scholarly journals Cadmium Exposure and Ovarian Reserve in Women Aged 35–49 Years: The Impact on Results From the Creatinine Adjustment Approach Used to Correct for Urinary Dilution

2020 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Upson ◽  
Katie M O’Brien ◽  
Janet E Hall ◽  
Erik J Tokar ◽  
Donna D Baird
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Diminished Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Covariate Adjustment ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Causal Pathway ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Cadmium is toxic to the ovaries in animal studies, but its association with diminished ovarian reserve in women is not established. We investigated urinary cadmium, a biomarker of long-term exposure, in relation to diminished ovarian reserve, as indicated by elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations (≥10 IU/L), in women aged 35–49 years (unweighted n = 1,681). Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994), we conducted Poisson regression to estimate adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Because the best approach to correcting for urinary dilution in spot samples with creatinine remains controversial, we employed 3 approaches: standardization, covariate adjustment, and covariate-adjusted standardization. Our data suggested a modest association with standardization (highest quartile vs. lowest: relative risk (RR) = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8, 1.9; P for trend = 0.06) and covariate-adjusted standardization (highest quartile vs. lowest: RR = 1.3, 95% CI: 0.9, 1.9; P for trend = 0.05) and a stronger association with covariate adjustment (highest quartile vs. lowest: RR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.9; P for trend = 0.01). The stronger association with covariate adjustment may reflect bias from conditioning on urinary creatinine, a collider in the hypothesized causal pathway. We conclude that cadmium may contribute to ovarian aging in women and that careful consideration of the creatinine adjustment approach is needed to minimize bias.

Does size matter in females? An overview of the impact of the high variation in the ovarian reserve on ovarian function and fertility, utility of anti-Müllerian hormone as a diagnostic marker for fertility and causes of variation in the ovarian reserve in cattle

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Ireland ◽  
G. W. Smith ◽  
D. Scheetz ◽  
F. Jimenez-Krassel ◽  
J. K. Folger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Diminished Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Maternal Environment ◽  
Adult Cattle ◽  
Size Matter ◽  
The Impact

The mechanism whereby the inherently high variation in ovary size and the total number of high-quality oocytes in ovaries (ovarian reserve) impact on ovarian function and fertility, diagnostics to measure the size of the ovarian reserve and the factors that cause variation in the ovarian reserve are unknown. Our results show that cattle can be phenotyped reliably based on the number of antral follicles growing during follicular waves (antral follicle count, AFC). Young adult cattle with a consistently low v. a high AFC have smaller gonads, a markedly diminished ovarian reserve and many other phenotypic characteristics usually associated with ovarian aging and infertility. A powerful new approach based on a single measurement of serum concentration of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is described to test the longstanding hypothesis that the size of the ovarian reserve is positively associated with fertility. Also, new evidence shows that maternal environment has a critical role in regulation of the high variation in the ovarian reserve and perhaps fertility in offspring. These results support the conclusion that the inherently high variation in the ovarian reserve, potentially caused by alterations in the maternal environment, has a negative impact on ovarian function that may result in suboptimal fertility in young adult cattle, and a single AMH measurement can be used reliably in future studies to determine if fertility is suboptimal in young adult cattle with low circulating AMH concentrations and a correspondingly diminished ovarian reserve.

Invited Commentary: Theoretical Considerations and Real-World Challenges for Research on Proxy Exposures and Ovarian Reserve

2020 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
Brian W Whitcomb
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Follicle Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Covariate Adjustment ◽  
Theoretical Considerations ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

Abstract In this issue of the Journal, Upson et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(1):116–124) assess urinary cadmium level as a potential environmental influence on ovarian reserve, as measured using serum follicle-stimulating hormone, in data from 1,681 US women (1988–1994). They compare 3 methods for modeling urinary proxy exposures—standardization, covariate adjustment, and covariate-adjusted standardization. Observing positive associations with all 3 approaches but higher-magnitude estimates using covariate adjustment as compared with standardization and covariate-adjusted standardization—proposed to be the result of collider-stratification bias—the authors conclude that cadmium may affect ovarian aging, and they recommend careful consideration of modeling approach. Comparisons of methodology in practice using real data are not straightforward, and additional complication arises from using a proxy outcome—serum follicle-stimulating hormone level to represent diminished ovarian reserve. In this commentary, I describe the theoretical basis for approaches for modeling urinary proxy exposures; consider potential explanations for why the approaches may yield different results in practice and describe why measurement error may play a larger role than collider-stratification bias; discuss challenges related to studies of ovarian reserve; and emphasize the importance of addressing both theoretical concerns and real-world challenges in methodological research and epidemiologic studies of ovarian reserve.

scholarly journals The impact of different etiologies of diminished ovarian reserve on pregnancy outcome in IVF-ET cycles

