Best of PubMed – another Christmas Special!

Just in time for Christmas – finally another edition of the Best of PubMed! For those of you unfamiliar with these articles, these are references to publications (mostly from the Biomedical literature) listed at www.pubmed.org. If you want to follow up on an article, cut and paste the “PubMed ID” number into the search field at the PubMed website. Happy reading and happy holidays!

Check out past “Best of PubMed” entries on a range of themes – from Halloween to the World Series to the dangers of shooting out your eye with a BB gun – here on the blog. More to come soon!

Do reindeer and children know something that we don’t? Pediatric inpatients’ belief in Santa Claus.
Cyr C.
CMAJ. 2002 Dec 10;167(12):1325-7. No abstract available.
PMID: 12473618

The tooth fairy, Santa Claus, and the hard core drinking driver.
Chamberlain E, Solomon R.
Inj Prev. 2001 Dec;7(4):272-5. No abstract available.
PMID: 11770650 Free PMC Article

[Why is Santa Claus bowed?].
Leirisalo-Repo M.
Duodecim. 1998;114(23):2481-6. Finnish. No abstract available.
PMID: 11757148

Christmas, santa claus, sugarplums and the grinch.
Lau DC.
Can J Diabetes. 2011 Dec;35(5):484-5. doi: 10.1016/S1499-2671(11)80001-8. No abstract available.
PMID: 24854970

All I want for coagulation.
Nunn KP, Bridgett MR, Walters MR, Walker I.
Scott Med J. 2011 Nov;56(4):183-7. doi: 10.1258/smj.2011.011154. Review.
PMID: 22089036

“Here comes Santa Claus”: what is the evidence?
Highfield ME.
Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2011 Oct-Dec;33(4):354-8. doi: 10.1097/TME.0b013e318234ead3.
PMID: 22075686

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”.
Angelica JC.
J Pastoral Care Counsel. 2011 Spring-Summer;65(1-2):10.1-2. No abstract available.
PMID: 21928502

Safer toys coming, but not with Santa Claus.
Thibedeau H.
CMAJ. 2009 Sep 15;181(6-7):E111-2. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-3003. No abstract available.
PMID: 19752130 Free PMC Article

Visiting Santa: a supplemental view.
Trinkaus J.
Psychol Rep. 2008 Dec;103(3):691-4.
PMID: 19320200

Hemoglobin’s moving around (to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”).
Ahern K.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2007 Nov;35(6):478. doi: 10.1002/bmb.118. No abstract available.
PMID: 21591150

Song: Glucagon is coming around (to the tune of “santa claus is coming to town”)*.
Ahern K.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2006 Jan;34(1):36. doi: 10.1002/bmb.2006.49403401036. No abstract available.
PMID: 21638631

Germs and angels: the role of testimony in young children’s ontology.
Harris PL, Pasquini ES, Duke S, Asscher JJ, Pons F.
Dev Sci. 2006 Jan;9(1):76-96.

Santa Claus and staff retention.
Olivi PM.
Radiol Manage. 2005 Sep-Oct;27(5):10-1. No abstract available.
PMID: 16294580

Oliver Twist and Santa Claus.
Gannon F.
EMBO Rep. 2004 May;5(5):431. No abstract available.
PMID: 15184969

[Is Santa Claus still needed?].
Tamminen T.
Duodecim. 2003;119(23):2317-22. Finnish. No abstract available.
PMID: 14768260

Images in cardiovascular medicine. Santa Claus in the echo lab.
Kobza R, Duru F, Jenni R.
Circulation. 2003 Dec 23;108(25):3164. No abstract available.
PMID: 14691023

Neurogenetics: three wishes to Santa Claus.
Coutinho P.
Arch Neurol. 2000 Jan;57(1):59. No abstract available.
PMID: 10634444

[Santa Claus as a consultant. “Then we together will rejoice, children’s eyes will shine with joy”].
Puumalainen AM, Vapalahti M.
Duodecim. 1997;113(23):2467-70. Finnish. No abstract available.
PMID: 10892154

[Santa Claus is perceived as reliable and friendly: results of the Danish Christmas 2013 survey.]
Amin FM, West AS, Jørgensen CS, Simonsen SA, Lindberg U, Tranum-Jensen J, Hougaard A.
Ugeskr Laeger. 2013 Dec 2;175(49):3021-3023. Danish.
PMID: 24629466

Syntrophin proteins as Santa Claus: role(s) in cell signal transduction.
Bhat HF, Adams ME, Khanday FA.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Jul;70(14):2533-54. doi: 10.1007/s00018-012-1233-9. Epub 2012 Dec 21. Review.
PMID: 23263165

