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Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first recognised in Wuhan City, China, has spread rapidly around the world. As a result, record numbers of students are not attending University due to temporary closures mandated by governments in an attempt to reduce the number of cases. The COVID-19 outbreak has created challenges for academics and students in the process of adapting to online teaching and learning. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of bioscience academics during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. Design and methods: Perspectives from academics across eight countries (Brazil, Georgia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, UK and USA) were included giving a global insight into the phenomena. A descriptive multiple case study approach was used with each academic in their context as the case. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data, which enabled themes to emerge. Results and Conclusions: Three major themes emerged from the experiences of the participants: (1) teaching methods, (2) emotions, and (3) support networks. Our results suggest there have been both benefits and challenges to the change in teaching methods and this is reflected in similarities across the case studies. One key finding was that both students and staff need to be better trained to use online platforms, and adequate peer support and technical support must be given to improve program effectiveness. The results of this study have contributed new information on teaching and learning throughout the pandemic and can be used as a platform for further research and also as a reflection for those making high-level decisions in policy in education in these interesting times.

Single Point Insulin Sensitivity Estimator (SPISE) index was recently introduced as a reliable indirect indicator of insulin resistance, applicable to large population-based research. Here, we aimed to 1) examine racial/ethnic differences in SPISE index among US adults, 2) compare predictive power of SPISE index for metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) by race/ethnicity, and 3) evaluate its predictive power for MetSyn against other well-known IR indices including Triglyceride/HDL-C, Triglyceride-glucose index, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, and inverse fasting insulin. A total of 2168 adults (814 white, 690 black, and 664 Hispanic) from NHANES 2017-March 2020 Pre-Pandemic Data was analyzed in this study. MetSyn was defined by the AHA/NHLBI criteria. SPISE index and insulin resistance indices were calculated by using physical and cardiometabolic parameters. SPISE index was lowest in Hispanic, followed by black and white, with no difference between white vs. black. The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics of SPISE index for predicting MetSyn was highest in white (88 %), followed by Hispanic (86 %) and black (82 %) (P < 0.05 vs. black), with optimal cutoffs of 5.03, 4.84, and 4.89, respectively. In the total cohort, the predictive power of the SPISE index for MetSyn was 85 %, higher than the other insulin resistance indices (all P < 0.05). SPISE index outperforms various insulin resistance indices for predicting MetSyn in US adults, signifying its potential in large-scale observational studies. Race/ethnicity should be stratified when using the SPISE index as its predictive power and cutoffs for predicting MetSyn vary by race/ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Muir Elementary School in San Francisco is like countless other schools in cities across the United States. The student body comprises mostly lower income, African American and Latino students who--despite being just as intelligent as their white and Asian counterparts--traditionally underachieve on many academic measures. Talented, hard-working educators tried their best to improve the standardized test scores at Muir, but for the past five years those scores remained largely flat. During the years spanning from 2005-2010, roughly 75 percent of the students in second through fifth grades scored below proficient on the California Standards Test. Despite San Francisco Unified School District's best efforts to provide additional support and funding during that time, as well as help from several community members and other well-meaning organizations, results remained the same and test scores did not significantly improve. The will to improve achievement was clearly there, but the results did not change. In this article, the author describes how he is turning around his low-performing school by focusing on literacy and classroom practice, with the help of his district.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) have been reported in more than 30% of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinic-based studies. This study estimated the prevalence of SIB in a large population-based sample of children with ASD in the United States. A total of 8,065 children who met the surveillance case definition for ASD in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network during the 2000, 2006, and 2008 surveillance years were included. The presence of SIB was reported from available health and/or educational records by an expert clinician in ADDM Network. SIB prevalence averaged 27.7% across all sites and surveillance years, with some variation between sites. Clinicians should inquire about SIB during assessments of children with ASD.

