Sample records for age groups findings

  1. Age Group Differences in Perceived Age Discrimination: Associations With Self-Perceptions of Aging.

    PubMed

    Giasson, Hannah L; Queen, Tara L; Larkina, Marina; Smith, Jacqui

    2017-08-01

    From midlife onwards, age stereotypes increasingly underlie social judgments and contribute to age-based discrimination. Whereas many studies compare differences between young and older adults in reports of age discrimination or sensitivity to age stereotypes, few consider age group differences among adults over 50. We form subgroups corresponding to social age group membership (early midlife, late midlife, young old, oldest old) and examine differences in reported experiences of everyday age discrimination and associations with self-perceptions of aging. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS: N = 15,071; M Age = 68, range 50-101), multivariate logistic regression was used to examine experiences of everyday discrimination attributed to age, and associations between age discrimination and self-perceptions of aging, in four age groups: early midlife, late midlife, young old, oldest old. People in the early midlife group (aged 50-59) reported more experiences of unfair treatment than the older age groups but were less likely to attribute their experiences to age discrimination. After controlling for covariates, individuals in all age groups who perceived their own aging positively were less likely to report experiences of age discrimination. The magnitude of this effect, however, was greatest in the early midlife group. Findings support proposals that midlife is a pivotal life period when individuals adjust to life events and social role transitions. Future longitudinal studies will provide further insight into whether positive self-perceptions of aging are especially important in this phase of the life course. © The Author 2017. 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.

  2. Learning science in small multi-age groups: the role of age composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kallery, Maria; Loupidou, Thomais

    2016-06-01

    The present study examines how the overall cognitive achievements in science of the younger children in a class where the students work in small multi-age groups are influenced by the number of older children in the groups. The context of the study was early-years education. The study has two parts: The first part involved classes attended by pre-primary children aged 4-6. The second part included one primary class attended by students aged 6-8 in addition to the pre-primary classes. Students were involved in inquiry-based science activities. Two sources of data were used: Lesson recordings and children's assessments. The data from both sources were separately analyzed and the findings plotted. The resulting graphs indicate a linear relationship between the overall performance of the younger children in a class and the number of older ones participating in the groups in each class. It seems that the age composition of the groups can significantly affect the overall cognitive achievements of the younger children and preferentially determines the time within which this factor reaches its maximum value. The findings can be utilized in deciding the age composition of small groups in a class with the aim of facilitating the younger children's learning in science.

  3. The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Childhood Education Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.; And Others

    The seven brief chapters of this paper advocate mixed-age grouping in schools and child care centers. Discussion defines mixed-age grouping and examines some limitations of single-age grouping. Research findings on social and cognitive aspects of mixed-age grouping are reviewed. Social aspects are discussed by considering in turn the following…

  4. Ageing and the group-reference effect in memory.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyeon-Nyeon; Rosa, Nicole M; Gutchess, Angela H

    2016-07-01

    The present study examines age differences in the memory benefits from group-referncing. While prior work establishes that the memory performance of younger and older adults similarly benefits from relating information to the self, this study assessed whether those benefits extend to referencing a meaningful group membership. Young and older adult participants encoded trait words by judging whether each word describes themselves, describes their group membership (selected for each age group), or is familiar. After a retention interval, participants completed a surprise recognition memory test. The results indicate that group-referencing increased recognition memory performance compared to the familiarity judgements for both young and older groups. However, the group-reference benefit is limited, emerging as smaller than the benefit from self-referencing. These results challenge previous findings of equivalent benefits for group-referencing and self-referencing, suggesting that such effects may not prevail under all conditions, including for older adults. The findings also highlight the need to examine the mechanisms of group-referencing that can lead to variability in the group-reference effect.

  5. Acute Viral Hepatitis in Pediatric Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Kc, Sudhamshu; Sharma, Dilip; Poudyal, Nandu; Basnet, Bhupendra Kumar

    2014-01-01

    Our clinical experience showed that there has been no decrease in pediatric cases of acute viral hepatitis in Kathmandu. The objective of the study was to analyze the etiology, clinical features, laboratory parameters, sonological findings and other to determine the probable prognostic factors of Acute Viral Hepatitis in pediatric population. Consecutive patients of suspected Acute Viral Hepatitis, below the age of 15 years, attending the liver clinic between January 2006 and December 2010 were studied. After clinical examination they were subjected to blood tests and ultrasound examination of abdomen. The patients were divided in 3 age groups; 0-5, 5-10 and 5-15 years. Clinical features, laboratory parameters, ultrasound findings were compared in three age groups. Etiology of Acute Viral Hepatitis was Hepatitis A virus 266 (85%), Hepatitis E virus in 24 (8%), Hepatitis B virus in 15 (5%). In 7(2%) patients etiology was unknown. Three patients went to acute liver failure but improved with conservative treatment. There was no statistical difference in most of the parameters studied in different age groups. Ascites was more common in 5-10 years age group. Patients with secondary bacterial infection, ultrasound evidence of prominent biliary tree and ascites were associated with increased duration of illness. Patients with history of herbal medications had prolonged cholestasis. Hepatitis A is most common cause of Acute Viral Hepatitis in pediatric population. Improper use of herbal medications, secondary bacterial infection and faulty dietary intake was associated with prolonged illness. Patients with prominent biliary radicals should be treated with antibiotics even with normal blood counts for earlier recovery.

  6. Redefining meaningful age groups in the context of disease.

    PubMed

    Geifman, Nophar; Cohen, Raphael; Rubin, Eitan

    2013-12-01

    Age is an important factor when considering phenotypic changes in health and disease. Currently, the use of age information in medicine is somewhat simplistic, with ages commonly being grouped into a small number of crude ranges reflecting the major stages of development and aging, such as childhood or adolescence. Here, we investigate the possibility of redefining age groups using the recently developed Age-Phenome Knowledge-base (APK) that holds over 35,000 literature-derived entries describing relationships between age and phenotype. Clustering of APK data suggests 13 new, partially overlapping, age groups. The diseases that define these groups suggest that the proposed divisions are biologically meaningful. We further show that the number of different age ranges that should be considered depends on the type of disease being evaluated. This finding was further strengthened by similar results obtained from clinical blood measurement data. The grouping of diseases that share a similar pattern of disease-related reports directly mirrors, in some cases, medical knowledge of disease-age relationships. In other cases, our results may be used to generate new and reasonable hypotheses regarding links between diseases.

  7. Absolute and Relative Socioeconomic Health Inequalities across Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    van Zon, Sander K. R.; Bültmann, Ute; Mendes de Leon, Carlos F.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

    2015-01-01

    Background The magnitude of socioeconomic health inequalities differs across age groups. It is less clear whether socioeconomic health inequalities differ across age groups by other factors that are known to affect the relation between socioeconomic position and health, like the indicator of socioeconomic position, the health outcome, gender, and as to whether socioeconomic health inequalities are measured in absolute or in relative terms. The aim is to investigate whether absolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differ across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome and gender. Methods The study sample was derived from the baseline measurement of the LifeLines Cohort Study and consisted of 95,432 participants. Socioeconomic position was measured as educational level and household income. Physical and mental health were measured with the RAND-36. Age concerned eleven 5-years age groups. Absolute inequalities were examined by comparing means. Relative inequalities were examined by comparing Gini-coefficients. Analyses were performed for both health outcomes by both educational level and household income. Analyses were performed for all age groups, and stratified by gender. Results Absolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differed across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome, and gender. Absolute inequalities were most pronounced for mental health by household income. They were larger in younger than older age groups. Relative inequalities were most pronounced for physical health by educational level. Gini-coefficients were largest in young age groups and smallest in older age groups. Conclusions Absolute and relative socioeconomic health inequalities differed cross-sectionally across age groups by indicator of socioeconomic position, health outcome and gender. Researchers should critically consider the implications of choosing a specific age group, in addition to the indicator of

  8. Non-fatal self-poisoning across age groups, in Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Rajapakse, Thilini; Christensen, Helen; Cotton, Sue; Griffiths, Kathleen Margaret

    2016-02-01

    Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning in common in Sri Lanka, but little is known about variation of psychiatric morbidity and suicidal intent across differing ages. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka across three different age groups (namely 14-24 years, 25-34 years and ≥ 35 years). It was anticipated that the findings of the study would inform and guide development of preventive interventions for non-fatal self-poisoning in this country. 935 participants were interviewed within one week of admission to hospital for medical management of non-fatal self-poisoning, over a consecutive 14-month period. Socio-demographic factors, types of poison ingested, triggers and psychiatric morbidity was examined as a function of age. Results showed that a majority (83%) of participants were aged below 35 years. Younger participants aged <25 years were significantly more likely to ingest medicinal overdoses, compared to older persons (aged 25-34 years, and ≥ 35 years), who were more likely to ingest pesticides. Recent interpersonal conflict was a proximal trigger seen in all age groups, but suicidal intent, depression and alcohol use disorders increased with age. The overall study findings indicate that most who carry out acts of non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka are young (aged <35 years). Interpersonal conflict as a trigger is common to all age groups, but psychiatric morbidity and suicidal intent is higher in the older age groups, as is pesticide ingestion. Age specific interventions may be efficacious in the prevention of non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Symbolic Play in Mixed-Age and Same-Age Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umek, Ljubica Marjanovic; Musek, Petra Lesnik

    1997-01-01

    Investigated the content, degree of complexity, and wholeness of the transformation in symbolic play among same-age and mixed-age groups of 4- to 7-year olds in Slovenia. Results confirm that, in mixed-age groups, the role definition in symbolic play is provided on a higher level than in same-age groups, which enables social imaginative play to…

  10. Do Cherished Children Age Successfully? Longitudinal Findings from the VA Normative Aging Study

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Lewina O.; Aldwin, Carolyn M.; Kubzansky, Laura D.; Chen, Edith; Mroczek, Daniel K.; Wang, Joyce M.; Spiro, Avron

    2015-01-01

    Although early adversity has been linked to worse mental and physical health in adulthood, few studies have investigated the pathways through which positive and negative dimensions of early experiences can jointly influence psychological well-being in later life. This study examined: (1) profiles of early experiences across multiple domains; (2) the relations of these profiles to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in later life; and (3) whether midlife social support mediated these relations. We first conducted latent class analysis of early experiences using data from 1,076 men in the VA Normative Aging Study who completed the Childhood Experiences Scale (age: M=69, SD=7). Analyses yielded three profiles of early experiences, labeled as cherished (strong support and some losses), harshly disciplined (harsh parental discipline, low positive reinforcement, and non-normative stressors), and ordinary (few stressors and low parental attention). Next, we applied structural equation modeling to data on a subset of this sample assessed seven years later on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (n=496; age: M=76, SD=7). In general, the cherished group reported stronger qualitative social support in midlife than the harshly disciplined and ordinary groups, which in turn was related to greater hedonic (life satisfaction, positive affect) and eudaimonic (competence, positive relations with others) well-being in later life. The cherished group also reported higher autonomy than the ordinary group, but this association was independent of midlife social support. Our findings suggest that experiencing adversity in the context of a nurturing early environment can promote successful aging through the maintenance of supportive relationships in midlife. PMID:26436456

  11. Prevalence of vaginitis in different age groups among females in Greece.

    PubMed

    Sianou, Argiri; Galyfos, George; Moragianni, Dimitra; Baka, Stavroula

    2017-08-01

    Patients with vaginitis were classified into four groups: Group A (prepubertal under-aged females); Group B (pubertal under-aged females); Group C (reproductive age adult females); Group D (postmenopausal adult females). All vaginal specimens underwent microscopy, amine testing, Gram staining and culturing. Overall, 163 patients were included (33, 14, 81 and 35 patients, respectively). The most common infection was bacterial vaginosis (BV), followed by Ureaplasma infection, aerobic vaginitis (AV) and candidiasis. The most common AV-associated organism was Escherichia coli and the most common BV-associated organism was Gardnerella vaginalis. AV was more frequent in Group A, BV in Group C and Ureaplasma infections in Groups C/D. Decreased lactobacilli concentrations were associated with BV in fertile patients (Groups B-C). Although presentation of vaginitis is similar among females of different age in Greece, type and prevalence of pathogens differ. Normal vaginal flora changes are associated with higher risk of vaginitis in specific age groups. Impact Statement The worldwide incidence of reproductive tract infections has been increasing, with specific pathogens being associated with significant risk of morbidity and complications. However, literature data on the distribution of such infections in different age groups is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence and causes of vaginitis in adult and non-adult females of all ages. This study has shown that although presentation of vaginitis is similar among females of different age groups and menstrual status in Greece, type and prevalence of responsible pathogens are different among groups. Changes in normal vaginal flora seem to be associated with higher risk of vaginitis in specific age-groups as well. These findings could contribute in adjusting diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for each age group according to the prevailing pathogens. Further research on antibiotic

  12. Intervention for children with word-finding difficulties: a parallel group randomised control trial.

    PubMed

    Best, Wendy; Hughes, Lucy Mari; Masterson, Jackie; Thomas, Michael; Fedor, Anna; Roncoli, Silvia; Fern-Pollak, Liory; Shepherd, Donna-Lynn; Howard, David; Shobbrook, Kate; Kapikian, Anna

    2017-07-31

    The study investigated the outcome of a word-web intervention for children diagnosed with word-finding difficulties (WFDs). Twenty children age 6-8 years with WFDs confirmed by a discrepancy between comprehension and production on the Test of Word Finding-2, were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 11) and waiting control (n = 9) groups. The intervention group had six sessions of intervention which used word-webs and targeted children's meta-cognitive awareness and word-retrieval. On the treated experimental set (n = 25 items) the intervention group gained on average four times as many items as the waiting control group (d = 2.30). There were also gains on personally chosen items for the intervention group. There was little change on untreated items for either group. The study is the first randomised control trial to demonstrate an effect of word-finding therapy with children with language difficulties in mainstream school. The improvement in word-finding for treated items was obtained following a clinically realistic intervention in terms of approach, intensity and duration.

  13. Mobile Device Accuracy for Step Counting Across Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Yi; Bian, Jiang; Gurka, Matthew J; Parish, Alice; Smith, Megan D; Lee, Alexandra M; Buford, Thomas W

    2017-01-01

    Background Only one in five American meets the physical activity recommendations of the Department of Health and Human Services. The proliferation of wearable devices and smartphones for physical activity tracking has led to an increasing number of interventions designed to facilitate regular physical activity, in particular to address the obesity epidemic, but also for cardiovascular disease patients, cancer survivors, and older adults. However, the inconsistent findings pertaining to the accuracy of wearable devices for step counting needs to be addressed, as well as factors known to affect gait (and thus potentially impact accuracy) such as age, body mass index (BMI), or leading arm. Objective We aim to assess the accuracy of recent mobile devices for counting steps, across three different age groups. Methods We recruited 60 participants in three age groups: 18-39 years, 40-64 years, and 65-84 years, who completed two separate 1000 step walks on a treadmill at a self-selected speed between 2 and 3 miles per hour. We tested two smartphones attached on each side of the waist, and five wrist-based devices worn on both wrists (2 devices on one wrist and 3 devices on the other), as well as the Actigraph wGT3X-BT, and swapped sides between each walk. All devices were swapped dominant-to-nondominant side and vice-versa between the two 1000 step walks. The number of steps was recorded with a tally counter. Age, sex, height, weight, and dominant hand were self-reported by each participant. Results Among the 60 participants, 36 were female (60%) and 54 were right-handed (90%). Median age was 53 years (min=19, max=83), median BMI was 24.1 (min=18.4, max=39.6). There was no significant difference in left- and right-hand step counts by device. Our analyses show that the Fitbit Surge significantly undercounted steps across all age groups. Samsung Gear S2 significantly undercounted steps only for participants among the 40-64 year age group. Finally, the Nexus 6P significantly

  14. Differential symptomatology and functioning in borderline personality disorder across age groups.

    PubMed

    Frías, Álvaro; Palma, Carol; Solves, Laia; Martínez, Bárbara; Salvador, Ana

    2017-12-01

    There is increasing research aimed at addressing whether patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) may exhibit variations in symptomatology and functioning according to their chronological age. The current study consisted of 169 outpatients diagnosed with BPD, who were divided into four age groups as follows: 16-25 years (n = 41), 26-35 years (n = 43), 36-45 years (n = 45), and 46 and more years (n = 40). Age groups were compared for symptomatology, normal personality traits, psychiatric comorbidities, functioning, and treatment-related features. The younger group had significantly higher levels of physical/verbal aggression and suicide attempts relative to the older group. Conversely, the older group had significantly greater severity of somatization, depression, and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the older group showed significantly greater functional impairment overall and across physical/psychological domains, specifically when compared to the younger group. Overall, these findings may suggest that age-related symptoms should be considered when diagnosing BPD. Also, functional impairments should be the target interventions for older BPD patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Short-term memory development: differences in serial position curves between age groups and latent classes.

    PubMed

    Koppenol-Gonzalez, Gabriela V; Bouwmeester, Samantha; Vermunt, Jeroen K

    2014-10-01

    In studies on the development of cognitive processes, children are often grouped based on their ages before analyzing the data. After the analysis, the differences between age groups are interpreted as developmental differences. We argue that this approach is problematic because the variance in cognitive performance within an age group is considered to be measurement error. However, if a part of this variance is systematic, it can provide very useful information about the cognitive processes used by some children of a certain age but not others. In the current study, we presented 210 children aged 5 to 12 years with serial order short-term memory tasks. First we analyze our data according to the approach using age groups, and then we apply latent class analysis to form latent classes of children based on their performance instead of their ages. We display the results of the age groups and the latent classes in terms of serial position curves, and we discuss the differences in results. Our findings show that there are considerable differences in performance between the age groups and the latent classes. We interpret our findings as indicating that the latent class analysis yielded a much more meaningful way of grouping children in terms of cognitive processes than the a priori grouping of children based on their ages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. ERIC/EECE Report. Mixed Age Grouping.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cesarone, Bernard

    1995-01-01

    Summarizes eight recent ERIC documents and seven journal articles on mixed-age grouping. Includes discussions of teaching in the multiage classroom, Kentucky's Primary Program, developmentally appropriate practices in the primary grades, thematic instruction, attitudes toward mixed-age grouping, and questions and answers about mixed-age grouping.…

  17. Mobile Device Accuracy for Step Counting Across Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Modave, François; Guo, Yi; Bian, Jiang; Gurka, Matthew J; Parish, Alice; Smith, Megan D; Lee, Alexandra M; Buford, Thomas W

    2017-06-28

    Only one in five American meets the physical activity recommendations of the Department of Health and Human Services. The proliferation of wearable devices and smartphones for physical activity tracking has led to an increasing number of interventions designed to facilitate regular physical activity, in particular to address the obesity epidemic, but also for cardiovascular disease patients, cancer survivors, and older adults. However, the inconsistent findings pertaining to the accuracy of wearable devices for step counting needs to be addressed, as well as factors known to affect gait (and thus potentially impact accuracy) such as age, body mass index (BMI), or leading arm. We aim to assess the accuracy of recent mobile devices for counting steps, across three different age groups. We recruited 60 participants in three age groups: 18-39 years, 40-64 years, and 65-84 years, who completed two separate 1000 step walks on a treadmill at a self-selected speed between 2 and 3 miles per hour. We tested two smartphones attached on each side of the waist, and five wrist-based devices worn on both wrists (2 devices on one wrist and 3 devices on the other), as well as the Actigraph wGT3X-BT, and swapped sides between each walk. All devices were swapped dominant-to-nondominant side and vice-versa between the two 1000 step walks. The number of steps was recorded with a tally counter. Age, sex, height, weight, and dominant hand were self-reported by each participant. Among the 60 participants, 36 were female (60%) and 54 were right-handed (90%). Median age was 53 years (min=19, max=83), median BMI was 24.1 (min=18.4, max=39.6). There was no significant difference in left- and right-hand step counts by device. Our analyses show that the Fitbit Surge significantly undercounted steps across all age groups. Samsung Gear S2 significantly undercounted steps only for participants among the 40-64 year age group. Finally, the Nexus 6P significantly undercounted steps for the group

  18. Inter-individual Variability in Soccer Players of Different Age Groups Playing Different Positions

    PubMed Central

    Nikolaidis, Pantelis; Ziv, Gal; Lidor, Ronnie; Arnon, Michal

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to profile physical characteristics and motor abilities of three age groups of soccer players – under 14 years, 14–17, and over 17, playing different positions – goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards; and (b) to examine the inter-individual variability among the players in each age group in all physical and physiological measurements performed in the study. In addition, anthropometric, power, strength, and flexibility tests were administered. Findings showed large inter-individual variability in all three age groups and in all playing positions. Differences between playing positions were found only in the 14–17 group (body mass) and in the over-17 group (body height, body mass, fat-free mass, and mean power in the Wingate Anaerobic Test). Due to the observed large inter-individual variability, it was concluded that the findings obtained in the physical and physiological tests should be interpreted with caution when attempting to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful soccer players, as well as when trying to predict future success in soccer. PMID:25031689

  19. 32 CFR 1624.3 - Age selection groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Age selection groups. 1624.3 Section 1624.3 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM INDUCTIONS § 1624.3 Age selection groups. Age selection groups are established as follows: (a) The age 20 selection group for each calendar year consists of...

  20. 32 CFR 1624.3 - Age selection groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Age selection groups. 1624.3 Section 1624.3 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM INDUCTIONS § 1624.3 Age selection groups. Age selection groups are established as follows: (a) The age 20 selection group for each calendar year consists of...

  1. 32 CFR 1624.3 - Age selection groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Age selection groups. 1624.3 Section 1624.3 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM INDUCTIONS § 1624.3 Age selection groups. Age selection groups are established as follows: (a) The age 20 selection group for each calendar year consists of...

  2. 32 CFR 1624.3 - Age selection groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Age selection groups. 1624.3 Section 1624.3 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM INDUCTIONS § 1624.3 Age selection groups. Age selection groups are established as follows: (a) The age 20 selection group for each calendar year consists of...

  3. 32 CFR 1624.3 - Age selection groups.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Age selection groups. 1624.3 Section 1624.3 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM INDUCTIONS § 1624.3 Age selection groups. Age selection groups are established as follows: (a) The age 20 selection group for each calendar year consists of...

  4. Multi-age-grouping paradigm for young swimmers.

    PubMed

    Kojima, Kosuke; Jamison, Paul L; Stager, Joel M

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of "multi-age" classification systems in youth sports with a specific focus on the unisex multi-age-groupings used by USA Swimming. In addition, we offer an analytical rationale for the multi-age-groupings and potential alternatives. We examined the top 100 US swim performances for three years (2005, 2006, and 2007) for girls and boys in 15 age-groups (7 to 20 years and a singular group of 21 years and older). Data for each age and sex were pooled over the three years and means were calculated for each of seven competitive swim events. Swim times differed among each age up to the 14-year age-group in girls (F (14,30885) = 183.9, P < 0.01, Cohen's d = 1.19-3.72, large effect) and 16-year age-group in boys (F (14,30885) = 308.7, P < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.81-3.64, large effect) for all events. Age-related differences in swim times continued later in boys than girls likely due to differences between the sexes in timing of growth and maturation. Because of the differences in swim performance in contemporary multi-age-groups, stratifying swimmers by a single age is the best means to ensure competitive fairness and equality, although there is no rationale for swimmers under the age of 8 years to compete in separate unisex competitive groups.

  5. GUIDANCE ON SELECTING AGE GROUPS FOR ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This guidance document provides a set of early-lifestage age groups for Environmental Protection Agency scientists to consider when assessing children’s exposure to environmental contaminants and the resultant potential dose. These recommended age groups are based on current understanding of differences in behavior and physiology which may impact exposures in children. A consistent set of early-life age groups, supported by an underlying scientific rationale, is expected to improve Agency exposure and risk assessments for children by increasing the consistency and comparability of risk assessments across the Agency; by improving accuracy and transparency in assessments for those cases where current practice might too broadly combine behaviorally and physiologically disparate age groups; and by fostering a consistent approach to future exposure surveys and monitoring efforts to generate improved exposure factors for children. see description

  6. Facial anthropometric differences among gender, ethnicity, and age groups.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Ziqing; Landsittel, Douglas; Benson, Stacey; Roberge, Raymond; Shaffer, Ronald

    2010-06-01

    groups have facial features that differ significantly than those in construction. Statistically significant differences in facial anthropometric dimensions (P < 0.05) were noted between males and females, all racial/ethnic groups, and the subjects who were at least 45 years old when compared to workers between 18 and 29 years of age. These findings could be important to the design and manufacture of respirators, as well as employers responsible for supplying respiratory protective equipment to their employees.

  7. Age grouping to optimize augmentation success.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Robert W

    2010-05-01

    This article has described the different age groups that present for noninvasive injectable lip and perioral augmentation, as well as the breakdown of 3 subgroups that present within the 4 general age groups. With the fundamental understanding of these presenting groups and subgroups, the practicing augmenter will be able to better treatment plan and educate the patient on realistic and optimal aesthetic outcomes.

  8. Urinary and sexual function outcomes among different age groups after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

    PubMed

    Mendiola, Frederick P; Zorn, Kevin C; Mikhail, Albert A; Lin, Shang; Orvieto, Marcelo A; Zagaja, Gregory P; Shalhav, Arieh L

    2008-03-01

    We present an age-stratified prospective assessment of urinary and sexual function of 300 patients after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). Subjective assessment data of continence and potency were collected for different age groups (<50, 50-59, and > or =60 years old) preoperatively, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after RALP. Health-related quality of life questionnaires evaluated return of baseline urinary and sexual function at the same time intervals. The three age groups included 21, 129, and 150 patients (aged <50, 50-59, and >60 years old, respectively). Using Kaplan-Meier curves, younger men achieved subjective continence significantly earlier than older age groups when age groups were compared using a 60-year-old cut-off point (P = 0.02). However, subjective continence was noted to be equal among all age groups after 1 year of follow-up. Time to recovery of subjective potency among age groups shows a significant difference in favor of the younger age group (P = 0.01) Objective urinary function is equal between age groups at all time points, while objective sexual function assessment showed a trend toward better results in the younger age group. Younger men will likely have an earlier return of continence and potency compared to older men after RALP. However, continence outcomes were noted to be equal among age groups after I year of follow-up, while younger men continue to report superior potency outcomes compared to older men over the first postoperative year. Such findings are valuable in counseling older men undergoing this procedure.

  9. Adjustment among Different Age and Ethnic Groups of Indochinese in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Thanh V.

    1992-01-01

    Examined adjustment among different age and ethnic groups of Indochinese refugees in the United States. Findings from national probability sample of 3,414 respondents revealed that education, occupational status, urban/rural location in country of origin, English language ability, financial problems, gender, age, and length of U.S. residence had…

  10. Analysis of mortality trends by specific ethnic groups and age groups in Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Rose Irnawaty; Siri, Zailan

    2014-07-01

    The number of people surviving until old age has been increasing worldwide. Reduction in fertility and mortality have resulted in increasing survival of populations to later life. This study examines the mortality trends among the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia, namely; the Malays, Chinese and Indians for four important age groups (adolescents, adults, middle age and elderly) for both gender. Since the data on mortality rates in Malaysia is only available in age groups such as 1-5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and so on, hence some distribution or interpolation method was essential to expand it to the individual ages. In the study, the Heligman and Pollard model will be used to expand the mortality rates from the age groups to the individual ages. It was found that decreasing trend in all age groups and ethnic groups. Female mortality is significantly lower than male mortality, and the difference may be increasing. Also the mortality rates for females are different than that for males in all ethnic groups, and the difference is generally increasing until it reaches its peak at the oldest age category. Due to the decreasing trend of mortality rates, the government needs to plan for health program to support more elderly people in the coming years.

  11. Age of onset group characteristics in forensic patients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Vinokur, D; Levine, S Z; Roe, D; Krivoy, A; Fischel, T

    2014-03-01

    This study aims to empirically identify age of onset groups and their clinical and background characteristics in forensic patients with schizophrenia. Hospital charts were reviewed of all 138 forensic patients with schizophrenia admitted to Geha Psychiatric Hospital that serves a catchment area of approximately 500,000 people, from 2000 to 2009 inclusive. Admixture analysis empirically identified early- (M=19.99, SD=3.31) and late-onset groups (M=36.13, SD=9.25). Early-onset was associated with more suicide attempts, violence before the age of 15, and early conduct problems, whereas late-onset was associated with a greater likelihood of violence after the age of 18 and marriage (P<0.01). The current findings provide clinicians with a unique direction for risk assessment and indicate differences in violence between early- and late-onset schizophrenia, particularly co-occurrence of harmful behavioral phenotypes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Neuropathologic findings in an aged albino gorilla.

    PubMed

    Márquez, M; Serafin, A; Fernández-Bellon, H; Serrat, S; Ferrer-Admetlla, A; Bertranpetit, J; Ferrer, I; Pumarola, M

    2008-07-01

    Pallido-nigral spheroids associated with iron deposition have been observed in some aged clinically normal nonhuman primates. In humans, similar findings are observed in neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation diseases, which, in some cases, show associated mutations in pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2). Here we present an aged gorilla, 40 years old, suffering during the last 2 years of life from progressive tetraparesis, nystagmus, and dyskinesia of the arms, hands, and neck, with accompanying abnormal behavior. The postmortem neuropathologic examination revealed, in addition to aging-associated changes in the brain, numerous corpora amylacea in some brain areas, especially the substantia nigra, and large numbers of axonal spheroids associated with iron accumulation in the internal globus pallidus. Sequencing of the gorilla PANK2 gene failed to detect any mutation. The clinical, neuropathologic, and genetic findings in this gorilla point to an age-related pallido-nigral degeneration that presented PKAN-like neurologic deficits.

  13. [Frailty and its related Factors in Vulnerable Elderly Population by Age Groups].

    PubMed

    Park, Eunok; Yu, Mi

    2016-12-01

    This study aimed to investigate factors affecting frailty by age groups among vulnerable elders in Korea. In this secondary analysis, data were collected from records for 22,868 eldesr registered in the Visiting Health Management program of Publci Health Centers in 2012. Health behaviors, clinically diagnosed disease, frailty, depression and cognitive condition were assessed. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression to determine the associated factors of frailty by age group. Alcohol consumption, physical activity, number of diseases, DM, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors significantly associated with frailty among the elders aged 65~74 (F=135.66, p<.001). Alcohol consumption, physical activity, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors associated with frailty in the elders aged 75~84 (F=245.40, p<.001). Physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition were factors associated with frailty in the elders over 85 years of age (F=96.48, p<.001). The findings show that frailty of elders and associated factors were different by age group, and common factors affecting frailty were physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition. Thus, these factors should be considered in the development of intervention program for care and prevention of frailty and program should be modified according to age group.

  14. Outcomes of Mixed-Age Groupings. Research Highlights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stegelin, Dolores A.

    1997-01-01

    A review of the literature on mixed-age settings reveals benefits in the areas of social and cognitive development. Research on the psychosocial advantages of mixed-age groupings is less consistent. Factors such as group size, age range, time together, and context-specific curriculum activities may have a relationship to the level of success and…

  15. Differences by age groups in health care spending.

    PubMed

    Fisher, C R

    1980-01-01

    This paper presents differences by age in health care spending by type of expenditure and by source of funds through 1978. Use of health care services generally increases with age. The average health bill reached $2,026 for the aged in 1978, $764 for the intermediate age group, and $286 for the young. Biological, demographic, and policy factors determine each age group's share of health spending. Public funds financed over three-fifths of the health expenses of the aged, with Medicare and Medicaid together accounting for 58 percent. Most of the health expenses of the young age groups were paid by private sources.

  16. Factors Associated With Volunteering Among Racial/Ethnic Groups: Findings From the California Health Interview Survey.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Kimberly J; Lee, S Hannah

    2017-06-01

    The present study investigated how volunteering was influenced by individual resources and social capital among four racial/ethnic groups of adults aged 50 and older. The data came from the California Health Interview Survey, a statewide sample that includes non-Hispanic Whites ( n = 18,927), non-Hispanic Asians ( n = 2,428), non-Hispanic Blacks ( n = 1,265), and Hispanics ( n = 3,799). Logistic regression models of volunteering were estimated to explore the effects of human and social capital within and across the racial/ethnic groups. Compared to Whites, racial/ethnic minority adults volunteered less. Although education was a significant predictor of volunteering across all groups, the findings indicated group-specific factors related to human and social capital. Results showed similarities and differences associated with volunteer participation among diverse racial/ethnic groups. The findings underscore the importance of understanding ways of creating inclusive opportunities for civic engagement among an increasingly diverse population.

  17. Age Differences and Changes of Coping Behavior in Three Age Groups: Findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Peter; Kliegel, Matthias; Rott, Christoph; Poon, Leonard W.; Johnson, Mary Ann

    2008-01-01

    With increasing age, older adults are more likely to be challenged by an increasing number of physical, functional and social losses. As a result, coping with losses becomes a central theme in very late life. This study investigated age differences and age changes in active behavioral, active cognitive and avoidance coping and related coping to…

  18. Facial Asymmetry-Based Age Group Estimation: Role in Recognizing Age-Separated Face Images.

    PubMed

    Sajid, Muhammad; Taj, Imtiaz Ahmad; Bajwa, Usama Ijaz; Ratyal, Naeem Iqbal

    2018-04-23

    Face recognition aims to establish the identity of a person based on facial characteristics. On the other hand, age group estimation is the automatic calculation of an individual's age range based on facial features. Recognizing age-separated face images is still a challenging research problem due to complex aging processes involving different types of facial tissues, skin, fat, muscles, and bones. Certain holistic and local facial features are used to recognize age-separated face images. However, most of the existing methods recognize face images without incorporating the knowledge learned from age group estimation. In this paper, we propose an age-assisted face recognition approach to handle aging variations. Inspired by the observation that facial asymmetry is an age-dependent intrinsic facial feature, we first use asymmetric facial dimensions to estimate the age group of a given face image. Deeply learned asymmetric facial features are then extracted for face recognition using a deep convolutional neural network (dCNN). Finally, we integrate the knowledge learned from the age group estimation into the face recognition algorithm using the same dCNN. This integration results in a significant improvement in the overall performance compared to using the face recognition algorithm alone. The experimental results on two large facial aging datasets, the MORPH and FERET sets, show that the proposed age group estimation based on the face recognition approach yields superior performance compared to some existing state-of-the-art methods. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  19. Prevalence of self-reported food allergy in different age groups of georgian population.

