGCD) is a nationwide clinical cancer database and its aim is to monitor the treatment quality of Danish gynecological cancer patients, and to generate data for scientific purposes. DGCD also records detailed data on the diagnostic measures...... data forms as follows: clinical data, surgery, pathology, pre- and postoperative care, complications, follow-up visits, and final quality check. DGCD is linked with additional data from the Danish "Pathology Registry", the "National Patient Registry", and the "Cause of Death Registry" using the unique...... Danish personal identification number (CPR number). DESCRIPTIVE DATA: Data from DGCD and registers are available online in the Statistical Analysis Software portal. The DGCD forms cover almost all possible clinical variables used to describe gynecological cancer courses. The only limitation...

  16. A twin study of perfume-related respiratory symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elberling, J; Lerbaek, A; Kyvik, K O; Hjelmborg, J

    2009-11-01

    Respiratory symptoms from environmental perfume exposure are main complaints in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities and often coincide with asthma and or eczema. In this population-based twin study we estimate the heritability of respiratory symptoms related to perfume and if co-occurrences of the symptoms in asthma, atopic dermatitis, hand eczema or contact allergy are influenced by environmental or genetic factors common with these diseases. In total 4,128 twin individuals (82%) responded to a questionnaire. The heritability of respiratory symptoms related to perfume is 0.35, 95%CI 0.14-0.54. Significant associations (pperfume-related respiratory symptoms and asthma, atopic dermatitis, hand eczema or contact allergy are not attributable to shared genetic or shared environmental/familial factors, except possibly for atopic dermatitis where genetic pleiotropy with respiratory symptoms to perfume is suggested by an estimated genetic correlation of 0.39, 95%CI 0.09-0.72.

  17. Febrile Seizures and Epilepsy: Association With Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillberg, Christopher; Lundström, Sebastian; Fernell, Elisabeth; Nilsson, Gill; Neville, Brian

    2017-09-01

    There is a recently well-documented association between childhood epilepsy and earlysymptomaticsyndromeselicitingneurodevelopmentalclinicalexaminations (ESSENCE) including autism spectrum disorder, but the relationship between febrile seizures and ESSENCE is less clear. The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) is an ongoing population-based study targeting twins born in Sweden since July 1, 1992. Parents of 27,092 twins were interviewed using a validated DSM-IV-based interview for ESSENCE, in connection with the twins' ninth or twelfth birthday. Diagnoses of febrile seizures (n = 492) and epilepsy (n = 282) were based on data from the Swedish National Patient Register. Prevalence of ESSENCE in individuals with febrile seizures and epilepsy was compared with prevalence in the twin population without seizures. The association between febrile seizures and ESSENCE was considered before and after adjustment for epilepsy. Age of diagnosis of febrile seizures and epilepsy was considered as a possible correlate of ESSENCE in febrile seizures and epilepsy. The rate of ESSENCE in febrile seizures and epilepsy was significantly higher than in the total population without seizures (all P epilepsy, a significant association between febrile seizures and autism spectrum disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and intellectual disability remained. Earlier age of onset was associated with all ESSENCE except attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in epilepsy but not with ESSENCE in febrile seizures. In a nationally representative sample of twins, there was an increased rate of ESSENCE in childhood epilepsy and in febrile seizures. Febrile seizures alone could occur as a marker for a broader ESSENCE phenotype. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Attitudes to and implementation of video interpretation in a Danish hospital

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mottelson, Ida Nygaard; Sodemann, Morten; Nielsen, Dorthe Susanne

    2018-01-01

    AIMS: Immigrants, refugees, and their descendants comprise 12% of Denmark's population. Some of these people do not speak or understand Danish well enough to communicate with the staff in a healthcare setting and therefore need interpreter services. Interpretation through video conferencing...