Affinity spaces are digital or physical spaces in which participants interact with one another around content of shared interest and through a common portal (or platform). Among teachers, some of the largest affinity spaces may be those organized around hashtags on Twitter: These spaces are public, largely unmoderated, and thriving, yet very little is known about them, especially those based in geographical areas such as American states. This paper examines these potential affinity spaces by providing the first large-scale study of them in the form of an examination of 47 State Educational Twitter Hashtags (SETHs). Collecting over 550,000 tweets over 6 months, our analysis focused on who is participating in SETHs, how active participants are, and when participation occurred. We found support for two of Gee's tenets of affinity spaces, in particular many interactions through a shared portal. Though the content of tweets were not the focus, this study's findings lend support to efforts to identify which particular SETHs will be best suited to subsequent analysis of their content and what times subsequent analysis might most productively focus on. We discuss implications for how we conceive of teacher professional development and suggest directions for future research focused on the content of tweets associated with SETHs.

Background: Black women have a disproportionately higher burden of both preeclamptic pregnancy and stroke compared with White women, but virtually all existing evidence on this possible association has been generated from women of European ancestry. Methods: In the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort of U.S. Black women who enrolled in 1995, 42,924 participants were parous and free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Biennial questionnaires included questions on preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and stroke. We sought the medical records for participants who reported a stroke, and we reviewed them blinded to reproductive history. Cox proportional-hazards models, with control for potential confounders, were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Over a median of 22 years of follow-up, there were 1555 incident strokes, including 310 among 4938 women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDOP). The multivariable hazard ratio for stroke for women with any HDOP compared with those who had never experienced HDOP was 1.66 (95% CI, 1.46 to 1.89). Comparable hazard ratios were 1.53 (95% CI, 1.29 to 1.82) for preeclampsia and 1.81 (95% CI, 1.53 to 2.13) for gestational hypertension only. Associations were similar among women under age 55 years and those aged 55 years and older. Conclusions: In this prospective study of Black women, a history of HDOP was associated with an estimated 66% increased long-term risk of stroke. This association may contribute to the disproportionately higher stroke incidence in Black women given the higher prevalence of HDOP in this population. (Funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on clinical experience, we hypothesized that rigid-compulsive behaviors are associated with severe constipation and co-occurring diarrhea or underwear staining in children with autism spectrum disorder. Using data from the Autism Treatment Network, we evaluated the association between these gastrointestinal symptoms and measures of rigid compulsive behavior in children ages 2-17. Following statistical correction, four of five primary measures were significantly associated with constipation and diarrhea or underwear staining, including parental report of repetitive behavior, parental report of compulsive behavior, clinician diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and report of rituals observed on the autism diagnostic observation schedule. This association could point to a causal connection between these symptoms or to a common biological pathway that impacts both gut and brain.

One way to engage all students and ensure that they feel valued within a classroom is to provide opportunities for learning that tap into varied intelligences. According to Howard Gardner, "It is of the utmost importance that we recognize and nurture all of the varied human intelligences, and all of the combinations of intelligences." Because this reflects their thinking, the authors plan lessons that embrace more than one way of knowing. As a result, they have worked to "expand their repertoire of techniques, tools, and strategies beyond the typical linguistic and logical ones predominantly used in U.S. classrooms." They incorporate activities that honor multiple intelligences right from the start of their school year. When they offer possibilities within their lessons in this way, they enable students to experience success, which, in turn, encourages them to reach beyond their comfort level at subsequent points during the year. In this article, the authors share a set of lessons that they incorporate to achieve their goals: build community, set the tone for an appreciation of diversity, and tap into various intelligences to foster a sense of competence within their students. (Contains 9 notes.)

Patterns of current psychotropic medication use among 5,181 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enrolled in a Web-based registry were examined. Overall, 35% used at least one psychotropic medication, most commonly stimulants, neuroleptics, and/or antidepressants. Those who were uninsured or exclusively privately insured were less likely to use greater than or equal to 3 medications than were those insured by Medicaid. Psychiatrists and neurologists prescribed the majority of psychotropic medications. In multivariate analysis, older age, presence of intellectual disability or psychiatric comorbidity, and residing in a poorer county or in the South or Midwest regions of the United States increased the odds of psychotropic medication use. Factors external to clinical presentation likely affect odds of psychotropic medication use among children with ASD.