    PubMed

    Lomidze, N; Gotua, M

    2015-04-01

    Epidemiological studies in high income countries suggested that a big proportion of the population in Europe and America report adverse reactions to food. Self-reported prevalence of food allergy varied from 1.2% to 17% for milk, 0.2% to 7% for egg, 0% to 2% for peanuts and fish, 0% to 10% for shellfish, and 3% to 35% for any food. The aim of our study was to report the prevalence of self-reported food allergy in the different age groups of Georgian population and to reveal the most common self-reported food allergens. ISAAC phase III study methodology and questionnaires were used for data collection. Questions about food allergy were added to the survey and involved questions about self-reported food allergy. 6-7 years old 6140 children (response rate-94,5%) and 13-14 years old 5373 adolescents (response rate-86,9%) from two locations of Georgia, Tbilisi and Kutaisi were surveyed. 500 randomly assessed adults from Tbilisi aged 18 years and older were added later (response rate-97,6%). Findings revealed that self-reported food allergy among 6-7 years old age group and 13-14 years old age were almost the same (15,7% and 15,9% correspondingly) and slightly lower in adult population - 13,9%. Study revealed, that hen's egg was the commonest implicated food for 6-7 years age group, hazel nut - for 13-14 years old age group followed by hen's egg. Walnut and hazel nut were most reported foods for adult population. The findings also revealed that food allergy is one of the most important risk factor for symptoms associated with asthma (OR-3,05; 95%CI 2.50-3.74), rhinoconjunctivitis (OR-2,85; 95%CI 2.24-3.64) and eczema (OR-5,42; 95%CI 4.08-7.18) in childhood. The data has provided the first epidemiological information related to food allergy among children and adults in Georgia. Results should serve as baseline information for food allergy screening, diagnosis and treatment. Our findings can also inform the public health officials on the disease burden and may offer some

  20. Localized prostate cancer in elderly men aged 80-89, findings from a population-based registry.

    PubMed

    Vatandoust, S; Kichenadasse, G; O'Callaghan, M; Vincent, A D; Kopsaftis, T; Walsh, S; Borg, M; Karapetis, C S; Moretti, K

    2018-03-30

    To investigate the rate of death due to Prostate Cancer (PCa) and disease characteristics in patients diagnosed with Localized Prostate Cancer (LPCa) at age 80-89 years in comparison with men diagnosed at age 70-79. This is a retrospective study of data from the South Australian Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes Collaborative (SA-PCCOC). Included were men diagnosed between 2005 and 2014, aged ≥70 with no evidence of metastatic disease at presentation. Propensity score matching and competing risk Fine and Grey regression were used to assess the chance of treatment (curative v non-curative) and treatment effect on PCa specific-mortality. Of the 1951 eligible patients, 1428 (76%) aged 70-79, and 460 (24%) aged 80-89 yr at diagnosis (median age of 74 (IQR=72-76) and 83 (IQR=81-85) respectively). The 80-89 group had higher Gleason scores and PSA values (all p<0.001) in comparison with the younger group. The 80-89 group were less likely to be treated with curative treatment (OR=0.12, 95CI=[0.09, 0.16], p < 0.001). Proportion of deaths attributable to PCa was similar in both groups: 73 of 263 deaths (28%) in the 80-89 group vs 97 of 310 deaths (31%) in the 70-79 group. The risk of PCa mortality in individuals treated with curative intent was reduced in both groups. The proportion of PCa deaths was similar in both groups. These findings support carefully selected individualized management of elderly patients diagnosed with localized PCa. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  1. Spatial-Sequential Working Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Age Predicts Backward Recall Performance within Both Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Louise A.

    2016-01-01

    Working memory is vulnerable to age-related decline, but there is debate regarding the age-sensitivity of different forms of spatial-sequential working memory task, depending on their passive or active nature. The functional architecture of spatial working memory was therefore explored in younger (18–40 years) and older (64–85 years) adults, using passive and active recall tasks. Spatial working memory was assessed using a modified version of the Spatial Span subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale – Third Edition (WMS-III; Wechsler, 1998). Across both age groups, the effects of interference (control, visual, or spatial), and recall type (forward and backward), were investigated. There was a clear effect of age group, with younger adults demonstrating a larger spatial working memory capacity than the older adults overall. There was also a specific effect of interference, with the spatial interference task (spatial tapping) reliably reducing performance relative to both the control and visual interference (dynamic visual noise) conditions in both age groups and both recall types. This suggests that younger and older adults have similar dependence upon active spatial rehearsal, and that both forward and backward recall require this processing capacity. Linear regression analyses were then carried out within each age group, to assess the predictors of performance in each recall format (forward and backward). Specifically the backward recall task was significantly predicted by age, within both the younger and older adult groups. This finding supports previous literature showing lifespan linear declines in spatial-sequential working memory, and in working memory tasks from other domains, but contrasts with previous evidence that backward spatial span is no more sensitive to aging than forward span. The study suggests that backward spatial span is indeed more processing-intensive than forward span, even when both tasks include a retention period, and that age predicts

  2. Spatial-Sequential Working Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Age Predicts Backward Recall Performance within Both Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Brown, Louise A

    2016-01-01

    Working memory is vulnerable to age-related decline, but there is debate regarding the age-sensitivity of different forms of spatial-sequential working memory task, depending on their passive or active nature. The functional architecture of spatial working memory was therefore explored in younger (18-40 years) and older (64-85 years) adults, using passive and active recall tasks. Spatial working memory was assessed using a modified version of the Spatial Span subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale - Third Edition (WMS-III; Wechsler, 1998). Across both age groups, the effects of interference (control, visual, or spatial), and recall type (forward and backward), were investigated. There was a clear effect of age group, with younger adults demonstrating a larger spatial working memory capacity than the older adults overall. There was also a specific effect of interference, with the spatial interference task (spatial tapping) reliably reducing performance relative to both the control and visual interference (dynamic visual noise) conditions in both age groups and both recall types. This suggests that younger and older adults have similar dependence upon active spatial rehearsal, and that both forward and backward recall require this processing capacity. Linear regression analyses were then carried out within each age group, to assess the predictors of performance in each recall format (forward and backward). Specifically the backward recall task was significantly predicted by age, within both the younger and older adult groups. This finding supports previous literature showing lifespan linear declines in spatial-sequential working memory, and in working memory tasks from other domains, but contrasts with previous evidence that backward spatial span is no more sensitive to aging than forward span. The study suggests that backward spatial span is indeed more processing-intensive than forward span, even when both tasks include a retention period, and that age predicts

  3. Changing incidence patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma among age groups in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hung, Giun-Yi; Horng, Jiun-Lin; Yen, Hsiu-Ju; Lee, Chih-Ying; Lin, Li-Yih

    2015-12-01

    This study examined and compared the incidence patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma among age groups in Taiwan, 30 years after a universal hepatitis B virus immunization program was launched. Data for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed in 2003-2011 were collected from the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated to analyze and compare the changes in incidence rates and trends. More specific analyses were performed on four age groups separated by sex. A total of 82,856 patients were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma in 2003-2011 in Taiwan, yielding an age-standardized incidence rate of 32.97 per 100,000 person-years. Hepatocellular carcinoma was predominantly diagnosed in middle-aged adults (50.1%) and elderly people (49.1%), in contrast to the low incidences in children (0.04%) and adolescents and young adults (0.8%). Striking variations in trends were found for children (annual percent change: -16.6%, 2003-2010) and adolescents and young adults (annual percent change: -7.9%, 2003-2011). The incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in children decreased to zero in 2011; only a slight decline in trends occurred for the middle-aged group (annual percent change: -2%, 2003-2011), and a slight upward trend was observed for elderly people (1.3%), specifically in women (1.7%). In Taiwan, hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma was nearly eradicated in children in 2011. The findings on age-specific incidence patterns and trends of hepatocellular carcinoma suggest that different control strategies for treating this devastating disease in the future be made according to age. Copyright © 2015 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. White matter changes and word finding failures with increasing age.

    PubMed

    Stamatakis, Emmanuel A; Shafto, Meredith A; Williams, Guy; Tam, Phyllis; Tyler, Lorraine K

    2011-01-07

    Increasing life expectancy necessitates the better understanding of the neurophysiological underpinnings of age-related cognitive changes. The majority of research examining structural-cognitive relationships in aging focuses on the role of age-related changes to grey matter integrity. In the current study, we examined the relationship between age-related changes in white matter and language production. More specifically, we concentrated on word-finding failures, which increase with age. We used Diffusion tensor MRI (a technique used to image, in vivo, the diffusion of water molecules in brain tissue) to relate white matter integrity to measures of successful and unsuccessful picture naming. Diffusion tensor images were used to calculate Fractional Anisotropy (FA) images. FA is considered to be a measure of white matter organization/integrity. FA images were related to measures of successful picture naming and to word finding failures using voxel-based linear regression analyses. Successful naming rates correlated positively with white matter integrity across a broad range of regions implicated in language production. However, word finding failure rates correlated negatively with a more restricted region in the posterior aspect of superior longitudinal fasciculus. The use of DTI-MRI provides evidence for the relationship between age-related white matter changes in specific language regions and word finding failures in old age.

  5. The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.; And Others

    In six brief chapters, mixed-age grouping of young children in schools and child care centers is explored and advocated. Chapter 1 defines mixed-age grouping, examines limitations of single-age grouping, and points out positive characteristics of mixed-age classes. Chapter 2 discusses social development as seen in children's interactions in…

  6. QuickStats: Percentage* of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Cannot or Find It Very Difficult to Stand or Be on Their Feet for About 2 Hours Without Using Special Equipment,† by Age Group and Sex - National Health Interview Survey,§ United States, 2015.

    PubMed

    2016-12-02

    A reported 10.2% of adults aged ≥18 years cannot, or find it very difficult to, stand or be on their feet for about 2 hours without using special equipment. The percentage of adults who reported this difficulty increased with age: 2.9% of those aged 18-44 years, 11.8% of those aged 45-64 years, 19.1% of those 65-74 years, and 33.2% of those aged ≥75 years. Overall, women were more likely (11.9%) than men (8.3%) to report this difficulty, and higher percentages were noted for women within each age group.

  7. Mixed Age Grouping for Gifted Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouchard, Lorraine L.

    1991-01-01

    The application of mixed-age grouping at Rainard School (Houston, Texas), a private school for gifted students, is described. Discussed are advantages (such as encouraging cooperation instead of competition), the optimum age spread, the differentiated and individualized curriculum, parent reactions, teacher reactions, and difficulties. (DB)

  8. Quality Care through Multi-Age Grouping of Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prendergast, Leo

    2002-01-01

    Asserts that multi-age grouping in early childhood settings can and does work. Addresses four main hurdles to successful implementation: (1) laws and regulations that act as barriers; (2) health concerns; (3) overcoming educational values that conflict with those of the age-grouped classroom; and (4) staff misunderstanding of multi-age grouping…

  9. Gaze distribution analysis and saliency prediction across age groups.

    PubMed

    Krishna, Onkar; Helo, Andrea; Rämä, Pia; Aizawa, Kiyoharu

    2018-01-01

    Knowledge of the human visual system helps to develop better computational models of visual attention. State-of-the-art models have been developed to mimic the visual attention system of young adults that, however, largely ignore the variations that occur with age. In this paper, we investigated how visual scene processing changes with age and we propose an age-adapted framework that helps to develop a computational model that can predict saliency across different age groups. Our analysis uncovers how the explorativeness of an observer varies with age, how well saliency maps of an age group agree with fixation points of observers from the same or different age groups, and how age influences the center bias tendency. We analyzed the eye movement behavior of 82 observers belonging to four age groups while they explored visual scenes. Explorative- ness was quantified in terms of the entropy of a saliency map, and area under the curve (AUC) metrics was used to quantify the agreement analysis and the center bias tendency. Analysis results were used to develop age adapted saliency models. Our results suggest that the proposed age-adapted saliency model outperforms existing saliency models in predicting the regions of interest across age groups.

  10. RDT accuracy based on age group in hypoendemic malaria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siahaan, L.; Panggabean, M.; Panggabean, Y. C.

    2018-03-01

    Malaria is still one of the problem of community health in Sumatera. This study was carried out to compare RDT accuracy in some groups of age in hypoendemic malaria. The microscopy test was investigated by 3% Giemsa Staining and examined by a trained laboratory technician. RDT was carried out by using Monotes Test Drive. The accuracy of RDT diagnostic was commonly significant in all groups of age, exceptin thegroup of age > 65 years old (p=0.393). The highest sensitivity of RDT was commonly inagroup of age ≤ 5 years old and decreased in the older group of age. Otherwise, the lowest specificity was found in agroup of age ≤ 5 years old and the highest in agroup of age 6-15 years old.The highest PPV and NPV was found inagroup of age 16-65 years old and ≤ 5 years old, respectively. The highest of parasite density was found in a group of age ≤ 5 years old (644.4±494.5parasite/μl) and the lowest in agroup of age > 65 years (400±490.71parasite/μl). The accurate diagnosis of RDT reduces by increasing of age.

  11. Older Australians' views about the impact of ageing on their nutritional practices: findings from a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Brownie, Sonya

    2013-06-01

    To explore older people's views about how getting older has influenced their dietary practices. Focus groups with independently living residents aged 60 years and older in northern NSW, Australia. An inductive approach to thematic analysis was used. Five focus groups (n= 29) were conducted. The majority of participants were women (79%), mean age 73 years. The main findings were that reduced ability to eat large meals; health maintenance and disease management; food messages; food taste and convenience; and living arrangements appear to impact food choices and eating behaviour in this sample. In the presence of reduced and/or modified food intake, older people might benefit from an understanding of the concept of nutrient density in order to help them attain and maintain nutritional adequacy. Lifelong exposure to food messages (sometimes conflicting) resulted in many participants feeling confused about appropriate dietary practices for this age group. © 2012 The Author; Australasian Journal on Ageing © 2012 ACOTA.

  12. Clinical Features and Polysomnographic Findings in Greek Male Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Differences Regarding the Age

    PubMed Central

    George, Efremidis; Katerina, Varela; Maria, Spyropoulou; Lambros, Beroukas; Konstantina, Nikoloutsou; Dimitrios, Georgopoulos

    2012-01-01

    Background-Aim. Although sleep disturbance is a common complaint among patients of all ages, research suggests that older adults are particularly vulnerable. The aim of this retrospective study was to elucidate the influence of age on clinical characteristics and polysomnographic findings of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) between elderly and younger male patients in a Greek population. Methods. 697 male patients with OSAS were examined from December 2001 to August 2011. All subjects underwent an attended overnight polysomnography (PSG). They were divided into two groups: young and middle-aged (<65 years old) and elderly (≥65 years old). We evaluated the severity of OSAS, based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and the duration of apnea-hypopnea events, the duration of hypoxemia during total sleep time (TST) and during REM and NREM sleep, and the oxygen saturation in REM and in NREM sleep. Results. PSG studies showed that elderly group had significant higher duration of apnea-hypopnea events, longer hypoxemia in TST and in NREM sleep, as well as lower oxygen saturation in REM and NREM sleep than the younger group. Otherwise, significant correlation between BMI and neck circumference with AHI was observed in both groups. Conclusions. The higher percentages of hypoxemia during sleep and longer duration of apnea-hypopnea events that were observed in the elderly group might be explained by increased propensity for pharyngeal collapse and increased deposition of parapharyngeal fat, which are associated with aging. Another factor that could explain these findings might be a decreased partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) due to age-related changes in the respiratory system. PMID:23470883

  13. Age determination in manatees using growth-layer-group counts in bone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marmontel, M.; O'Shea, T.J.; Kochman, H.I.; Humphrey, S.R.

    1996-01-01

    Growth layers were observed in histological preparations of bones of known-age, known minimum-age, and tetracycline-marked free-ranging and captive Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), substantiating earlier preliminary findings of other studies. Detailed analysis of 17 new case histories showed that growth-layer group (GLG) counts in the periotic bone were consistent with known age, or time since tetracycline administration, but were less reliable in other bones. GLG counts were also made in periotic bones of 1,196 Florida manatees of unknown age found dead from 1974 through 1991. These counts were conducted in order to assess variability and to determine relationships among estimated age, size, sex, and degree of bone resorption. Resorption can interfere with accuracy of GLG counts. This effect does not occur until ages greater than about 15 yr and body lengths greater than 300 cm are attained. GLGs were also observed in periotic bones of Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) but were not validated against known-age specimens. Use of GLG counts in the periotic bone is suitable for application to studies of population dynamics and other age-related aspects of manatee biology.

  14. Vulnerability to unhealthy behaviours across different age groups in Swedish Adolescents: a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Paulsson Do, Ulrica; Edlund, Birgitta; Stenhammar, Christina; Westerling, Ragnar

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: There is lack of evidence on the effects of health-promoting programmes among adolescents. Health behaviour models and studies seldom compare the underlying factors of unhealthy behaviours between different adolescent age groups. The main objective of this study was to investigate factors including sociodemographic parameters that were associated with vulnerability to health-damaging behaviours and non-adoption of health-enhancing behaviours in different adolescent age groups. Methods: A survey was conducted among 10,590 pupils in the age groups of 13–14, 15–16 and 17–18 years. Structural equation modelling was performed to determine whether health-damaging behaviours (smoking and alcohol consumption) and non-adoption of health-enhancing behaviours (regular meal habits and physical activity) shared an underlying vulnerability. This method was also used to determine whether gender and socio-economic status were associated with an underlying vulnerability to unhealthy behaviours. Results: The findings gave rise to three models, which may reflect the underlying vulnerability to health-damaging behaviours and non-adoption of health-enhancing behaviours at different ages during adolescence. The four behaviours shared what was interpreted as an underlying vulnerability in the 15–16-year-old age group. In the youngest group, all behaviours except for non-participation in physical activity shared an underlying vulnerability. Similarly, alcohol consumption did not form part of the underlying vulnerability in the oldest group. Lower socio-economic status was associated with an underlying vulnerability in all the age groups; female gender was associated with vulnerability in the youngest adolescents and male gender among the oldest adolescents. Conclusions: These results suggest that intervention studies should investigate the benefits of health-promoting programmes designed to prevent health-damaging behaviours and promote health-enhancing behaviours in

  15. Misclassification due to age grouping in measures of child development.

    PubMed

    Veldhuizen, Scott; Rodriguez, Christine; Wade, Terrance J; Cairney, John

    2015-03-01

    Screens for developmental delay generally provide a set of norms for different age groups. Development varies continuously with age, however, and applying a single criterion for an age range will inevitably produce misclassifications. In this report, we estimate the resulting error rate for one example: the cognitive subscale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Data come from a general population sample of 594 children (305 male) aged 1 month to 42.5 months who received the BSID-III as part of a validation study. We used regression models to estimate the mean and variance of the cognitive subscale as a function of age. We then used these results to generate a dataset of one million simulated participants and compared their status before and after division into age groups. Finally, we applied broader age bands used in two other instruments and explored likely validity limitations when different instruments are compared. When BSID-III age groups are used, 15% of cases are missed and 15% of apparent cases are false positives. Wider age groups produced error rates from 27% to 46%. Comparison of different age groups suggests that sensitivity in validation studies would be limited, under certain assumptions, to 70% or less. The use of age groups produces a large number of misclassifications. Although affected children will usually be close to the threshold, this may lead to misreferrals. Results may help to explain the poor measured agreement of development screens. Scoring methods that treat child age as continuous would improve instrument accuracy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  16. Relationship Between Age at Onset of Symptoms and Intraoperative Findings in Hip Arthroscopic Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Suarez-Ahedo, Carlos; Gui, Chengcheng; Rabe, Stephanie M.; Walsh, John P.; Chandrasekaran, Sivashankar; Domb, Benjamin G.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Hip arthroscopic surgery is intended to treat multiple abnormalities in an effort to delay the progression to osteoarthritis, especially in young patients. However, the length of time in which patients experience joint pain before seeking a specialist for a diagnosis can delay hip preservation surgery and influence clinical outcomes. Purpose: To investigate the relationship between age at symptom onset and findings during hip arthroscopic surgery as well as outcomes after 2 years of clinical follow-up. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: From February 2008 to March 2015, data were prospectively collected on all patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery at a single institution. Anatomic and pathological characteristics were recorded intraoperatively. The mean age at onset of symptoms was calculated and correlated with intraoperative findings using Pearson correlation and logistic regression. All patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively with 4 patient-reported outcome measures: the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), the Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), the Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), and the Hip Outcome Score–Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS). Pain was estimated using a visual analog scale (VAS). Furthermore, patients with an age at onset of symptoms below the mean (34.6 years) were compared with those of an age at onset of symptoms above the mean. The 2 groups were compared using the Student t test and the chi-square test. P values <.05 were considered significant. Results: A total of 1697 patients met the inclusion criteria. Body mass index was weakly correlated with age (r = 0.3). Younger patients had a lower prevalence of combined Seldes type 1 and 2 labral tears; acetabular labrum articular disruption (ALAD) grade 2, 3, and 4 acetabular chondral lesions; and Outerbridge grade 2, 3, and 4 femoral head chondral lesions (P < .05 for all). More advanced age was correlated with wider

  17. Revisiting measurement invariance in intelligence testing in aging research: Evidence for almost complete metric invariance across age groups.

    PubMed

    Sprague, Briana N; Hyun, Jinshil; Molenaar, Peter C M

    2017-01-01

    Invariance of intelligence across age is often assumed but infrequently explicitly tested. Horn and McArdle (1992) tested measurement invariance of intelligence, providing adequate model fit but might not consider all relevant aspects such as sub-test differences. The goal of the current paper is to explore age-related invariance of the WAIS-R using an alternative model that allows direct tests of age on WAIS-R subtests. Cross-sectional data on 940 participants aged 16-75 from the WAIS-R normative values were used. Subtests examined were information, comprehension, similarities, vocabulary, picture completion, block design, picture arrangement, and object assembly. The two intelligence factors considered were fluid and crystallized intelligence. Self-reported ages were divided into young (16-22, n = 300), adult (29-39, n = 275), middle (40-60, n = 205), and older (61-75, n = 160) adult groups. Results suggested partial metric invariance holds. Although most of the subtests reflected fluid and crystalized intelligence similarly across different ages, invariance did not hold for block design on fluid intelligence and picture arrangement on crystallized intelligence for older adults. Additionally, there was evidence of a correlated residual between information and vocabulary for the young adults only. This partial metric invariance model yielded acceptable model fit compared to previously-proposed invariance models of Horn and McArdle (1992). Almost complete metric invariance holds for a two-factor model of intelligence. Most of the subtests were invariant across age groups, suggesting little evidence for age-related bias in the WAIS-R. However, we did find unique relationships between two subtests and intelligence. Future studies should examine age-related differences in subtests when testing measurement invariance in intelligence.

  18. The relationship between age-stereotypes and health locus of control across adult age-groups.

    PubMed

    Sargent-Cox, Kerry; Anstey, Kaarin J

    2015-01-01

    This study integrates healthy ageing and health psychology theories to explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between health control expectancies and age-attitudes on the process of ageing well. Specifically, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between age-stereotypes and health locus of control. A population-based survey of 739 adults aged 20-97 years (mean = 57.3 years, SD = 13.66; 42% female) explored attitudes towards ageing and health attitudes. A path-analytical approach was used to investigate moderating effects of age and gender. Higher age-stereotype endorsement was associated with higher chance (β = 2.91, p < .001) and powerful other (β = 1.07, p = .012) health expectancies, after controlling for age, gender, education and self-rated health. Significant age and gender interactions were found to influence the relationship between age-stereotypes and internal health locus of control. Our findings suggest that the relationship between age-stereotypes and health locus of control dimensions must be considered within the context of age and gender. The findings point to the importance of targeting health promotion and interventions through addressing negative age-attitudes.

  19. A Comparison of Multi-Age and Homogeneous Age Grouping in Early Childhood Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freedman, Paula

    Studies from several countries are described in this review of literature pertinent to assigning day care children to multi-age or homogeneous age groups. Three issues are discussed in this regard: (1) What difference does it make how one groups children? The answer is that a profound difference to children, staff, and parents may occur in terms…

  20. Testing the accuracy of redshift-space group-finding algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederic, James J.

    1995-04-01

    Using simulated redshift surveys generated from a high-resolution N-body cosmological structure simulation, we study algorithms used to identify groups of galaxies in redshift space. Two algorithms are investigated; both are friends-of-friends schemes with variable linking lengths in the radial and transverse dimenisons. The chief difference between the algorithms is in the redshift linking length. The algorithm proposed by Huchra & Geller (1982) uses a generous linking length designed to find 'fingers of god,' while that of Nolthenius & White (1987) uses a smaller linking length to minimize contamination by projection. We find that neither of the algorithms studied is intrinsically superior to the other; rather, the ideal algorithm as well as the ideal algorithm parameters depends on the purpose for which groups are to be studied. The Huchra & Geller algorithm misses few real groups, at the cost of including some spurious groups and members, while the Nolthenius & White algorithm misses high velocity dispersion groups and members but is less likely to include interlopers in its group assignments. Adjusting the parameters of either algorithm results in a trade-off between group accuracy and completeness. In a companion paper we investigate the accuracy of virial mass estimates and clustering properties of groups identified using these algorithms.

  1. Executive functions and sustained attention: Comparison between age groups of 19-39 and 40-59 years old.

    PubMed

    de Oliveira, Camila Rosa; Pedron, Ana Cristina; Gurgel, Léia Gonçalves; Reppold, Caroline Tozzi; Fonseca, Rochele Paz

    2012-01-01

    Few studies involving the cognition of middle-aged adults are available in the international literature, particularly investigating the process of cognitive aging, executive components and attention. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in performance on neuropsychological tasks of executive functions and sustained attention between two age groups. The sample consisted of 87 adults aged from 19 to 59 years old, divided into two groups according to the age variable (younger adults and middle-aged adults). All participants were Brazilian and had no sensory, psychiatric or neurological disorders; subjects also had no history of alcohol abuse, and no self-reported use of illicit drugs or antipsychotics. The neuropsychological instruments administered were the Hayling Test, Trail Making Test, Bells Test and verbal fluency tasks. Groups showed no significant differences in relation to sociodemographic variables, educational level or frequency of reading and writing habits. The younger adult group performed better than the middle-aged group on tasks that involved mainly processing speed, cognitive flexibility and lexical search. These findings serve as a valuable reference for cognitive processing in middle-aged adults, since a large number of comparative studies focus only on the younger and later phases of adulthood. Additional studies are needed to investigate possible interaction between different factors such as age and education.

  2. Executive functions and sustained attention: Comparison between age groups of 19-39 and 40-59 years old

    PubMed Central

    de Oliveira, Camila Rosa; Pedron, Ana Cristina; Gurgel, Léia Gonçalves; Reppold, Caroline Tozzi; Fonseca, Rochele Paz

    2012-01-01

    Few studies involving the cognition of middle-aged adults are available in the international literature, particularly investigating the process of cognitive aging, executive components and attention. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in performance on neuropsychological tasks of executive functions and sustained attention between two age groups. Methods The sample consisted of 87 adults aged from 19 to 59 years old, divided into two groups according to the age variable (younger adults and middle-aged adults). All participants were Brazilian and had no sensory, psychiatric or neurological disorders; subjects also had no history of alcohol abuse, and no self-reported use of illicit drugs or antipsychotics. The neuropsychological instruments administered were the Hayling Test, Trail Making Test, Bells Test and verbal fluency tasks. Results Groups showed no significant differences in relation to sociodemographic variables, educational level or frequency of reading and writing habits. The younger adult group performed better than the middle-aged group on tasks that involved mainly processing speed, cognitive flexibility and lexical search. Conclusions These findings serve as a valuable reference for cognitive processing in middle-aged adults, since a large number of comparative studies focus only on the younger and later phases of adulthood. Additional studies are needed to investigate possible interaction between different factors such as age and education. PMID:29213769

  3. Population-based age group specific annual incidence rates of symptomatic age-related macular degeneration.

    PubMed

    Saari, Jukka M

    2014-01-01

    To study the population-based annual incidence rates of exudative, dry and all cases of symptomatic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in different age and sex groups. This is a one year, prospective, population-based study on all consecutive new patients with AMD in the hospital district of Central Finland. The diagnosis was confirmed in all patients with slit lamp biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT) using a Spectralis HRA + OCT device, and the Heidelberg Eye Explorer 1.6.2.0 program. Fluorescein angiograms were taken when needed. The population-based annual incidence rates of all cases of symptomatic AMD increased from 0.03% (95% CI, 0.01-0.05%) in the age group 50-59 years to 0.82% (95% CI, 0.55-1.09%) in the age group 85-89 years and were 0.2% (95% CI, 0.17-0.24%) in exudative, 0.11% (95% CI, 0.09-0.14%) in dry, and 0.32% (95% CI, 0.28-0.36%) in all cases of AMD in the age group 60 years and older. During the next 20 years in Central Finland the population-based annual incidence rates can be estimated to increase to 0.27% (95% CI, 0.24-0.30%) in exudative, to 0.13% (95% CI, 0.11-0.15%) in dry, and to 0.41% (95% CI, 0.37-0.45%) in all cases of AMD in the age group 60 years and older. The population-based annual incidence of AMD did not show statistically significant differences between males and females (p>0.1). The population-based age-group specific annual incidence rates of symptomatic AMD of this study may help to plan health care provision for patients of AMD.

  4. Episodic memory, concentrated attention and processing speed in aging: A comparative study of Brazilian age groups.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Rochele Paz; Zimmermann, Nicolle; Scherer, Lilian Cristine; Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta; Ska, Bernadette

    2010-01-01

    Neuropsychological studies on the processing of some specific cognitive functions throughout aging are essential for the understanding of human cognitive development from ages 19 to 89. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of differences in the processing of episodic memory, concentrated attention and speed of attentional processing among four age groups of adults. A total of 136 neurologically healthy adults, aged 19-89, with 9 or more years of schooling, took part in the study. Participants were divided according to four age groups: young, middle-aged, elderly and oldest old adults. Subtests of the Brief Neuropsychological Evaluation Instrument (NEUPSILIN) were applied for the cognitive assessment. Mean score of corrected answers and of response times were compared between groups by means of a one-way ANOVA test with post-hoc Scheffe procedures and ANCOVA including the co-variables of years of schooling and socio-economical scores. In general, differences in performance were observed from 60 years old on. Only the episodic memory task of delayed recall reflected differences from the age of around 40 onwards and processing speed from around the age of 70 onwards. Thus, differences were found between the age groups regarding their cognitive performance, particularly between young adults and elderly adults, and young adults and oldest old adults. Our research indicates that the middle-aged group should be better analyzed and that comparative cross-sectional studies including only extreme groups such as young and elderly adults are not sufficient.

  5. First-trimester translucency: aneuploidy, sonographic findings, and maternal age.

    PubMed

    Mahieu-Caputo, D; Dommergues, M; Morichon-Delvallez, N; Aubry, M C; Wekemans, M; Dumez, Y

    1996-01-01

    The positive predictive value of 1st-trimester nuchal translucency for the diagnosis of fetal aneuploidy is reported to range from 19 to 72% in retrospective series and from 2.8 to 4.8% in prospective studies. In order to analyze the biases accounting for such discrepancies, we retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of 66 cases of translucency and studied the rate of aneuploidy as a function of sonographic findings and maternal age. The aneuploidy rate was significantly higher in the 23 cases in whom translucency involved the fetal trunk (65%) than in the 43 cases in whom translucency was confined to the nuchal area (16%). This rate was not significantly higher in septated translucencies. These trends persisted after adjustment for maternal age, but the rate of chromosomal anomalies was twice lower in younger mothers. Among the 46 cases in whom the maternal age was < 35 years, 10% of the 30 fetuses with localized nuchal translucency had an abnormal karyotype. In contrast, the rate of aneuploidy was 85% among the 7 cases with diffuse translucency for whom the maternal age was 35 years or above. These findings confirm that both maternal age and size of the translucency should be taken into account to evaluate the risks of aneuploidy.

  6. Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia across age groups: a case-control study.

    PubMed

    Mosiołek, Anna; Gierus, Jacek; Koweszko, Tytus; Szulc, Agata

    2016-02-24

    The potential dynamics of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is discussed in the literature of the field. Recent publications suggest modest changes in level of cognitive impairment after first psychotic episode. Present article attempts to explore cognitive differences between patients and controls across age groups and differences between age groups in clinical group. One hundred and twenty-eight hospitalized patients with schizophrenia (64 women and 64 men) and 68 individuals from the control group (32 women and 32 men) aged 18-55 years were examined. The patients were divided into age groups (18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55). Both groups were examined using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Trail Making Test (A and B), Stroop Test, verbal fluency test and Wechsler digit span. Patients with schizophrenia obtained significantly lower scores versus the control group in regard to all the measured cognitive functions (Mann-Whitney U; p < 0.05. Most deficits were present in all age groups, however, statistically important impairment in executive functions (WCST) were present only in "older" groups. Patients with schizophrenia obtained less favourable results than the control group in all age groups. Deficits regarding executive functions do not seem to be at a significant level among the youngest group, whereas they are more noticeable in the group of 46-55-year-olds. Executive functions are significantly lowered in the group aged 36-45 in comparison to the "younger" groups. The level of cognitive functions shows a mild exacerbation in connection with age, whereas cognitive rigidity proved to be related to the number of years spent without hospital treatment.

  7. An adolescent age group approach to examining youth risk behaviors.

    PubMed

    Oman, Roy F; McLeroy, Kenneth R; Vesely, Sara; Aspy, Cheryl B; Smith, David W; Penn, David A

    2002-01-01

    To investigate relationships among youth risk behaviors and demographic factors using an adolescent age group approach. Cross-sectional data from a randomly selected population. Risk behaviors were compared within specific demographic factors and by adolescent age groups. Racially diverse, inner-city neighborhoods in two midwestern cities. Teenagers (n = 1350) and parents (n = 1350) of the teenagers. Truancy; arrested/picked up by police; weapon carrying; fighting; sexual intercourse; tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; demographic factors; and family structure. Youth mean age was 15.4 (+/- 1.7) years and 52% were female; racial/ethnic characteristics were 47% White, 22% Black, 19% Hispanic, and 10% Native American. Parents' mean age was 42.2 (+/- 8.4) years and 81% were female. chi 2 analyses indicated numerous significant (p < .05) youth risk behavior differences within the demographic factors and that many of the differences varied by adolescent age group. For example, risk behavior differences within racial/ethnic groups were most profound in the middle and older age groups, whereas risk behavior differences within parent income, education levels, and family structure were most apparent in the younger age groups. Of the demographic factors, family structure was most frequently associated with the risk behaviors. The results generally suggest that the relationships among risk behaviors and demographic factors vary within the adolescent age groups included in this study. The results will be useful for developing age-appropriate prevention programs for youth who fit the profile for these risk behaviors. The study protocol also includes specific sampling methods that may be useful for future studies that intend to collect data from difficult-to-reach populations.

  8. Social Interaction and Types of Play in Mixed-Age and Same-Age Groups in Early-Childhood Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umek, Ljubica Marjanovic; Lesnik, Petra

    This study compared the social interaction and types of symbolic play found in mixed-age and same-age preschool groups. The sample included 8 groups of 14 to 20 children, which were naturally formed and had been operating since the beginning of the school year. The four same-age groups included a group of 3- to 4-year-olds, a group of 4- to…

  9. Prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers in various age groups.

    PubMed

    Wess, G; Schulze, A; Butz, V; Simak, J; Killich, M; Keller, L J M; Maeurer, J; Hartmann, K

    2010-01-01

    Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers is an autosomal dominant inherited disease. The prevalence of DCM in Doberman Pinschers of various age groups in Europe is currently unknown, but this information would be important to develop recommendations for screening programs. To evaluate the prevalence of cardiomyopathy in various age groups of Dobermans. Seven hundred and seventy-five examinations in 412 Doberman Pinschers. Dogs were included in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Each examination included echocardiography and 24-hour ECG (Holter) examination. A cut-off value of >100 ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) per 24 hours on Holter examination or abnormal echocardiography was considered diagnostic for cardiomyopathy. The cumulative prevalence included all dogs with DCM and healthy dogs >7 years of age. DCM prevalence in various age groups was as follows: age group 1 (1 to <2 years) 3.3%, age group 2 (2 to <4 years) 9.9%, age group 3 (4 to <6 years) 12.5%, age group 4 (6 to <8 years) 43.6%, and age group 5 (>8 years) 44.1%. The cumulative prevalence of Doberman Pinscher cardiomyopathy was 58.2%. There was an equal sex distribution, but male dogs showed earlier echocardiographic changes than did female dogs, which had significantly more VPCs. The prevalence of Doberman cardiomyopathy is very high in Europe. Disease manifestation and progression are different between male and female dogs. Yearly screening for DCM by Holter examination and echocardiography is recommended, starting at 2 years of age.

