In this article, we explore the effect of public policy on the extent to which genes influence smoking desistance. Using a sample of adult twins (n(mz) = 363, n(dz) = 233) from a large population registry, we estimate Cox proportional hazards models that describe similarity in the timing of smoking desistance among adult twin pairs. We show that identical twin pairs are significantly more likel...

Prognostic models are often used to estimate the length of patient survival. The Cox proportional hazards model has traditionally been applied to assess the accuracy of prognostic models. However, it may be suboptimal due to the inflexibility to model the baseline survival function and when the proportional hazards assumption is violated. The aim of this study was to use internal validation to ...

This paper is the third in a series designed to demonstrate the application of rigorous, systematic hazard identification techniques to ecological systems. Here we use Hierarchical Holographic Modelling to identify the potential ecological hazards associated with the commercial release of herbicide tolerant oilseed rape. Hierarchical Holographic Models decompose complex systems into a series of...

BACKGROUND To (1) develop and refine the Home Environment Assessment for the Visually Impaired (HEAVI), and (2) determine the interrater reliability of this instrument, which was designed to quantify the number of fall-related hazards in the homes of individuals with visual impairment. METHODS Twenty homes of community-dwelling adults were included in this study. Each home was graded by an oc...

Abstract. The Svalbard Archipelago represents the northernmost place on Earth where cryospheric hazards, such as thaw slumps (TSs) and thermo-erosion gullies (TEGs) could take rapidly develop under influence of climatic variations. permafrost is specifically sensitive to occurring warming, therefore, a deeper understanding TSs TEGs necessary understand foresee dynamics behind local hazards' occ...

There has been a growing recognition that the experience of psychosocial hazards at work has detrimental effects on the health and well-being of employees, as well as on the workplace productivity and profits. Issues such as work-related stress, bullying, and stress due to harassment have grown in prominence in recent years in response to a number of factors such as overwork, job insecurity, lo...

CONTEXT The social environment may influence cognitive function in aging. However, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated whether specific genes modify this association. OBJECTIVE To examine whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele modifies the association of neighborhood psychosocial hazards and cognitive function. DESIGN A cross-sectional analysis. SETTING The Baltimore Mem...

The first step to chart hazards in the working environment in Estonia (labour force: 0.65 million) was taken by the National Board of Health Protection in the beginning of 1996. The existing chemical, physical, and biological agents in the working environment were investigated with the help of local health inspectors in all counties. An identification of hazards and workers at risk was carried ...