Objective: The authors examined the effects of medical student assignment to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center inpatient and outpatient psychiatry clerkship sites versus other university and community sites on the performance outcome measure of National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject examination scores. Methods: NBME psychiatry scores were compared for stratified random samples of 70 students each for inpatient and outpatient VA and non-VA sites, controlling for baseline clinical knowledge as reflected by second year Human Behavior course scores. Results: No significant differences were demonstrated in NBME scores between VA and non-VA sites for either inpatient or outpatient programs. Conclusion: Assessed students rotating through several VA clinical sites were as well prepared for NBME subject examinations as those assigned to other sites. Additional measures of educational outcome for VA sites are recommended to assess and enhance clinical education provided by the VA and to strengthen collaboration with university-based medical student teaching programs.

Objective: The present study was designed to assess whether the serving practices of a sample of bartenders in an American university town would vary as a function of the number of behavioral cues of intoxication displayed by apparently real patrons (who were actually experimental confederates). Method: We trained two male and three female confederates to role-play three different conditions (three ambiguous signs, eight apparently obvious signs, or no signs of intoxication) and assessed whether they would be served a second beer after "accidentally" knocking over a first beer. Results: Service of another beer was denied in only 10% of episodes when a confederate displayed no signs or three signs indicative of intoxication; however, confederates were denied service during 50% of episodes when multiple, obvious signs were displayed. Furthermore, neither the type of the establishment, gender of the bartender or gender of the confederate was associated with likelihood of being served the second drink. Conclusion: Although some bartenders are attentive to multiple behavioral signs of intoxication, we recommend additional research on the most effective combinations of server training and legal measures to reduce further the proportion of intoxicated customers served alcohol, both for their own benefit and the public health. (Contains 1 table.)

For many years gerontologists have discussed the consequences of advances that have lengthened lives but have been less successful at improving the quality of those lives. While this debate continues, the resulting demographic shift in the age profile of the United States threatens to overwhelm our ability to care for those who most need assistance. In the absence of major policy changes or dramatic medical discoveries, or both, the need for institutional care among the population 85 and older will soon exceed the available resources.

The article focuses on need of improving the voluntary arbitration provisions through the parties that arbitrators will apply a modified patents with application of standardized technology on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory (RAND) in the case Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. U.S. Plywood Corp.

The article focuses on the need for repealing section 2855(b) to balance in bargaining power in music industry contract negotiations, and to restore the rights under section 2855(a) the Seven Year Rule.