  10. [Healthy Aging at Work - Group Intervention in Middle Aged Nurses].

    PubMed

    Maatouk, Imad; Helaß, Madeleine

    2018-05-30

    Demographic change leads to shifting demands in patient care, not only due to older and sicker patients, but also due to ageing and potentially strained nursing staff. High job strain is known to be associated with an intention to leave the job. At the same time prevalence of mental distress is already high. The aim of our work was to develop a small group intervention to prevent mental strain and to enhance healthy ageing at work. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  11. Manual handling of highway kerbs--focus group findings.

    PubMed

    Bust, P D; Gibb, A G F; Haslam, R A

    2005-07-01

    The manual handling of concrete highway kerbs remains commonplace in the construction industry despite obvious risks to operatives. This study was undertaken to find out why kerb installation still includes manual handling, to identify the alternatives that exist and to consider how the organisation of the work affects exposure to risk. Focus groups were held with industry professionals to discuss kerb design, installation and the training of operatives, with site visits and interviews undertaken to place the focus group findings in context. The focus group discussions highlighted manufacturer's "myopia", a lack of installation knowledge of designers and shortfalls in training for installation work. It was concluded that risks to the health of construction workers remain as they are not considered in the design of the product, design of the work or ameliorated by adequate risk assessment. Recommendations from the research are that a pro-active approach to health needs to be adopted by the manufacturers of heavy construction products. Designers of work requiring the use of heavy products need to have more experience of site operations, and education and training in manual handling is desirable at all levels in construction organisations.

  12. Finding a Comparison Group: Is Online Crowdsourcing a Viable Option?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Azzam, Tarek; Jacobson, Miriam R.

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the viability of online crowdsourcing for creating matched-comparison groups. This exploratory study compares survey results from a randomized control group to survey results from a matched-comparison group created from Amazon.com's MTurk crowdsourcing service to determine their comparability. Study findings indicate…

  13. Determination of age, sex, and blood group from a single tooth.

    PubMed

    Nayar, Amit K; Parhar, Swati; Thind, Gagandeep; Sharma, Aman; Sharma, Divya

    2017-01-01

    Human identification is one of the most challenging subjects that human has been confronted with. Through the ages, odontological examinations have been a critical determinant in the search of human identity. Data in the form of age, gender, and blood group might provide vital clues in such investigations. In the recent times, it has been often desirable to preserve tissues for further investigations following the unfolding of certain events or discovery of new data. Hence, it is important to gather as much data as possible using less tissue. The purpose of this study was to determine age, sex, and ABO blood group of individual from a single tooth, to determine the effect of different environmental conditions, and to extract maximum information also at the same time preserving some tissue for the further investigation whenever needed. The study sample consisted of sixty teeth divided into four groups under different environmental conditions and time. The teeth were sectioned longitudinally in the buccolingual plane along the midline. Longitudinal ground sections of each tooth were prepared for age determination from cemental lines. Pulp removed was divided into two halves thereafter sex and blood group was determined. For correlation of age between estimated age and actual age, using cemental lines Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied. Further for determination of both sex and blood group between groups, Chi-square test was applied. A strong positive correlation was found between the estimated age and actual age of the study groups. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the actual and determined sex and blood group of the study groups. Although age, sex, and blood group are more reliably determined in freshly extracted teeth, these variables may be of significant help in identification even after a period of 6 weeks postextraction.

  14. Maximum Bite Force Analysis in Different Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Takaki, Patricia; Vieira, Marilena; Bommarito, Silvana

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Maximum bite force (MBF) is the maximum force performed by the subject on the fragmentation of food, directly related with the mastication and determined by many factors. Objective Analyze the MBF of subjects according to age groups. Methods One hundred individuals from the city of São Paulo were equally divided according to age groups and gender. Each individual submitted to a myotherapy evaluation composed of anthropometric measurements of height and weight to obtain body mass index (BMI), using a tape and a digital scale (Magna, G-life, São Paulo), and a dental condition and maximum bite force evaluation, using a digital dynamometer model DDK/M (Kratos, São Paulo, Brazil), on Newton scale. The dental and bite force evaluations were monitored by a professional from the area. Analysis of variance was used with MBF as a dependent variable, age group and gender as random factors, and BMI as a control variable. Results Till the end of adolescence, it was possible to observe a decrease in MBF in both sexes, with the male force greater than the female force. In young adults, the female force became greater the males, then decreased in adulthood. There was no correlation between MBF and BMI. Conclusion There are MBF variations that characterizes the human development stages, according to age groups. PMID:25992105

  15. A Method for Finding Metabolic Pathways Using Atomic Group Tracking.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yiran; Zhong, Cheng; Lin, Hai Xiang; Wang, Jianyi

    2017-01-01

    A fundamental computational problem in metabolic engineering is to find pathways between compounds. Pathfinding methods using atom tracking have been widely used to find biochemically relevant pathways. However, these methods require the user to define the atoms to be tracked. This may lead to failing to predict the pathways that do not conserve the user-defined atoms. In this work, we propose a pathfinding method called AGPathFinder to find biochemically relevant metabolic pathways between two given compounds. In AGPathFinder, we find alternative pathways by tracking the movement of atomic groups through metabolic networks and use combined information of reaction thermodynamics and compound similarity to guide the search towards more feasible pathways and better performance. The experimental results show that atomic group tracking enables our method to find pathways without the need of defining the atoms to be tracked, avoid hub metabolites, and obtain biochemically meaningful pathways. Our results also demonstrate that atomic group tracking, when incorporated with combined information of reaction thermodynamics and compound similarity, improves the quality of the found pathways. In most cases, the average compound inclusion accuracy and reaction inclusion accuracy for the top resulting pathways of our method are around 0.90 and 0.70, respectively, which are better than those of the existing methods. Additionally, AGPathFinder provides the information of thermodynamic feasibility and compound similarity for the resulting pathways.

  16. A Method for Finding Metabolic Pathways Using Atomic Group Tracking

    PubMed Central

    Zhong, Cheng; Lin, Hai Xiang; Wang, Jianyi

    2017-01-01

    A fundamental computational problem in metabolic engineering is to find pathways between compounds. Pathfinding methods using atom tracking have been widely used to find biochemically relevant pathways. However, these methods require the user to define the atoms to be tracked. This may lead to failing to predict the pathways that do not conserve the user-defined atoms. In this work, we propose a pathfinding method called AGPathFinder to find biochemically relevant metabolic pathways between two given compounds. In AGPathFinder, we find alternative pathways by tracking the movement of atomic groups through metabolic networks and use combined information of reaction thermodynamics and compound similarity to guide the search towards more feasible pathways and better performance. The experimental results show that atomic group tracking enables our method to find pathways without the need of defining the atoms to be tracked, avoid hub metabolites, and obtain biochemically meaningful pathways. Our results also demonstrate that atomic group tracking, when incorporated with combined information of reaction thermodynamics and compound similarity, improves the quality of the found pathways. In most cases, the average compound inclusion accuracy and reaction inclusion accuracy for the top resulting pathways of our method are around 0.90 and 0.70, respectively, which are better than those of the existing methods. Additionally, AGPathFinder provides the information of thermodynamic feasibility and compound similarity for the resulting pathways. PMID:28068354

  17. Age, memory type, and the phenomenology of autobiographical memory: findings from an Italian sample.

    PubMed

    Montebarocci, Ornella; Luchetti, Martina; Sutin, Angelina R

    2014-01-01

    The present research explored differences in phenomenology between two types of memories, a general self-defining memory and an earliest childhood memory. A sample of 76 Italian participants were selected and categorised into two age groups: 20-30 years and 31-40 years. The Memory Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) was administered, taking note of latency and duration times of the narratives. Consistent with the literature, the self-defining memory differed significantly from the earliest childhood memory in terms of phenomenology, with the recency of the memory associated with more intense phenomenological experience. The self-defining memory took longer to retrieve and narrate than the earliest childhood memory. Meaningful differences also emerged between the two age groups: Participants in their 30s rated their self-defining memory as more vivid, coherent, and accessible than participants in their 20s. According to latency findings, these differences suggest an expanded period of identity consolidation for younger adults. Further applications of the MEQ should be carried out to replicate these results with other samples of young adults.

  18. Successful Aging Among LGBT Older Adults: Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life by Age Group

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyun-Jun; Shiu, Chengshi; Goldsen, Jayn; Emlet, Charles A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are a health disparate population as identified in Healthy People 2020. Yet, there has been limited attention to how LGBT older adults maintain successful aging despite the adversity they face. Utilizing a Resilience Framework, this study investigates the relationship between physical and mental health-related quality of life (QOL) and covariates by age group. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of LGBT adults aged 50 and older (N = 2,560) was conducted by Caring and Aging with Pride: The National Health, Aging, and Sexuality Study via collaborations with 11 sites across the U.S. Linear regression analyses tested specified relationships and moderating effects of age groups (aged 50–64; 65–79; 80 and older). Results: Physical and mental health QOL were negatively associated with discrimination and chronic conditions and positively with social support, social network size, physical and leisure activities, substance nonuse, employment, income, and being male when controlling for age and other covariates. Mental health QOL was also positively associated with positive sense of sexual identity and negatively with sexual identity disclosure. Important differences by age group emerged and for the old–old age group the influence of discrimination was particularly salient. Implications: This is the first study to examine physical and mental health QOL, as an indicator of successful aging, among LGBT older adults. An understanding of the configuration of resources and risks by age group is important for the development of aging and health initiatives tailored for this growing population. PMID:25213483

  19. Different definitions of neurodegeneration produce similar amyloid/neurodegeneration biomarker group findings

    PubMed Central

    Wiste, Heather J.; Weigand, Stephen D.; Knopman, David S.; Mielke, Michelle M.; Vemuri, Prashanthi; Lowe, Val; Senjem, Matthew L.; Gunter, Jeffrey L.; Reyes, Denise; Machulda, Mary M.; Roberts, Rosebud; Petersen, Ronald C.

    2015-01-01

    We recently demonstrated that the frequencies of biomarker groups defined by the presence or absence of both amyloidosis (A+) and neurodegeneration (N+) changed dramatically by age in cognitively non-impaired subjects. Our present objectives were to assess the consequences of defining neurodegeneration in five different ways on the frequency of subjects classified as N+, on the demographic associations with N+, and on amyloidosis and neurodegeneration (A/N) biomarker group frequencies by age. This was a largely cross-sectional observational study of 1331 cognitively non-impaired subjects aged 50–89 drawn from a population-based study of cognitive ageing. We assessed demographic associations with N+, and A/N biomarker group frequencies by age where A+ was defined by amyloid PET and N+ was defined in five different ways: (i) abnormal adjusted hippocampal volume alone; (ii) abnormal Alzheimer’s disease signature cortical thickness alone; (iii) abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography alone; (iv) abnormal adjusted hippocampal volume or abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography; and (v) abnormal Alzheimer’s disease signature cortical thickness or abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. For each N+ definition, participants were assigned to one of four biomarker groups; A−N−, A+N−, A−N+, or A+N+. The three continuous individual neurodegeneration measures were moderately correlated (rs = 0.42 to 0.54) but when classified as normal or abnormal had only weak agreement (κ = 0.20 to 0.29). The adjusted hippocampal volume alone definition classified the fewest subjects as N+ while the Alzheimer’s disease signature cortical thickness or abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography definition classified the most as N+. Across all N+ definitions, N+ subjects tended to be older, more often male and APOE4 carriers, and performed less well on functional status and learning and memory than N− subjects. For

  20. Negative impact of asthma on patients in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Alith, Marcela Batan; Gazzotti, Mariana Rodrigues; Montealegre, Federico; Fish, James; Nascimento, Oliver Augusto; Jardim, José Roberto

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the impact of asthma on patients in Brazil, by age group (12-17 years, 18-40 years, and ≥ 41 years). From a survey conducted in Latin America in 2011, we obtained data on 400 patients diagnosed with asthma and residing in one of four Brazilian state capitals (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Salvador). The data had been collected using a standardized questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. For the patients who were minors, the parents/guardians had completed the questionnaire. The questions addressed asthma control, number of hospitalizations, number of emergency room visits, and school/work absenteeism, as well as the impact of asthma on the quality of life, sleep, and leisure. We stratified the data by the selected age groups. The proportions of patients who responded in the affirmative to the following questions were significantly higher in the 12- to 17-year age group than in the other two groups: "Have you had at least one episode of severe asthma that prevented you from playing/exercising in the last 12 months?" (p = 0.012); "Have you been absent from school/work in the last 12 months?" (p < 0.001); "Have you discontinued your asthma relief or control medication in the last 12 months?" (p = 0.008). In addition, 30.2% of the patients in the 12- to 17-year age group reported that normal physical exertion was very limiting (p = 0.010 vs. the other groups), whereas 14% of the patients in the ≥ 41-year age group described social activities as very limiting (p = 0.011 vs. the other groups). In this sample, asthma had a greater impact on the patients between 12 and 17 years of age, which might be attributable to poor treatment compliance.

  1. Learning Science in Small Multi-Age Groups: The Role of Age Composition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kallery, Maria; Loupidou, Thomais

    2016-01-01

    The present study examines how the overall cognitive achievements in science of the younger children in a class where the students work in small multi-age groups are influenced by the number of older children in the groups. The context of the study was early-years education. The study has two parts: The first part involved classes attended by…

  2. Successful Aging Among LGBT Older Adults: Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life by Age Group.

    PubMed

    Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Shiu, Chengshi; Goldsen, Jayn; Emlet, Charles A

    2015-02-01

    Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are a health disparate population as identified in Healthy People 2020. Yet, there has been limited attention to how LGBT older adults maintain successful aging despite the adversity they face. Utilizing a Resilience Framework, this study investigates the relationship between physical and mental health-related quality of life (QOL) and covariates by age group. A cross-sectional survey of LGBT adults aged 50 and older (N = 2,560) was conducted by Caring and Aging with Pride: The National Health, Aging, and Sexuality Study via collaborations with 11 sites across the U.S. Linear regression analyses tested specified relationships and moderating effects of age groups (aged 50-64; 65-79; 80 and older). Physical and mental health QOL were negatively associated with discrimination and chronic conditions and positively with social support, social network size, physical and leisure activities, substance nonuse, employment, income, and being male when controlling for age and other covariates. Mental health QOL was also positively associated with positive sense of sexual identity and negatively with sexual identity disclosure. Important differences by age group emerged and for the old-old age group the influence of discrimination was particularly salient. This is the first study to examine physical and mental health QOL, as an indicator of successful aging, among LGBT older adults. An understanding of the configuration of resources and risks by age group is important for the development of aging and health initiatives tailored for this growing population. © The Author 2014. 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.

  3. Subjective age-of-acquisition norms for 600 Turkish words from four age groups.

    PubMed

    Göz, İlyas; Tekcan, Ali I; Erciyes, Aslı Aktan

    2017-10-01

    The main purpose of this study was to report age-based subjective age-of-acquisition (AoA) norms for 600 Turkish words. A total of 115 children, 100 young adults, 115 middle-aged adults, and 127 older adults provided AoA estimates for 600 words on a 7-point scale. The intraclass correlations suggested high reliability, and the AoA estimates were highly correlated across the four age groups. Children gave earlier AoA estimates than the three adult groups; this was true for high-frequency as well as low-frequency words. In addition to the means and standard deviations of the AoA estimates, we report word frequency, concreteness, and imageability ratings, as well as word length measures (numbers of syllables and letters), for the 600 words as supplemental materials. The present ratings represent a potentially useful database for researchers working on lexical processing as well as other aspects of cognitive processing, such as autobiographical memory.

  4. The Influence of Place of Residence, Gender and Age Influence on Food Group Choices in the Spanish Population: Findings from the ANIBES Study.

    PubMed

    Samaniego-Vaesken, María de Lourdes; Partearroyo, Teresa; Ruiz, Emma; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio

    2018-03-22

    Socioeconomic factors (SEF) can exert a great impact on food choices. However, limited data are available from the Spanish population. Our aim was to describe the influence of place of residence and habitat size on food group intakes. Data were obtained from the ANIBES study. A 3-day dietary record provided information on food and beverage consumption. Data analysis compared gender, age, Nielsen geographic areas, and habitat population size (urban, semi-urban, and rural). Place of residence did not appear to be a determinant for specific food group consumption during childhood and adolescence, as only higher intakes of non-alcoholic beverages were observed among children aged 9 to 12 years living in the East, when compared to those from the Northwest of Spain ( p < 0.05). Food choices within adults (18 to 64 years) and seniors (65 to 75 years) were conditioned: sugar and sweets intake was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) for adult men living in the Northwest than those from the South, and senior males from North Central areas had significantly higher consumption of eggs ( p < 0.05) compared to the Northeast. Basic food group consumption was only affected during childhood and aging. Adults who inhabited rural areas consumed greater quantities of fats and oils than those from higher population densities ( p < 0.01). Our results indicate that place of residence and habitat size have a limited influence on food choices, regardless of age and gender in the ANIBES study population. It is fundamental to acknowledge that other SEF variables are important and further studies are needed to monitor and assess these influences are warranted.

  5. The effects of HIV and aging on brain functions: proposing a research framework and update on last 3 years' findings.

    PubMed

    Cysique, Lucette A; Brew, Bruce J

    2014-07-01

    The effect of HIV and aging on brain functions is an increasingly important topic of research: HIV-infected (HIV+) persons aged ≥50 represent a growing part of the HIV epidemic. Research is embracing this new axis, but there has been a lack of conceptualization of the factors that are at stake in both aging and HIV. To start to remedy this theoretical limitation, we are proposing a research framework in the hope that it will optimize how research questions and findings are formulated. Moreover, in the light of this proposed research framework, we review the last 3  years' research findings. Our review highlights that as HIV+ persons are aging, there is some signal for acceleration of normal aging processes and facilitated expression of age-associated diseases. Evidence for dramatic neurodegeneration in aging HIV+ persons remains limited and may be different in nature to typical neurodegenerative processes. Also, it should be kept in mind that most HIV+ persons are still below age 60. The vast majority of studies are still cross-sectional thereby underlining the critical importance of longitudinal studies to fully assess the effect of comorbidities. The complex effects of aging and nonaging comorbidities and key HIV effects (as opposed to only HIV status) need to be taken into account in future research by increasing sample size and selecting the most appropriate control group(s). Ideally, life-span studies should be established using neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes that have a proven track record in both HIV-related brain injury and brain aging. These would be similar to those that exist in non-HIV aging research and would optimally account for comorbidity effects and survivor bias.

  6. Endoparasite prevalence and recurrence across different age groups of dogs and cats

    PubMed Central

    Gates, Maureen C.; Nolan, Thomas J.

    2009-01-01

    The apparent prevalence of endoparasite infections across different age groups was calculated from 6,555 dogs and 1,566 cats that had a fecal examination performed upon presentation to the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between 1997 and 2007. Based on notations from the medical history indicating prior parasite infections, estimates of recurrence were generated for each common group of parasites, including Trichuris, Giardia, ascarids, hookworms, Cystoisospora, and tapeworms. Endoparasitism was predominantly a disease of younger animals, with peak prevalence observed almost uniformly in dogs under 6 months old, with the exception of Trichuris with its longer pre-patent period, and in cats less than 18 months old. Furthermore, nearly 50% of dogs under 6 months old with a history of parasites, were diagnosed with at least one species of parasite on subsequent fecal examination. The percentage dropped to 18.4% in animals aged 1 – 4 years, but again increased to 31.5% in animals over 10 years old. There was no reported recurrence of Giardia or Cystoisospora from canine or feline patients older than 1 year. The recurrence of whipworm rose steadily with age, while hookworm and roundworm recurrence peaked in patients 1 - 4 years old. Findings from the study emphasize the importance of follow up fecal examinations and treatments in patients diagnosed with endoparasites. PMID:19709815

  7. The Forensic Symptoms Inventory-Revised (FSI-R Adults): Measurement and Structural Invariance Across Gender and Age Groups.

    PubMed

    van Horn, Joan E

    2018-06-01

    This article investigates the measurement and structural invariance of a newly developed self-report questionnaire, the Forensic Symptoms Inventory-Revised, aimed at measuring eight cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits (aggression, lack of social support, problematic substance use, lack of concentration, anger, poor self-regulation, impulsivity, and sexual problems) among adult forensic outpatients. The sample consisted of 716 outpatients (603 males, 113 females) with a mean age of 38.19 (SD = 12.47). Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses supported the measurement and structural invariance with respect to gender and age groups (18-23 years and ≥24 years). Between-group comparisons revealed that, compared to females, male outpatients reported more substance related problems, as well as incapacities to control verbal and/or physical aggression. Compared to adults, young adults displayed more inadequate self-regulation skills and reported more social support. These findings may promote the formulation of gender- and age-specific treatment goals.

  8. Going solo: Findings from a survey of women aging without a partner and who do not have children.

    PubMed

    Hafford-Letchfield, Trish; Lambert, Nicky; Long, Ellouise; Brady, Dominique

    2017-01-01

    Greater longevity in the UK population has led to the increasing diversity of women experiencing aging in a multitude of ways. Internationally, gender inequalities in aging are still relatively invisible within both government policy and everyday life for particular groups of women. This article explores the concept of women growing older "solo"-by which we mean women who find themselves nonpartnered and aging without children as they move into later life. We report on the findings from a mixed-methods survey of 76 solo women in the UK aged 50 years and over, used to provide a broader overview of the issues and challenges they face as they move into later life. Qualitative data from the survey captured respondents' perspectives about the links between their relationships status and well-being in later life and highlighted specific cumulative disadvantages emerging for some women as a result of their solo lifestyles. We discuss two key themes that were identified, "solo-loneliness" and "meaningful futures," in conjunction with the relevant literature and make suggestions for future research within gender and aging studies that could enhance more positive approaches to solo lifestyles.

  9. Cephalometric and anthropometric data of obstructive apnea in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Borges, Paulo de Tarso Moura; Silva, Benedito Borges da; Moita Neto, José Machado; Borges, Núbia Evangelista de Sá; Li, Li M

    2015-01-01

    Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome usually present with changes in upper airway morphology and/or body fat distribution, which may occur throughout life and increase the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with age. To correlate cephalometric and anthropometric measures with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome severity in different age groups. A retrospective study of cephalometric and anthropometric measures of 102 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was analyzed. Patients were divided into three age groups (≥20 and <40 years, ≥40 and <60 years, and ≥60 years). Pearson's correlation was performed for these measures with the apnea-hypopnea index in the full sample, and subsequently by age group. The cephalometric measures MP-H (distance between the mandibular plane and the hyoid bone) and PNS-P (distance between the posterior nasal spine and the tip of the soft palate) and the neck and waist circumferences showed a statistically significant correlation with apnea-hypopnea index in both the full sample and in the ≥40 and <60 years age group. These variables did not show any significant correlation with the other two age groups (<40 and ≥60 years). Cephalometric measurements MP-H and PNS-P and cervical and waist circumferences correlated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome severity in patients in the ≥40 and <60 age group. Copyright © 2014 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  10. Relative age effects in international age group championships: A study of Spanish track and field athletes

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-Valencia, María Asunción; Müller, Lisa; Andronikos, Georgios; Martindale, Russell J. J.

    2018-01-01

    The relative age effect is a well-researched phenomenon, however there is still a dearth of understanding in track and field and female sport. This study investigated the role of relative age on selection for international competition of Spanish age group athletes between 2006–2014. Six hundred and forty two athletes competed for Spain at U20 or U18 age group international competition (n = 359 males; 283 females) across 9 years. The birthdates of these athletes were compared against the population of registered athletes at that time (14,502 males; 10,096 females). The results highlighted the influential role of relative age on selection to these opportunities. In line with previous research, this effect was mediated by age and gender, with stronger effects for both males and younger athletes (U18). The data best supported the ‘maturation-selection’ hypothesis as a mechanism for RAEs. These results highlight the need to carefully consider the role and need for international competitive opportunities at different age groups. A number of possible context relevant solutions are discussed, including correction adjustments techniques and competition structure within track and field. PMID:29689117

  11. Gingival enlargement in different age groups during fixed Orthodontic treatment

    PubMed Central

    Eid, Hossam A; Assiri, Hassan Ahmed M; Kandyala, Reena; Togoo, Rafi A; Turakhia, Viral S

    2014-01-01

    Background: During fixed orthodontic therapy, adolescents tend to have higher chances of gingivitis and gingival enlargement (GE) compared to adults. A cross sectional study was undertaken to evaluate the above hypothesis, by assessing GE in patients of different age groups receiving fixed orthodontic therapy. Materials & Methods: Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were selected by simple random sampling from the King Khalid University College of Dentistry out patient’s clinic of preventive dental sciences division to form the study group. Participant’s were divided into three age groups and GE was graded as 0, 1 and 2 as per the classification of the American Academy of Periodontology. Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 16.0 (Statistical Package for Social Services, Chicago, IL, USA) and descriptive statistics were obtained. Differences in proportions were compared using the Chi-square test and the significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: 62.3% (n=33) were males and 37.7% (n=20) were females. Group 1 had 21 patients (39.7%); Group 2 had 24 patients (45.3%) and Group 3 had 8 patients (15.1%).The highest frequency (48%) of GE was observed among the Group 1 age group (10-19 years). Differences in frequency of GE according to age groups were found to be statistically significant (p=0.046).Differences in GE according to the frequency of practicing oral hygiene measures were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: Highest frequency of GE was observed among the adolescents. The patients who practiced oral hygiene measures more than three times daily did not have any GE. On the other hand, those who brushed and flossed only once daily had the highest percentage of grade 2 GE. How to cite the article: Eid HA, Assiri HA, Kandyala R, Togoo RA, Turakhia VS. Gingival enlargement in different age groups during fixed Orthodontic treatment. J Int Oral Health 2014;6(1):1-4. PMID:24653595

  12. Fluid intake from beverages across age groups: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Özen, A E; Bibiloni, M Del Mar; Pons, A; Tur, J A

    2015-10-01

    Fluid intake, especially water, is essential for human life and also necessary for physical and mental function. The present study aimed to assess beverage consumption across age groups. A systematic review was conducted. Original research in English language publications and available studies (or abstracts in English) from 2000 to 2013 was searched for by using the medical subheading (MeSH) terms: ('beverage' OR 'fluid' [Major]) AND ('consumption' [Mesh] OR 'drinking' [Mesh] OR 'intake' [Mesh]) AND ('child' [Mesh] OR 'adolescent' [Mesh] OR 'adult' [Mesh]). Article selection was restricted to those papers covering healthy populations of all age groups in a nationwide sample, or from a representative sample of the population of a city or cities, which examined the trends or patterns of beverage intake and the determinants of beverage intake. Sixty-five studies were identified with respect to beverage consumption across age groups. The papers were screened by thoroughly reading titles or abstracts. Full-text articles were assessed by three investigators. Total beverage intake varied between 0.6 and 3.5 L day(-1) among all age groups (males more than females). Plain water contributed up to 58%, 75% and 80% of the total beverage intake in children, adolescents and adults, respectively. Milk consumption was higher among children; consumption of soft drinks was higher among adolescents; and the consumption of tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages was higher among adults. Plain water is the main water source for all age groups and the consumption of other beverages varies according to age. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  13. MenCare+ in South Africa: Findings from a Gender Transformative Young Men's Group Education on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kedde, Harald; Rehse, Kerryn; Nobre, Giovanni; van den Berg, Wessel

    2018-01-01

    This paper details findings from an evaluation of a gender-transformative sexual and reproductive health and rights group education programme facilitated with young men aged 15-24 years in South Africa. A total of 475 young men participated in the group education programme. A self-administered pre- and post-questionnaire survey was conducted with…

  14. Linking the Positivity Effect in Attention with Affective Outcomes: Age Group Differences and the Role of Arousal

    PubMed Central

    Kappes, Cathleen; Streubel, Berit; Droste, Kezia L.; Folta-Schoofs, Kristian

    2017-01-01

    Despite its assumed importance for emotional well-being, studies investigating the positivity effect (PE) in older adults’ information processing rarely tested its relationship with immediate or general affective outcome measures like emotional reactivity or emotional well-being. Moreover, the arousal level of the to-be-processed emotional stimuli has rarely been taken into account as a moderator for the occurrence of the PE and its relationship with affective outcomes. Age group differences (young vs. old) in attention (i.e., fixation durations using eye tracking) and subjective emotional reactions (i.e., pleasantness ratings) were investigated in response to picture stimuli systematically varied in valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal (low vs. high). We examined whether there is a link between age group differences in fixation durations and affective outcomes (i.e., subjective emotional reactions as well as emotional well-being). Older compared to young adults fixated less on the most emotional part in negative but not in positive low-arousing pictures. This age difference did not occur under high arousal. While age group differences in fixation duration did not translate into age group differences in subjective emotional reactions, we found a positive relationship between fixation duration on negative low-arousing pictures and emotional well-being, i.e., negative affect. The present study replicated the well-known PE in attention and emotional reactivity. In line with the idea that the PE reflects top-down-driven processing of affective information, age group differences in fixation durations decreased under high arousal. The present findings are consistent with the idea that age-related changes in the processing of emotional information support older adults’ general emotional well-being. PMID:29163266

  15. Age group differences in positive and negative affect among oldest-old adults: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.

    PubMed

    Cho, Jinmyoung; Martin, Peter; Poon, Leonard W; MacDonald, M; Jazwinski, S M; Green, R C; Gearing, M; Johnson, M A; Markesbery, W R; Woodard, J L; Tenover, J S; Siegler, L C; Rott, C; Rodgers, W L; Hausman, D; Arnold, J; Davey, A

    2013-01-01

    The developmental adaptation model (Martin & Martin, 2002) provides insights into how current experiences and resources (proximal variables) and past experiences (distal variables) are correlated with outcomes (e.g., well-being) in later life. Applying this model, the current study examined proximal and distal variables associated with positive and negative affect in oldest-old adults, investigating age differences. Data from 306 octogenarians and centenarians who participated in Phase III of the Georgia Centenarian Study were used. Proximal variables included physical functioning, cognitive functioning, self-rated health, number of chronic conditions, social resources, and perceived economic status; distal variables included education, social productive activities, management of personal assets, and other learning experiences. Analysis of variance and block-wise regression analyses were conducted. Octogenarians showed significantly higher levels of positive emotion than centenarians. Cognitive functioning was significantly associated with positive affect, and number of health problems was significantly associated with negative affect after controlling for gender, ethnicity, residence, and marital status. Furthermore, four significant interaction effects suggested that positive affect significantly depended on the levels of cognitive and physical functioning among centenarians, whereas positive affect was dependent on the levels of physical health problems and learning experiences among octogenarians. Findings of this study addressed the importance of current and past experiences and resources in subjective well-being among oldest-old adults as a life-long process. Mechanisms connecting aging processes at the end of a long life to subjective well-being should be explored in future studies.

  16. Age group differences in HIV risk and mental health problems among female sex workers in Southwest China.

    PubMed

    Su, Shaobing; Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Liying; Lin, Danhua; Zhang, Chen; Zhou, Yuejiao

    2014-01-01

    HIV risk and mental health problems are prevalent among female sex workers (FSWs) in China. The purpose of this research was to study age group differences in HIV risk and mental health problems in this population. In the current study, we divided a sample of 1022 FSWs into three age groups (≤ 20 years, 21-34 years, and ≥ 35 years). Results showed that among the three groups (1) older FSWs (≥ 35 years) were likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged (e.g., rural residency, little education, employment in low-paying venues, and low monthly income); (2) older FSWs reported the highest rates of inconsistent, ineffective condom use, and sexually transmitted diseases history; (3) younger FSWs (≤ 20 years) reported the highest level of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, regular-partner violence, and substance use; (4) all health-related risks except casual-partner violence were more prevalent among older and younger FSWs than among FSWs aged 21-34 years; and (5) age had a significant effect on all health indicators except suicide attempts after controlling for several key demographic factors. These findings indicate the need for intervention efforts to address varying needs among FSWs in different age groups. Specific interventional efforts are needed to reduce older FSWs' exposure to HIV risk; meanwhile, more attention should be given to improve FSWs' mental health status, especially among younger FSWs.

  17. Associations of gender and age groups on the knowledge and use of drug information resources by American pharmacists.

    PubMed

    Carvajal, Manuel J; Clauson, Kevin A; Gershman, Jennifer; Polen, Hyla H

    2013-04-01

    To explore knowledge and use of drug information resources by pharmacists and identify patterns influenced by gender and age-group classification. A survey questionnaire was mailed nationwide to 1,000 practitioners working in community (n = 500) and hospital (n = 500) settings who answer drug information questions as part of their expected job responsibilities. Responses pertaining to drug information resource use and knowledge of different types of drug-related queries, resource media preferences, and perceived adequacy of resources maintained in the pharmacy were analyzed by gender and age group. The t statistic was used to test for significant differences of means and percentages between genders and between age groups. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize other findings. Gender and age group classification influenced patterns of knowledge and use of drug information resources by pharmacists. They also affected pharmacists' perceptions of the most common types of questions prompting them to consult a drug information reference, as well as the resources consulted. Micromedex, exclusively available in electronic format, was the most commonly consulted resource overall by pharmacists. Lexi-Comp Online was the leading choice by women, preferred over Micromedex, but was not one of the top two resources selected by men. This study successfully identified the influence of gender and age-group classification in assessing drug information resource knowledge and use of general and specific types of drug-related queries.