  19. Clinical Factors Associated With Presentation Change of the Second Twin After Vaginal Delivery of the First Twin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panelli, Danielle M; Easter, Sarah Rae; Bibbo, Carolina; Robinson, Julian N; Carusi, Daniela A

    2017-11-01

    To identify clinical factors associated with a change from vertex to nonvertex presentation in the second twin after vaginal birth of the first. We assembled a retrospective cohort of women with viable vertex-vertex twin pregnancies who delivered the presenting twin vaginally. Women whose second twin changed from vertex to nonvertex after vaginal birth of the first were classified as experiencing an intrapartum change in presentation. Characteristics associated with intrapartum presentation change in a univariate analysis with a P value ≤.10 were then evaluated in a multivariate logistic regression model. Four-hundred fifty women met inclusion criteria, of whom 55 (12%) had intrapartum presentation change of the second twin. Women experiencing intrapartum presentation change were more likely to be multiparous (69% compared with 47%, Ppresentation of the second twin between the most recent antepartum ultrasonogram and the ultrasonogram done on admission to labor and delivery (11% compared with 4%, P=.04). In an adjusted analysis, multiparity and gestational age less than 34 weeks were significantly associated with presentation change (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.6 and adjusted OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-5.9, respectively). Women with intrapartum presentation change were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery for their second twin (44% compared with 7%, Ppresentation. Twenty of the 24 (83%) cesarean deliveries performed in the intrapartum presentation change group were done for issues related to malpresentation. Multiparity and gestational age less than 34 weeks are associated with intrapartum presentation change of the second twin.

  20. Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Calving Traits in Danish Holstein Cattle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomasen, J R; Guldbrandtsen, B; Sørensen, P

    2008-01-01

    The objectives of this study were 1) to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting direct and maternal calving traits at first calving in the Danish Holstein population, 2) to distinguish between pleiotropic and linked QTL for chromosome regions affecting more than one trait, and 3) to detect...

  1. The Danish Air Quality Monitoring Programme

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellermann, Thomas; Nøjgaard, Jacob Klenø; Nordstrøm, Claus

    Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 64 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 162. http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR162.pdf......Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 64 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 162. http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR162.pdf...

  2. Deformation twinning in irradiated ferritic/martensitic steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, K.; Dai, Y.; Spätig, P.

    2018-04-01

    Two different ferritic/martensitic steels were tensile tested to gain insight into the mechanisms of embrittlement induced by the combined effects of displacement damage and helium after proton/neutron irradiation in SINQ, the Swiss spallation neutron source. The irradiation conditions were in the range: 15.8-19.8 dpa (displacement per atom) with 1370-1750 appm He at 245-300 °C. All the samples fractured in brittle mode with intergranular or cleavage fracture surfaces when tested at room temperature (RT) or 300 °C. After tensile test, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to investigate the deformation microstructures. TEM-lamella samples were extracted directly below the intergranular fracture surfaces or cleavage surfaces by using the focused ion beam technique. Deformation twinning was observed in irradiated specimens at high irradiation dose. Only twins with {112} plane were observed in all of the samples. The average thickness of twins is about 40 nm. Twins initiated at the fracture surface, became gradually thinner with distance away from the fracture surface and finally stopped in the matrix. Novel features such as twin-precipitate interactions, twin-grain boundary and/or twin-lath boundary interactions were observed. Twinning bands were seen to be arrested by grain boundaries or large precipitates, but could penetrate martensitic lath boundaries. Unlike the case of defect free channels, small defect-clusters, dislocation loops and dense small helium bubbles were observed inside twins.

  3. Roentgeno-cephalometric analysis on the twin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Hi Sup; Ahn, Hyung Kyu [College of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1972-11-15

    The purpose of this investigation can be sought for studying varients between twin by the cephalometric roentgenog raphic technics. The author have applied Down's, Bjork and Sakamoto's technic and measured in various angulations and length of cephalometric points. The results are as follows; 1. No significantly different data were found between twin. 2. There was no differences between normality and twin.