This study explores the role of community service learning (CSL) in promoting undergraduate persistence relative to other experiences students have in college, their entering characteristics, and institutional features. By following the 2009freshmen cohort at three Midwestern universities over three years, this study finds that students 'experiences while in college (CSL. full-time enrollment, and CPA) have a stronger effect on the likelihood of reenrollment than students 'entering characteristics (age, gender, and race). Our separate analyses for each institution allow us to consider how the differences between the three universities (student body composition, retention rate, CSL program) might lead CSL courses to play a particularly critical role in student persistence in certain types of universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of global environmental change, the importance of protected areas in biological management and conservation is expected to grow. Birds have played an important role as biological indicators of the effectiveness of protected areas, but with little consideration given to where species occur outside the breeding season. We estimated weekly probability of occurrence for 308 bird species throughout the year within protected areas in the western contiguous USA using eBird occurrence data for the combined period 2004 to 2011. We classified species based on their annual patterns of occurrence on lands having intermediate conservation mandates (GAP status 2 and 3) administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS). We identified species having consistent annual association with one agency, and species whose associations across the annual cycle switched between agencies. BLM and USFS GAP status 2 and 3 lands contained low to moderate proportions of species occurrences, with proportions highest for species that occurred year-round or only during the summer. We identified two groups of species whose annual movements resulted in changes in stewardship responsibilities: (1) year round species that occurred on USFS lands during the breeding season and BLM lands during the nonbreeding season; and (2) summer species that occurred on USFS lands during the breeding season and BLM lands during spring and autumn migration. Species that switched agencies had broad distributions, bred on high-elevation USFS lands, were not more likely to be identified as species of special management concern, and migrated short (year-round species) to long distances (summer species). our findings suggest cooperative efforts that address the requirements of short-distance migratory species on GAP status 2 lands (n = 20 species) and GAP status 3 lands (n = 24) and long-distance migratory species on GAP status 2 lands (n = 9) would likely benefit their populations. Such efforts may prove especially relevant for species whose seasonal movements result in associations with different environments containing contrasting global change processes and management mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sixth Amendment entitles a criminal defendant to effective assistance of counsel when deciding whether to plead guilty. Defense counsel, therefore, must ensure that his client understands the direct consequences of the plea: the nature of the criminal charge and the sentence. However, pursuant to the traditional collateral consequences rule employed by most courts, counsel has no Sixth Amendment obligation to warn that criminal defendant of so-called collateral consequences, such as mandatory sex offender registration, civil commitment, or ineligibility for parole. Prior to 2010, deportation was also considered a collateral consequence of a guilty plea in most jurisdictions. In Padilla v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court made deportation an exception to the collateral consequences rule, and held for the first time that counsel's failure to advise a criminal defendant of the deportation consequences of a guilty plea constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel. Lower courts have differed on whether to interpret Padilla as effecting a change to the collateral consequences rule, and more specifically, how to define direct consequences, in the context of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim. This Note examines the conflict, and concludes that courts should redefine the scope of direct consequences in light of the factors considered by the Court in Padilla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The table of contents for the June 2012 issue of "Columbia Human Rights Law Review" is presented, along with a reader aid, list of sources, and prologue.

Since the early twentieth century, arbitration has been increasingly recognized by Congress and the courts as an efficient alternative to courtroom adjudication. The circuit courts of appeals differ in their interpretations of the third party discovery authority that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) grants to an arbitrator. The conflict among the circuits reveals a tension between the courts' desire to uphold individual rights by treating arbitration agreements as private contracts and the desire to maintain arbitration as an efficient alternative to litigation. This Note surveys the unresolved circuit split and argues that, above all, it is imperative that the rules governing arbitration set forth clear default procedures for conducting discovery. The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Circuits assert that, in the interest of efficiency, the FAA authorizes an arbitrator to fully realize the rights of the contracting parties, including compelling prehearing document production from a third party. In contrast, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, focusing on the plain meaning of the statute's language, have held that an arbitrator may not compel a third party to produce documents prior to the arbitral hearing. Examining the issue in the context of the history and development of the FAA, this Note analyzes the arguments set forth in each Circuit and ultimately advocates that an arbitrator should be able to use his time most efficiently and with the aid of all documents relevant to the dispute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite years of investigation and reporting on the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in office discipline referrals and special education, little progress has been made in reducing these disparities. It is recommended that school personnel identify cultural inconsistencies in disciplinary practices, and develop and maintain culturally responsive practices that facilitate improvements in student behavior. The Double-Check framework promotes such practices through self-assessment, and encourages school personnel to recognize their own attitudes and behaviors toward CLD students. In this effort we describe the five components of the Double-Check model and provide a case study example that illustrates how school teams and individual teachers can apply the framework when encountering persistent behavior problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses studies on diagnostic imaging for breast cancer. A study stressed that excision of lobular neoplasia (LN) is unnecessary if careful radiographic-pathologic correlation is performed and strict histologic criteria are adhered when making the diagnosis. A research highlighted the outcomes among breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS)-5 lesion patients who were treated in a community practice in the U.S. from 1998 to 2002. Another study evaluated the efficiency of core biopsy for BI-RADS-5 breast lesions.

The article focuses on the role of the National Middle School Association in middle level education in the U.S. It staets that schools are searching for ways to improve student learning and achievement with a growing emphasis on student achievement as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and a strong emphasis on accountability. The association established priorities for middle level schools in the position paper "This We Believe," which focus on middle level teacher preparation and continuous professional development. Related issues are further discussed.