  18. Dermatological disease in the older age group: a cross-sectional study in aged care facilities.

    PubMed

    Deo, Maneka S; Kerse, Ngaire; Vandal, Alain C; Jarrett, Paul

    2015-12-23

    To estimate the prevalence of dermatological disease in aged care facilities, and the relationship between cognitive or physical disability and significant disease. 2 large aged care facilities in Auckland, New Zealand, each providing low and high level care. All 161 residents of the facilities were invited to participate. The only exclusion criterion was inability to obtain consent from the individual or designated guardian. 88 participants were recruited-66 females (75%), 22 males (25%) with average age 87.1 years (SD 5.5 years). Primary--presence of significant skin disease (defined as that which in the opinion of the investigators needed treatment or was identified as a patient concern) diagnosed clinically on full dermatological examination by a dermatologist or dermatology trainee. Secondary--functional and cognitive status (Rehabilitation Complexity Scale and Abbreviated Mental Test Score). 81.8% were found to have at least one significant condition. The most common disorders were onychomycosis 42 (47.7%), basal cell carcinoma 13 (14.8%), asteototic eczema 11 (12.5%) and squamous cell carcinoma in situ 9 (10.2%). Other findings were invasive squamous cell carcinoma 7 (8%), bullous pemphigoid 2 (2.3%), melanoma 2 (2.3%), lichen sclerosus 2 (2.3%) and carcinoma of the breast 1 (1.1%). Inflammatory disease was more common in those with little physical disability compared with those with serious physical disability (OR 3.69; 95% CI 1.1 to 12.6, p=0.04). No significant association was found between skin disease and cognitive impairment. A high rate of dermatological disease was found. Findings ranged from frequent but not life-threatening conditions (eg, onychomycosis), to those associated with a significant morbidity (eg, eczema, lichen sclerosus and bullous pemphigoid), to potentially life-threatening (eg, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and breast cancer). Those with less significant physical impairment were found to be at greater risk of inflammatory

  19. Supporting Unemployed, Middle-Aged Men: A Psychoeducational Group Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphey, Charlotte M.; Shillingford, M. Ann

    2012-01-01

    This article presents a comprehensive group counseling approach to support unemployed, middle-aged men. An inclusive group curriculum designed to provide support and address potential mental health issues related to unemployment is introduced. The focus of the group is divided into 6 major areas that research has shown to have a significant impact…

  20. Voluntary Group Participation by Third Age Australians.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayhew, Claire; Swindell, Rick

    A study investigated characteristics of retirees and types of voluntary groups they joined after retirement. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and completed questionnaires of 206 Australians over age 50. Five categories of voluntary organizations were studied: intellectually challenging, sporting/exercise, social, helping others,…

  1. Age, Predisposing Diseases, and Ultrasonographic Findings in Determining Clinical Outcome of Acute Acalculous Inflammatory Gallbladder Diseases in Children

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    We evaluated clinical factors such as age, gender, predisposing diseases and ultrasonographic findings that determine clinical outcome of acute acalculous inflammatory gallbladder diseases in children. The patients were divided into the four age groups. From March 2004 through February 2014, clinical data from 131 children diagnosed as acute acalculous inflammatory gallbladder disease by ultrasonography were retrospectively reviewed. Systemic infectious diseases were the most common etiology of acute inflammatory gallbladder disease in children and were identified in 50 patients (38.2%). Kawasaki disease was the most common predisposing disease (28 patients, 21.4%). The incidence was highest in infancy and lowest in adolescence. The age groups were associated with different predisposing diseases; noninfectious systemic disease was the most common etiology in infancy and early childhood, whereas systemic infectious disease was the most common in middle childhood and adolescence (P = 0.001). Gallbladder wall thickening was more commonly found in malignancy (100%) and systemic infection (94.0%) (P = 0.002), whereas gallbladder distension was more frequent in noninfectious systemic diseases (60%) (P = 0.000). Ascites seen on ultrasonography was associated with a worse clinical course compared with no ascites (77.9% vs. 37.7%, P = 0.030), and the duration of hospitalization was longer in patients with ascites (11.6 ± 10.7 vs. 8.0 ± 6.6 days, P = 0.020). In conclusion, consideration of age and predisposing disease in addition to ultrasonographic gallbladder findings in children suspected of acute acalculous inflammatory gallbladder disease might result in better outcomes. PMID:27550491

  2. Age-Group Differences in Interference from Young and Older Emotional Faces.

    PubMed

    Ebner, Natalie C; Johnson, Marcia K

    2010-11-01

    Human attention is selective, focusing on some aspects of events at the expense of others. In particular, angry faces engage attention. Most studies have used pictures of young faces, even when comparing young and older age groups. Two experiments asked (1) whether task-irrelevant faces of young and older individuals with happy, angry, and neutral expressions disrupt performance on a face-unrelated task, (2) whether interference varies for faces of different ages and different facial expressions, and (3) whether young and older adults differ in this regard. Participants gave speeded responses on a number task while irrelevant faces appeared in the background. Both age groups were more distracted by own than other-age faces. In addition, young participants' responses were slower for angry than happy faces, whereas older participants' responses were slower for happy than angry faces. Factors underlying age-group differences in interference from emotional faces of different ages are discussed.

  3. A hospital-based study to evaluate the incidence pattern of group A streptococcal throat infections from different age group patients.

    PubMed

    Ray, Dipanwita; Banerjee, Surajita; Bhattacharya, Sujata; Sinha, Sukanta; Bandyopadhyay, Debasis; Ghosal, Chaitry; Gupta, Siddhartha; Majumdar, Pallav Kumar; Saha, Somnath; Gupta, Soma; Bhattacharya, Basudev

    2010-02-01

    Streptococcus pyogenes(group A) is a major pathogen capable of causing a wide range of diseases in different age group of people. In this study 100 patients were selected who presented with the complaint of sore throat. All the patients were divided in four age groups. Streptococcus pyogenes colonies were confirmed on the basis of beta-haemolysis, bacitracin sensitivity test, and latex agglutination test for group A. Out of a total of 100 samples, 42 were confirmed as group A streptococcus. From this study, it has been observed that all age groups, with maximum occurrence in 5-15 years age group, were suffering from group A streptococcal pharyngitis. Therefore every case of sore throat especially affecting children should be investigated to detect the causative agent for initiation of proper therapy so that the more serious outcome like acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) can be prevented.

  4. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTOR COMPETENCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS IS WEAKER IN THE 15-16 YR. ADOLESCENT AGE GROUP THAN IN YOUNGER AGE GROUPS (4-5 YR. AND 11-12 YR.).

    PubMed

    Haga, Monika; Gísladóttír, Thórdís; Sigmundsson, Hermundur

    2015-12-01

    Developing motor competence and physical fitness can affect the maintenance of a sufficient level of physical activity in children and adolescents. This study assesses the relationship between motor competence and physical fitness from childhood through early adolescence. A cross-sectional sample of 194 participants from 4 to 16 years old were divided into three groups; 4-6 yr. (n=42, M age=5.2, SD 0.6), 11-12 yr. (n=58, M age=12.4, SD=0.3), and 15-16 yr. (n=94, M age=15.9, SD=0.4). To assess motor competence, each child completed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). To measure physical fitness, three tasks (strength, speed, and endurance) were selected from the Test of Physical Fitness (TPF). To analyze the significance of the difference between the correlation coefficient in the three age groups (samples) (4-6, 11-12, and 15-16 yr.), Fischer r-to-z transformation was used. The correlation (Pearson's) between motor competence and physical fitness in the age groups was statistically higher for the youngest age groups (4-6 and 11-12 yr.) and the adolescent group (age 15-16). The differences between the two youngest age groups were not statistically significant. The results demonstrate that the correlation between motor competence and physical fitness decreases with age.

  5. Newborn Plasma Glucose Concentration Nadirs by Gestational-Age Group.

    PubMed

    Kaiser, Jeffrey R; Bai, Shasha; Rozance, Paul J

    2018-01-01

    The glucose concentrations and times to nadir for newborns of all gestational ages when intrapartum glucose-containing solutions are not routinely provided are unknown. To characterize and compare patterns of initial glucose concentration nadirs by gestational-age groups. A cross-sectional cohort study of 1,366 newborns born in 1998 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, appropriate for gestational age, nonasphyxiated, nonpolycythemic, and not infants of diabetic mothers, were included. Initial plasma glucose concentrations, before intravenous fluids or feedings, were plotted against time after birth for 4 gestational-age groups (full term [FT], ≥37-42 weeks; late preterm [LPT], ≥34 and < 37 weeks; preterm [PT], ≥28 and < 34 weeks; and extremely low gestational age newborns [ELGAN], 23 and < 28 weeks of gestation). ELGAN had the earliest nadir at 61 ± 4 min, followed by PT newborns (71 ± 2 min), and then LPT and FT newborns at 92-93 min. The time to nadir for ELGAN and PT newborns was significantly earlier than for FT newborns. Glucose nadir concentrations for ELGAN, PT, and LPT newborns were significantly lower than for FT newborns. LPT newborns' pattern of glucose paralleled those of FT newborns, with values approximately 5-6 mg/dL lower during the first 3 h. Plasma glucose nadirs occurred at different times among gestational-age groups during the early postnatal period as follows: ELGAN < PT < LPT ≈ FT. In order to potentially prevent low glucose concentrations at the time of the nadir, exogenous glucose should be provided to all newborns as soon as possible after birth. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Associations of gender and age groups on the knowledge and use of drug information resources by American pharmacists

    PubMed Central

    Carvajal, Manuel J.; Clauson, Kevin A.; Gershman, Jennifer; Polen, Hyla H.

    Objective To explore knowledge and use of drug information resources by pharmacists and identify patterns influenced by gender and age-group classification. Methods A survey questionnaire was mailed nationwide to 1,000 practitioners working in community (n = 500) and hospital (n = 500) settings who answer drug information questions as part of their expected job responsibilities. Responses pertaining to drug information resource use and knowledge of different types of drug-related queries, resource media preferences, and perceived adequacy of resources maintained in the pharmacy were analyzed by gender and age group. The t statistic was used to test for significant differences of means and percentages between genders and between age groups. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize other findings. Results Gender and age group classification influenced patterns of knowledge and use of drug information resources by pharmacists. They also affected pharmacists’ perceptions of the most common types of questions prompting them to consult a drug information reference, as well as the resources consulted. Micromedex, exclusively available in electronic format, was the most commonly consulted resource overall by pharmacists. Lexi-Comp Online was the leading choice by women, preferred over Micromedex, but was not one of the top two resources selected by men. Conclusions This study successfully identified the influence of gender and age-group classification in assessing drug information resource knowledge and use of general and specific types of drug-related queries. PMID:24155853

  7. Age group classification and gender detection based on forced expiratory spirometry.

    PubMed

    Cosgun, Sema; Ozbek, I Yucel

    2015-08-01

    This paper investigates the utility of forced expiratory spirometry (FES) test with efficient machine learning algorithms for the purpose of gender detection and age group classification. The proposed method has three main stages: feature extraction, training of the models and detection. In the first stage, some features are extracted from volume-time curve and expiratory flow-volume loop obtained from FES test. In the second stage, the probabilistic models for each gender and age group are constructed by training Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) and Support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. In the final stage, the gender (or age group) of test subject is estimated by using the trained GMM (or SVM) model. Experiments have been evaluated on a large database from 4571 subjects. The experimental results show that average correct classification rate performance of both GMM and SVM methods based on the FES test is more than 99.3 % and 96.8 % for gender and age group classification, respectively.

  8. Something for Everyone: Benefits of Mixed-Age Grouping for Children, Parents, and Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theilheimer, Rachel

    1993-01-01

    Discusses the benefits of mixed-age grouping for children's social and cognitive development and reservations parents sometimes have about mixed-age groupings. Also discusses issues that teachers need to consider when implementing mixed-age groups: children's personal care routines; furnishings; children's language, motor, creative, and social…

  9. Reliability of the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test: Age and Ethnic Group Comparisons.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Jerry S.; Jensen, C. Mark

    1981-01-01

    Reliabilities for the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test (CPM) are reported for three age groups (ages 5 1/2- 6 1/2, 6 1/2-7 1/2, and 7 1/2-8 1/2 years) and three ethnic groups (Anglo, Black, and Hispanic). Results indicate CPM is not equally reliable for all age groups, but appears equally reliable for the three ethnic groups. (Author)

  10. Ethnicity Is an Independent Determinant of Age-Specific PSA Level: Findings from a Multiethnic Asian Setting

    PubMed Central

    Sothilingam, Selvalingam; Malek, Rohan; Sundram, Murali; Hisham Bahadzor, Badrul; Ong, Teng Aik; Ng, Keng Lim; Sivalingam, Sivaprakasam; Razack, Azad Hassan Abdul

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To study the baseline PSA profile and determine the factors influencing the PSA levels within a multiethnic Asian setting. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1054 men with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer, prostate surgery or 5α-reductase inhibitor treatment of known prostate conditions. The serum PSA concentration of each subject was assayed. Potential factors associated with PSA level including age, ethnicity, height, weight, family history of prostate cancer, lower urinary tract voiding symptoms (LUTS), prostate volume and digital rectal examination (DRE) were evaluated using univariable and multivariable analysis. Results There were 38 men (3.6%) found to have a PSA level above 4 ng/ml and 1016 (96.4%) with a healthy PSA (≤4 ng/ml). The median PSA level of Malay, Chinese and Indian men was 1.00 ng/ml, 1.16 ng/ml and 0.83 ng/ml, respectively. Indians had a relatively lower median PSA level and prostate volume than Malays and Chinese, who shared a comparable median PSA value across all 10-years age groups. The PSA density was fairly similar amongst all ethnicities. Further analysis showed that ethnicity, weight and prostate volume were independent factors associated with age specific PSA level in the multivariable analysis (p<0.05). Conclusion These findings support the concept that the baseline PSA level varies between different ethnicities across all age groups. In addition to age and prostate volume, ethnicity may also need to be taken into account when investigating serum PSA concentrations in the multiethnic Asian population. PMID:25111507

  11. Nongraded and Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Childhood Programs. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.

    A confusing variety of terms is used in discussions of age grouping practices. This digest examines terms that have important implications for teaching and the curriculum. The terms "nongraded" and "ungraded" typically refer to grouping children in classes without grade-level designations and with more than a 1-year age span.…

  12. Safety and efficacy of retrograde intrarenal surgery in patients of different age groups.

    PubMed

    Tolga-Gulpinar, M; Resorlu, B; Atis, G; Tepeler, A; Ozyuvali, E; Oztuna, D; Resorlu, M; Akbas, A; Sancak, E B; Unsal, A

    2015-01-01

    To assess the efficacy and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) to treat renal stones in different age groups of patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of 947 patients who underwent RIRS for renal calculi between January 2008 and January 2014. Age at RIRS was analysed both as a continuous and categorical variable and patients were categorized into three age groups; aged ≤ 15 years at surgery (group i, n=51), 16 - 60 years (group Ii, n=726) and>60 years (group iii, n=170). We compared the 3 groups with the regard to stone characteristics, operative parameters and postoperative outcomes. The stone-free rate was 78.4% in group i, 77.5% in group ii, and 81.1% in group iii (P=.587). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only stone size and stone number had significant influence on the stone-free rates after RIRS. Intraoperative complications occurred 13.7% in group i, 5.6% group ii, and 7.6% in group iii. Overall complication rates in children were higher than adult patients but the differences were not statistically significant. We found that only operation time was associated with the increased risk of intraoperative complications. Peroperative medical complications developed in 8 patients (.8%) in group ii and 2 patients (1.1%) in group iii. A 48-year-old man died from septic shock 5 days after the surgery. RIRS was observed to be a safe and effective procedure in all age groups of patients with stone disease, therefore age should not be considered as a limiting factor. Copyright © 2014 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Attention parameters in visual search tasks in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Baranov-Krylov, I N; Kuznetsova, T G; Ratnikova, V K

    2009-06-01

    Attention processes were studied using a model based on visual searches for a specified element in grids of size 3 x 3 and 7 x 7 cm displayed on a monitor screen. Five age groups took part in the experimental studies: children of five and seven years, a group of 15-year-old adolescents, a group aged 20-35 years, and a group aged over 60 years; a total of 62 subjects took part. Statistical analysis showed that the latter three groups were not different from each other and were used as an adult control group for comparison with results from children. Five types of search were used: one difficult, in which the target was similar to the distractors, and four easy (for adults but not for children), involving seeking a red or a white element in an empty grid and seeking a target markedly different in shape or color from the distractors. The following measures were analyzed: search time, errors (false alarms and misses), and corrected search times allowing for errors. Children performed significantly worse on all measures: they found all types of search difficult, even the search for a single element. The larger number of false alarms (reactions to nonmeaningful signals) was evidence for a deficiency of inhibitory processes in children, these being controlled by the frontal lobes. The larger number of misses in children may be evidence of weakness of selective attention, which is controlled by the parietal and temporal areas of the cortex. These points may indicate that children have an immature attention system, though this would appear to mature completely by age 15 years.

  14. Gingival Pigmentation Affected by Smoking among Different Age Groups: A Quantitative Analysis of Gingival Pigmentation Using Clinical Oral Photographs.

    PubMed

    Kato, Tomotaka; Mizutani, Shinsuke; Takiuchi, Hiroya; Sugiyama, Seiichi; Hanioka, Takashi; Naito, Toru

    2017-08-04

    The presence of any age-related differences in gingival pigmentation associated with smoking, particularly in a young population, remains to be fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the age-related differences in smoking gingival pigmentation. Gingival pigmentation was analyzed using the gingival melanosis record (GMR) and Hedin's classification with frontal oral photographs taken at 16 dental offices in Japan. Participants were categorized into 10-year age groups, and their baseline photographs were compared. In addition, to evaluate the effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation, subjects were divided into a former smoker group (stopped smoking) and current smoker group. A total of 259 patients 19 to 79 years of age were analyzed. People in their 30s showed the most widespread gingival pigmentation. In addition, subjects in their 20s showed a weak effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation. These findings suggested that the gingival pigmentation induced by smoking was more remarkable in young people than in middle-aged people. This information may be useful for anti-smoking education, especially among young populations with a high affinity for smoking.

  15. Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Childhood--Creating the Outdoor Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rouse, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    Children attending centre-based early childhood care and education programmes across Australia are most likely to be grouped according to age and development. While multi- or mixed-age grouping has been seen to have positive benefits on young children's learning and pro-social behaviours, this approach is not usually adopted in the organisation of…

  16. Comparing Parafoveal Cone Photoreceptor Mosaic Metrics in Younger and Older Age Groups Using an Adaptive Optics Retinal Camera.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Julie; Paques, Michel; Krivosic, Valérie; Dupas, Bénédicte; Erginay, Ali; Tadayoni, Ramin; Gaudric, Alain

    2017-01-01

    To analyze cone mosaic metrics on adaptive optics (AO) images as a function of retinal eccentricity in two different age groups using a commercial flood illumination AO device. Fifty-three eyes of 28 healthy subjects divided into two age groups were imaged using an AO flood-illumination camera (rtx1; Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). A 16° × 4° field was obtained horizontally. Cone-packing metrics were determined in five neighboring 50 µm × 50 µm regions. Both retinal (cones/mm 2 and µm) and visual (cones/degrees 2 and arcmin) units were computed. Results for cone mosaic metrics at 2°, 2.5°, 3°, 4°, and 5° eccentricity were compatible with previous AO scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and histology data. No significant difference was observed between the two age groups. The rtx1 camera enabled reproducible measurements of cone-packing metrics across the extrafoveal retina. These findings may contribute to the development of normative data and act as a reference for future research. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:45-50.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. 5 Ways to Find Balance in the Digital Age

    Cancer.gov

    The digital age can help us thrive in our everyday lives—with greater access to health information and tools that support our well-being, local and world news websites that keep us informed, and social media tools and apps that make it easier to chat with family and friends, hunt for that great new job, or even find the nearest gas station when you are running on empty.

  18. Viewing Our Aged Selves: Age Progression Simulations Increase Young Adults' Aging Anxiety and Negative Stereotypes of Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Rittenour, Christine E; Cohen, Elizabeth L

    2016-04-01

    This experiment tests the effect of an old-age progression simulation on young adults' (N = 139) reported aging anxiety and perceptions about older adults as a social group. College students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: self-aged simulation, stranger-aged simulation, or a control group. Compared with the control group, groups exposed to an age progression experienced more negative affect, and individuals in the self-aged condition reported greater aging anxiety. In accordance with stereotype activation theorizing, the self-age simulation group also perceived older adults as less competent and expressed more pity and less envy for older adults. Compared to the stranger-aged group, participants who observed their own age progression were also the more likely to deny the authenticity of their transformed image.These findings highlight potential negative social and psychological consequences of using age simulations to affect positive health outcomes, and they shed light on how virtual experiences can affect stereotyping of older adults. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Effectiveness of water fluoridation in the prevention of dental caries across adult age groups.

    PubMed

    Do, Loc; Ha, Diep; Peres, Marco A; Skinner, John; Byun, Roy; Spencer, A John

    2017-06-01

    Lifetime access to fluoridated water (FW) is associated with lower caries experience. However, assessing this association in adults is likely affected by age. Cohort stratification and categorization of per cent lifetime access to fluoridated water (% LAFW) within cohorts are current approaches to this assessment. These approaches require an examination of the % LAFW and caries experience variation within and across age groups and their association to inform future analyses. This secondary analysis aimed to examine the age group variation in % LAFW and caries experience; and the association of % LAFW with caries within and across age groups of adults. A secondary analysis was undertaken using the Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-2006 data on 4090 persons aged 15-91 years randomly sampled by a stratified, multistage probability method. Study participants underwent an interview, an oral examination by trained and standardized dentists to determine decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces (DMFS) and a mailed self-complete questionnaire which collected residential history to calculate % LAFW. Variations in % LAFW and DMFS across age groups (15-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55+) were examined. Multivariable regression log-link models were generated for DMFS score within each age group. The age groups varied in values and distribution of % LAFW. Caries experience was strongly associated with age. % LAFW was significantly associated with DMFS score in the two younger age groups, but not in the others. Multivariable regression models showed that the highest % LAFW quartile had significantly lower DMFS count than the lowest quartile in the two younger age groups (mean ratios: 0.67 and 0.78, respectively), controlling for other covariates. Access to FW was associated with caries experience in Australian adults. The magnitude of associations varied between age groups, dependent on the natural history of caries and its measurement by DMFS. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A

  20. [Old and offline? : Findings on the use of the Internet by people aged 65 years and older in Switzerland].

    PubMed

    Seifert, Alexander; Schelling, Hans Rudolf

    2016-10-01

    The supply of information and communication is becoming continuously more focused on the Internet. While the age groups up to 64 years have shown a vast increase in the use of the Internet since 1997, intensive use of the Internet by age groups above 64 years lags behind and this is not only the case in Switzerland. Against this background and an interest in finding out more about Internet (non)use of older people, two representative surveys were conducted in Switzerland, one in 2009 and another one in 2014. The data used were acquired throughout Switzerland via a standardized telephone survey. The random sample (2014) consisted of 1037 people aged between 65 and 100 years old. Although the digital divide between the age groups has lessened over the past years, only 55.7 % of the elderly people interviewed were using the Internet in the autumn of 2014. Internet usage differs greatly between age groups. Resources such as education, income and health positively impact actual use of the Internet. Additionally, recommendations from a person's social environment, as well as an affinity for technology and a personal benefit assessment have a positive impact on Internet usage. In particular, security concerns and difficulties of use were mentioned as predominant reasons for the non-use of the Internet. Some of the people questioned felt excluded from society because they did not use the Internet. Internet usage among elderly people depends on individual and social resources, as well as on general attitude towards technology and personal benefit expectations. The exclusion of today's elderly "offliners" should be avoided, even if the digital divide will decrease in the future.

  1. Basic anthropometry and health status of elderly: findings of the Maracaibo Aging Study.

    PubMed

    Muñoz, Angélica M; Falque-Madrid, Luis; Zambrano, Raquel Ch; Maestre, Gladys E

    2010-03-01

    Determine basic anthropometry for elderly participants in a Venezuelan community and compare results for subgroups with different health status. Standardized anthropometric, nutritional, neurological, neuropsychiatric, and cardiovascular assessments generated data on weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) by sex and age for the total sample, for normative groups without health problems that might impact anthropometry, and for reference groups with no major health problems. Centile curves of anthropometric measurements versus age are determined for women and men in the normative group. Mean weight and height are significantly different between sexes, but not BMI. All three parameters show gradual declines with age. The mean 90% central interval for BMI in the normative and reference groups is 20-29 kg/m(2). The anthropometric data for healthy elderly Venezuelans can be used in monitoring anthropometric changes and disease risk analysis for this population and possibly for other Latin American populations.

  2. [Comparison of arterial stiffness in non-hypertensive and hypertensive population of various age groups].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Y J; Wu, S L; Li, H Y; Zhao, Q H; Ning, C H; Zhang, R Y; Yu, J X; Li, W; Chen, S H; Gao, J S

    2018-01-24

    Objective: To investigate the impact of blood pressure and age on arterial stiffness in general population. Methods: Participants who took part in 2010, 2012 and 2014 Kailuan health examination were included. Data of brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) examination were analyzed. According to the WHO criteria of age, participants were divided into 3 age groups: 18-44 years group ( n= 11 608), 45-59 years group ( n= 12 757), above 60 years group ( n= 5 002). Participants were further divided into hypertension group and non-hypertension group according to the diagnostic criteria for hypertension (2010 Chinese guidelines for the managemengt of hypertension). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the association between systolic blood pressure (SBP) with baPWV in the total participants and then stratified by age groups. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence of blood pressure on arterial stiffness (baPWV≥1 400 cm/s) of various groups. Results: (1)The baseline characteristics of all participants: 35 350 participants completed 2010, 2012 and 2014 Kailuan examinations and took part in baPWV examination. 2 237 participants without blood pressure measurement values were excluded, 1 569 participants with history of peripheral artery disease were excluded, we also excluded 1 016 participants with history of cardiac-cerebral vascular disease. Data from 29 367 participants were analyzed. The age was (48.0±12.4) years old, 21 305 were males (72.5%). (2) Distribution of baPWV in various age groups: baPWV increased with aging. In non-hypertension population, baPWV in 18-44 years group, 45-59 years group, above 60 years group were as follows: 1 299.3, 1 428.7 and 1 704.6 cm/s, respectively. For hypertension participants, the respective values of baPWV were: 1 498.4, 1 640.7 and 1 921.4 cm/s. BaPWV was significantly higher in hypertension group than non-hypertension group of respective age groups ( P< 0.05). (3) Multiple

  3. Ages of the Xinghuadukou Group in the Erguna Block, NE China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, X.; Hou, W.

    2016-12-01

    The Xinghuadukou group is outcropped in the Erguna block (EB) of NE China, which is an important component of the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). This group was previously classified as Paleoproterozoic in age. However, recent studies reported Paleozoic ages from the meta-volcanic rocks, Paleoproterozoic to Neoarchean detrital zircon ages from the meta-sedimentary rocks and Neoproterozoic ages from the granitoids. The tectonic affinity of the EB is still debated. In order to clarify the aforementioned issues, 19 samples were collected from the Xinghuadukou group from the Mohe region in NE China. All samples underwent gneiss facies metamorphism, including two-mica granitic gneiss and quartz biotite gneiss. Based on the protolith discrimination diagram of Si—(al+fm)-(c+alk) system, 7 samples originated from sedimentary rocks and the other 12 of igneous origin. The orthogneiss samples were plotted as diorite, granodiorite and granite respectively in TAS, showing felsic character (SiO2 57% - 74%). One orthogneiss and one paragneiss samples were chosen to conduct the LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon age analysis. Apart from one zircon with the age of 742 Ma shows evident metamorphic rim, all zircons from the orthogneiss show euhedral to subhedral prismatic shape and typical concentric or oscillatory structure indicating the igneous origin. The concordant age of 2478±26 Ma was generated, indicating the existence of the near Archean basement of the EB. The detrital zircons from the paragneiss produced age populations cluster at 0.6, 0.8, 1.9, 2.6 and 2.7 Ga, lacking of the Grenville event age. The youngest zircon age is 395 Ma, taken as the maximum depositional age of the sedimentary protolith. According to the new data obtained, it is suggested that the Xinghuadukou group comprises the early Paleoproterozoic granite-gneiss, which proves the granitic basement of the Erguna block. The sedimentary rocks formed overlying the basement during the early

  4. Changes in cytogenetics and molecular genetics in acute myeloid leukemia from childhood to adult age groups.

    PubMed

    Creutzig, Ursula; Zimmermann, Martin; Reinhardt, Dirk; Rasche, Mareike; von Neuhoff, Christine; Alpermann, Tamara; Dworzak, Michael; Perglerová, Karolína; Zemanova, Zuzana; Tchinda, Joelle; Bradtke, Jutta; Thiede, Christian; Haferlach, Claudia

    2016-12-15

    To obtain better insight into the biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in various age groups, this study focused on the genetic changes occurring during a lifetime. This study analyzed the relation between age and genetics from birth to 100 years in 5564 patients with de novo AML diagnosed from 1998 to 2012 (1192 patients from nationwide pediatric studies [AML Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster studies 98 and 2004] and 4372 adults registered with the Munich Leukemia Laboratory). The frequencies of cytogenetic subgroups were age-dependent. Favorable subtypes (t(8;21), inv(16)/t(16;16), and t(15;17)) decreased in general from the pediatric age group (2 to < 18 years; 33%) to the oldest groups (<5% for > 70 years; P < .0001). Unfavorable cytogenetics (-7/del(7), -5/del(5q) or 5p, inv(3)/t(3;3), t(6;9), complex karyotype, 12p, 17p, and 11q23/mixed-lineage leukemia aberrations, excluding t(9;11)) were frequent (42%) in infants (<2 years), had a low frequency in children and young adults (<22%), and increased in frequency up to 36% in patients older than 85 years (P = .01). This was even more significant for complex karyotypes (P ≤ .0001), which also showed a strong increase in the absolute age-specific incidence with age. Interestingly, the frequency of 11q23 abnormalities decreased from infants to older patients. The proportion of clinically relevant molecular aberrations of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α, nucleophosmin (NPM1), and NPM1/fms-related tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication increased with age. Altogether, with the exclusion of infants, a significant decrease in the proportion of favorable cytogenetic subtypes and an increase in unfavorable cytogenetics were observed with increasing age. These findings indicate different mechanisms for the pathogenesis of AML; these different mechanisms also suggest directions for etiological research and contribute to the more unfavorable prognosis with increasing age. Cancer 2016;122:3821-3830.

  5. Age Group Comparisons of TENS Response Among Individuals With Chronic Axial Low Back Pain.

    PubMed

    Simon, Corey B; Riley, Joseph L; Fillingim, Roger B; Bishop, Mark D; George, Steven Z

    2015-12-01

    Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent and disabling musculoskeletal pain condition among older adults. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used to treat CLBP, however response to TENS in older adults compared with younger adults is untested. In a dose-response study stratified by age, 60 participants with axial CLBP (20 young, 20 middle-aged, 20 older) received four 20-minute sessions of high-frequency high-intensity TENS over a 2- to 3-week period in a laboratory-controlled setting. Experimental measures of pain sensitivity (mechanical pressure pain detection threshold) and central pain excitability (phasic heat temporal summation and heat aftersensations) were assessed before and after TENS. Episodic or immediate axial CLBP relief was assessed after TENS via measures of resting pain, movement-evoked-pain, and self-reported disability. Cumulative or prolonged axial CLBP relief was assessed by comparing daily pain reports across sessions. Independent of age, individuals experienced episodic increase in the pressure pain detection threshold and reduction in aftersensation after TENS application. Similarly, all groups, on average, experienced episodic axial CLBP relief via improved resting pain, movement-evoked pain, and disability report. Under this design, no cumulative effect was observed as daily pain did not improve for any age group across the 4 sessions. However, older adults received higher TENS amplitude across all sessions to achieve TENS responses similar to those in younger adults. These findings suggest that older adults experience similar episodic axial CLBP relief to that of younger individuals after high-frequency, high-intensity TENS when higher dose parameters are used. This study examined age group differences in experimental and axial CLBP response to TENS, delivered under the current recommended parameters of strong, but tolerable amplitude. Older adults had comparable TENS response although at higher TENS

  6. Coupling of Temperament with Mental Illness in Four Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Trofimova, Irina; Christiansen, Julie

    2016-04-01

    Studies of temperament profiles in patients with mental disorders mostly focus on emotionality-related traits, although mental illness symptoms include emotional and nonemotional aspects of behavioral regulation. This study investigates relationships between 12 temperament traits (9 nonemotionality and 3 emotionality related) measured by the Structure of Temperament Questionnaire and four groups of clinical symptoms (depression, anxiety, antisociality, and dominance-mania) measured by the Personality Assessment Inventory. The study further examines age differences in relationships among clinical symptoms and temperament traits. Intake records of 335 outpatients and clients divided into four age groups (18-25, 26-45, 46-65, and 66-85) showed no significant age differences on depression scales; however, the youngest group had significantly higher scores on Anxiety, Antisocial Behavior, Dominance, and Thought Disorders scales. Correlations between Personality Assessment Inventory and Structure of Temperament Questionnaire scales were consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, descriptors showing strong concurrent validity. Several age differences on temperament scales are also reported. Results show the benefits of differentiation between physical, social-verbal, and mental aspects of activities, as well as differentiation between dynamical, orientational, and energetic aspects in studying mental illness and temperament. © The Author(s) 2016.

  7. Price effects on the smoking behaviour of adult age groups.

    PubMed

    Franz, G A

    2008-12-01

    To provide a cigarette price elasticity reference for adult age groups, and to estimate the smoking behaviour changes in US adults in light of unprecedented state excise tax increases on cigarettes during the 1990s. Individual-level data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 1993-2000 were merged with state-level cigarette price and tax data. Data were analysed for different age groups using a weighted least squares regression framework. The outcome variables measured were whether an individual was a smoker, whether he/she had tried to quit smoking during the previous year, and how many cigarettes were smoked per day among the total population and among active smokers. This study confirmed previous results that younger individuals are more responsive to price changes than older individuals. Although older age groups are less sensitive to price changes, their smoking behaviour changes are still statistically significant. This study found that while older individuals are less responsive to price changes than younger individuals, their behavioural changes due to cigarette price increases should not be ignored.

  8. Influence of stuttering variation on talker group classification in preschool children: Preliminary findings

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Kia N.; Karrass, Jan; Conture, Edward G.; Walden, Tedra

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate whether variations in disfluencies of young children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) significantly change their talker group classification or diagnosis from stutterer to nonstutterer, and vice versa. Participants consisted of 17 3- to 5-year-old CWS and 9 3- to 5-year-old CWNS, with no statistically significant between-group difference in chronological age (CWS: M = 45.53 months, SD = 8.32; CWNS: M = 47.67 months, SD = 6.69). All participants had speech, language, and hearing development within normal limits, with the exception of stuttering for CWS. Both talker groups participated in a series of speaking samples that varied by: (a) conversational partner [parent and clinician], (b) location [home and clinic], and (c) context [conversation and narrative]. The primary dependent measures for this study were the number of stuttering-like disfluencies (SLD) per total number of spoken words [%SLD] and the ratio of SLD to total disfluencies (TD) [SLD/TD]. Results indicated that significant variability of stuttering did not exist as a result of conversational partner or location. Changes in context, however, did impact the CWS, who demonstrated higher SLD/TD in the conversation sample versus a narrative sample. Consistent with hypotheses, CWS and CWNS were accurately identified as stutterers and nonstutterers, respectively, regardless of changes to conversational partner, location or context for the overall participant sample. Present findings were taken to suggest that during assessment, variations in stuttering frequency resulting from changes in conversational partner, location or context do not significantly influence the diagnosis of stuttering, especially for children not on the talker group classification borderline between CWS and CWNS. PMID:19167719

  9. The Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive functioning: A systematic review of study findings and neuropsychological assessment methodology.