  4. A critical assessment of the equal environment assumption of the twin method for schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roar eFosse

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The classical twin method (CTM is central to the view that schizophrenia is ~80% heritable. The CTM rests on the equal environments assumption (EEA that identical and fraternal twin pairs experience equivalent trait relevant environmental exposures. The EEA has not been directly tested for schizophrenia with measures of child social adversity, which is particularly etiologically relevant to the disorder. However, if child social adversity is more similar in identical than fraternal pairs in the general twin population, the EEA is unlikely to be valid for schizophrenia, a question which we tested in this study. Using results from prior twin studies, we tested if intraclass correlations for the following five categories of child social adversity are larger in identical than fraternal twins: bullying, sexual abuse, physical maltreatment, emotional neglect and abuse, and general trauma. Eleven relevant studies that encompassed 9119 twin pairs provided 24 comparisons of intraclass correlations, which we grouped into the five social exposure categories. Fisher’s z-test revealed significantly higher correlations in identical than fraternal pairs for each exposure category (z ≥ 3.53, p <.001. The difference remained consistent across gender, study site (country, sample size, whether psychometric instruments were used, whether interviewing was proximate or distant to the exposures, and whether informants were twins or third persons. Combined with other evidence that the differential intraclass correlation for child social adversity cannot be explained by evocative gene-environment covariation, our results indicate that the CTM does not provide any valid indication of genomic effects in schizophrenia.

  5. Incidence of low- and high-energy fractures in persons with and without HIV-infection: a Danish population-based cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Ann-Brit E; Gerstoft, Jan; Kronborg, Gitte

    2012-01-01

    significantly increased after HAART-exposure, IRR of 1.8 (95% CI; 1.5-2.1). The increased risk in HAART-exposed patients was not associated with CD4 cell count, prior AIDS, tenofovir or efavirenz exposure, but with comorbidity and smoking. CONCLUSIONS:: HIV-infected patients had increased risk of fracture......OBJECTIVE:: To compare fracture risk in persons with and without HIV-infection and to examine the influence of HAART initiation on risk of fracture. DESIGN:: Population-based nationwide cohort study using Danish registries. METHODS:: Outcome measures were time to first fracture at any site, time...... to first low-energy and high-energy fracture in HIV-infected patients (n¿=¿5,306) compared with a general population control cohort (n¿=¿26,530) matched by sex and age during the study period 1995 to 2009. Cox regression analyses were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR). RESULTS:: HIV-infected...

  6. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome: cerebral ischemia is not the only fetal MR imaging finding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kline-Fath, Beth M. [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Cincinnati Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Calvo-Garcia, Maria A.; O' Hara, Sara M.; Racadio, Judy M. [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Crombleholme, Timothy M. [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

    2007-01-15

    Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a complication of monochorionic/diamniotic twin pregnancies. An imbalance of blood flow occurs through placental anastomoses, causing potentially significant morbidity and mortality in both twins. Although the sonographic findings of TTTS are well documented, we believe that MR imaging is a valuable adjunct. We describe the fetal MR imaging findings associated with TTTS. From 2003 to 2005, 37 consecutive MR imaging studies were performed on multiple-gestation pregnancies. Of the 37, 25 were consistent with TTTS, correlated and confirmed by sonographic criteria. MR fetal abnormalities were documented. Cerebral ischemia, which could not be demonstrated by sonography, was delineated well by MR imaging. New findings noted on fetal MR imaging were enlargement of cerebral venous sinuses in both twins, dilatation of the renal collecting system in the recipient, lung lesions in the recipient and cerebral malformations in the donor. MR imaging is an important adjunct in TTTS imaging. Its benefit over sonography is its clear definition of cerebral pathology, which is important for intervention and counseling. The new findings, particularly in the urinary tract and cerebral venous sinuses, also help support the diagnosis of TTTS and might reveal additional consequences of the altered hemodynamics that occur in TTTS. (orig.)

  7. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome: cerebral ischemia is not the only fetal MR imaging finding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kline-Fath, Beth M.; Calvo-Garcia, Maria A.; O'Hara, Sara M.; Racadio, Judy M.; Crombleholme, Timothy M.