Background: The incidence of uterine leiomyomata (fibroids, myomas) is 2-3 times higher in black women than white women. Black women also report higher levels of racial discrimination. We evaluated the hypothesis that greater exposure to racism increases myoma risk in black women.Methods: Data were derived from the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort study of US black women age 21-69 years in 1995. In 1997, women reported on "everyday" and "lifetime" experiences of racism. From 1997 through 2003, we followed 22,002 premenopausal women to assess the association between self-reported racism and risk of myomas. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated from Cox regression models.Results: During 107,127 person-years of follow-up, 3440 new cases of uterine myomas confirmed by ultrasound (n = 2774) or surgery (n = 666) were reported. All IRRs for "lifetime" and "everyday" experiences of racism were above 1.0. Using a summary variable that averaged the responses from 5 "everyday" racism items, multivariable IRRs comparing quartiles 2, 3, and 4 to quintile 1 (lowest) were 1.16 (95% CI = 1.04-1.29), 1.19 (1.06-1.32), and 1.27 (1.14-1.43), respectively. Multivariable IRRs comparing women who reported 1, 2, or 3 lifetime occurrences of major discrimination (ie, job, housing, or police) relative to those who reported none were 1.04 (0.96-1.13), 1.17 (1.07-1.28), and 1.24 (1.10-1.39), respectively. Results did not vary according to case definition (ultrasound vs. surgery) or health care utilization. Associations were weaker among foreign-born women and among women with higher coping skills.Conclusions: Perceived racism was associated with an increased risk of uterine myomas in US-born black women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity in the young is a public health priority. The prevalence of overweight children in the United States has risen almost threefold in the last two decades. An association between weight and oral health has been suggested in adults, whereas evidence supporting this association in children is controversial at best. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between weight and dental caries in a random prospective cohort of children at their initial visit at an urban dental school. One hundred and thirty-five children were recruited in a four-month period. The DS/ds index was used to assess caries, and BMI percentile was calculated based on age and gender-adjusted published scales. Correlation analyses, linear, and multivariate regression including age, gender, and BMI were calculated with a significance threshold of p>0.05. No correlation between dental decay in obese and non-obese children was detected (p=0.99). These findings support recent U.S. population-based literature that reports an inverse association between caries and weight in certain pediatric groups. Nevertheless, the impact of interventions to address the epidemic in the dental setting has not been investigated. As part of a health care team, dental students should be exposed to the changing demographics and sequelae of overweight in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996 requires an end to overfishing and the rebuilding of depleted fishery resources. Nine years later, the progress towards rebuilding overexploited marine fisheries in the United States is reviewed here. Despite the statutory mandate, overfishing and depletion of important fish stocks remains a widespread problem in the US. Sixty-seven fish stocks are currently under rebuilding plans mandated by law. Overfishing, where the fishing mortality rate exceeds the level that should support the maximum sustainable yield (FMSY), continues in 45% of the stocks managed in rebuilding plans. Seventy-two percent of these stocks are still considered overfished, with measurable abundance remaining depleted below a predetermined threshold according to the standards set by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Regional Fishery Management Councils. Only three stocks have been rebuilt to levels that should produce maximum sustainable yield. However, fish stock abundance appears to be increasing in 48% of the stocks under rebuilding plans. The clearest cause of the lack of progress in rebuilding is the failure of many plans to reduce exploitation sufficiently to end overfishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on issues related to the U.S. Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education (Brown II), announced on May 31, 1955. The issue in Brown II was to determine the way to implement the Court's decision in the first Brown case (Brown I), which was decide on May 17, 1954. In Brown I, the Court held racial segregation in public elementary and secondary schools to be unconstitutional. In Brown I, the Court called for further argument on the issue of implementation. At the reargument the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said that it was willing to forego immediate implementation of the decision in the event of the Court setting a deadline for desegregation no later than September 1956. In Brown II, the Court sent the cases back to the district courts from which they had originated and directed them to take such proceedings and give such orders and decrees which are consistent with the Court's opinion and necessary to ensure that admission in public schools is racially nondiscriminatory.