    PubMed

    Knight, Alissa; Bryan, Janet; Murphy, Karen

    2017-10-01

    The primary aims of this review were to identify studies investigating the association between the MedDiet pattern and age-related cognitive function, to determine the current status of knowledge, and to ascertain whether a lack of standardization with the operationalization of age-related cognitive function and differences in the chosen neuropsychological assessment methodology impacted on the results and findings. The systematic review protocol for this paper was carried out following the statement and general principles of PRISMA and the UK Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD). A systematic search of electronic databases yielded two cross-sectional studies, two cross-sectional/prospective studies, and 11 prospective studies for inclusion. Among this group of studies, conflicting results and conclusions regarding the efficacy of the MedDiet as a therapeutic approach for age-related cognitive function were found. Of importance, clear differences among studies in relation to neuropsychological assessment methodology were identified. Such disparity appeared to be one plausible factor contributing to the lack of consensus among study findings. One of the important challenges for future research will be to aim toward some kind of standardized neuropsychological assessment criteria. This type of endeavor will enable the ability to validate with greater confidence, whether or not adherence to a MedDiet does promote benefit for age-related cognitive function.

  10. Age Group Comparisons of TENS Response among Individuals with Chronic Axial Low Back Pain

    PubMed Central

    Simon, Corey B.; Riley, Joseph L.; Fillingim, Roger B.; Bishop, Mark D.; George, Steven Z.

    2015-01-01

    Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent and disabling musculoskeletal pain condition among older adults. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used to treat CLBP, however, TENS response for older adults compared to younger adults is untested. In a dose-response study stratified by age, sixty participants with axial CLBP (20 young, 20 middle-aged, 20 older) received four 20-minute sessions of high frequency, high intensity TENS over a two to three-week period in a laboratory-controlled setting. Experimental measures of pain sensitivity (mechanical pressure pain detection threshold, PPT) and central pain excitability (phasic heat temporal summation, TS; heat aftersensations, AS) were assessed before and after TENS. Episodic or immediate axial CLBP relief was assessed after TENS via measures of resting pain, movement-evoked-pain, and self-reported disability. Cumulative or prolonged axial CLBP relief was assessed by comparing daily pain report across sessions. Independent of age, individuals experienced episodic increase in PPT and reduction in AS following TENS application. Similarly, all groups, on average, experienced episodic axial CLBP relief via improved resting pain, movement-evoked pain, and disability report. Under this design, no cumulative effect was observed as daily pain did not improve for any age group across the four sessions. However, older adults received higher TENS amplitude across all sessions in achieving similar TENS responses to younger adults. These findings suggest that older adults experience similar episodic axial CLBP relief as younger individuals following high frequency, high intensity TENS when higher dosage parameters are used. PMID:26342650

  11. Ageing and spatial reversal learning in humans: findings from a virtual water maze.

    PubMed

    Schoenfeld, R; Foreman, N; Leplow, B

    2014-08-15

    Deterioration in spatial memory with normal ageing is well accepted. Animal research has shown spatial reversal learning to be most vulnerable to pathological changes in the brain, but this has never been tested in humans. We studied ninety participants (52% females, 20-80 yrs) in a virtual water maze with a reversal learning procedure. Neuropsychological functioning, mood and personality were assessed to control moderator effects. For data analysis, participants were subdivided post hoc into groups aged 20-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-64 and 65-80 yrs. Initial spatial learning occurred in all age groups but 65-80-yrs-olds never reached the level of younger participants. When tested for delayed recall of spatial memory, younger people frequented the target area but those over 65 yrs did not. In spatial reversal learning, age groups over 45 yrs were deficient and the 65-80-yrs-olds showed no evidence of reversal. Spatial measures were associated with neuropsychological functioning. Extraversion and measures of depression moderated the age effect on the learning index with older introverted and non-depressed individuals showing better results. Measures of anxiety moderated the age effect on reversal learning with older people having higher anxiety scores showing a preserved reversal learning capability. Results confirmed age to be a major factor in spatial tasks but further showed neuropsychological functioning, psycho-affective determinants and personality traits to be significant predictors of individual differences. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. The Facts on Aging Quiz: A Review of Findings and a Revision of Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmore, Erdman; And Others

    1980-01-01

    In a review of studies using the Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ), group reliability was high, but item reliability was low. Less educated groups were more biased against the elderly. In some ways the revised FAQ supports the Palmore scale, while compensating for its weaknesses. (JAC)

  13. Survival Rate of Limb Replantation in Different Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Tatebe, Masahiro; Urata, Shiro; Tanaka, Kenji; Kurahashi, Toshikazu; Takeda, Shinsuke; Hirata, Hitoshi

    2017-08-01

    Revascularization of damaged limbs/digits is technically feasible, but indications for surgical replantation remain controversial. The authors analyzed the survival rate of upper limb amputations and the associated factors in different age groups. They grouped 371 limb/digit amputees (average age, 44 years; range, 2-85 years) treated in their hospital during the past 10 years into three groups based on age (young, ≤ 15 years, n  = 12; adult, 16-64 years, n  = 302; elderly, ≥ 65 years, n  = 57) and analyzed their injury type (extent of injury and stump status), operation method, presence of medical complications (Charlson comorbidity index), and survival rate. There were 168 replantations, and the overall replantation survival rate was 93%. The Charlson comorbidity index of the replantation patients was 0 in 124 cases; 1 in 32; 2 in 9; and 3 in 3, but it did not show any significant difference in survival rate after replantation. Eight elderly patients (14%) did not opt for replantation. Younger patients tended to undergo replantation, but they had lower success rates due to their severe injury status. The results of this study show that the survival rate of replantation in elderly patients is equal to that in adults. Stump evaluation is important for survival, but the presence of medical complications is not associated with the overall survival rate.

  14. [The electrocardiogram in the paediatric age group].

    PubMed

    Sanches, M; Coelho, A; Oliveira, E; Lopes, A

    2014-09-01

    A properly interpreted electrocardiogram (ECG) provides important information and is an inexpensive and easy test to perform. It continues to be the method of choice for the diagnosis of arrhythmias. Although the principles of cardiac electrophysiology are the same, there are anatomical and physiological age-dependent changes which produce specific alterations in the paediatric ECG, and which may be misinterpreted as pathological. The intention of this article is to address in a systematic way the most relevant aspects of the paediatric ECG, to propose a possible reading scheme of the ECG and to review the electrocardiograph tracings most frequently found in the paediatric age group. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  15. Improving recruitment to pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use: findings from a qualitative focus group study

    PubMed Central

    Tompkins, Charlotte N. E.; McDonald, Rebecca; Strang, John

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Aim To explore potential study participants’ views on willingness to join clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use to inform and improve future recruitment strategies. Design Qualitative focus group study [six groups: oral methadone (two groups); buprenorphine tablets (two groups); injectable opioid agonist treatment (one group); and former opioid agonist treatment (one group)]. Settings Drug and alcohol services and a peer support recovery service (London, UK). Participants Forty people with experience of opioid agonist treatment for heroin dependence (26 males, 14 females; aged 33–66 years). Measurements Data collection was facilitated by a topic guide that explored willingness to enrol in clinical pharmacological trials. Groups were audio‐recorded and transcribed. Transcribed data were analysed inductively via Iterative Categorization. Findings Participants’ willingness to join pharmacological trials of medications for opioid dependence was affected by factors relating to study burden, study drug, study design, study population and study relationships. Participants worried that the trial drug might be worse than, or interfere with, their current treatment. They also misunderstood aspects of trial design despite the researchers’ explanations. Conclusions Recruitment of participants for clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use could be improved if researchers became better at explaining clinical trials to potential participants, dispelling misconceptions about trials and increasing trust in the research process and research establishment. A checklist of issues to consider when designing pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use is proposed. PMID:29356208

  16. Therapeutic group therapy improved self-efficacy of school age children.

    PubMed

    Cleodora, Cindy; Mustikasari; Gayatri, Dewi

    2018-02-01

    The survival of children against disaster can be seen from their confidence in their ability (self-efficacy). Self-efficacy can help children to determine their ability against disaster as preparedness. The proper intervention to increase self-efficacy as a protective factor is a therapeutic group therapy. The aim of this research is to measure the increase of self-efficacy of school age children against earthquake and Tsunami through therapeutic group therapy. This research used quasi-experimental design with pre-post-tests with control group. The sample involved in this study is 69 children, where 35 of them are in the experimental group while the rest 34 children are in the control group consisting of school children at the IV and V graders of elementary school. The result of the research showed that the self-efficacy of school children is improved significantly after being treated with therapeutic group therapy (p value < 0,05), those who were not treated with therapeutic group therapy have no significant improvement (p value > 0,05). This research is recommended to be conducted on school age children to improve their self-efficacy against disaster through health education. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. [A clinical study on pulmonary tuberculosis in younger age groups].

    PubMed

    Takahara, M; Suzuki, T; Toyota, E; Kobayashi, N; Kawada, H; Kudoh, K

    2000-04-01

    In 1997, the number of newly registered patients with pulmonary tuberculosis increased, compared with that in 1996, in Japan. The majority of the increase were occupied by elder patients 70 years of age or higher. But in younger group less than 30 years old, a reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis had been slowed down, until 1996. The purpose of this report is to elucidate the characteristics of these younger patients. 139 cases younger than 30 years of age, who were hospitalized in the tuberculous ward of IMCJ from April 1995 to March 1998, were investigated, and were compared with the control group (557 cases), 30-79 years old who were hospitalized during the same period. In the younger group, the proportion of women cases, discovered by health examination, foreigners, and contact with TB patients in the past was significantly higher than in the control group. But there were no difference between the both groups, concerning the proportion of those spending irregular life or living alone. The proportion of sputa smear negative cases was significantly higher in the younger group than in the control. For early diagnosis of TB among younger group, the application of bronchofiberscopy and nucleic acid diagnostic method, are encouraged.

  18. [Prevention groups for school-age children of mentally ill parents ("Auryn Groups")].

    PubMed

    Dierks, H

    2001-09-01

    Children of psychiatrically ill parents have a high risk themselves to develop a psychiatric illness in adulthood. Prevention aims at strengthening the resilience of these children and reducing psychosocial risk factors. This article found and describes a theoretical concept of prevention groups for children in schoolage (7-16 years) whose parents are psychiatrically ill. First practical experiences are depicted. The Hamburgian model of prevention works with closed and temporary limited groups of children as well as with the parents. It is based on supporting the children's existing coping strategies and the children are encouraged to exchange their individual experiences of the relationships within their families. One conclusion was, that the main thematic emphasis varied considerably depending on the age of the children.

  19. Australians' views on personal genomic testing: focus group findings from the Genioz study.

    PubMed

    Metcalfe, Sylvia A; Hickerton, Chriselle; Savard, Jacqueline; Terrill, Bronwyn; Turbitt, Erin; Gaff, Clara; Gray, Kathleen; Middleton, Anna; Wilson, Brenda; Newson, Ainsley J

    2018-04-30

    Personal genomic testing provides healthy individuals with access to information about their genetic makeup for purposes including ancestry, paternity, sporting ability and health. Such tests are available commercially and globally, with accessibility expected to continue to grow, including in Australia; yet little is known of the views/expectations of Australians. Focus groups were conducted within a multi-stage, cross-disciplinary project (Genioz) to explore this. In mid-2015, 56 members of the public participated in seven focus groups, allocated into three age groups: 18-24, 25-49, and ≥50 years. Three researchers coded transcripts independently and generated themes. Awareness of personal genomic testing was low, but most could deduce what "personal genomics" might entail. Very few had heard of the term "direct-to-consumer" testing, which has implications for organisations developing information to support individuals in their decision-making. Participants' understanding of genetics was varied and drawn from several sources. There were diverse perceptions of the relative influence of genetics and environment on health, mental health, behavior, talent, or personality. Views about having a personal genomic test were mixed, with greater interest in health-related tests if they believed there was a reason for doing so. However, many expressed scepticisms about the types of tests available, and how the information might be used; concerns were also raised about privacy and the potential for discrimination. These exploratory findings inform subsequent stages of the Genioz study, thereby contributing to strategies of supporting Australians to understand and make meaningful and well-considered decisions about the benefits, harms, and implications of personal genomic tests.

  20. Age, gender, social contacts, and psychological distress: findings from the 45 and up study.

    PubMed

    Phongsavan, Philayrath; Grunseit, Anne C; Bauman, Adrian; Broom, Dorothy; Byles, Julie; Clarke, Judith; Redman, Sally; Nutbeam, Don

    2013-09-01

    The study examined the relationships between social contact types and psychological distress among mid-older adults. Self-completed data from 236,490 Australian adults aged 45+ years. There was a consistent relationship between increased frequency in phone contacts, social visits, and social group contacts and reduced risk of psychological distress adjusted for demographic and health factors. However, stratified analyses by age showed, with one exception, that no significant associations were found between social group contact frequency and risk of psychological distress for those aged 85 years and older. Furthermore, significant interaction terms revealed that women experience a steeper reduction in risk than men at age 65 to 74 years and 75 to 84 years compared with those aged 45 to 64 years. Social contacts have age and gender differential effects on psychological distress of mid-older Australian adults. Interventions addressing social interaction need to be sensitive to gender and age differences.

  1. Modification of Acute Radiation Response in Different Demographic Age Groups

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-25

    17 5.3.1. Data from the atomic bomb survivors...different age groups. Limited data is available from the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, supporting evidence of the...impact age-dependent survival rates. 5.3 Human Data 5.3.1. Data from the atomic bomb survivors Data collected by the Joint Commission for the

  2. Finding Major Patterns of Aging Process by Data Synchronization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyano, Takaya; Tsutsui, Takako

    We developed a method for extracting feature patterns from multivariate data using a network of coupled phase oscillators subject to an analogue of the Kuramoto model for collective synchronization. Our method may be called data synchronization. We applied data synchronization to the care-needs-certification data, provided by Otsu City as a historical old city near Kyoto City, in the Japanese public long-term care insurance program to find the trend of the major patterns of the aging process for elderly people needing nursing care.

  3. Annual age-grouping and athlete development: a meta-analytical review of relative age effects in sport.

    PubMed

    Cobley, Stephen; Baker, Joseph; Wattie, Nick; McKenna, Jim

    2009-01-01

    Annual age-grouping is a common organizational strategy in sport. However, such a strategy appears to promote relative age effects (RAEs). RAEs refer both to the immediate participation and long-term attainment constraints in sport, occurring as a result of chronological age and associated physical (e.g. height) differences as well as selection practices in annual age-grouped cohorts. This article represents the first meta-analytical review of RAEs, aimed to collectively determine (i) the overall prevalence and strength of RAEs across and within sports, and (ii) identify moderator variables. A total of 38 studies, spanning 1984-2007, containing 253 independent samples across 14 sports and 16 countries were re-examined and included in a single analysis using odds ratios and random effects procedures for combining study estimates. Overall results identified consistent prevalence of RAEs, but with small effect sizes. Effect size increased linearly with relative age differences. Follow-up analyses identified age category, skill level and sport context as moderators of RAE magnitude. Sports context involving adolescent (aged 15-18 years) males, at the representative (i.e. regional and national) level in highly popular sports appear most at risk to RAE inequalities. Researchers need to understand the mechanisms by which RAEs magnify and subside, as well as confirm whether RAEs exist in female and more culturally diverse contexts. To reduce and eliminate this social inequality from influencing athletes' experiences, especially within developmental periods, direct policy, organizational and practitioner intervention is required.

  4. Spike-train communities: finding groups of similar spike trains.

    PubMed

    Humphries, Mark D

    2011-02-09

    Identifying similar spike-train patterns is a key element in understanding neural coding and computation. For single neurons, similar spike patterns evoked by stimuli are evidence of common coding. Across multiple neurons, similar spike trains indicate potential cell assemblies. As recording technology advances, so does the urgent need for grouping methods to make sense of large-scale datasets of spike trains. Existing methods require specifying the number of groups in advance, limiting their use in exploratory analyses. I derive a new method from network theory that solves this key difficulty: it self-determines the maximum number of groups in any set of spike trains, and groups them to maximize intragroup similarity. This method brings us revealing new insights into the encoding of aversive stimuli by dopaminergic neurons, and the organization of spontaneous neural activity in cortex. I show that the characteristic pause response of a rat's dopaminergic neuron depends on the state of the superior colliculus: when it is inactive, aversive stimuli invoke a single pattern of dopaminergic neuron spiking; when active, multiple patterns occur, yet the spike timing in each is reliable. In spontaneous multineuron activity from the cortex of anesthetized cat, I show the existence of neural ensembles that evolve in membership and characteristic timescale of organization during global slow oscillations. I validate these findings by showing that the method both is remarkably reliable at detecting known groups and can detect large-scale organization of dynamics in a model of the striatum.

  5. Same-level fall injuries in US workplaces by age group, gender, and industry.

    PubMed

    Scott, Kenneth A; Fisher, Gwenith G; Barón, Anna E; Tompa, Emile; Stallones, Lorann; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn

    2018-02-01

    As the workforce ages, occupational injuries from falls on the same level will increase. Some industries may be more affected than others. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate same-level fall injury incidence rates by age group, gender, and industry for four sectors: 1) healthcare and social assistance; 2) manufacturing; 3) retail; and 4) transportation and warehousing. We calculated rate ratios and rate differences by age group and gender. Same-level fall injury incidence rates increase with age in all four sectors. However, patterns of rate ratios and rate differences vary by age group, gender, and industry. Younger workers, men, and manufacturing workers generally have lower rates. Variation in incidence rates suggests there are unrealized opportunities to prevent same-level fall injuries. Interventions should be evaluated for their effectiveness at reducing injuries, avoiding gender- or age-discrimination and improving work ability. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Effect of Training on Physiological and Biochemical Variables of Soccer Players of Different Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Manna, Indranil; Khanna, Gulshan Lal; Chandra Dhara, Prakash

    2010-01-01

    Purpose To find out the effect of training on selected physiological and biochemical variables of Indian soccer players of different age groups. Methods A total of 120 soccer players volunteered for the study, were divided (n = 30) into 4 groups: (i) under 16 years (U16), (ii) under 19 years (U19), (iii) under 23 years (U23), (iv) senior (SR). The training sessions were divided into 2 phases (a) Preparatory Phase (PP, 8 weeks) and (b) Competitive Phase (CP, 4 weeks). The training program consisted of aerobic, anaerobic and skill development, and were completed 4 hrs/day; 5 days/week. Selected physiological and biochemical variables were measured at zero level (baseline data, BD) and at the end of PP and CP. Results A significant increase (P < 0.05) in lean body mass (LBM), VO2max, anaerobic power, grip and back strength, urea, uric acid and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); and a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in body fat, hemoglobin (Hb), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were detected in some groups in PP and CP phases of the training when compare to BD. However, no significant change was found in body mass and maximal heart rate of the players after the training program. Conclusion This study would provide useful information for training and selection of soccer players of different age groups. PMID:22375187

  7. Trends in Female Breast Cancer by Age Group in the Chiang Mai Population

    PubMed Central

    Sripan, Patumrat; Sriplung, Hutcha; Pongnikorn, Donsuk; Virani, Shama; Bilheem, Surichai; Chaisaengkhaum, Udomlak; Maneesai, Puttachart; Waisri, Narate; Hanpragopsuk, Chirapong; Tansiri, Panrada; Khamsan, Varunee; Poungsombat, Malisa; Mawoot, Aumnart; Chitapanarux, Imjai

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: This study was conducted to determine incidence trends of female breast cancer according to age groups and to predict future change in Chiang Mai women through 2028. Method: Data were collected from all hospitals in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, from 1989 through 2013, and used to investigate effects of age, year of diagnosis (period) and year of birth (cohort) on female breast cancer incidences using an age-period-cohort model. This model features geometric cut trends to predict change by young (<40 years), middle-aged (40-59) and elderly (≥60) age groups. Result: Of 5, 417 female breast cancer patients with a median age of 50 years (interquartile range: 43 to 59 years), 15%, 61% and 24% were young, middle-aged and elderly, respectively. Seventy nine percent of cancer cases in this study were detected at advanced stage. The trend in stage classification showed an increase in percentage of early stage and a decrease in metastatic cancers. Linear trends for cohort and period were not found in young females but were observed in middle-aged and elderly groups. Age-standardized rates (ASR) can be expected to remain stable around 6.8 per 100,000 women-years in young females. In the other age groups, the ASR trends were calculated to increase and reach peaks in 2024 of 120.2 and 138.2 per 100,000 women-years, respectively. Conclusion: Cohort effects or generation-specific effects, such as life style factors and the year of diagnosis (period) might have impacted on increased incidence in women aged over 40 years but not those under 40 years. A budget should be provided for treatment facilities and strategies to detect early stage cancers. The cost effectiveness of screening measures i.e. mammographic screening may need to be reconsidered for women age over 40 years. PMID:28612595

  8. Opportunities for youth smoking cessation: findings from a national focus group study.

    PubMed

    Balch, George I; Tworek, Cindy; Barker, Dianne C; Sasso, Barbara; Mermelstein, Robin; Giovino, Gary A

    2004-02-01

    To identify opportunities for smoking cessation among adolescents, we conducted six computer-assisted telephone focus groups with 48 male and female high school student smokers and former smokers from six states across the United States, all aged 15-17 years, in two groups each of "established smokers," "late experimenters," and "quitters." These adolescents considered addiction to cigarettes real, powerful, stealthy, insidious, harmful, and avoidable. They considered quitting smoking achievable and desirable. Many of the established smokers and some experimenters would not consider quitting until an indefinite future, when they expected adult responsibilities to help them quit. Quitters had been encouraged by friends who did not smoke around them or offer them cigarettes; they also associated more with nonsmoking friends. Some adolescents, especially quitters, reported that parents had tried to help them quit; some smokers reported that parents had provided them with cigarettes. Some adolescents reported school rules and enforcement that made it hard to smoke; others reported school rules and enforcement that made it easy and tempting to smoke. These adolescents were not aware of the availability of professional help or interested in it. Many did not consider smoking urgent or "intense" enough for professional help. Perceptions of cessation programs were nonexistent or negative. Participants were aware of nicotine replacement therapies but less so of prescription medications. These findings suggest that it is critical to educate adolescents about what good cessation programming is and is not, why it is needed, how it might help, and where it is offered.

  9. Other age groups than children need to be considered as carriers of Streptococcal pneumoniae serotypes.

    PubMed

    Slotved, Hans-Christian

    2016-10-02

    We need to raise the issue that focus on children as the only carriage group for pneumococci is not optimal; we need to consider that other age groups might also be carriers of pneumococcal serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) in unvaccinated age groups. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) have successfully removed IPD from vaccinated children. Studies have shown an effect of PCV reducing the pneumococcal carriage of PCV serotypes in children. The status for several countries having used PCV for many years is that they do not see PCV serotypes neither carried nor as a cause of IPD in children. PCV vaccination of children has shown a herd protection effect in unvaccinated groups as a reduction in IPD cases caused by PCV serotypes. However, not all PCV serotypes have disappeared as the cause of IPD in the unvaccinated age groups. The author therefore believes that if we are to see PCV serotypes disappear as a cause of IPD in unvaccinated age groups, we need to perform further carriage studies to examine carriage in other age groups. Alternatively, all age groups should be vaccinated against pneumococci to eliminate IPD caused by PCV serotypes from possible hidden carriers.

  10. Active Aging in Very Old Age and the Relevance of Psychological Aspects.

    PubMed

    Paúl, Constança; Teixeira, Laetitia; Ribeiro, Oscar

    2017-01-01

    Active aging encompasses a socially and individually designed mix of different domains that range from personal and familial, to social and professional. In being a key policy concept often focused on the young-old individuals, efforts in studying its dimensions in advanced ages have seldom been made. Nevertheless, there is a recognized need to promote adequate responses to the growing number of individuals reaching advanced ages and to recognize their specific dependability on health-related aspects, services attendance, social interactions, or on psychological characteristics for what it means to "age actively." This study provides a secondary analysis of data and follows the preceding work on the operationalization of the World Health Organization's (WHO) active aging model by means of an assessment protocol to measure which variables, within the model's determinants, contribute the most for an active aging process (1). Authors used the achieved model (composed by six factors: health, psychological component, cognitive performance, social relationships, biological component, and personality) and performed multi-group analysis of structural invariance to examine hypothetical differences between age groups (<75 years vs. ≥75 years) and to contrast obtained findings with the originally achieved model for the total sample (1,322 individuals aged 55 +). The structural covariances for the two age groups were statistically different. The comparison of components between age groups revealed a major relevance of the psychological component for the older age group. These findings reinforce the importance of psychological functioning in active aging in oldest old, and the need for further research on specific psychological features underlying the subjective meaning of active aging in more advanced ages.

  11. Seminal characteristics and sexual behavior in men of different age groups: is there an aging effect?

    PubMed

    Zavos, Panayiotis M; Kaskar, Khalied; Correa, Juan R; Sikka, Suresh C

    2006-05-01

    To assess the seminal characteristics as well as the sexual behavior of men of various age groups to establish the presence of an aging effect on those characteristics. Semen samples were collected from men (n = 792) undergoing in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination in cases of female factor infertility only. Samples were collected using a seminal collection device at intercourse and evaluated manually according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Men were divided into four groups according to their ages: (i) 20-30, (ii) 31-40, (iii) 41-50 and (iv) 51-60 years, and their seminal characteristics and responses to a sexual behavior questionnaire were compared. The data showed statistically significant differences in the seminal characteristics tested, most notably in the sperm concentration, motility, grade of motility, hypo-osmotic swelling and normal sperm morphology. Furthermore, the decline in normal sperm morphology with age was more pronounced when using strict criteria rather than WHO standards. There were also differences in total sperm count, total motile sperm and total functional sperm fraction (assessed by both WHO and strict criteria). Significant differences were also observed in the sexual behavior patterns in older men in terms of the number of years they have been trying to conceive, sexual frequency and sexual satisfaction. The data clearly illustrate an aging effect on semen characteristics and sexual behavior in men as they age. It is suggested that the aging effect be taken into consideration when proposing normal standard values for semen characteristics in routine semen analysis as outlined by WHO standards.

  12. Empirical evaluation of grouping of lower urinary tract symptoms: principal component analysis of Tampere Ageing Male Urological Study data.

    PubMed

    Pöyhönen, Antti; Häkkinen, Jukka T; Koskimäki, Juha; Hakama, Matti; Tammela, Teuvo L J; Auvinen, Anssi

    2013-03-01

    WHAT'S KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT? AND WHAT DOES THE STUDY ADD?: The ICS has divided LUTS into three groups: storage, voiding and post-micturition symptoms. The classification is based on anatomical, physiological and urodynamic considerations of a theoretical nature. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the inter-correlations of various LUTS, which is a novel approach to research and can strengthen existing knowledge of the phenomenology of LUTS. After we had completed our analyses, another study was published that used a similar approach and results were very similar to those of the present study. We evaluated the constellation of LUTS using PCA of the data from a population-based study that included >4000 men. In our analysis, three components emerged from the 12 LUTS: voiding, storage and incontinence components. Our results indicated that incontinence may be separate from the other storage symptoms and post-micturition symptoms should perhaps be regarded as voiding symptoms. To determine how lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) relate to each other and assess if the classification proposed by the International Continence Society (ICS) is consistent with empirical findings. The information on urinary symptoms for this population-based study was collected using a self-administered postal questionnaire in 2004. The questionnaire was sent to 7470 men, aged 30-80 years, from Pirkanmaa County (Finland), of whom 4384 (58.7%) returned the questionnaire. The Danish Prostatic Symptom Score-1 questionnaire was used to evaluate urinary symptoms. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the inter-correlations among various urinary symptoms. The PCA produced a grouping of 12 LUTS into three categories consisting of voiding, storage and incontinence symptoms. Post-micturition symptoms were related to voiding symptoms, but incontinence symptoms were separate from storage symptoms. In the analyses by age group, similar categorization was found at

  13. The Effects of Ability Grouping: A Meta-Analysis of Research Findings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noland, Theresa Koontz; Taylor, Bob L.

    The study reported in this paper quantitatively integrated the recent research findings on ability grouping in order to generalize about these effects on student achievement and student self-concept. Meta-analysis was used to statistically integrate the empirical data. The relationships among various experimental variables including grade level,…

  14. Study of pruritus vulvae in geriatric age group in tertiary hospital

    PubMed Central

    Kaur, Jasleen; Kalsy, Jyotika

    2017-01-01

    Background: According to the World Health Organization criteria, geriatric population is people above 60 years of age. In this phase of life, a woman has already gone through menopause and its associated emotional, physical, and hormonal changes. These changes are due to gradual loss of estrogen that comes with menopause which results in dramatic changes in the appearance of vulva and vagina. With age, skin of vulva becomes thin, loses elasticity, and moisture so that the patient starts feeling burning and itchy sensation. The normal acidic pH changes to basic which alters the flora and makes the person prone to other bacterial infections. Apart from infections, there are many other dermatological and nondermatological causes of vulvar itching in this age group such as eczema, contact dermatitis, lichen planus (LP), lichen sclerosus atrophicans, lichen simplex chronicus (LSC), prolapse, incontinence, and carcinoma. The aim is to diagnose the causes of pruritus vulvae in the geriatric age group to decrease the misery of these patients. Methods: We selected 40 consecutive females of age group ranging from 60 to 75 years coming to skin OPD with the complaint of pruritus of vulvar region over a period of 1 year. Clinical examination, complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, wet mount, pap smear, and skin biopsy were done in every case. Results: Out of the forty patients who were included in this study, 17 (42.5%) were diagnosed as a case of LSC and 11 (27.5%) patients had atrophic vaginitis. Three (7.5%) patients presented with tinea. Three (7.5%) cases were clinically diagnosed as scabies. Another 2 (5%) cases were diagnosed as LP and Candida was seen in other 2 (5%) cases. 1 (2.5%) case was diagnosed as bacillary vaginosis and 1 (2.5%) patient was of lichen sclerosus. Conclusion: Pruritus vulvae of geriatric age group are of diverse etiology, therefore, treatment based on precise diagnosis is of prime importance. PMID:28442799

  15. [Optimal energy supply in different age groups of critically ill children on mechanical ventilation].

    PubMed

    Li, X H; Ji, J; Qian, S Y

    2018-01-02

    Objective: To analyze the resting energy expenditure and optimal energy supply in different age groups of critically ill children on mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Patients on mechanical ventilation hospitalized in PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital from March 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled prospectively. Resting energy expenditure of patients was calculated by US Med Graphic company critical care management (CCM) energy metabolism test system after mechanical ventilation. Patients were divided into three groups:<3 years, 3-10 years, and >10 years. The relationship between the measured and predictive resting energy expenditure was analyzed with correlation analysis; while the metabolism status and the optimal energy supply in different age groups were analyzed with chi square test and variance analysis. Results: A total of 102 patients were enrolled, the measured resting energy expenditure all correlated with predictive resting energy expenditure in different age groups (<3 years ( r= 0.3, P= 0.0) ; 3~10 years ( r= 0.6, P= 0.0) ;>10 years ( r= 0.5, P= 0.0) ) . A total of 40 cases in < 3 years group, including: 14 cases of low metabolism (35%), 14 cases of normal metabolism (35%), and 12 cases of high metabolism (30%); 45 cases in 3-10 years group, including: 22 cases of low metabolism (49%), 19 cases of normal metabolism (42%), 4 cases of high metabolism (9%); 17 cases in > 10 years group, including: 12 cases of low metabolism (71%), 4 cases of normal metabolism (23%), 1 case of high metabolism (6%). Metabolism status showed significant differences between different age groups ( χ (2)=11.30, P <0.01, r= -0.01). Infants had higher metabolic status, which lessened with aging. The total average actual energy requirement was (210±84) kJ/ (kg⋅d) . There were significant differences in actual energy requirement between age groups ( F= 46.57, P< 0.001), with (277±77) kJ/ (kg⋅d) in < 3 years group, (184±53) kJ/ (kg

  16. Predicting age groups of Twitter users based on language and metadata features.

    PubMed

    Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A; Kim, Annice E; Chew, Robert F; Ruddle, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Health organizations are increasingly using social media, such as Twitter, to disseminate health messages to target audiences. Determining the extent to which the target audience (e.g., age groups) was reached is critical to evaluating the impact of social media education campaigns. The main objective of this study was to examine the separate and joint predictive validity of linguistic and metadata features in predicting the age of Twitter users. We created a labeled dataset of Twitter users across different age groups (youth, young adults, adults) by collecting publicly available birthday announcement tweets using the Twitter Search application programming interface. We manually reviewed results and, for each age-labeled handle, collected the 200 most recent publicly available tweets and user handles' metadata. The labeled data were split into training and test datasets. We created separate models to examine the predictive validity of language features only, metadata features only, language and metadata features, and words/phrases from another age-validated dataset. We estimated accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 metrics for each model. An L1-regularized logistic regression model was conducted for each age group, and predicted probabilities between the training and test sets were compared for each age group. Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated to examine the relative importance of significant features. Models containing both Tweet language features and metadata features performed the best (74% precision, 74% recall, 74% F1) while the model containing only Twitter metadata features were least accurate (58% precision, 60% recall, and 57% F1 score). Top predictive features included use of terms such as "school" for youth and "college" for young adults. Overall, it was more challenging to predict older adults accurately. These results suggest that examining linguistic and Twitter metadata features to predict youth and young adult Twitter users may be helpful for

  17. Characteristics of Talented Dancers and Age Group Differences: Findings from the UK Centres for Advanced Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Imogen J.; Nordin-Bates, Sanna M.; Redding, Emma

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated differences in the characteristics of talented dancers in relation to age. Physical (handgrip muscular strength, leg muscular power, hamstring flexibility and external hip rotation), psychological (passion, self-esteem and anxiety) and social (the motivational climate) characteristics were assessed in 334 students enrolled…

  18. Financial Literacy and Long- and Short-Term Financial Behavior in Different Age Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henager, Robin; Cude, Brenda J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between financial literacy and financial behaviors among various age groups. Financial literacy was measured in three ways: objective financial knowledge, subjective financial knowledge or confidence, and subjective financial management ability. The age groups were 18-24, 25-34, 35-44,…

  19. Holistic Wellness in Older Adulthood: Group Differences Based on Age and Mental Health.

    PubMed

    Fullen, Matthew C; Granello, Darcy Haag

    2018-01-01

    To understand how demographic variables and depression symptoms relate to the prevalence of wellness, resilience, and age perception within a sample of community-dwelling older adults. In all, 200 residents across 12 senior housing sites were surveyed. Research questions included the following: (1) Do group differences exist in wellness, resilience, and age perception based on age, sex, race, education, and depression symptoms? (2) Which profile of variables is most strongly associated with self-rated depression among older adults? Multivariate analyses of variance were used to examine group differences. A discriminant analysis demonstrated which variables comprised the profile of individuals who ascribed to depression symptoms. Younger respondents (i.e., age 55-70) had significantly lower levels of wellness (η 2 = .034) and resilience (η 2 = .052). Respondents suffering from depression symptoms had lower levels of wellness (η 2 = .155), resilience (η 2 = .163), and positive age perception (η 2 = .067) and higher rates of negative age perception (η 2 = .052). The discriminant analysis correctly categorized 75.3% of the cases related to depression symptoms, and resilience and certain forms of wellness were most relevant. The current study sheds light into within-group differences in wellness, resilience, and age perception that depend on variables such as age and depression.