    2007-01-01

    Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a complication of monochorionic/diamniotic twin pregnancies. An imbalance of blood flow occurs through placental anastomoses, causing potentially significant morbidity and mortality in both twins. Although the sonographic findings of TTTS are well documented, we believe that MR imaging is a valuable adjunct. We describe the fetal MR imaging findings associated with TTTS. From 2003 to 2005, 37 consecutive MR imaging studies were performed on multiple-gestation pregnancies. Of the 37, 25 were consistent with TTTS, correlated and confirmed by sonographic criteria. MR fetal abnormalities were documented. Cerebral ischemia, which could not be demonstrated by sonography, was delineated well by MR imaging. New findings noted on fetal MR imaging were enlargement of cerebral venous sinuses in both twins, dilatation of the renal collecting system in the recipient, lung lesions in the recipient and cerebral malformations in the donor. MR imaging is an important adjunct in TTTS imaging. Its benefit over sonography is its clear definition of cerebral pathology, which is important for intervention and counseling. The new findings, particularly in the urinary tract and cerebral venous sinuses, also help support the diagnosis of TTTS and might reveal additional consequences of the altered hemodynamics that occur in TTTS. (orig.)

  8. Risk Factors Influencing Smoking Behavior: A Turkish Twin Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Öncel, Sevgi Yurt; Dick, Danielle M.; Maes, Hermine H.; Alıev, Fazil

    2015-01-01

    Aim In this study, we introduce the first twin study in Turkey, focusing on smoking behavior, and laying the foundation to register all twins born in Turkey for research purposes. Using Turkish twins will contribute to our understanding of health problems in the context of cultural differences. Materials and methods We assessed 309 twin pairs (339 males and 279 females) aged between 15 and 45 years living in the Kırıkkale and Ankara regions of Turkey, and administered a health and lifestyle interview that included questions about smoking status and smoking history. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and bivariate and multivariate clustered logistic regression. In addition, we fit bivariate Structural Equation Models (SEM) to determine contributions of latent genetic and environmental factors to smoking outcomes in this sample. Results One hundred seventy-eight participants (28.8%) were identified as smokers, smoking every day for a month or longer, of whom 79.2% were males and 20.8% were females. Mean values for number of cigarettes per day and the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND; Fagerstrom, 1978) score were higher in males than in females, and age of onset was earlier in males. There was a significant positive correlation between the FTND score and number of cigarettes smoked per day, and a significant negative correlation between both variables and age at onset of smoking. Our study showed that gender, presence of a smoking twin in the family, age, alcohol use, marital status, daily sports activities, and feeling moody all played a significant role in smoking behavior among twins. The twin analysis suggested that 79.5% of the liability to FTND was influenced by genetic factors and 20.5% by unique environment, while familial resemblance for smoking initiation was best explained by common environmental factors. Conclusions Marked differences in the prevalence of smoking behavior in men versus women were

  9. Epigenome-Wide Association Study of Cognitive Functioning in Middle-Aged Monozygotic Twins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Starnawska, Anna; Tan, Qihua; McGue, Matt

    2017-01-01

    As the world's population ages, the age-related cognitive decline presents a great challenge to world's healthcare systems. One of the molecular mechanisms implicated in cognitive ageing is DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification known to be a key player in memory formation, maintenance......, and synaptic plasticity. Using the twin design we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) in a population of 486 middle-aged monozygotic twins (mean age at follow-up 65.9, SD = 6.1) and correlated their blood DNA methylation to their level (cross-sectional analysis) and change in cognitive...... abilities over 10 years (longitudinal analysis). We identified several CpG sites where cross-sectional cognitive functioning was associated with DNA methylation levels. The top identified loci were located in ZBTB46 (p = 5.84 × 10-7), and TAF12 (p = 4.91 × 10-7). KEGG's enrichment analyses of the most...

  10. Non-random X chromosome inactivation in an affected twin in a monozygotic twin pair discordant for Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oestavik, R.E.; Eiklid, K.; Oerstavik, K.H. [Ulleval Univ. Hospital, Oslo (Norway)] [and others

    1995-03-27

    Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome (WBS) is a syndrome including exomphalos, macroglossia, and generalized overgrowth. The locus has been assigned to 11p15, and genomic imprinting may play a part in the expression of one or more genes involved. Most cases are sporadic. An excess of female monozygotic twins discordant for WBS have been reported, and it has been proposed that this excess could be related to the process of X chromosome inactivation. We have therefore studied X chromosome inactivation in 13-year-old monozygotic twin girls who were discordant for WBS. In addition, both twins had Tourette syndrome. The twins were monochorionic and therefore the result of a late twinning process. This has also been the case in previously reported discordant twin pairs with information on placentation. X chromosome inactivation was determined in DNA from peripheral blood cells by PCR analysis at the androgen receptor locus. The affected twin had a completely skewed X inactivation, where the paternal allele was on the active X chromosome in all cells. The unaffected twin had a moderately skewed X inactivation in the same direction, whereas the mother had a random pattern. Further studies are necessary to establish a possible association between the expression of WBS and X chromosome inactivation. 18 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