Objective: To examine the availability of resources on dietary supplements in the community pharmacy setting and to assess the attitudes of community pharmacists toward these resources.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Community pharmacies in New York and New Jersey that serve as experiential sites for senior student pharmacists at the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University.Participants: Preceptors or full-time pharmacists.Intervention: Mailed survey.Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of use, availability of, and pharmacists' satisfaction with resources on alternative medicines, defined in the survey as any product including herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals, and natural products that may be purchased at a health food store, pharmacy, supermarket, alternative medicine store/magazine for the purpose of self-treatment.Results: A total of 64 pharmacists characterized their frequency of use of resources on alternative medicines while formulating responses to questions as: never (n = 5; 7.8%), seldom (n = 31; 48.4%), often (n = 24; 37.5%), or always (n = 4; 6.3%). A total of 30 different resources were available to 40 respondents. The most commonly available resources were the PDR for Herbal Medicines (42.5%), The Review of Natural Products (20.0%), and the Web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (12.5%). Of 54 respondents, 4 (7.1%) reported being completely dissatisfied with the available resources; 17 (31.5%) were somewhat dissatisfied; 25 (46.3%) were somewhat satisfied; and 8 (14.8%) were completely satisfied with the resources available to them. Topics the pharmacists most commonly wanted to see improved included safety (72.7%), interactions (70.9%), and uses (69.1%).Conclusion: Community pharmacists do not use information resources on alternative medicine products frequently, and many are not satisfied with the resources available to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uterine leiomyomata are a major source of morbidity in black women. We prospectively investigated the risk of self-reported uterine leiomyomata in relation to body mass index (BMI), weight change, height, waist and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio in a large cohort of U.S black women.Methods: Data were derived from the Black Women's Health Study, a U.S. prospective cohort study of black women who complete biannual mailed health questionnaires. From 1997 through 2001, we followed 21,506 premenopausal women with intact uteri and no prior diagnosis of uterine leiomyomata. Cox regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: After 70,345 person-years of follow up, 2146 new cases of uterine leiomyomata confirmed by ultrasound (n = 1885) or hysterectomy (n = 261) were self-reported. Compared with the thinnest women (BMI <20.0 kg/m), the multivariate IRRs for women with BMIs of 20.0-22.4, 22.5-24.9, 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, and 32.5+ kg/m were 1.34 (95% CI = 1.02-1.75), 1.39 (1.07-1.81), 1.45 (1.12-1.89), 1.47 (1.11-1.93), 1.36 (1.02-1.80), and 1.21 (0.93-1.58), respectively. IRRs were larger among parous women. Weight gain since age 18 was positively associated with risk, but only among parous women. No other anthropometric measures were associated with risk.Conclusions: BMI and weight gain exhibited a complex relation with risk of uterine leiomyomata in the Black Women's Health Study. The BMI association was inverse J-shaped and findings were stronger in parous women. Weight gain was positively associated with risk among parous women only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases—9th revision codes for preeclampsia and eclampsia. Study design: The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago discharge database was used to identify 135 women from 1999 through 2001 whose disease was coded as having preeclampsia or eclampsia. With American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology criteria as the gold standard, the diagnosis that was determined through chart review was compared with the International Classification of Diseases—9th revision code that was present in the discharge database. Patients were classified as true cases if the International Classification of Diseases—9th revision code matched the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists diagnosis; the positive predictive value of the code was then calculated. Results: The overall positive predictive value for the complete sample was only 54%, but the positive predictive value for severe preeclampsia was 84.8%, which was high compared with mild preeclampsia (45.3%) and eclampsia (41.7%). Diagnostic (clinician) error was the most common reason for miscoding error. Conclusion: The findings suggest that International Classification of Diseases—9th revision codes for preeclampsia/eclampsia vary greatly in their accuracy of diagnosis. Therefore, a review of medical records is required when data are being gathered on the incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]