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1138-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runa ÖZELÇİ ◽  
Oya ALDEMİR ◽  
Serdar DİLBAZ ◽  
Enis ÖZKAYA ◽  
İnci KAHYAOĞLU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Outcome ◽  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Diminished Ovarian Reserve ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ivf Et

scholarly journals The Role of Androgen Supplementation in Women With Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Time to Randomize, Not Meta-Analyze

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Raquel Neves ◽  
Pedro Montoya-Botero ◽  
Nikolaos P. Polyzos
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Diminished Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Challenging Tasks ◽  
Reserve Time ◽  
Androgen Supplementation

The management of patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) remains one of the most challenging tasks in IVF clinical practice. Despite the promising results obtained from animal studies regarding the importance of androgens on folliculogenesis, the evidence obtained from clinical studies remains inconclusive. This is mainly due to the lack of an evidence-based methodology applied in the available trials and to the heterogeneity in the inclusion criteria and IVF treatment protocols. In this review, we analyze the available evidence obtained from animal studies and highlight the pitfalls from the clinical studies that prevent us from closing the chapter of this line of research.

scholarly journals Referral Hire Presence Implications for Referrer Turnover and Job Performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1858-1888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna R. Pieper ◽  
Charlie O. Trevor ◽  
Ingo Weller ◽  
Dennis Duchon
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Voluntary Turnover ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

A great deal of research has been devoted to understanding the organizational returns of employee referral programs, particularly with respect to outcomes involving those hired through the referral process. Yet, no work has addressed whether the presence of a referral hire (i.e., the referred candidate who is hired and working in the firm) is related to behavioral outcomes for the referrer. Drawing on the social enrichment perspective, we theorize how referral hire presence (RHP), which is the time during which the referrer’s and the referral hire’s employment spells overlap, impacts referrer behavior. Using data from 265 referrers in a U.S. call center, we found that RHP was negatively related to referrer voluntary turnover and positively related to referrer job performance. Further, results from a supplemental experimental study supported our social enrichment rationale for the field study relationships, as the construct was associated with both RHP and additional attitudes known to be proximal predictors of turnover and performance. We also explore boundary conditions for the RHP effect in the call center data, revealing a nuanced mix of moderators of RHP effects. Overall, our findings provide the first evidence for the role of social enrichment, possible modifications to the well-established social enrichment perspective in the workplace, and evidence that understanding the impact of referral hiring necessitates careful consideration of the behavioral consequences for the referrer.

Accent Policy and Accent Modification Enterprises as Potential Indicators of Intercultural Power Relations: A Call for an Updated Research Agenda

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brynne D. Ovalle ◽  
Rahul Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Cultural Organization ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This article has two purposes: (a) to examine the relationship between intercultural power relations and the widespread practice of accent discrimination and (b) to underscore the ramifications of accent discrimination both for the individual and for global society as a whole. First, authors review social theory regarding language and group identity construction, and then go on to integrate more current studies linking accent bias to sociocultural variables. Authors discuss three examples of intercultural accent discrimination in order to illustrate how this link manifests itself in the broader context of international relations (i.e., how accent discrimination is generated in situations of unequal power) and, using a review of current research, assess the consequences of accent discrimination for the individual. Finally, the article highlights the impact that linguistic discrimination is having on linguistic diversity globally, partially using data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and partially by offering a potential context for interpreting the emergence of practices that seek to reduce or modify speaker accents.

Interculturalism and the Acceptance of Minority Groups

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maykel Verkuyten ◽  
Kumar Yogeeswaran
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Social Psychological Research ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Situational Effect

Abstract. Multiculturalism has been criticized and rejected by an increasing number of politicians, and social psychological research has shown that it can lead to outgroup stereotyping, essentialist thinking, and negative attitudes. Interculturalism has been proposed as an alternative diversity ideology, but there is almost no systematic empirical evidence about the impact of interculturalism on the acceptance of migrants and minority groups. Using data from a survey experiment conducted in the Netherlands, we examined the situational effect of promoting interculturalism on acceptance. The results show that for liberals, but not for conservatives, interculturalism leads to more positive attitudes toward immigrant-origin groups and increased willingness to engage in contact, relative to multiculturalism.

International Remittances and Private Healthcare in Kerala, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-460
Author(s):  
Mohd Imran Khan ◽  
Valatheeswaran C.
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variable ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Healthcare Expenditure ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Private Healthcare ◽  
International Remittances ◽  
Variable Approach ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Instrumental Variable Approach

The inflow of international remittances to Kerala has been increasing over the last three decades. It has increased the income of recipient households and enabled them to spend more on human capital investment. Using data from the Kerala Migration Survey-2010, this study analyses the impact of remittance receipts on the households’ healthcare expenditure and access to private healthcare in Kerala. This study employs an instrumental variable approach to account for the endogeneity of remittances receipts. The empirical results show that remittance income has a positive and significant impact on households’ healthcare expenditure and access to private healthcare services. After disaggregating the sample into different heterogeneous groups, this study found that remittances have a greater effect on lower-income households and Other Backward Class (OBC) households but not Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) households, which remain excluded from reaping the benefit of international migration and remittances.

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