  11. Global impact of Danish drama series

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Pia Majbritt

    2016-01-01

    In recent years Danish TV series have experienced a global export boom. This article maps the regional and global export patterns over the last fifteen years in order to assess the international impact of Danish TV drama.......In recent years Danish TV series have experienced a global export boom. This article maps the regional and global export patterns over the last fifteen years in order to assess the international impact of Danish TV drama....

  12. Twin pregnancy possibly associated with high semen quality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Asklund, Camilla; Jensen, Tina Kold; Jørgensen, Niels

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Recent studies found an association between a long waiting time to pregnancy (TTP) and reduced probability of twinning and a reduced dizygotic (DZ) twinning rate in subfertile men. However, it remains unsolved whether semen quality is associated with twin offspring. We therefore studied...... the semen quality in a group of fathers of naturally conceived twins. METHODS: In this study, 37 fathers of DZ twins and 15 fathers of monozygotic (MZ) twins participated, and 349 normal fertile men served as a reference group. All men delivered a semen sample, underwent a physical examination and completed...... points higher than the reference group (P semen quality than the reference group, which supports...

  13. Danish registers on aspects of reproduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blenstrup, Lene Tølbøll; Knudsen, Lisbeth B.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: The establishing of three Danish population based registers, namely the Fertility Database, the Register of Legally Induced Abortions and the In Vitro Fertilisation register aimed at providing data for surveying of reproductive outcome. Content: The registers include information...... on births, abortions and assisted reproduction as well as selected characteristics of the women (and men) involved. Validity and Coverage: Both the validity and coverage of each register is considered of high quality. Conclusions: These registers provide, both individually and in combination, unique...

  14. The Danish database for acute and emergency hospital contacts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, Annmarie T; Jørgensen, Henrik; Jørsboe, Hanne Blæhr

    2016-01-01

    AIM FOR DATABASE: Aim of the Danish database for acute and emergency hospital contacts (DDAEHC) is to monitor the quality of care for all unplanned hospital contacts in Denmark (acute and emergency contacts). STUDY POPULATION: The DDAEHC is a nationwide registry that completely covers all acute a...... and emergency hospital contacts in Denmark. The database includes specific outcome and process health care quality indicators as well as demographic and other basic information with the purpose to be used for enhancement of quality of acute care.......AIM FOR DATABASE: Aim of the Danish database for acute and emergency hospital contacts (DDAEHC) is to monitor the quality of care for all unplanned hospital contacts in Denmark (acute and emergency contacts). STUDY POPULATION: The DDAEHC is a nationwide registry that completely covers all acute...... and emergency somatic hospital visits at individual level regardless of presentation site, presenting complaint, and department designation since January 1, 2013. MAIN VARIABLES: The DDAEHC includes ten quality indicators - of which two are outcome indicators and eight are process indicators. Variables used...

  15. Danish Slaves in Barbary

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Peter

    2010-01-01

    On a number of Danish (including Icelandic) 17th and 18th century autobiographical accounts of slavery in the Maghreb.......On a number of Danish (including Icelandic) 17th and 18th century autobiographical accounts of slavery in the Maghreb....

  16. Breast implants and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: a danish population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vase, Maja Ølholm; Friis, Søren; Bautz, Andrea; Bendix, Knud; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; d'Amore, Francesco

    2013-11-01

    A potential link between breast implants and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) has been suggested. We examined lymphoma occurrence in a nationwide cohort of 19,885 Danish women who underwent breast implant surgery during 1973-2010. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI), for ALCL and lymphoma overall associated with breast implantation were calculated. During 179,246 person-years of follow-up, we observed 31 cases of lymphoma among cohort members. No cases of ALCL were identified. SIRs for ALCL and lymphoma overall were zero (95% CI, 0-10.3) and 1.20 (95% CI, 0.82-1.70), respectively. In our nationwide cohort study, we did not find an increased risk of lymphoma in general, or ALCL in particular, among Danish women who underwent breast implantation. However, our evaluation of ALCL risk was limited by the rarity of the disease. Our results do not support an association between breast implants and ALCL and are consistent with other studies on cancer risk and breast implants. ©2013 AACR.