What does God know? Supernatural agents’ access to socially strategic and non-strategic information.
Purzycki BG, Finkel DN, Shaver J, Wales N, Cohen AB, Sosis R.
Cogn Sci. 2012 Jul;36(5):846-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2012.01242.x. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
PMID: 22462490

Santa Claus: good or bad for children?
Nelms BC.
J Pediatr Health Care. 1996 Nov-Dec;10(6):243-4. No abstract available.
PMID: 9052114

Perhaps there is a Santa Claus.
Van Eldik DT.
J Fla Med Assoc. 1994 Dec;81(12):795-6. No abstract available.
PMID: 7861106

Encounter with reality: children’s reactions on discovering the Santa Claus myth.
Anderson CJ, Prentice NM.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 1994 Winter;25(2):67-84.
PMID: 7842832

Do you believe in Santa Claus?
Atkinson J.
Nurs Stand. 1988 Dec 31;3(13-14):20-1. No abstract available.
PMID: 3068551

Epidemiology of reindeer parasites.
Halvorsen O.
Parasitol Today. 1986 Dec;2(12):334-9.
PMID: 15462756

A letter to Santa Claus.
Shusterman C.
Am Laund Dig. 1985 Dec 15;50(12):14-6. No abstract available.
PMID: 10275266

In the absence of Santa Claus.
Tebben MP.
Public Health Rep. 1985 Jul;100(4):355. No abstract available.
PMID: 19313171

Picture Reports: Influenza virus, Santa Claus, or a mouse playing tennis?
Getty B.
Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984 Dec 22;289(6460):1744. No abstract available.
PMID: 20742372 Free PMC Article

Children’s belief in santa claus: a developmental study of fantasy and causality.
Prentice NM, Schmechel LK, Manosevitz M.
J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1979 Autumn;18(4):658-67.

Imaginary figures of early childhood: santa claus, easter bunny, and the tooth fairy.
Prentice NM, Manosevitz M, Hubbs L.
Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1978 Oct;48(4):618-28.

Santa Claus will probably be coming.
Ammer DS.
Hosp Purch Manage. 1977 Dec;2(12):2-3. No abstract available.
PMID: 10305079

A note on the absence of a Santa Claus in any known ecosystem: a rejoinder to Willems.
Baer DM.
J Appl Behav Anal. 1974 Spring;7(1):167-9. No abstract available.
PMID: 16795462 Free PMC Article

The d.a. Who was Santa Claus?
Peyraud AP.
CAL. 1972 Dec;36(6):26-30. No abstract available.
PMID: 4510978

Another note to Santa Claus.
Cummins S, Garms N, Zusne L.
Percept Mot Skills. 1971 Apr;32(2):510. No abstract available.
PMID: 4932683

Meet Dr. Cloonan Santa Claus 365 days a year.
Penny PL.
CAL. 1970 Dec;33(6):15-9. No abstract available.
PMID: 5277587

Santa Claus drawings by Negro and white children.
Coyle FA Jr, Eisenman R.
J Soc Psychol. 1970 Apr;80(2):201-5. No abstract available.
PMID: 4924834

Barefoot in the hospital park or yes Virginia, there is a Mrs. Santa Claus known as the administrator’s wife.
Spencer V.
Hosp Manage. 1967 Dec;104(6):33-7. No abstract available.
PMID: 6063631

Charlie’s Santa Claus.
Stollard ML.
Nurs Times. 1965 Dec 24;61(52):1762. No abstract available.
PMID: 5849676

[The sweet Christmas rash.]
Gyldenløve M, Nepper-Christensen S, Thyssen JP, Faurschou A.
Ugeskr Laeger. 2013 Dec 2;175(49):3025-3026. Danish.
PMID: 24629468

The Christmas tree foreheadplasty: a novel technique used in combination with a bandeau for fronto-orbital remodelling in craniosynostosis.
Britto JA, Gwanmesia I, Leshem D.
Childs Nerv Syst. 2012 Sep;28(9):1375-80. doi: 10.1007/s00381-012-1806-9.
PMID: 22872251

The need for gas-specific “Christmas tree” connections.
Atlas G, Lee M.
J Patient Saf. 2012 Jun;8(2):88. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0b013e31824a4af4. No abstract available.
PMID: 22610127

[A woman with Christmas in sight].
Fickweiler W, de Vries MM, Postma G.
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2011;155(51):A4242. Dutch.
PMID: 22200154