  20. The MAGnet Newsletter on Mixed-Age Grouping in Preschool and Elementary Settings, 1992-1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClellan, Diane, Ed.

    1997-01-01

    These 11 newsletter issues provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas regarding mixed-age grouping in preschool and elementary schools. The October 1992 issue focuses on the mixed-age approach as an educational innovation, defines relevant terms, and presents advice from Oregon teachers on teaching mixed-age groups. The March 1993 issue…

  1. The Effect of Science Activities on Concept Acquisition of Age 5-6 Children Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dogru, Mustafa; Seker, Fatih

    2012-01-01

    Present research aims to determine the effect of science activities on concept development of preschool period age 5-6 children groups. Parallel to research objective, qualitative research pattern has been the selected method. Study group comprises of collectively 48 children from 5-6 age group attending to a private education institution in city…

  2. Normative and subjective need for orthodontic treatment within different age groups in a population in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Nur Yilmaz, R B; Oktay, I; Ilhan, D; Fişekçioğlu, E; Özdemir, Fulya

    2017-12-01

    To evaluate and compare the normative and subjective need for orthodontic treatment within different age groups in Turkey. One thousand and sixteen patients from seven different demographic regions of Turkey (Marmara, Black Sea, East Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Aegean, and Central Anatolia Region) (mean age ± SD: 12.80 ± 3.57 years) were randomly selected and divided into six age groups (7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16, and 17-18 year-olds) and categorized according to the dental health component (DHC) of the index for orthodontic treatment need (IOTN). Additionally, the patients were asked to indicate the photograph that was most similar to their own dentition from the 10-point scale of the aesthetic component of IOTN. The DHC of IOTN was not significantly different between the six age groups (P > 0.05). However, no/slight need (aesthetic component 1-4) for orthodontic treatment according to AC of IOTN was significantly higher in 13-14,15-16, and 17-18 age groups than 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 age groups (P < 0.05). No sex differences were found in both DHC and aesthetic component of IOTN between age groups (P > 0.05). The normative need distribution was homogeneous within all the age groups according to DHC. However, the subjective need for orthodontic treatment was higher in the younger age groups.

  3. Factors influencing food choices of adolescents: findings from focus-group discussions with adolescents.

    PubMed

    Neumark-Sztainer, D; Story, M; Perry, C; Casey, M A

    1999-08-01

    To assess adolescents' perceptions about factors influencing their food choices and eating behaviors. Data were collected in focus-group discussions. The study population included 141 adolescents in 7th and 10th grade from 2 urban schools in St Paul, Minn, who participated in 21 focus groups. Data were analyzed using qualitative research methodology, specifically, the constant comparative method. Factors perceived as influencing food choices included hunger and food cravings, appeal of food, time considerations of adolescents and parents, convenience of food, food availability, parental influence on eating behaviors (including the culture or religion of the family), benefits of foods (including health), situation-specific factors, mood, body image, habit, cost, media, and vegetarian beliefs. Major barriers to eating more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and eating fewer high-fat foods included a lack of sense of urgency about personal health in relation to other concerns, and taste preferences for other foods. Suggestions for helping adolescents eat a more healthful diet include making healthful food taste and look better, limiting the availability of unhealthful options, making healthful food more available and convenient, teaching children good eating habits at an early age, and changing social norms to make it "cool" to eat healthfully. The findings suggest that if programs to improve adolescent nutrition are to be effective, they need to address a broad range of factors, in particular environmental factors (e.g., the increased availability and promotion of appealing, convenient foods within homes schools, and restaurants).

  4. How Do Groups Work? Age Differences in Performance and the Social Outcomes of Peer Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leman, Patrick J.

    2015-01-01

    Do children derive different benefits from group collaboration at different ages? In the present study, 183 children from two age groups (8.8 and 13.4 years) took part in a class quiz as members of a group, or individually. In some groups, cohesiveness was made salient by awarding prizes to the top performing groups. In other groups, prizes were…

  5. Physical fitness profile of professional Italian firefighters: differences among age groups.

    PubMed

    Perroni, Fabrizio; Cignitti, Lamberto; Cortis, Cristina; Capranica, Laura

    2014-05-01

    Firefighters perform many tasks which require a high level of fitness and their personal safety may be compromised by the physiological aging process. The aim of the study was to evaluate strength (bench-press), power (countermovement jump), sprint (20 m) and endurance (with and without Self Contained Breathing Apparatus - S.C.B.A.) of 161 Italian firefighters recruits in relation to age groups (<25 yr; 26-30 yr; 31-35 yr; 36-40 yr; 41-42 yr). Descriptive statistics and an ANOVA were calculated to provide the physical fitness profile for each parameter and to assess differences (p < 0.05) among age groups. Anthropometric values showed an age-effect for height and BMI, while performances values showed statistical differences for strength, power, sprint tests and endurance test with S.C.B.A. Wearing the S.C.B.A., 14% of all recruits failed to complete the endurance test. We propose that the firefighters should participate in an assessment of work capacity and specific fitness programs aimed to maintain an optimal fitness level for all ages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Frontal lobe morphometry with MRI in a normal age group of 6-17 year-olds.

    PubMed

    Ilkay Koşar, M; Otağ, Ilhan; Sabancıoğulları, Vedat; Atalar, Mehmet; Tetiker, Hasan; Otağ, Aynur; Cimen, Mehmet

    2012-12-01

    Morphometric data of the frontal lobe are important for surgical planning of lesions in the frontal lobe and its surroundings. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide suitable data for this purpose. In our study, the morphometric data of mid-sagittal MRI of the frontal lobe in certain age and gender groups of children have been presented. In a normal age group of 6-17-year-old participants, the length of the line passing through predetermined different points, including the frontal pole (FP), commissura anterior (AC), commissura posterior (PC), the outermost point of corpus callosum genu (AGCC), the innermost point of corpus callosum genu (IGCC), tuberculum sella (TS), AGCC and IGCC points parallel to AC-PC line and the point such line crosses at the frontal lobe surface (FCS) were measured in three age groups (6-9, 10-13 and 14-17 years) for each gender. The frontal lobe morphometric data were higher in males than females. Frontal lobe measurements peak at the age group of 10-13 in the male and at the age group of 6-13 in the female. In boys, the length of FP-AC increases 4.1% in the 10-13 age group compared with the 6-9-year-old group, while this increase is 2.3% in girls. Differences in age and gender groups were determined. While the length of AGCC-IGCC increases 10.4% in adults, in children aged 6-17, the length of AC-PC is 11.5% greater than adults. These data will contribute to the preliminary assessment for developing a surgical plan in fine interventions in the frontal lobe and its surroundings in children.

  7. Psychosocial Development and Self-Actualization across Age Groups: Middle-Aged and Senior Adults Compared Developmentally.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parkin, Kay; Gaa, John; Swank, Paul; Liberman, Dov

    The research question examined was whether significant differences in psychosocial development and self-actualization exist between adult cohort groups whose childhood development occurred under very different social, economic, and technological circumstances. Subjects were 113 white middle-aged and elderly adults from similar socioeconomic…

  8. Skeletal and chronological ages in American adolescents: current findings in skeletal maturation.

    PubMed

    Calfee, Ryan P; Sutter, Melanie; Steffen, Jennifer A; Goldfarb, Charles A

    2010-10-01

    This study was designed to assess the relationship between skeletal and chronological ages among current American adolescents using the Greulich and Pyle atlas for skeletal age determination. We used the Greulich and Pyle atlas to prospectively determine skeletal age in a group of 138 otherwise healthy American adolescents from 12 to 18 years of age. 62 males and 76 females were enrolled in this cohort. Paired Student t-tests were used to statistically compare the skeletal and chronological ages in this population. Subgroup analysis examined the effect of gender on differences between chronologic age and skeletal age. For the entire cohort, mean skeletal age was significantly greater than chronological age (mean 0.80 years, P < 0.01). In 29 cases (21%) the skeletal age was at least 2 years greater than the chronologic age. Among females, such cases with marked discrepancy occurred exclusively in those chronologically between 12 and 15 years of age (P < 0.01). Males demonstrated a 2-year or greater discrepancy more commonly than females (26 vs. 17%). In males, 2-year discrepancies were equally likely across chronologic ages (P = 0.82). Current American adolescents are significantly more mature by skeletal age, as determined by the Greulich and Pyle method, than their chronological age would suggest. The skeletal ages of females are most likely to markedly exceed chronologic age between the ages of 12-15 years.

  9. Analysis of postural control and muscular performance in young and elderly women in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Matheus M; Reis, Júlia G; Carvalho, Regiane L; Tanaka, Erika H; Hyppolito, Miguel A; Abreu, Daniela C C

    2015-01-01

    muscle strength and power are two factors affecting balance. The impact of muscle strength and power on postural control has not been fully explored among different age strata over sixty. the aim of the present study was to assess the muscle strength and power of elderly women in different age groups and determine their correlation with postural control. eighty women were divided into four groups: the young 18-30 age group (n=20); the 60-64 age group (n=20); the 65-69 age group (n=20); and the 70-74 age group (n=20). The participants underwent maximum strength (one repetition maximum or 1-RM) and muscle power tests to assess the knee extensor and flexor muscles at 40%, 70%, and 90% 1-RM intensity. The time required by participants to recover their balance after disturbing their base of support was also assessed. the elderly women in the 60-64, 65-69, and 70-74 age groups exhibited similar muscle strength, power, and postural control (p>0.05); however, these values were lower than those of the young group (p<0.05) as expected. There was a correlation between muscle strength and power and the postural control performance (p<0.05). despite the age difference, elderly women aged 60 to 74 years exhibited similar abilities to generate strength and power with their lower limbs, and this ability could be one factor that explains the similar postural control shown by these women.

  10. Prevalence, Formation, Maintenance, and Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Student Aging Interest Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Katherine J.; Vandenberg, Edward V.; Bottsford, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    The authors describe the prevalence, formation, maintenance, and evaluation of student aging interest groups. They conducted a cross-sectional electronic survey of the 46 academic medical centers funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. To evaluate their group of approximately 50 students, the authors conducted an electronic pretest and…

  11. Cell population data in neonates: differences by age group and associations with perinatal factors.

    PubMed

    Lee, J; Kim, S Y; Lee, W; Han, K; Sung, I K

    2015-10-01

    Cell population data (CPD) describe physical parameters of white blood cell subpopulations and are reported to be of some value in the diagnosis of sepsis in neonates. Before using the CPD for diagnosing sepsis, the baseline features of the CPD distribution in healthy neonates should be clarified. The aim of this study was to compare the CPD distributions of healthy neonates and other age groups and to identify perinatal factors that are associated with changes in the CPD distribution of healthy neonates. The CPD distribution of 69 samples from term neonates was compared with adolescents and adults. The CPD distribution of 163 samples from healthy neonates was analyzed in association with perinatal factors, including gestational age, chronologic age, birthweight, delivery mode, premature rupture of membranes, diabetes, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. The CPD distribution for term neonates was significantly different from those in adolescents and adults. The mean lymphocyte volume showed a negative correlation with gestational age at birth (r = -0.305; P < 0.01). The mean neutrophil volume was smaller in the cesarean section group than in the normal delivery group. The small for gestational age (SGA) group had smaller mean neutrophil volume and mean monocyte volume than the appropriate for gestational age group. The CPD distribution of healthy neonates differed from those of adolescents or adults, and the differences were associated with gestational age, delivery mode, and being SGA. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Population Biology of Intestinal Enterococcus Isolates from Hospitalized and Nonhospitalized Individuals in Different Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Tedim, Ana P.; Ruiz-Garbajosa, Patricia; Corander, Jukka; Rodríguez, Concepción M.; Cantón, Rafael; Willems, Rob J.; Baquero, Fernando

    2014-01-01

    The diversity of enterococcal populations from fecal samples from hospitalized (n = 133) and nonhospitalized individuals (n = 173) of different age groups (group I, ages 0 to 19 years; group II, ages 20 to 59 years; group III, ages ≥60 years) was analyzed. Enterococci were recovered at similar rates from hospitalized and nonhospitalized persons (77.44% to 79.77%) of all age groups (75.0% to 82.61%). Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were predominant, although seven other Enterococcus species were identified. E. faecalis and E. faecium (including ampicillin-resistant E. faecium) colonization rates in nonhospitalized persons were age independent. For inpatients, E. faecalis colonization rates were age independent, but E. faecium colonization rates (particularly the rates of ampicillin-resistant E. faecium colonization) significantly increased with age. The population structure of E. faecium and E. faecalis was determined by superimposing goeBURST and Bayesian analysis of the population structure (BAPS). Most E. faecium sequence types (STs; 150 isolates belonging to 75 STs) were linked to BAPS groups 1 (22.0%), 2 (31.3%), and 3 (36.7%). A positive association between hospital isolates and BAPS subgroups 2.1a and 3.3a (which included major ampicillin-resistant E. faecium human lineages) and between community-based ampicillin-resistant E. faecium isolates and BAPS subgroups 1.2 and 3.3b was found. Most E. faecalis isolates (130 isolates belonging to 58 STs) were grouped into 3 BAPS groups, BAPS groups 1 (36.9%), 2 (40.0%), and 3 (23.1%), with each one comprising widespread lineages. No positive associations with age or hospitalization were established. The diversity and dynamics of enterococcal populations in the fecal microbiota of healthy humans are largely unexplored, with the available knowledge being fragmented and contradictory. The study offers a novel and comprehensive analysis of enterococcal population landscapes and suggests that E. faecium

  13. [Measles outbreak in the adult age group: evaluation of 28 cases].

    PubMed

    Karakeçili, Faruk; Akın, Hicran; Çıkman, Aytekin; Özçiçek, Fatih; Kalkan, Ahmet

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays, the age group affected from measles has widened and the disease has become more common among adolescents and young adults. The number of measles case reports have increased in our country, particularly from 2010-2011, and measles outbreaks occurred in various regions in 2012 and 2013. The aim of this study was to analyze the demographical and epidemiological characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings, and complications of adult patients with measles who were affected during the outbreak. A total of 28 patients (25 male, 3 female; age range: 19-39 years, median age: 24) who were hospitalized and followed-up in our clinic between January 2013 and June 2013, were evaluated. In the serum sample of the index case, measles-specific IgM antibodies were detected by ELISA, and measles virus RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), then genotyping was performed to detect the epidemiological relationship. In all of the other cases, measles IgM and IgG antibodies were screened by ELISA. The most common symptoms on admission included high fever (n= 28, 100%), malaise (n= 25, 89%), sore throat (n= 25, 89%), headache (n= 20, 71%) and cough (n= 18, 64%). At physical examination, rash (n= 28, 100%), lymphadenopathy (n= 11, 39%) and conjunctivitis (n= 10, 36%) were in the foreground, and Koplik spots were detected in five (18%) cases. The most common laboratory findings were; increased level of C-reactive protein (n= 15, 54%), leukopenia (n= 12, 43%) and increased serum levels of aminotransferases (n= 12, 43%), and thrombocytopenia was detected in five (18%) patients. One or more complications (secondary bacterial pneumonia in 5, diarrhea in 4, hepatitis in 3 and otitis in 2 cases) developed in the eight (29%) patients. Measles RT-PCR and IgM tests yielded positive results for the index case, and the isolate was identified as D8 strain by genotyping. Measles lgM antibodies were also positive in all of the other cases. The hospitalization period was

  14. GUIDANCE ON SELECTING AGE GROUPS FOR MONITORING AND ASSESSING CHILDHOOD EXPOSURES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This guidance document provides a set of early-lifestage age groups for Environmental Protection Agency scientists to consider when assessing children’s exposure to environmental contaminants and the resultant potential dose. These recommended age groups are based on current und...

  15. Finding the elusive substellar members of young moving groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aller, Kimberly Mei

    Young moving groups (YMGs) consist of coeval, comoving stars, with ages between 10-100Myrs, that have migrated from their origins after formation. They provide a valuable link between ongoing star formation in molecular clouds (˜1Myr) and old field stars (≥1Gyr). However, previous searches based on optical surveys such as Hipparcos and the Palomar Sky Survey were insensitive to these very faint cool dwarfs. More recent surveys with GALEX have begun to reveal the nearby (<25 pc) low-mass members (≥ 0.1 M solar massses) but the cool, substellar members have remained elusive. We have increased the search volume by a factor of ˜10 using a novel combination of photometry and proper motions from Pan-STARRS, WISE, and 2MASS in order to uncover the missing substellar members down to ≥ 00.1 M solar massses (at 10Myr). We have obtained NIR low-resolution spectroscopy and confirmed the youth of 65 new ultracool dwarf YMG candidates. We also obtained high-resolution NIR spectroscopy to determine radial velocities for our young brown dwarfs. With our RVs and PS1 parallaxes, we have nearly doubled the number of confirmed bona fide substellar YMG members, which are also brown dwarf age benchmarks. Our new young brown dwarfs empirically define the substellar spectral evolution with age and provide us with a snapshot of brown dwarf evolution. Finally, our resulting young brown dwarfs will be valuable targets for future surveys of brown dwarf binarity and young exoplanet characterization.

  16. Medical outcomes for adults hospitalized with severe anorexia nervosa: An analysis by age group.

    PubMed

    Gaudiani, Jennifer L; Brinton, John T; Sabel, Allison L; Rylander, Melanie; Catanach, Brittany; Mehler, Philip S

    2016-04-01

    Relatively little has been written about the outcomes of medical stabilization, analyzed specifically across the age spectrum, in adults with severe anorexia nervosa (AN). We retrospectively evaluated clinical parameters relevant to acuity of illness and outcomes of early refeeding in 142 adults with severe AN, admitted for definitive inpatient medical stabilization from October 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012. Patients were categorized into three age groups: 17 to 29, 30 to 40, and 41+ years. The study included 142 patients with median age of 28 years old (range 17-65 years). Fifty-four percent (n = 78) were under 30 years old, 23% (n = 32) between 30 and 40 years old, and 23% (n = 32) were over 40 years old. Average admission BMI did not differ among age groups, ranging from 12.7 to 13.2 kg/m(2). Of the admission parameters, only low serum albumin levels (more prevalent in older patients), high international normalized ratio (INR) levels (more prevalent in younger patients), and neutropenia (more prevalent in the <30 age group) varied with age. During hospitalization, rates of bradycardia, hypoglycemia, liver dysfunction, very low %IBW, refeeding hypophosphatemia, refeeding edema, length of stay, and discharge BMI did not differ with age. Age group was associated with rate of weekly weight gain only in patients with AN-binge purge subtype. Results demonstrate medical abnormalities and response to medical stabilization in severely ill AN patients during hospitalization were mostly similar across the age span. This information should allay fears that the effect of age will make medical stabilization more difficult. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Cigarette smoking by socioeconomic group, sex, and age: effects of price, income, and health publicity.

    PubMed

    Townsend, J; Roderick, P; Cooper, J

    1994-10-08

    To assess effects of price, income, and health publicity on cigarette smoking by age, sex, and socioeconomic group. Econometric multiple regression analysis of data on cigarette smoking from the British general household survey. Random sample of adult population in Britain interviewed for biennial general household surveys 1972-90. Changes in cigarette consumption and prevalence of smoking. Price elasticities of demand for cigarettes (percentage change in cigarette consumption for a 1% change in price) were significant at -0.5 (95% confidence interval -0.8 to -0.1) for men and -0.6 (-0.9 to -0.3) for women, were highest in socioeconomic group V (-1.0 for men and -0.9 for women), and lowest (not significantly different from zero) in socioeconomic groups I and II. The gradient in price elasticities by socioeconomic group was significant for men (F = 5.6, P = 0.02) and for women (F = 6.1, P = 0.02). Price was a significant factor in cigarette consumption by age for women in every age group and for men aged 25-34. Cigarette consumption by young men aged 16-34 increased with income. There was a significant decrease in smoking over time by women in socioeconomic groups I and II and by men in all age and social groups except socioeconomic group V attributable to health publicity. Price significantly affected smoking prevalence in socioeconomic group V (-0.6 for men and -0.5 for women) and for all women (-0.2). Men and women in lower socioeconomic groups are more responsive than are those in higher socioeconomic groups to changes in the price of cigarettes and less to health publicity. Women of all ages, including teenagers, appear to have been less responsive to health publicity than have men but more responsive to price. Response to health publicity decreased linearly with age. Real price increases in cigarettes could narrow differences between socioeconomic groups in smoking and the related inequalities in health, but specific measures would be necessary to ameliorate

  18. Trends in birth across high-parity groups by race/ethnicity and maternal age.

    PubMed Central

    Aliyu, Muktar H.; Salihu, Hamisu M.; Keith, Louis G.; Ehiri, John E.; Islam, M. Aminul; Jolly, Pauline E.

    2005-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The changing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population along with delayed childbearing suggest that shifts in the demographic composition of gravidas are likely. It is unclear whether trends in the proportion of births to parous women in the United States have changed over the decades by race and ethnicity, reflecting parallel changes in population demographics. METHODS: Singleton deliveries > or = 20 weeks of gestation in the United States from 1989 through 2000 were analyzed using data from the "Natality data files" assembled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). We classified maternal age into three categories; younger mothers (aged < 30 years), mature mothers (30-39 years) and older mothers (> or = 40 years) and maternal race/ethnicity into three groups: blacks (non-Hispanic), Hispanics and whites (non-Hispanic). We computed birth rates by period of delivery across the entire population and repeated the analysis stratified by age and maternal race. Chi-squared statistics for linear trend were utilized to assess linear trend across three four-year phases: 1989-1992, 1993-1996 and 1997-2000. In estimating the association between race/ethnicity and parity status, the direct method of standardization was employed to adjust for maternal age. RESULTS: Over the study period, the total number of births to blacks and whites diminished consistently (p for trend < 0.001), whereas among Hispanics a progressive increase in the total number of deliveries was evident (p for trend < 0.001). Black and white women experienced a reduction in total deliveries equivalent to 10% and 9.3%, respectively, while Hispanic women showed a substantial increment in total births (25%). Regardless of race or ethnicity, birth rate was associated with increase in maternal age in a dose-effect fashion among the high (5-9 previous live births), very high (10-14 previous live births) and extremely high (> or = 15 previous live births) parity groups (p for trend

  19. Group 1 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Function and Its Regulation of Learning and Memory in the Aging Brain

    PubMed Central

    Ménard, Caroline; Quirion, Rémi

    2012-01-01

    Normal aging is generally characterized by a slow decline of cognitive abilities albeit with marked individual differences. Several animal models have been studied to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and its receptors have been closely linked to spatial learning and hippocampus-dependent memory processes. For decades, ionotropic glutamate receptors have been known to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, a form of adaptation regulating memory formation. Over the past 10 years, several groups have shown the importance of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) in successful cognitive aging. These G-protein-coupled receptors are enriched in the hippocampal formation and interact physically with other proteins in the membrane including glutamate ionotropic receptors. Synaptic plasticity is crucial to maintain cognitive abilities and long-term depression (LTD) induced by group 1 mGluR activation, which has been linked to memory in the aging brain. The translation and synthesis of proteins by mGluR-LTD modulate ionotropic receptor trafficking and expression of immediate early genes related to cognition. Fragile X syndrome, a genetic form of autism characterized by memory deficits, has been associated to mGluR receptor malfunction and aberrant activation of its downstream signaling pathways. Dysfunction of mGluR could also be involved in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indeed, beta-amyloid, the main component of insoluble senile plaques and one of the hallmarks of AD, occludes mGluR-dependent LTD leading to diminished functional synapses. This review highlights recent findings regarding mGluR signaling, related synaptic plasticity, and their potential involvement in normal aging and neurological disorders. PMID:23091460

  20. Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor function and its regulation of learning and memory in the aging brain.

    PubMed

    Ménard, Caroline; Quirion, Rémi

    2012-01-01

    Normal aging is generally characterized by a slow decline of cognitive abilities albeit with marked individual differences. Several animal models have been studied to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and its receptors have been closely linked to spatial learning and hippocampus-dependent memory processes. For decades, ionotropic glutamate receptors have been known to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, a form of adaptation regulating memory formation. Over the past 10 years, several groups have shown the importance of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) in successful cognitive aging. These G-protein-coupled receptors are enriched in the hippocampal formation and interact physically with other proteins in the membrane including glutamate ionotropic receptors. Synaptic plasticity is crucial to maintain cognitive abilities and long-term depression (LTD) induced by group 1 mGluR activation, which has been linked to memory in the aging brain. The translation and synthesis of proteins by mGluR-LTD modulate ionotropic receptor trafficking and expression of immediate early genes related to cognition. Fragile X syndrome, a genetic form of autism characterized by memory deficits, has been associated to mGluR receptor malfunction and aberrant activation of its downstream signaling pathways. Dysfunction of mGluR could also be involved in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Indeed, beta-amyloid, the main component of insoluble senile plaques and one of the hallmarks of AD, occludes mGluR-dependent LTD leading to diminished functional synapses. This review highlights recent findings regarding mGluR signaling, related synaptic plasticity, and their potential involvement in normal aging and neurological disorders.

  1. [Echocardiographic indices of the right heart in patients with coronary artery disease in different age groups].

    PubMed

    Gajfulin, R A; Sumin, A N; Arhipov, O G

    2016-01-01

    The aim of study was to examine echocardiographic indices of right heart chambers in patients with coronary artery disease in different age groups. On 678 patients aged 38-85 years, who underwent echocardiography, are including with the use of spectral tissue Doppler. Obtained 2 age groups: 1st - patients up to 60 years (n=282) and group 2nd - patients 60 years and older (n=396). In the analysis the obtained results in patients with coronary heart disease in older age groups showed an increase in right ventricular wall thickness, systolic and average pressure in the pulmonary artery. These changes were accompanied by deterioration in left ventricular diastolic function, while the systolic function of the left and right ventricle were independent of age. Thus, the results can be recommended for assessment of right ventricular dysfunction in patients of older age groups.

  2. Predicting age groups of Twitter users based on language and metadata features

    PubMed Central

    Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A.; Chew, Robert F.; Ruddle, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Health organizations are increasingly using social media, such as Twitter, to disseminate health messages to target audiences. Determining the extent to which the target audience (e.g., age groups) was reached is critical to evaluating the impact of social media education campaigns. The main objective of this study was to examine the separate and joint predictive validity of linguistic and metadata features in predicting the age of Twitter users. We created a labeled dataset of Twitter users across different age groups (youth, young adults, adults) by collecting publicly available birthday announcement tweets using the Twitter Search application programming interface. We manually reviewed results and, for each age-labeled handle, collected the 200 most recent publicly available tweets and user handles’ metadata. The labeled data were split into training and test datasets. We created separate models to examine the predictive validity of language features only, metadata features only, language and metadata features, and words/phrases from another age-validated dataset. We estimated accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 metrics for each model. An L1-regularized logistic regression model was conducted for each age group, and predicted probabilities between the training and test sets were compared for each age group. Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to examine the relative importance of significant features. Models containing both Tweet language features and metadata features performed the best (74% precision, 74% recall, 74% F1) while the model containing only Twitter metadata features were least accurate (58% precision, 60% recall, and 57% F1 score). Top predictive features included use of terms such as “school” for youth and “college” for young adults. Overall, it was more challenging to predict older adults accurately. These results suggest that examining linguistic and Twitter metadata features to predict youth and young adult Twitter users may be

  3. Analysis of postural control and muscular performance in young and elderly women in different age groups

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, Matheus M.; Reis, Júlia G.; Carvalho, Regiane L.; Tanaka, Erika H.; Hyppolito, Miguel A.; Abreu, Daniela C. C.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: muscle strength and power are two factors affecting balance. The impact of muscle strength and power on postural control has not been fully explored among different age strata over sixty. OBJECTIVES: the aim of the present study was to assess the muscle strength and power of elderly women in different age groups and determine their correlation with postural control. METHOD: eighty women were divided into four groups: the young 18-30 age group (n=20); the 60-64 age group (n=20); the 65-69 age group (n=20); and the 70-74 age group (n=20). The participants underwent maximum strength (one repetition maximum or 1-RM) and muscle power tests to assess the knee extensor and flexor muscles at 40%, 70%, and 90% 1-RM intensity. The time required by participants to recover their balance after disturbing their base of support was also assessed. RESULTS: the elderly women in the 60-64, 65-69, and 70-74 age groups exhibited similar muscle strength, power, and postural control (p>0.05); however, these values were lower than those of the young group (p<0.05) as expected. There was a correlation between muscle strength and power and the postural control performance (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: despite the age difference, elderly women aged 60 to 74 years exhibited similar abilities to generate strength and power with their lower limbs, and this ability could be one factor that explains the similar postural control shown by these women. PMID:25651132

  4. Driver alcohol involvement in fatal crashes by age group and vehicle type

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-07-01

    The data in this research note demonstrate that while the overall proportion of passenger vehicle drivers with alcohol in fatal crashes is lower in older age groups, the median blood : alcohol concentration (BAC) is generally higher for those age gro...

  5. Mysterious mortality in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Borana, Ethiopia: evidence of its association with reproductive age groups.

    PubMed

    Dawo, F

    2010-12-01

    In May and June of 2007, sudden death was observed in camels in southern pastoral areas of Oromia, Ethiopia. It significantly (p < 0.001) affected reproductive age groups of both male and female camels (in females and males, 63.9% and 10.8% of those in reproductive age groups were affected, respectively). Pregnant females (37.6%) were affected significantly more often (p < 0.001) than non-pregnant females. Absence of rigor mortis and absence of blood clotting, together with the death of pregnant and lactating camels, were common findings during different outbreaks, but no aetiological agent such as Bacillus anthracis was isolated. In addition to loss of milk in lactating camels and loss of the calf in pregnant individuals, the average value of the dead camels was 2377.6 birr (approximately US$264). A multifactorial cause of mortality is hypothesised. Hence, research to develop an intervention, with increased input of financial resources and time, is required urgently so that the cause of the problem can be discovered and the disease can be controlled.

  6. Perceived effectiveness of fear appeals in AIDS education: relationship to ethnicity, gender, age, and group membership.

    PubMed

    Rhodes, F; Wolitski, R J

    1990-01-01

    A study was conducted with 261 community residents, college students, and intravenous drug users to investigate perceived effectiveness of fear appeals in AIDS education posters. Experimental posters with high-fear pictures portraying severe consequences of AIDS and low-fear posters that were neutral regarding disease severity were evaluated in terms of their perceived effectiveness in motivating people to use condoms. Posters also contained written messages communicating high and low levels of personal vulnerability and response efficacy. High-severity/fear posters were rated as significantly more effective than low-severity/fear posters (p less than .0001), but response efficacy and personal vulnerability were significant only in interaction with other variables (p less than .01). Age, gender, ethnicity, and group membership did not, in general, influence rated effectiveness. However, group membership and age were significant as interactions with severity/fear level and response efficacy, respectively (p less than .01). Subjects showed no differential preference for posters portraying individuals whose ethnicity was the same as their own. Findings confirmed previous research supporting the effectiveness of fear appeals and suggest that fear-oriented appeals may be effective in promoting changes in community norms and motivating individuals to adopt AIDS risk-reduction strategies.

  7. Testing principle working mechanisms of the health action process approach for subjective physical age groups.

    PubMed

    Wienert, Julian; Kuhlmann, Tim; Fink, Sebastian; Hambrecht, Rainer; Lippke, Sonia

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated differences in social-cognitive predictors and self-regulatory planning, as proposed by the health action process approach (HAPA), across three different subjective physical age groups for physical activity. With a cross-sectional design, 521 participants across the chronological age span from 25 to 86 years (M = 48.79; SD = 12.66) were separated into three groups: those who feel physically younger than they are in terms of chronological age, the same perceived and chronological age, and feeling physically older compared to their chronological age. Participants were assessed regarding their perceived vulnerability, outcome expectancies, general intentions, planning, self-efficacy, and stages of physical activity (non-intenders, intenders, and actors). Data were analysed via mean comparison and multigroup structural equation modelling. Mean differences for all but one construct were eminent in all groups, generally showing that those feeling physically younger also report better social-cognitive predictors of physical activity (e.g. lower perceived vulnerability) in comparison to those who feel the same age or older. The model showed that basic working mechanisms of the HAPA can be applied to all groups. With that, the results provide for the first time evidence that principle working mechanism of the HAPA can be applied to all subjective physical age groups. These may be used to tailor health promoting interventions according to participants' needs as a more suitable proxy than chronological age.

  8. [Rational balanced nutrition of schoolchildren of various age groups].

    PubMed

    Kulikova, N V; Samolyuk, N G; Fedotov, A S; Krotenko, N M

    2013-01-01

    The problem of nutrition of schoolchildren as the main index of health status is considered. Recommendations for implementation of correction system of school feeding in conditions of Siberia will be presented. The purpose of work: on the basis of the results of monitoring living activity and assessment of the health of schoolchildren of different age groups in Siberia to develop guidelines on the rational balanced nutrition. Studies bear witness to inadequate diet and regimen of feeding of schoolchildren. In Siberia a progressive deterioration in the health of students during the years of learning is observed, part of diseases is associated with an unbalanced diet. We offer the project, in course of realization of which study in schools are carried out, scientifically grounded recommendations on appropriate diet and regimen of feeding for schoolchildren of different age groups in the Siberia in the cold and warm period of the year are developed. Implementation of recommendations will result in the general improvement of children health and reduction in medical aid appealability due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

  9. Dry Eye Syndrome in Menopause and Perimenopausal Age Group.

    PubMed

    Peck, Travis; Olsakovsky, Leslie; Aggarwal, Shruti

    2017-01-01

    Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular surface disease that causes symptoms of ocular pain, discomfort, and decreased visual acuity. It significantly affects quality of life of patients. It is more prevalent in the females and is being specifically in the menopausal and postmenopausal age group. This is believed to be due to the changes in balance of sex hormones. Sex hormones - estrogens and androgens - influence production of all components of the tear film including aqueous layer, lipid, and mucin. Various mechanisms such as decrease in hormonal levels, shift in feedback mechanisms, and changes in receptor receptivity interplay to alter the ocular surface homeostasis and subsequently result in DED. Several studies have suggested potential role of hormone replacement therapy in menopause-associated dry eye symptoms. The purpose of this review is to help the non ophthalmic physicians about DED encountered commonly in menopausal age group. It is important for primary care physicians to understand DED due to its high prevalence, often debilitating symptoms and the potentially preventable and treatable nature of the condition.

  10. Pets, Social Participation, and Aging-in-Place: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

    PubMed

    Toohey, Ann M; Hewson, Jennifer A; Adams, Cindy L; Rock, Melanie J

    2018-06-01

    ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to assess whether pet ownership contributes to social participation and life satisfaction for older adults. We used baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) for this purpose, and logistic regression models to estimate associations between social participation and life satisfaction for pet owners and non-owners. One third of all older adults (≥ 65 years, n = 7,474) in our sample reported pet ownership. Pet owners were less likely than non-pet owners to report life satisfaction and to participate frequently in social, recreational, or cultural activities, but pet owners were no less satisfied than were non-owners with their current levels of social participation. For pet owners experiencing barriers to social participation, pets appeared protective of life satisfaction in some circumstances. Both individual characteristics and structural factors linked to the World Health Organization's age-friendly communities framework were relevant to understanding these findings.