  17. Bilateral Norrie's disease in identical twins.

    OpenAIRE

    Sukumaran, K

    1991-01-01

    A case of Norrie's disease in an identical twins is reported. No positive family history was obtained. The couple had no other children. The older of the twins died at the age of 9 months of uncertain cause. To the best of my knowledge this is the first case of Norrie's disease reported in Malaysia. And its occurrence in an identical twins is very rare.

  18. Dental twinning anomalies: the nomenclature enigma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killian, C M; Croll, T P

    1990-07-01

    Dental twinning results from abnormal events in the embryologic development of teeth. This paper describes the impossibility of assigning precise diagnostic terms, such as germination, fusion, macrodontia, and concrescence, to dental twinning anomalies because the entire course of odontogenesis cannot be witnessed. Traditional nomenclature is reviewed and seven cases that exemplify the principle are presented. Modification of nomenclature to describe dental twinning defects is suggested.

  19. Diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Sjurdur F; Houshmand-Oeregaard, Azedeh; Granström, Charlotta; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Damm, Peter; Bech, Bodil H; Vaag, Allan A; Zhang, Cuilin

    2017-05-01

    The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) contains comprehensive information on diet, lifestyle, constitutional and other major characteristics of women during pregnancy. It provides a unique source for studies on health consequences of gestational diabetes mellitus. Our aim was to identify and validate the gestational diabetes mellitus cases in the cohort. We extracted clinical information from hospital records for 1609 pregnancies included in the Danish National Birth Cohort with a diagnosis of diabetes during or before pregnancy registered in the Danish National Patient Register and/or from a Danish National Birth Cohort interview during pregnancy. We further validated the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in 2126 randomly selected pregnancies from the entire Danish National Birth Cohort. From the individual hospital records, an expert panel evaluated gestational diabetes mellitus status based on results from oral glucose tolerance tests, fasting blood glucose and Hb1c values, as well as diagnoses made by local obstetricians. The audit categorized 783 pregnancies as gestational diabetes mellitus, corresponding to 0.89% of the 87 792 pregnancies for which a pregnancy interview for self-reported diabetes in pregnancy was available. From the randomly selected group the combined information from register and interviews could correctly identify 96% (95% CI 80-99.9%) of all cases in the entire Danish National Birth Cohort population. Positive predictive value, however, was only 59% (56-61%). The combined use of data from register and interview provided a high sensitivity for gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis. The low positive predictive value, however, suggests that systematic validation by hospital record review is essential not to underestimate the health consequences of gestational diabetes mellitus in future studies. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  20. Problem in twin pregnancy: Findings of prenatal sonography and autopsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jeong Ah; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Song, Mi Jin; Min, Jee Yeon; Lee, Young Ho; Lee, Hak Jong; Chun, Yi Kyeong; Kim, Yee Jeong; Hong, Sung Ran

    2001-01-01

    Multifetal gestations are high risk pregnancies with higher perinatal morbidity and mortality. Multifetal gestations are subject to unique complications including conjoined twins, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), acardiac twins, twin embization of co-twin demise and heterotopic pregnancies. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of types and complications of multifetal gestations is important for antenatal care and prediction of fetal outcome. This study was performed to present the prenatal ultrasonographic findings and pathologic findings of the unique complications of twin pregnancy. Acardia is a lethal anomaly occurring in 1% of monozygotic twin. The acardiac twin has a parasitic existence and depends on the donor (pump) twin for its blood supply via placental anastomoses and retrograde perfusion of umbilical cord. This twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is a most extreme manifestation on the TTTS. Doppler verification reversed flow in umbilical cord of the acardiac twin confirms the diagnosis.