SIRT1 regulates the ribosomal DNA locus: epigenetic candles twinkle longevity in the Christmas tree.
Salminen A, Kaarniranta K.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Jan 2;378(1):6-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.11.023. Epub 2008 Nov 21. Review.
PMID: 19010308

The importance of elves.
Nurs Spectr (Wash D C). 1996 Dec 16;6(26):3.
Hess RG Jr.
PMID: 9433318

The gnome of Dulwich.
Goodwin P.
Nurs Times. 1971 Sep 2;67(35):1096.
PMID: 5565702

[Santa Claus is perceived as reliable and friendly: results of the Danish Christmas 2013 survey.]
[Article in Danish]
Amin FM1, West AS, Jørgensen CS, Simonsen SA, Lindberg U, Tranum-Jensen J, Hougaard A.
Ugeskr Laeger. 2013 Dec 2;175(49):3021-3023.

Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Several studies have indicated that the population in general perceives doctors as reliable. In the present study perceptions of reliability and kindness attributed to another socially significant archetype, Santa Claus, have been comparatively examined in relation to the doctor.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
In all, 52 randomly chosen participants were shown a film, where a narrator dressed either as Santa Claus or as a doctor tells an identical story. Structured interviews were then used to assess the subjects’ perceptions of reliability and kindness in relation to the narrator’s appearance.
RESULTS:
We found a strong inclination for Santa Claus being perceived as friendlier than the doctor (p = 0.053). However, there was no significant difference in the perception of reliability between Santa Claus and the doctor (p = 0.524).
CONCLUSION:
The positive associations attributed to Santa Claus probably cause that he is perceived friendlier than the doctor who may be associated with more serious and unpleasant memories of illness and suffering. Surprisingly, and despite him being an imaginary person, Santa Claus was assessed as being as reliable as the doctor.

What does God know? Supernatural agents’ access to socially strategic and non-strategic information.
Purzycki BG1, Finkel DN, Shaver J, Wales N, Cohen AB, Sosis R.
Cogn Sci. 2012 Jul;36(5):846-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2012.01242.x. Epub 2012 Mar 29.

Abstract
Current evolutionary and cognitive theories of religion posit that supernatural agent concepts emerge from cognitive systems such as theory of mind and social cognition. Some argue that these concepts evolved to maintain social order by minimizing antisocial behavior. If these theories are correct, then people should process information about supernatural agents’ socially strategic knowledge more quickly than non-strategic knowledge. Furthermore, agents’ knowledge of immoral and uncooperative social behaviors should be especially accessible to people. To examine these hypotheses, we measured response-times to questions about the knowledge attributed to four different agents–God, Santa Claus, a fictional surveillance government, and omniscient but non-interfering aliens–that vary in their omniscience, moral concern, ability to punish, and how supernatural they are. As anticipated, participants respond more quickly to questions about agents’ socially strategic knowledge than non-strategic knowledge, but only when agents are able to punish.

Christmas, santa claus, sugarplums and the grinch.
Lau DC.
Can J Diabetes. 2011 Dec;35(5):484-5. doi: 10.1016/S1499-2671(11)80001-8.
PMID: 24854970

All I want for coagulation.
Nunn KP1, Bridgett MR, Walters MR, Walker I.
Scott Med J. 2011 Nov;56(4):183-7. doi: 10.1258/smj.2011.011154.

Abstract
Evidence-based medicine underpins modern practice of medicine. This paper describes a fictional consultation between Santa Claus and a doctor regarding deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, giving a review of the evidence for DVT prophylaxis in travellers while exposing the difficulty in applying evidence to atypical clinical encounters. Medline and the Cochrane Library were searched, and guidelines reviewed. Keywords used were DVT, thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis and air travel-related venous thromboembolism. All relevant studies found, have been included in this review, with additional studies identified from the references in these articles. In conclusion, compression stockings, with or without a one-off dose of either aspirin or heparin, are the most evidence-based approaches for prophylaxis in someone with established risk factors for DVT prior to a long-haul flight. Simple exercises should also be encouraged.

“Here comes Santa Claus”: what is the evidence?
Highfield ME1.
Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2011 Oct-Dec;33(4):354-8. doi: 10.1097/TME.0b013e318234ead3.

Abstract
The purpose of this article is to examine the strength of evidence regarding our holiday Santa Claus (SC) practices and the opportunities for new descriptive, correlation, or experimental research on SC. Although existing evidence generally supports SC, in the end we may conclude, “the most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see” (Church, as cited in Newseum, n.d.).