  11. Cultural and age differences of three groups of Taiwanese young children's creativity and drawing.

    PubMed

    Wei, Mei-Hue; Dzeng, Annie

    2013-06-01

    This study investigated the cultural and age effects on children's overall creativity and drawing. 1,055 children ages 6 to 8 from three groups--urban and rural Taiwanese children and Taiwanese children of immigrant mothers, all in public schools--were given a creativity test, a people-drawing test, and a free-drawing test. The results showed that the older Taiwanese children scored higher than the young Taiwanese children on people-drawing and free-drawing, but not overall creativity. Drawing and creativity scores increased in accordance with age. In the six-year-old group, a group difference was found only on the scale of people-drawing. Urban Taiwanese children in the eight-year-old group scored higher than the other two groups of children on creativity and free-drawing. Results are discussed in terms of educational opportunities.

  12. Chinese cultural dimensions of death, dying, and bereavement: focus group findings.

    PubMed

    Yick, Alice G; Gupta, Rashmi

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans' attitudes and practices about death, dying, and bereavement. To this end, three focus groups were conducted with social work graduate students, pastors and religious leaders, and service providers working in the Chinese American community in New York City. The United States is becoming increasingly multicultural, and Chinese Americans are the most rapidly growing Asian American group. Findings from this study revealed that many Chinese attitudes and practices about death and dying are rooted in Asian cultural values such as filial piety, centrality of the family, and emphasis of hierarchy. In addition, strains of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and local folklore are embedded in these death attitudes and practices. Based on themes extrapolated from the focus groups, recommendations are delineated for service providers in order to implement culturally-sensitive bereavement practices.

  13. [Lead intakes by different age-sex population groups from Chinese total diet study in 2000].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Lei; Gao, Junquan; Li, Xiaowei

    2007-07-01

    To estimate the dietary lead intakes by different age-sex population groups in China. The lead concentrations of food sample from 3rd Chinese total diet study were determined, and then were combined with the food consumption by population of ten age-sex groups, The lead intakes, and its distribution and dietary sources were obtained. It was found that the mean and median concentrations of lead in all food samples were 0.118 and 0.052mg/kg, respectively. The highest concentration of individual sample and mean concentrations of lead in preserved egg were 8.964mg/kg and 2.577mg/kg, respectively. The vegetable samples in Hubei Province were heavily contaminated. The lead intakes by different age-sex groups were estimated to be 54.9-112.7microg/day. The average dietary lead intakes by 2-7 years old group could reach 86.1% of PTWI, and individual lead intakes by about 30% children in this group exceed PTWI. But the average dietary lead intakes of other age-sex population groups ranged from 42.8% to 86.1% of PTWI. The main sources of dietary lead were cereals and vegetables in ten age-sex population groups, and could reach 72%-80% of total lead intakes. Although the dietary lead intakes by different age-sex population groups are all lower than PTWI, it should be decreased to a lower level. Moreover, the dietary exposures to lead are higher enough for 2-7 years old children and population in some provinces to be considered seriously.

  14. Do hassles and uplifts change with age? Longitudinal findings from the VA normative aging study.

    PubMed

    Aldwin, Carolyn M; Jeong, Yu-Jin; Igarashi, Heidi; Spiro, Avron

    2014-03-01

    To examine emotion regulation in later life, we contrasted the modified hedonic treadmill theory with developmental theories, using hassles and uplifts to assess emotion regulation in context. The sample was 1,315 men from the VA Normative Aging Study aged 53 to 85 years, who completed 3,894 observations between 1989 and 2004. We computed 3 scores for both hassles and uplifts: intensity (ratings reflecting appraisal processes), exposure (count), and summary (total) scores. Growth curves over age showed marked differences in trajectory patterns for intensity and exposure scores. Although exposure to hassles and uplifts decreased in later life, intensity scores increased. Group-based modeling showed individual differences in patterns of hassles and uplifts intensity and exposure, with relative stability in uplifts intensity, normative nonlinear changes in hassles intensity, and complex patterns of individual differences in exposure for both hassles and uplifts. Analyses with the summary scores showed that emotion regulation in later life is a function of both developmental change and contextual exposure, with different patterns emerging for hassles and uplifts. Thus, support was found for both hedonic treadmill and developmental change theories, reflecting different aspects of emotion regulation in late life. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  15. The association of personal importance of religion and religious service attendance with suicidal ideation by age group in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

    PubMed

    Nishi, Daisuke; Susukida, Ryoko; Kuroda, Naoaki; Wilcox, Holly C

    2017-09-01

    Religiosity has been shown to be inversely associated with suicidal ideation, but few studies have examined associations by age group. This study aimed to examine the association between religiosity with suicidal ideation by age group. This study used a large nationally representative sample of 260,816 study participants from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Religiosity was defined as self-reported importance of religious beliefs and frequency of religious service attendance. The association between religiosity and suicidal ideation was assessed by multivariable logistic regression analysis stratified by age group (18-25, 26-34, 35-49, 50-64, 65 or older). The importance of religious beliefs was inversely associated with suicidal ideation in all age groups. The association was the strongest in people aged 65 or older, followed by people aged 18-25. Religious service attendance was also inversely associated with suicidal ideation in people aged 65 or more when attendance was more than 25 times per year. These findings may be helpful to understand age in relation to the relationship between religiosity and suicidal ideation. Particular attention to religiosity among older adults as a protective factor for suicidal ideation may be helpful in clinical settings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. The Aging Lung: Clinical and Imaging Findings and the Fringe of Physiological State.

    PubMed

    Schröder, T H; Storbeck, B; Rabe, K F; Weber, C

    2015-06-01

    Since aspects of demographic transition have become an essential part of socioeconomic, medical and health-care research in the last decades, it is vital for the radiologist to discriminate between normal ageing related effects and abnormal imaging findings in the elderly. This article reviews functional and structural aspects of the ageing lung and focuses on typical ageing related radiological patterns. • The physiological aging process of the thoracic organs shows typical structural and functional aspects.• Mild interstitial fibrosis and focal parenchymal abnormalities like septal thickening can be diagnosed frequently - whereas a clinical correlate is often lacking.• With increasing patient age, the influence by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors (including comorbidities of the patient, and drug inhalation toxicants) also increases.• A growing spectrum of imaging techniques (including functional cardiopulmonary MRI, MRI spectroscopy, hybrid-techniques) is confronted by rare empiric data in the very old people (aging 80 years and older). © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  17. 8 Different approaches needed to manage ED demand among different age-groups.

    PubMed

    Rimmer, Melanie; Ablard, Suzanne; O'Keeffe, Colin; Mason, Suzanne

    2017-12-01

    A variety of interventions have been proposed to manage rising demand for Emergency and Urgent Care, described by an NHS England review as unsustainable in the long term. However it is unlikely that any suggested approach will be equally suitable for the diverse population of ED users.We aimed to understand the patterns of demand amongst different types of patients attending ED. We also sought to understand the intended and unintended effects of demand management initiatives. Our study combined insights from routine data, a survey of ED patients, and qualitative interviews with ED staff. This paper describes the results of our analysis of the interviews. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 ED and Urgent Care Centre staff across 7 hospital sites in Yorkshire and Humber between 25 April and 11 July 2016. The interview topic guide asked about 4 broad areas; job role, description of patients and their impact on demand, description of inappropriate attendance, and current/future initiatives to deal with rising demand. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. We analysed the results to identify groups of patients with different patterns of use of ED services. We also explored ED staff experiences of demand management initiatives, and their suggestions for future initiatives. Although we did not ask specifically about patients' age, our analysis revealed that ED staff categorised attenders as children and young people, working age people, and older people. These groups had different reasons for attendance, different routes to the ED, different rate of non-urgent attendance, and different issues driving demand. Staff also described variation in the time taken to treat patients of different ages, with the oldest and youngest patients described as requiring the most time.There was no consensus amongst staff about the effectiveness of initiatives for managing demand. A strikingly wide variety of initiatives were mentioned

  18. Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Tendon Hybrid Grafts in Patients Over 40 Years of Age: Comparisons Between Different Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Nishio, Yusuke; Kondo, Eiji; Onodera, Jun; Onodera, Tomohiro; Yagi, Tomonori; Iwasaki, Norimasa; Yasuda, Kazunori

    2018-05-01

    Several recent studies have reported that favorable clinical results and a high level of patient satisfaction can generally be obtained with no increased risk of complications after single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction performed in patients >40 years of age. However, no studies have yet clarified the age-based differences in clinical outcomes after double-bundle reconstruction. To compare clinical outcomes after double-bundle ACL reconstruction using hamstring tendon hybrid grafts between patients in 2 different age groups: ≥40 years and <40 years. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. A retrospective study was conducted using 96 patients (48 men, 48 women ; mean age, 37 years) who underwent unilateral ACL reconstruction between 2008 and 2011. These patients were divided into 2 groups: group M included patients ≥40 years of age (n = 40 patients), and group Y included patients <40 years of age (n = 56 patients). All patients underwent the same anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction procedure. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at 2 years after surgery. Tunnel enlargement was also evaluated by computed digital radiography at 1 week and 2 years after surgery. Mean postoperative side-to-side differences in anterior laxity were 0.5 ± 1.9 mm and 1.2 ± 1.5 mm in groups M and Y, respectively; there was a significant difference between the 2 groups ( P = .039). There were no significant differences between the groups in Lysholm knee scores, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, or peak muscle torque of the hamstring. On the other hand, peak muscle torque of the quadriceps was significantly lower in group M (81%) than in group Y (89%) ( P = .025). With respect to femoral tunnel enlargement, the posterolateral tunnel in group M was significantly larger than that in group Y on anteroposterior and lateral radiographs ( P = .015 and P = .002, respectively). Equivalent clinical outcomes were seen between the 2 age groups after

  19. Age group analysis of psychological, physical and functional deterioration in patients hospitalized for pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Martín-Salvador, Adelina; Torres-Sánchez, Irene; Sáez-Roca, Germán; López-Torres, Isabel; Rodríguez-Alzueta, Elisabeth; Valenza, Marie Carmen

    2015-10-01

    Hospital admissions due to pneumonia range from 1.1 to 4 per 1,000 patients and this figure increases with age. Hospitalization causes a decline in functional status. Physical impairment impedes recovery and constitutes a higher risk of disability and mortality in elderly people. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of hospital stay in patients with pneumonia related with age. A total of 116 patients with pneumonia were included in this study, and divided into two age groups:<75 years (n=68) and ≥ 75 years (n=48). Respiratory function, physical function and psychological and emotional profile were evaluated. Pneumonia severity, nutritional status, independence and comorbidities were also assessed. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between both age groups in pneumonia severity and comorbidities. Significant improvements between admission and discharge were found in lung function in both groups (p<0.05), while a significant decrease (p<0.05) in strength assessed by dynamometer was found in the ≥75 years group. Hospitalization leads to a significant physical impairment in patients admitted for pneumonia. This deterioration increases with age. Copyright © 2014 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  20. Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Various Age- and Sex-Specific Groups of Owl Monkeys (Aotus nancymaae).

    PubMed

    Nehete, Pramod N; Nehete, Bharti P; Chitta, Sriram; Williams, Lawrence E; Abee, Christian R

    2017-02-01

    Owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) are New World NHP that serve an important role in vaccine development and as a model for human disease conditions such as malaria. Despite the past contributions of this animal model, limited information is available about the phenotype and functional properties of peripheral blood lymphocytes in reference to sex and age. Using a panel of human antibodies and a set of standardized human immune assays, we identified and characterized various peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, evaluated the immune functions of T cells, and analyzed cytokines relative to sex and age in healthy owl monkeys. We noted age- and sex-dependent changes in CD28+ (an essential T cell costimulatory molecule) and CD95+ (an apoptotic surface marker) T cells and various levels of cytokines in the plasma. In immune assays of freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, IFNγ and perforin responses were significantly higher in female than in male monkeys and in young adults than in juvenile and geriatric groups, despite similar lymphocyte (particularly T cell) populations in these groups. Our current findings may be useful in exploring Aotus monkeys as a model system for the study of aging, susceptibility to infectious diseases, and age-associated differences in vaccine efficacy, and other challenges particular to pediatric and geriatric patients.

  1. Contribution of Dietary Supplements to Nutritional Adequacy in Various Adult Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Blumberg, Jeffrey B; Frei, Balz; Fulgoni, Victor L; Weaver, Connie M; Zeisel, Steven H

    2017-12-06

    Many Americans have inadequate intakes of several nutrients. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 specifically identified vitamins A, C, D and E, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, choline and fiber as "underconsumed nutrients". Based on nationally representative data in 10,698 adults from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 2009-2012, assessments were made of age-group differences in the impact of dietary supplements on nutrient intake and inadequacies. Compared to food alone, use of any dietary supplement plus food was associated with significantly ( p < 0.01) higher intakes of 15-16 of 19 nutrients examined in all age groups; and significantly reduced rates of inadequacy for 10/17, 8/17 and 6/17 nutrients examined among individuals age ≥71, 51-70 and 19-50 years, respectively. Compared to the other age groups, older adults (≥71 years) had lower rates of inadequacy for iron and vitamins A, C, D and E, but higher rates for calcium. An increased prevalence of intakes above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level was seen for 8-9 of 13 nutrients, but were mostly less than 5% of the population. In conclusion, dietary supplement use is associated with increased micronutrient intake, decreased inadequacies, and slight increases in prevalence above the UL, with greater benefits seen among older adults.

  2. Short communication: Effect of age at group housing on behavior, cortisol, health, and leukocyte differential counts of neonatal bull dairy calves.

    PubMed

    Abdelfattah, E M; Karousa, M M; Lay, D C; Marchant-Forde, J N; Eicher, S D

    2018-01-01

    To determine the effect of age at grouping on behavior, health, and production of dairy bull calves, 90 Holstein-Friesian bull calves were housed in individual pens until moved to 1 of 3 treatments. Calves were housed in groups of 3 calves at 3 d old (GH3), 7 d old (GH7), or 14 d old (GH14) until 7 wk of age. Ten groups of 3 calves for each treatment were used, with 5 pens/treatment in each of 2 replications (10 pens/treatment, 3 treatments, 3 calves/treatment; 90 calves total). Direct behavioral observations using instantaneous scan sampling every 10 min were conducted twice per week for 7 wk. At the same times, video data were recorded for continuous observations at feeding time to observe the overall activity of group-housed calves. Hip height, heart girth, and health scores were recorded weekly and body weight was recorded at the start and end of the study. Calves in GH3 spent more time playing and but more time cross-sucking and displacing other calves from milk bottles. Calves engaged in social interaction as early as 3 d of age, and social interactions between 3 to 6 wk of age increased markedly. Calves housed in GH14 vocalized more than did calves in GH7 and GH3. No difference was found between treatments in growth performance. Calf fecal, cough, and nasal and ocular discharge scores, differential leukocyte counts, and plasma cortisol concentrations were not affected by age at grouping. However, during the first week of grouping, when calves were moved from individual pens to group pens, some calves were unable to find their milk bottles and required guidance. In conclusion, these data show no adverse effects on health or performance and some benefits on social behavior for early (d 3) grouping of calves. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Orienting task effects on EDR and free recall in three age groups.

    PubMed

    Zelinski, E M; Walsh, D A; Thompson, L W

    1978-03-01

    The present investigation was designed to examine the effects of orienting task-controlled processing on electrodermal response and free recall at two delay intervals for 94 young, 49 young-old (age 55 to 70), and 61 old-old (age 71 to 85) individuals. Subjects were presented with a list of 25 words and performed one of the following tasks: semantic, nonsemantic, or passive listening, presented in an incidental memory paradigm, or intentional memorization. Recall was obtained 2 min or 48 hours after list presentation. At the 2-min delay, the pattern of recall across tasks for the young-old and old-old subjects was similar to that of college students. Overall, the old-old recalled fewer words than the young and young-old, while the young-old recalled as many words as the young. After 48 hours, the task-related recall pattern was observed only in the young group. The skin conductance data indicated that task effects were similar across the three age groups and that response magnitude was lower in the old-old than the two younger groups. No differences in skin conductance were found between the young and young-old. Age differences in memory processing suggest that difficulties in delayed retrieval of semantically encoded words may increase during late adult years. Differences in electrodermal responses in the old-old compared to the young and young-old suggest that the range of autonomic responsivitiy to task demands may become restricted in advanced age.

  4. [Chinese Total Diet Study in 2000. Cadium intakes by different age-sex population groups].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Lei; Gao, Junquan; Li, Xiaowei

    2008-05-01

    To estimate the dietary cadium intakes by different age-sex groups in China. The cadium concentrations of food sample from 3rd Chinese total diet study were determined, and then combine these data with the food consumption by population of ten age-sex groups, The cadium intakes, and its distribution and dietary sources were obtained. It was found that the mean and median concentrations of cadium in all food samples were 0.046 and 0.006 mg/kg, respectively. The cadium contents in shellfish and liver were far higher than other food staffs. The cadium intakes by different age-sex groups were estimated to be 12.0 - 25.9 microg/day, ranged from 30.3% to 67.0% of PTWI. The individual dietary cadium intakes by 14% children in 2 - 7 years old group exceed PTWI. Cereals, vegetables and seafood were the main sources of cadium exposure, and contributed about 80% of total intakes. Although the dietary cadium intakes by different age-sex groups are all lower than PTWI, they are increased in the past decade. Moreover, in some provinces, the cadium burden of people is heavy.

  5. QuickStats: Brain Cancer Death Rates Among Children and Teens Aged 1-19 Years,* by Sex† and Age Group - United States, 2013-2015.

    PubMed

    2017-05-05

    The death rate for brain cancer, the most common cancer cause of death for children and teens aged 1-19 years, was 24% higher in males (0.73 per 100,000) than females (0.59) aged 1-19 years during 2013-2015. Death rates were higher for males than females for all age groups, but the difference did not reach statistical significance for the age group 5-9 years. Death rates caused by brain cancer were highest at ages 5-9 years (0.98 for males and 0.85 for females).

  6. Bells Test: Are there differences in performance between adult groups aged 40-59 and 60-75?

    PubMed Central

    Paiva, Silvio Cesar Escovar; Viapiana, Vanisa Fante; Cardoso, Caroline de Oliveira; Fonseca, Rochele Paz

    2017-01-01

    Objective To verify whether differences exist between groups of Brazilian adults aged 40-59 and 60-75 in respective performance on the Bells Test, given the dearth of literature investigating the relationship between focused visual attention and the age factor. Methods Eighty-four neurologically healthy adults (half aged 40-59 and half 60-75) with high educational level (40-59 years group: M=17.75 years' education; SD=4.00; 60-75 years group: M=15.85 years education; SD=3.19) were assessed using the Bells Test. Data on accuracy and processing speed were compared between groups by ANCOVA, controlled for the covariates education and frequency of reading and writing habits. Results There were no significant differences between the age groups. Conclusion It is suggested that aging influences sustained and focused attention and speed processing after 75 years of age on visual cancellation paradigms, when executive and attentional changes tend to be more marked. Further studies should investigate healthy older and oldest-old adults, as well as groups with low and intermediate educational backgrounds. In addition, Brazilian clinical populations should also be characterized, particularly those with neurological disorders that might have visual hemineglect. PMID:29213492

  7. Impact of biological aging on arterial aging in American Indians: findings from the Strong Heart Family Study.

    PubMed

    Peng, Hao; Zhu, Yun; Yeh, Fawn; Cole, Shelley A; Best, Lyle G; Lin, Jue; Blackburn, Elizabeth; Devereux, Richard B; Roman, Mary J; Lee, Elisa T; Howard, Barbara V; Zhao, Jinying

    2016-08-01

    Telomere length, a marker of biological aging, has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increased arterial stiffness, an indicator of arterial aging, predicts adverse CVD outcomes. However, the relationship between telomere length and arterial stiffness is less well studied. Here we examined the cross-sectional association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and arterial stiffness in 2,165 American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). LTL was measured by qPCR. Arterial stiffness was assessed by stiffness index β. The association between LTL and arterial stiffness was assessed by generalized estimating equation model, adjusting for sociodemographics (age, sex, education level), study site, metabolic factors (fasting glucose, lipids, systolic blood pressure, and kidney function), lifestyle (BMI, smoking, drinking, and physical activity), and prevalent CVD. Results showed that longer LTL was significantly associated with a decreased arterial stiffness (β=-0.070, P=0.007). This association did not attenuate after further adjustment for hsCRP (β=-0.071, P=0.005) or excluding participants with overt CVD (β=-0.068, P=0.012), diabetes (β=-0.070, P=0.005), or chronic kidney disease (β=-0.090, P=0.001). In summary, shorter LTL was significantly associated with an increased arterial stiffness, independent of known risk factors. This finding may shed light on the potential role of biological aging in arterial aging in American Indians.

  8. Clinical Implications for Muscle Strength Differences in Women of Different Age and Racial Groups: The WIN Study.

    PubMed

    Trudelle-Jackson, Elaine; Ferro, Emerenciana; Morrow, James R

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Reduction in muscle strength is strongly associated with functional decline in women, and women with lower quadriceps strength adjusted for body weight are more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To compare body weight--adjusted strength among women of different age/racial groups. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of muscle strength in 918 women aged 20--83 (M ± SD = 52 ± 13). METHODS: An orthopedic examination was conducted including measurement of handgrip and lower extremity strength (hip abductors/external rotators, knee flexors/extensors). Data were grouped into young (20--39 years, n = 139), middle (40--54 years, n = 300), and older (55+ years, n = 424) ages for white (n = 699) and African American (AA) (n = 164) women. Means and standard deviations for strength adjusted for body weight were calculated for each age and racial group and compared using 2-way multivariate analysis of variance and post hoc tests. RESULTS: No significant age-by-race interaction (P = .092) but significant main effects for age and race (P < .001). Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in knee extensor and flexor strength between all age groups. For grip and hip external rotator strength, significant differences were found between the middle and older groups. Differences in hip abductor strength were found between the young and middle-aged groups. AA women had lower strength than white women in all muscle groups (P < .05) except hip external rotators. CONCLUSIONS: Strength decreased with age in all muscle groups but magnitude of decrease varied by muscle. Strengthening programs should target different muscles, depending on a woman's age and race.

  9. Socio-economic determinants of health behaviours across age groups: results of a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Dorner, T E; Stronegger, W J; Hoffmann, K; Stein, K Viktoria; Niederkrotenthaler, T

    2013-05-01

    The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of different socio-economic variables on the lifestyle factors, like lack of physical activity, diet rich in meat, and smoking, across sex and age groups in the general Austrian population to formulate more targeted public health measures. The Austrian Health Interview Survey 2006-07 contains data of 15,474 people, representative for the general population. Statistical analyses included linear and logistic regression models. Lack of physical activity was more prevalent in women, while unhealthy nutrition and daily smoking were more prevalent in men. Overall, profession was the strongest predictor for health behaviour in men, while the educational level played the most significant role in women. Subjects in higher age groups had a more healthy nutrition and were less likely to smoke, but had a higher chance for lack of physical activity. Socio-economic factors predict lifestyle choices differently in different age groups. For example, in men, the highest percentage of daily smokers was found in the middle age, while the youngest age group was the one that smoked the most in women. Furthermore, the educational level had a reverse effect on women in the oldest age group, where those with tertiary education smoked three times more than those with less education. Our results emphasise the importance of taking a holistic approach towards health, including educational, cultural and age-specific policies to improve the overall health status and health equality of a population.

  10. Age differences in IDA savings outcomes: findings from the American Dream Demonstration.

    PubMed

    Putnam, Michelle; Sherraden, Michael; Zhang, Lin; Morrow-Howell, Nancy

    2008-01-01

    This study aims to develop a greater understanding of age differences in savings outcomes within Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Participant data from the American Dream Demonstration (ADD) are examined for age differences in accumulated net deposits, average monthly net deposits, and deposit frequency. ADDprogram data are examined for savings match rates, monthly savings targets, direct deposit, and hours of financial education offered. Results indicate that, on average, older IDA participants have better savings outcomes than younger participants. Findings from this study suggest that impoverished middleaged and older adults can save if provided an opportunity and incentives. However, success will depend on the characteristics of the programs.

  11. The Spatio-temporal Distribution of Japanese Encephalitis Cases in Different Age Groups in Mainland China, 2004 – 2014

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Huanyu; Song, Miao; Li, Minghua; Fu, Shihong; Lv, Zhi; He, Ying; Lei, Wenwen; Wang, Bin; Lu, Xiaoqing; Liang, Guodong

    2016-01-01

    Background Japanese encephalitis (JE) is very prevalent in China, but the incidence of JE among children has been greatly reduced by extensive promotion of vaccinations. The incidence of JE among adults, however, has increased in some parts of China. Methods/Principal Findings Data on JE in mainland China, in terms of incidence, gender, and age, were collected between 2004 and 2014. We conducted spatial and temporal analyses on data from different age groups. Generally, children aged 0–15 years still represent the major population of JE cases in China, despite the gradual decrease in incidence over years. However, the incidence of JE among adults in several provinces is notably higher than the national average, especially during the epidemic waves in 2006, 2009, and 2013. The JE cases in the 0–15-year-old group are distributed mainly in the area south of the Yangtze River, with peak incidence occurring from July to September. In the adult group, especially for those over 40 years old, the JE cases are concentrated mainly in the area north of the Yangtze River. JE incidence in the adult group in September and October is significantly greater compared to the other groups. Further analysis using Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) reveals that the distribution of adult JE cases in the six provinces north of the Yangtze River, between north 30–35° latitude and east 110–130° longitude, is a hotspot for adult JE cases. Conclusions/Significance The rate of JE case increase for adults is much greater than for children and has become a public health issue. Therefore, studies on the necessity and feasibility of vaccinating adults who live in JE-endemic areas, but have never been vaccinated for JE, should become a new focus of JE prevention in the future. PMID:27050414

  12. Finding Groups in Gene Expression Data

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    The vast potential of the genomic insight offered by microarray technologies has led to their widespread use since they were introduced a decade ago. Application areas include gene function discovery, disease diagnosis, and inferring regulatory networks. Microarray experiments enable large-scale, high-throughput investigations of gene activity and have thus provided the data analyst with a distinctive, high-dimensional field of study. Many questions in this field relate to finding subgroups of data profiles which are very similar. A popular type of exploratory tool for finding subgroups is cluster analysis, and many different flavors of algorithms have been used and indeed tailored for microarray data. Cluster analysis, however, implies a partitioning of the entire data set, and this does not always match the objective. Sometimes pattern discovery or bump hunting tools are more appropriate. This paper reviews these various tools for finding interesting subgroups. PMID:16046827

  13. Women's 'inner-balance': a comparison of stressors, personality traits and health problems by age groups.

    PubMed

    Kenney, J W

    2000-03-01

    Women's 'inner-balance': a comparison of stressors, personality traits and health problems by age groups The purposes of this descriptive study were to identify differences in women's stressors, personality mediating traits and symptoms of health problems by age groups, and to guide revisions for development of a shorter, reliable questionnaire to measure women's health and risks for stress-related illnesses. A convenience sample of 299 women aged between 18 and 66 years who resided in the south-western United States and could read English completed a lengthy questionnaire. ANOVAs were used to compare women by three age groups. Young women (18-29 years) reported high stressors, less healthy personality traits, and significantly more physical and emotional symptoms of health problems than middle-age and older women. Middle-age women (30-45 years) had significantly more stressors than other women, but their healthy personality traits may have contributed to fewer health problems. Older women (46-66 years) had the fewest stressors, highest healthy personality traits, and fewest symptoms of problems compared to other age groups. In their roles and relationships as wives, mothers and employees, women experienced multiple stressors such as inadequate physical and emotional support from their spouse/partner, along with parenting and employee difficulties that contributed to their health problems. Young and middle-aged women were more stressed, juggling the multiple responsibilities and demands of their spouse, children, ageing parents, and their occupation, while trying to maintain their own 'inner balance'.

  14. Sex Differences in Stress and Group Housing Effects on the Number of Newly Proliferated Cells and Neuroblasts in Middle-Aged Dentate Gyrus.

    PubMed

    Tzeng, Wen-Yu; Wu, Hsin-Hua; Wang, Ching-Yi; Chen, Jin-Chung; Yu, Lung; Cherng, Chianfang G

    2016-01-01

    Sex differences in stress and coping responses have been frequently documented in aged people, while whether such differences in aged people may appear at the middle age are unknown. This study was undertaken to study the impact of acute stress and social interaction on early neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and hippocampus-related memory in two sexes of middle-aged mice. The number of newly proliferated cells, neuroblasts in DG, the object recognition and location memory in 9-month-old male and female C57BL/6N mice were assessed under baseline conditions as well as following an acute stressor regimen and group housing. Three conspecific companions, serving as "the housing group," were used to model the social interaction throughout the stressor regimen. Males had lower numbers of newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts under baseline conditions as compared to females. The stressor regimen caused rapid decreases in the number of newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts in female DG but no obvious changes were observed in male DG. Group housing, regardless of companions' age, prevented the stress-induced decreases in the number of newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts in female DG. In contrast, the presence of young or age-matched companions potentiated the stress effect in males by decreasing the number of newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts. Finally, neither the stressor regimen nor group housing affected mouse performances in the object recognition and location memory in either sex. These findings, taken together, provide evidence to support a notion that middle-aged females appear to demonstrate more stress susceptibility on early neurogenesis in DG as compared to middle-aged males, although the hippocampus-related memory performances are comparable and not affected by stress in these males and females. Experiencing stress, middle-aged females are more prone to benefit from social interaction as compared to middle-aged males in this regard. We

  15. National trends of incidence, treatment, and hospital charges of isolated C-2 fractures in three different age groups.

    PubMed

    Kukreja, Sunil; Kalakoti, Piyush; Murray, Richard; Nixon, Menarvia; Missios, Symeon; Guthikonda, Bharat; Nanda, Anil

    2015-04-01

    Incidence of C-2 fracture is increasing in elderly patients. Patient age also influences decision making in the management of these fractures. There are very limited data on the national trends of incidence, treatment interventions, and resource utilization in patients in different age groups with isolated C-2 fractures. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence, treatment, complications, length of stay, and hospital charges of isolated C-2 fracture in patients in 3 different age groups by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The data were obtained from NIS from 2002 to 2011. Data on patients with closed fractures of C-2 without spinal cord injury were extracted using ICD-9-CM diagnosis code 805.02. Patients with isolated C-2 fractures were identified by excluding patients with other associated injuries. The cohort was divided into 3 age groups: < 65 years, 65-80 years, and > 80 years. Incidence, treatment characteristics, inpatient/postoperative complications, and hospital charges (mean and total annual charges) were compared between the 3 age groups. A total of 10,336 patients with isolated C-2 fractures were identified. The majority of the patients were in the very elderly age group (> 80 years; 42.3%) followed by 29.7% in the 65- to 80-year age group and 28% in < 65-year age group. From 2002 to 2011, the incidence of hospitalization significantly increased in the 65- to 80-year and > 80-year age groups (p < 0.001). However, the incidence did not change substantially in the < 65-year age group (p = 0.287). Overall, 21% of the patients were treated surgically, and 12.2% of the patients underwent nonoperative interventions (halo and spinal traction). The rate of nonoperative interventions significantly decreased over time in all age groups (p < 0.001). Regardless of treatment given, patients in older age groups had a greater risk of inpatient/postoperative complications, nonroutine discharges, and longer hospitalization. The mean

  16. Radiologic findings in late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Braunstein, E.M.; Weissman, B.N.; Sosman, J.L.

    1983-03-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus in the elderly has a different clinical and serologic course from that in young patients. Radiographic findings in patients in whom the diagnosis was made after age 50 were compared with findings in younger patients to see if the radiologic patterns are also different. The only significant radiographic difference between the two groups was that the older group had a greater incidence of soft-tissue swelling of the hands and wrists (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in osteopenia, erosion, soft-tissue calcification, alignment abnormalities, or intrathoracic findings. Of 24 patients over age 50, two developed lymphomamore » and another developed multiple myeloma. The data agree with clinical observations that there is a higher incidence of arthritis in late-onset lupus, but clinical findings of increased incidence of pleuropericardial disease are not confirmed radiographically. The coincidence of hematologic malignancy with late-onset lupus in this series is noteworthy.« less

  17. Evolutionary tree design: An exploratory study of the influence of linear versus branching format on visitors' interpretation and understanding across age groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacDonald, Teresa Elise

    This exploratory study sought to investigate the influence of tree graphic design---specifically linear versus branching depictions of taxa---on visitors in three different age groups (aged 11-13, 14-18, adults) interpretation and understanding using a multiple-case study strategy. The findings from this research indicate that linear and branched depictions elicit qualitatively different narratives and explanations about the relationships between the taxa in all age groups. Branched tree graphics support scientifically appropriate explanations of evolutionary relationships, i.e. that taxa are related via shared or common ancestry; while linear representations reinforce intuitive interpretations of ancestor-descendant or anagenic relationships. Furthermore, differences in the language used for linear and branched trees suggests that there is a spectrum within an analogy of developmental change that is thought to serve as a transitional concept between intuitive and scientific understanding--with 'evolved from' for branched depictions of taxa representing a shift towards an interpretation of shared ancestry rather than an individual transformation from one thing into another. In addition, branched graphics appear to support the correct reading and interpretation of shared or common ancestry in tree diagrams. Mixed reasoning was common and overall reasoning patterns were broadly similar among participants in all age groups, however, older youth (aged 14 to 18) and adults often provided more detail in their explanations and sometimes included references to evolutionary ideas such as variation, inheritance and selection.

  18. Early Childhood Intervention and Educational Attainment: Age 22 Findings from the Chicago Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ou, Suh-Ruu; Reynolds, Arthur J.

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated whether participation in the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) Preschool Program associated with higher educational attainment (high school completion, highest grade completed, and college attendance) at age 22. The study sample included 1,334 youth (869 in the preschool group and 465 in the comparison group) from the…

  19. Synchrotron-based XRD from rat bone of different age groups.

    PubMed

    Rao, D V; Gigante, G E; Cesareo, R; Brunetti, A; Schiavon, N; Akatsuka, T; Yuasa, T; Takeda, T

    2017-05-01

    Synchrotron-based XRD spectra from rat bone of different age groups (w, 56 w and 78w), lumber vertebra at early stages of bone formation, Calcium hydroxyapatite (HAp) [Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ] bone fill with varying composition (60% and 70%) and bone cream (35-48%), has been acquired with 15keV synchrotron X-rays. Experiments were performed at Desy, Hamburg, Germany, utilizing the Resonant and Diffraction beamline (P9), with 15keV X-rays (λ=0.82666 A 0 ). Diffraction data were quantitatively analyzed using the Rietveld refinement approach, which allowed us to characterize the structure of these samples in their early stages. Hydroxyapatite, received considerable attention in medical and materials sciences, since these materials are the hard tissues, such as bone and teeth. Higher bioactivity of these samples gained reasonable interest for biological application and for bone tissue repair in oral surgery and orthopedics. The results obtained from these samples, such as phase data, crystalline size of the phases, as well as the degree of crystallinity, confirm the apatite family crystallizing in a hexagonal system, space group P6 3 /m with the lattice parameters of a=9.4328Å and c=6.8842Å (JCPDS card #09-0432). Synchrotron-based XRD patterns are relatively sharp and well resolved and can be attributed to the hexagonal crystal form of hydroxyapatite. All the samples were examined with scanning electron microscope at an accelerating voltage of 15kV. The presence of large globules of different sizes is observed, in small age groups of the rat bone (8w) and lumber vertebra (LV), as distinguished from, large age groups (56 and 78w) in all samples with different magnification, reflects an amorphous phase without significant traces of crystalline phases. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the morphology and crystalline properties of Hap, for all the samples, from 2 to 100μm resolution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Health-seeking behavior and transmission dynamics in the control of influenza infection among different age groups

    PubMed Central

    You, Shu-Han; Chen, Szu-Chieh; Liao, Chung-Min

    2018-01-01

    Background It has been found that health-seeking behavior has a certain impact on influenza infection. However, behaviors with/without risk perception on the control of influenza transmission among age groups have not been well quantified. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent, under scenarios of with/without control and preventive/protective behaviors, the age-specific network-driven risk perception influences influenza infection. Materials and methods A behavior-influenza model was used to estimate the spread rate of age-specific risk perception in response to an influenza outbreak. A network-based information model was used to assess the effect of network-driven risk perception information transmission on influenza infection. A probabilistic risk model was used to assess the infection risk effect of risk perception with a health behavior change. Results The age-specific overlapping percentage was estimated to be 40%–43%, 55%–60%, and 19%–35% for child, teenage and adult, and elderly age groups, respectively. Individuals perceive the preventive behavior to improve risk perception information transmission among teenage and adult and elderly age groups, but not in the child age group. The population with perceived health behaviors could not effectively decrease the percentage of infection risk in the child age group, whereas for the elderly age group, the percentage of decrease in infection risk was more significant, with a 97.5th percentile estimate of 97%. Conclusion The present integrated behavior-infection model can help health authorities in communicating health messages for an intertwined belief network in which health-seeking behavior plays a key role in controlling influenza infection. PMID:29563814

  1. Characterization of type 2 diabetes mellitus burden by age and ethnic groups based on a nationwide survey.

    PubMed

    Lopez, Janice M S; Bailey, Robert A; Rupnow, Marcia F T; Annunziata, Kathy

    2014-04-01

    Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common form of diabetes. Risk factors for its development include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to characterize T2DM burden, from a patient perspective, with respect to age and race/ethnicity. Adults aged ≥18 years with T2DM from a large, Internet-based, nationwide survey were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and clinical characteristics (glycemic control, body mass index [BMI], comorbidities, and diabetes-related complications), hypoglycemic episodes, and medication adherence were used to assess diabetes burden. Degree of burden was compared across age (18-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years) and racial/ethnic (white, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian) groups. An apparent association was found between glycemic control and medication adherence. Hispanics had the lowest percentage of participants with a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level <7.0% (24.4%) and the highest percentage of those not knowing their HbA1c levels (55.4%) but also had the poorest medication adherence among racial/ethnic groups. Conversely, American Indians and whites had the best glycemic control, HbA1c knowledge, and medication adherence. The 18- to 64-year age group had the poorest glycemic control (28.8%), the most with unknown HbA1c levels (46.3%), and the poorest medication adherence of the age groups. Mean BMIs were high (>30 mg/kg(2)) for all racial/ethnic groups other than the Asian group (28.9 mg/kg(2)). Approximately 71% of Asians were obese or overweight compared with ≥90% in the other racial/ethnic groups. Mean BMIs decreased with increasing age group (34.5, 32.6, and 29.8 kg/m(2) for the age groups of 18-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years, respectively). Regarding diabetes-related comorbidities, the Asian group had the lowest percentages of those with hypertension (39.1%) and

  2. Age Group Differences in Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults with Functional Impairments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Namkee G.; Kim, Johnny S.

    2007-01-01

    This study used data from the 2000 interview wave of the Health and Retirement Study to examine age group differences in the likelihood of self-reported depressive symptomatology among a nationally representative sample of 3,035 adults age 55 years or older who had at least one activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily…

  3. [Phalloplethysmography findings in pedophilia and exhibitionism offenders].

    PubMed

    Tichý, P

    1996-08-21

    Exhibitionist behaviour focused on children (usually girls) is one of the most frequent forms of sexual child abuse. Exposure in the presence of children signalizes possible pedophil inclinations of the offender. The present paper presents the results of PPG examinations of these offenders with special attention to assessment how often these men have an objective phallographic pedophil orientation. The results of PPG examinations in this group of sexual delinquents are also compared with the findings in a control group of men who report a heterosexual orientation and preference of objects of suitable age. Using an electrocapacitance phalloplythysmographic apparatus the authors examined 50 men (mean age 36.3 years, range 17-67 years) who committed exhibitionist activities in the presence of girls under 12 years. The PPG examination was made under standard conditions; all examined subjects were shown sets of coloured slides with adult and child objects of hetero and homosexual character. In the same way a control group was examined formed by 50 male volunteers of similar age and social background. The men in the control group responded more frequently and more merkedly by positive vasomotor reactions to adult heterosexual objects than subjects who committed pedophil exhibitionist offences. The latter reacted significantly more often to child objects of both sexes. In more than half the delinquent group (in 26 men) there was an undefined differentiation of age as regards objects of female sex and 6 (12%) men of this group had preference for heterosexual child objects, i.e. an obvious pedophil orientation. In men of the control group only in one case there was an indication of an ill defined differentiation of age, in all the others an unequivocal or clearly indicated preference of heterosexual objects was found. PPG examinations confirmed that only a minor part of subjects committing pedophil exhibitionist offences have a deviant orientation. It was revealed that the

  4. Pathologic Findings at Risk-Reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy: Primary Results From Gynecologic Oncology Group Trial GOG-0199

    PubMed Central

    Sherman, Mark E.; Piedmonte, Marion; Mai, Phuong L.; Ioffe, Olga B.; Ronnett, Brigitte M.; Van Le, Linda; Ivanov, Iouri; Bell, Maria C.; Blank, Stephanie V.; DiSilvestro, Paul; Hamilton, Chad A.; Tewari, Krishnansu S.; Wakeley, Katie; Kauff, Noah D.; Yamada, S. Diane; Rodriguez, Gustavo; Skates, Steven J.; Alberts, David S.; Walker, Joan L.; Minasian, Lori; Lu, Karen; Greene, Mark H.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) lowers mortality from ovarian/tubal and breast cancers among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Uncertainties persist regarding potential benefits of RRSO among high-risk noncarriers, optimal surgical age, and anatomic origin of clinically occult cancers detected at surgery. To address these topics, we analyzed surgical treatment arm results from Gynecologic Oncology Group Protocol-0199 (GOG-0199), the National Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study. Participants and Methods This analysis included asymptomatic high-risk women age ≥ 30 years who elected RRSO at enrollment. Women provided risk factor data and underwent preoperative cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) serum testing and transvaginal ultrasound (TVU). RRSO specimens were processed according to a standardized tissue processing protocol and underwent central pathology panel review. Research-based BRCA1/2 mutation testing was performed when a participant's mutation status was unknown at enrollment. Relationships between participant characteristics and diagnostic findings were assessed using univariable statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Results Invasive or intraepithelial ovarian/tubal/peritoneal neoplasms were detected in 25 (2.6%) of 966 RRSOs (BRCA1 mutation carriers, 4.6%; BRCA2 carriers, 3.5%; and noncarriers, 0.5%; P < .001). In multivariable models, positive BRCA1/2 mutation status (P = .0056), postmenopausal status (P = .0023), and abnormal CA-125 levels and/or TVU examinations (P < .001) were associated with detection of clinically occult neoplasms at RRSO. For 387 women with negative BRCA1/2 mutation testing and normal CA-125 levels, findings at RRSO were benign. Conclusion Clinically occult cancer was detected among 2.6% of high-risk women undergoing RRSO. BRCA1/2 mutation, postmenopausal status, and abnormal preoperative CA-125 and/or TVU were associated with cancer detection at RRSO. These data can inform management decisions

  5. Modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer disease and subjective memory impairment across age groups.

    PubMed

    Chen, Stephen T; Siddarth, Prabha; Ercoli, Linda M; Merrill, David A; Torres-Gil, Fernando; Small, Gary W

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has identified modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older adults. Research is limited on the potential link between these risk factors and subjective memory impairment (SMI), which may precede AD and other dementias. Examination of these potential relationships may help identify those at risk for AD at a stage when interventions may delay or prevent further memory problems. The objective of this study was to determine whether risk factors for AD are associated with SMI among different age groups. Trained interviewers conducted daily telephone surveys (Gallup-Healthways) of a representative community sample of 18,614 U.S. respondents, including 4,425 younger (age 18 to 39 years), 6,365 middle-aged (40 to 59 years), and 7,824 older (60 to 99 years) adults. The surveyors collected data on demographics, lifestyles, and medical information. Less education, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, less exercise, obesity and depression, and interactions among them, were examined for associations with SMI. Weighted logistic regressions and chi-square tests were used to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals for SMI with each risk factor and pairwise interactions across age groups. Depression, less education, less exercise, and hypertension were significantly associated with SMI in all three age groups. Several interactions between risk factors were significant in younger and middle-aged adults and influenced their associations with SMI. Frequency of SMI increased with age and number of risk factors. Odds of having SMI increased significantly with just having one risk factor. These results indicate that modifiable risk factors for AD are also associated with SMI, suggesting that these relationships occur in a broad range of ages and may be targeted to mitigate further memory problems. Whether modifying these risk factors reduces SMI and the eventual incidence of AD and other dementias later in life remains to be determined.

  6. Shoulder strength value differences between genders and age groups.

    PubMed

    Balcells-Diaz, Eudald; Daunis-I-Estadella, Pepus

    2018-03-01

    The strength of a normal shoulder differs according to gender and decreases with age. Therefore, the Constant score, which is a shoulder function measurement tool that allocates 25% of the final score to strength, differs from the absolute values but likely reflects a normal shoulder. To compare group results, a normalized Constant score is needed, and the first step to achieving normalization involves statistically establishing the gender differences and age-related decline. In this investigation, we sought to verify the gender difference and age-related decline in strength. We obtained a randomized representative sample of the general population in a small to medium-sized Spanish city. We then invited this population to participate in our study, and we measured their shoulder strength. We performed a statistical analysis with a power of 80% and a P value < .05. We observed a statistically significant difference between the genders and a statistically significant decline with age. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation to study a representative sample of the general population from which conclusions can be drawn regarding Constant score normalization. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Global investigation of composition and interaction networks in gut microbiomes of individuals belonging to diverse geographies and age-groups.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Deepak; Ghosh, Tarini Shankar; Mande, Sharmila S

    2016-01-01

    Factors like ethnicity, diet and age of an individual have been hypothesized to play a role in determining the makeup of gut microbiome. In order to investigate the gut microbiome structure as well as the inter-microbial associations present therein, we have performed a comprehensive global comparative profiling of the structure (composition, relative heterogeneity and diversity) and the inter-microbial networks in the gut microbiomes of 399 individuals of eight different nationalities. The study identified certain geography-specific trends with respect to composition, intra-group heterogeneity and diversity of the gut microbiomes. Interestingly, the gut microbial association/mutual-exlusion networks were observed to exhibit several cross-geography trends. It was seen that though the composition of gut microbiomes of the American and European individuals were similar, there were distinct patterns in their microbial interaction networks. Amongst European gut-microbiomes, the co-occurrence network obtained for the Danish population was observed to be most dense. Distinct patterns were also observed within Chinese, Japanese and Indian datasets. While performing an age-wise comparison, it was observed that the microbial interactions increased with the age of individuals. Furthermore, certain bacterial groups were identified to be present only in the older age groups. The trends observed in gut microbial networks could be due to the inherent differences in the diet of individuals belonging to different nationalities. For example, the higher number of microbial associations in the Danish population as compared to the Spanish population, may be attributed to the evenly distributed diet of the later. This is in line with previously reported findings which indicate an increase in functional interdependency of microbes in individuals with higher nutritional status. To summarise, the present study identifies geography and age specific patterns in the composition as well as

  8. Assessing the acceptability of NORPLANT implants in four countries: findings from focus group research.

    PubMed

    Zimmerman, M; Haffey, J; Crane, E; Szumowski, D; Alvarez, F; Bhiromrut, P; Brache, V; Lubis, F; Salah, M; Shaaban, M

    1990-01-01

    In 1986-87, a qualitative research project was conducted in the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, and Thailand to expand understanding of the acceptability of NORPLANT contraceptive implants beyond inferences made on the basis of continuation rates. In each of the four study sites, focus group discussions or in-depth interviews were held with potential acceptors, current NORPLANT users, discontinuers, husbands of women in these three groups, and service providers. Nonclinical participants generally had little formal education and lived primarily in urban or semi-urban areas where NORPLANT has been available for at least five years. The study focused on attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of each group regarding NORPLANT implants. Results suggest that factors having an impact on the acceptability of NORPLANT implants fall into three general categories: medical/technical, cultural/religious, and informational/educational. This article discusses each of these categories, including programmatic implications of the findings, and puts forward recommendations for enhancing NORPLANT introduction efforts on the basis of these findings.

  9. Perceptions of mental workload in Dutch university employees of different ages: a focus group study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background As academic workload seems to be increasing, many studies examined factors that contribute to the mental workload of academics. Age-related differences in work motives and intellectual ability may lead to differences in experienced workload and in the way employees experience work features. This study aims to obtain a better understanding of age differences in sources of mental workload. 33 academics from one faculty discussed causes of workload during focus group interviews, stratified by age. Findings Among our participants, the influence of ageing seems most evident in employees’ actions and reactions, while the causes of workload mentioned seemed largely similar. These individual reactions to workload may also be driven by differences in tenure. Most positively assessed work characteristics were: interaction with colleagues and students and autonomy. Aspects most often indicated as increasing the workload, were organisational aspects as obstacles for ‘getting the best out of people’ and the feeling that overtime seems unavoidable. Many employees indicated to feel stretched between the ‘greediness’ of the organisation and their own high working standards, and many fear to be assigned even less time for research if they do not meet the rigorous output criteria. Moreover, despite great efforts on their part, promotion opportunities seem limited. A more pronounced role for the supervisor seems appreciated by employees of all ages, although the specific interpretation varied between individuals and career stages. Conclusions To preserve good working conditions and quality of work, it seems important to scrutinize the output requirements and tenure-based needs for employee supervision. PMID:23506458

  10. Girls arrested for murder: an empirical analysis of 32 years of U.S. data by offender age groups.

    PubMed

    Heide, Kathleen M; Sellers, Brian G

    2014-01-01

    Most studies on juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) have used small samples and have concentrated on adolescent male offenders. As a result, little is known about the population of female juveniles arrested for murder. This study utilized the Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) database to investigate age differences between younger (aged 6-12 years) and older (aged 13-17 years) females arrested for murder in the United States from 1976 to 2007. As predicted, six variables used to test seven hypotheses with respect to younger and older female JHOs in single victim incidents were significant (victim age, victim gender, victim offender relationship, murder weapon, offender count, and homicide circumstance). Regression analysis revealed that younger girls were seven times more likely than older girls to kill children aged 0-12 years. Girls aged 6-12 years were five times more likely than their teen counterparts to be involved in conflict-related homicides as opposed to crime-related homicides. Although approximately the same percentages of younger and older girls killed infants under the age of 1, the victims were significantly different for the two offender age groups. This article concludes with a discussion of our findings and directions for future research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. The Effects of Multi-Age Grouping on Young Children and Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Melanie K.; Green, Virginia P.

    1993-01-01

    This literature review on the effects of multiage groupings (MAGs) in the primary grades supports their use and argues that children in MAGs perform as well academically as children in single-age groupings (SAGs) and develop better self-concept and school attitudes than children in SAGs. Expresses concerns over lack of training and support for…

  12. The influence of different classification standards of age groups on prognosis in high-grade hemispheric glioma patients.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jian-Wu; Zhou, Chang-Fu; Lin, Zhi-Xiong

    2015-09-15

    Although age is thought to correlate with the prognosis of glioma patients, the most appropriate age-group classification standard to evaluate prognosis had not been fully studied. This study aimed to investigate the influence of age-group classification standards on the prognosis of patients with high-grade hemispheric glioma (HGG). This retrospective study of 125 HGG patients used three different classification standards of age-groups (≤ 50 and >50 years old, ≤ 60 and >60 years old, ≤ 45 and 45-65 and ≥ 65 years old) to evaluate the impact of age on prognosis. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier method was applied for univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between OS and all three classification standards of age-groups as well as between OS and pathological grade, gender, location of glioma, and regular chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that the only independent predictors of OS were classification standard of age-groups ≤ 50 and > 50 years old, pathological grade and regular chemotherapy. In summary, the most appropriate classification standard of age-groups as an independent prognostic factor was ≤ 50 and > 50 years old. Pathological grade and chemotherapy were also independent predictors of OS in post-operative HGG patients. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Tympanogram findings in patients with cleft palates aged six months to seven years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yanti, A.; Widiarni, D.; Alviandi, W.; Tamin, S.; Mansyur, M.

    2017-08-01

    Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital craniofacial deformities. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear disease having a prevalence of almost 90% in patients with cleft palates. Tympanometry is a fast, safe, non-invasive, and easy tool for diagnosing middle ear disease qualitatively and quantitatively. Studies have been conducted using tympanometry to detect middle ear conditions in patients with cleft palates, but no research has studied tympanogram findings in patients with cleft palates in Indonesia. The aim of this study is to determine the tympanogram findings in Indonesian children aged six months to seven years with cleft palates. This is a cross-sectional study of 30 patients (17 males and 13 females) with Veau classification of palatal clefts aged six months to seven years (median 26.5 months) who underwent tympanometry examinations using a 226 Hztympanometer. Tympanograms were classified using the Jerger/Liden classification. Examinations of 58 ears found that type B tympanograms occurred most frequently (70.7%). The quantitative values of tympanometry analyzed included SAA (0.1-0.2 cm3), TPP value (-197.2-(-146.8 daPa)), Vec value (0.5-0.6 cm3), and gradient value (0.03-0.07 cm3). Using the Fisher test, a significant relationship was found between age and type of tympanogram (p = 0.0039) with the risk of type B and C tympanograms in infants (6-60 months) as high as 4.8 times that of children without cleft palates. The type B tympanogram was most frequently seen in patients with cleft palates aged six months to seven years old with the quantitative values of tympanometry lower than the normal values. Therefore, there was a significant difference in the type of tympanogram seen with age.

  14. An evaluation of selective feeding by three age-groups of the rainbow mussel Villosa iris

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beck, K.; Neves, R.J.

    2003-01-01

    A tri-algal diet was fed to three age-groups of the rainbow mussel Villosa iris: ages 2-3 d, 50-53 d, and 3-6 years. Changes in the relative abundance of each algal species were determined in 5-h feeding trials from feeding chambers and by gut content analyses. All age-groups rejected Scenedesmus quadricauda and preferentially selected Nannochloropsis oculata and Selenastrum capricornutum, principally on the basis of size. Changes in the relative abundance of algae in feeding chambers did not differ significantly among age-groups. Observed differences in the ingested quantities of the similar-sized N. oculata and S. capricornutum were attributed to other particle-related characteristics. Results indicate that the rainbow mussel can be fed similar-sized algae at ali ages in captive propagation facilities. When developing a suitable algal diet for rearing juvenile mussels, one probably need not investigate different species at each stage of development if the algae used are in the 2.8-8.5-??m size range.

  15. Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in school-aged Chinese in Taipei City and relationship between ABO blood groups.

    PubMed

    Wu, Tzee-Chung; Chen, Liang-Kung; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2003-08-01

    To explore the seropositive rate of antibodies against H. pylori (anti-HP) in Taipei City and to compare the relationship of ABO blood groups and H. pylori infection. In 1993, high school students in Shih-Lin District were randomly selected for blood samplings by their registration number at school. In addition, similar procedures were performed on the well-children clinics of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Besides, randomly selected sera from the adults who took the physical examination were recruited for evaluation. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects before blood samplings and parents were simultaneously informed for those who were younger than 18-year-old. Blood tests for anti-HP and ABO blood groupings were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chi square tests were used for the comparisons between seroprevalence of H. pylori and ABO blood groups. Totally, 685 subjects were recruited (260 children aged 1-14 years, 425 high school students aged 15-18 years) were evaluated, and another 88 adult healthy volunteers were studied as well for comparison. The age-specific seropositive rate of anti-HP was 1.3 % at age 1-5 years, 7.7 % at age 6-10 years, and 11.5 % at age 11-14 years. The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was abruptly increased in young adolescence: 18.6 % at age 15 years, 28.1 % at age 16 years, 32.4 % at age 17 years and 41.0 % at age 18 years, respectively. In the 425 high school students, ABO blood groupings were performed, which disclosed 48.5 % (206/425) of blood group O, 24 % (102/425) of blood group A, 21.8 % (93/425) of blood group B and 5.6 % (24/425) of blood group AB. In comparison of the subjects with blood group O and the other blood groups, no statistical significance could be identified in the seroprevalence of H. pylori (P=0.99). The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in Taipei City in adults is similar to the developed countries, and the abrupt increase of H. pylori during high school may be

  16. Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in school-aged Chinese in Taipei City and relationship between ABO blood groups

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Tzee-Chung; Chen, Liang-Kung; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2003-01-01

    AIM: To explore the seropositive rate of antibodies against H. pylori (anti-HP) in Taipei City and to compare the relationship of ABO blood groups and H. pylori infection. METHODS: In 1993, high school students in Shih-Lin District were randomly selected for blood samplings by their registration number at school. In addition, similar procedures were performed on the well-children clinics of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Besides, randomly selected sera from the adults who took the physical examination were recruited for evaluation. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects before blood samplings and parents were simultaneously informed for those who were younger than 18-year-old. Blood tests for anti-HP and ABO blood groupings were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chi square tests were used for the comparisons between seroprevalence of H. pylori and ABO blood groups. RESULTS: Totally, 685 subjects were recruited (260 children aged 1-14 years, 425 high school students aged 15-18 years) were evaluated, and another 88 adult healthy volunteers were studied as well for comparison. The age-specific seropositive rate of anti-HP was 1.3% at age 1-5 years, 7.7% at age 6-10 years, and 11.5% at age 11-14 years. The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was abruptly increased in young adolescence: 18.6% at age 15 years, 28.1% at age 16 years, 32.4% at age 17 years and 41.0% at age 18 years, respectively. In the 425 high school students, ABO blood groupings were performed, which disclosed 48.5% (206/425) of blood group O, 24% (102/425) of blood group A, 21.8% (93/425) of blood group B and 5.6% (24/425) of blood group AB. In comparison of the subjects with blood group O and the other blood groups, no statistical significance could be identified in the seroprevalence of H. pylori (P = 0.99). CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in Taipei City in adults is similar to the developed countries, and the abrupt increase of H. pylori during

  17. Researching Women's Groups Findings, Limitations, and Recommendations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leech, Nancy L.; Kees, Nathalie L.

    2005-01-01

    There is not a "typical" women's group, nor are there "typical" women's issues. Every women's group is diverse, with as many viewpoints and perspectives as there are members in the group. Using the group format for women is common practice with many counselors. It is interesting that there has been little empirical research reported on women's…

  18. Value of History, Physical Examination, and Radiographic Findings in the Diagnosis of Symptomatic Meniscal Tear Among Middle-Aged Subjects With Knee Pain.

    PubMed

    Katz, Jeffrey N; Smith, Savannah R; Yang, Heidi Y; Martin, Scott D; Wright, John; Donnell-Fink, Laurel A; Losina, Elena

    2017-04-01

    To evaluate the utility of clinical history, radiographic findings, and physical examination findings in the diagnosis of symptomatic meniscal tear (SMT) in patients over age 45 years, in whom concomitant osteoarthritis is prevalent. In a cross-sectional study of patients from 2 orthopedic surgeons' clinics, we assessed clinical history, physical examination findings, and radiographic findings in patients age >45 years with knee pain. The orthopedic surgeons rated their confidence that subjects' symptoms were due to meniscal tear; we defined the diagnosis of SMT as at least 70% confidence. We used logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with diagnosis of SMT, and we used the regression results to construct an index of the likelihood of SMT. In 174 participants, 6 findings were associated independently with the expert clinician having ≥70% confidence that symptoms were due to meniscal tear: localized pain, ability to fully bend the knee, pain duration <1 year, lack of varus alignment, lack of pes planus, and absence of joint space narrowing on radiographs. The index identified a low-risk group with 3% likelihood of SMT. While clinicians traditionally rely upon mechanical symptoms in this diagnostic setting, our findings did not support the conclusion that mechanical symptoms were associated with the expert's confidence that symptoms were due to meniscal tear. An index that includes history of localized pain, full flexion, duration <1 year, pes planus, varus alignment, and joint space narrowing can be used to stratify patients according to their risk of SMT, and it identifies a subgroup with very low risk. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

  19. Potential consequences of abandonment in preschool-age: neuropsychological findings in institutionalized children.

    PubMed

    Cardona, Juan F; Manes, Facundo; Escobar, Josefina; López, Jéssica; Ibáñez, Agustín

    2012-01-01

    Several longitudinal studies had shown that early deprivation and institutionalization during the first six months of life affects the emotional, cognitive, social and neurophysiologic development. Nevertheless, our understanding of possible similar effects of delayed institutionalization, in preschool-age remains unclear to this day. The goal of this study is to evaluate the cognitive performance of institutionalized children with history of preschool-age physical abandonment. 18 male institutionalized children with history of abandonment during the preschool-age (2-5 years old) and comparison group matched by age, handedness, gender, educational and socioeconomic level were tested on multiple tasks of attention, memory and executive functions. We found a cognitive impairment in the institutionalized children in several measures of attention, memory and executive functions. This is the first report of cognitive impairment related to late abandonment and institutionalization effects (after 2 years old), extending the already known effects on early institutionalization. This preliminary study suggests that environmental factors including abandonment and institutional care, can affect not only the infancy period, but also the preschool period providing new insights into our understanding of neurocognitive development.

  20. Group-based differences in anti-aging bias among medical students.

    PubMed

    Ruiz, Jorge G; Andrade, Allen D; Anam, Ramanakumar; Taldone, Sabrina; Karanam, Chandana; Hogue, Christie; Mintzer, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    Medical students (MS) may develop ageist attitudes early in their training that may predict their future avoidance of caring for the elderly. This study sought to determine MS' patterns of explicit and implicit anti-aging bias, intent to practice with older people and using the quad model, the role of gender, race, and motivation-based differences. One hundred and three MS completed an online survey that included explicit and implicit measures. Explicit measures revealed a moderately positive perception of older people. Female medical students and those high in internal motivation showed lower anti-aging bias, and both were more likely to intend to practice with older people. Although the implicit measure revealed more negativity toward the elderly than the explicit measures, there were no group differences. However, using the quad model the authors identified gender, race, and motivation-based differences in controlled and automatic processes involved in anti-aging bias.

  1. The Use of Mobile Health Applications Among Youth and Young Adults Living with HIV: Focus Group Findings.

    PubMed

    Saberi, Parya; Siedle-Khan, Robert; Sheon, Nicolas; Lightfoot, Marguerita

    2016-06-01

    The objective of this study was to conduct focus groups with youth (18-29 years old) living with HIV (YLWH) to better understand preferences for mobile applications in general and to inform the design of a mobile health application aimed at improving retention and engagement in healthcare and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. We conducted four focus groups with YLWH to elicit the names and characteristics of applications that they commonly used, reasons they deleted applications, and the features of an ideal mobile health application. A diverse sample of youth (N = 17) with a mean age of 25 years, 88.2% male, and 29.4% African American participated in four focus groups. Positive attributes of applications included informative, simple, allowing for networking, timely updates, little overlap with other applications, unlimited access to entertainment, and with ongoing advancement. Participants identified several reasons for deleting applications, including engaging in excessive behaviors (e.g., spending money), for hook ups only, too many notifications or restrictions, occupied too much space on device, or required wireless connectivity or frequent updates. Participants suggested that a mobile health application that they would find useful should have the ability to connect to a community of other YLWH, readily access healthcare providers, track personal data and information (such as laboratory data), and obtain health news and education. Privacy was a key factor in a mobile health application for all participants. Researchers can use the information provided by focus group participants in creating mobile health applications for YLWH.

  2. The Use of Mobile Health Applications Among Youth and Young Adults Living with HIV: Focus Group Findings

    PubMed Central

    Siedle-Khan, Robert; Sheon, Nicolas; Lightfoot, Marguerita

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The objective of this study was to conduct focus groups with youth (18–29 years old) living with HIV (YLWH) to better understand preferences for mobile applications in general and to inform the design of a mobile health application aimed at improving retention and engagement in healthcare and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. We conducted four focus groups with YLWH to elicit the names and characteristics of applications that they commonly used, reasons they deleted applications, and the features of an ideal mobile health application. A diverse sample of youth (N = 17) with a mean age of 25 years, 88.2% male, and 29.4% African American participated in four focus groups. Positive attributes of applications included informative, simple, allowing for networking, timely updates, little overlap with other applications, unlimited access to entertainment, and with ongoing advancement. Participants identified several reasons for deleting applications, including engaging in excessive behaviors (e.g., spending money), for hook ups only, too many notifications or restrictions, occupied too much space on device, or required wireless connectivity or frequent updates. Participants suggested that a mobile health application that they would find useful should have the ability to connect to a community of other YLWH, readily access healthcare providers, track personal data and information (such as laboratory data), and obtain health news and education. Privacy was a key factor in a mobile health application for all participants. Researchers can use the information provided by focus group participants in creating mobile health applications for YLWH. PMID:27214751

  3. Quantification and characterization of grouped type I myofibers in human aging.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Neil A; Hammond, Kelley G; Stec, Michael J; Bickel, C Scott; Windham, Samuel T; Tuggle, S Craig; Bamman, Marcas M

    2018-01-01

    Myofiber type grouping is a histological hallmark of age-related motor unit remodeling. Despite the accepted concept that denervation-reinnervation events lead to myofiber type grouping, the completeness of those conversions remains unknown. Type I myofiber grouping was assessed in vastus lateralis biopsies from Young (26 ± 4 years; n = 27) and Older (66 ± 4 years; n = 91) adults. Grouped and ungrouped type I myofibers were evaluated for phenotypic differences. Higher type I grouping in Older versus Young was driven by more myofibers per group (i.e., larger group size) (P < 0.05). In Older only, grouped type I myofibers displayed larger cross-sectional area, more myonuclei, lower capillary supply, and more sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase I (SERCA I) expression (P < 0.05) than ungrouped type I myofibers. Grouped type I myofibers retain type II characteristics suggesting that conversion during denervation-reinnervation events is either progressive or incomplete. Muscle Nerve 57: E52-E59, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Identifying the most appropriate age threshold for TNM stage grouping of well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

    PubMed

    Hendrickson-Rebizant, J; Sigvaldason, H; Nason, R W; Pathak, K A

    2015-08-01

    Age is integrated in most risk stratification systems for well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC). The most appropriate age threshold for stage grouping of WDTC is debatable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the best age threshold for stage grouping by comparing multivariable models designed to evaluate the independent impact of various prognostic factors, including age based stage grouping, on the disease specific survival (DSS) of our population-based cohort. Data from population-based thyroid cancer cohort of 2125 consecutive WDTC, diagnosed during 1970-2010, with a median follow-up of 11.5 years, was used to calculate DSS using the Kaplan Meier method. Multivariable analysis with Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess independent impact of different prognostic factors on DSS. The Akaike information criterion (AIC), a measure of statistical model fit, was used to identify the most appropriate age threshold model. Delta AIC, Akaike weight, and evidence ratios were calculated to compare the relative strength of different models. The mean age of the patients was 47.3 years. DSS of the cohort was 95.6% and 92.8% at 10 and 20 years respectively. A threshold of 55 years, with the lowest AIC, was identified as the best model. Akaike weight indicated an 85% chance that this age threshold is the best among the compared models, and is 16.8 times more likely to be the best model as compared to a threshold of 45 years. The age threshold of 55 years was found to be the best for TNM stage grouping. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Sleep quality, use of hypnotics and sleeping habits in different age-groups among older people.

    PubMed

    Hägg, Miriam; Houston, Britta; Elmståhl, Sölve; Ekström, Henrik; Wann-Hansson, Christine

    2014-12-01

    Sleep disturbances are common among older people (>65 years). Further, long-term use of sedative hypnoticsin older people is associated with morbidity and mortality. However, older people represent a large span of life years, and few studies have included the oldest-old above 85 years. To investigate and compare sleep quality, use of hypnotics and sleeping habits in different age groups of the older population in the Scania region, Sweden and in relation to sociodemographic- and functional status. A cross-sectional population-based study including 2931 people aged 60-93 years from five different municipalities in Scania was performed during 2001-2004. The sample was divided into age groups, young old (60-72 years), old-old (78-84 years) and oldest-old (87-93) years. Data constitutes of sleep related questions, sociodemographic- and functional status from the study 'Good Ageing in Skane'. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sleep quality, hypnotics use and sleeping habitsin relation to sociodemographic- and functional status. The aim was to investigate associations, not the magnitude of associations between variables. In all age groups, those who used hypnotics and were living alone had significantly poorer sleep quality and shortest sleeping time than nonhypnotic users and those who lived together. A significant increase of hypnotics and frequency of use was seen with increasing age. Frequency of napping increased significantly with degree of dependence in all age groups and with increasing age. Insomnia is still a problem and hypnotic use has not improved sleep for a large number of older people. Hypnotics are effective as short-term treatment, however, nonpharmacological interventions and psychological and behavioural therapies should be considered for treating older people with chronic insomnia.

  6. Gender-specific mortality in DTP-IPV- and MMR±MenC-eligible age groups to determine possible sex-differential effects of vaccination: an observational study.

    PubMed

    Schurink-van't Klooster, Tessa M; Knol, Mirjam J; de Melker, Hester E; van der Sande, Marianne A B

    2015-03-24

    ± MenC eligible age groups. The inability to detect this effect indicates that when non-specific effects were present the effects were not reflected in changes in the differences in mortality between boys and girls. The findings in this large population-based study are reassuring for the continued trust in the safety of the national vaccination programme.

  7. Number of Heat Wave Deaths by Diagnosis, Sex, Age Groups, and Area, in Slovenia, 2015 vs. 2003

    PubMed Central

    Perčič, Simona; Kukec, Andreja; Cegnar, Tanja; Hojs, Ana

    2018-01-01

    Background: Number of deaths increases during periods of elevated heat. Objectives: To examine whether differences in heat-related deaths between 2003 and 2015 occurred in Slovenia. Materials and Methods: We estimated relative risks for deaths for the observed diagnoses, sex, age, and area, as well as 95% confidence intervals and excess deaths associated with heat waves occurring in 2015 and 2003. For comparison between 2015 and 2003, we calculated relative risks ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Statistically significant in 2015 were the following: age group 75+, all causes of deaths (RR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.00–1.22); all population, circulatory system diseases (RR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.30) and age group 75+, diseases of circulatory system (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.01–1.34). Statistically significant in 2003 were the following: female, age group 5–74, circulatory system diseases (RR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.08–2.62). Discussion: Comparison between 2015 and 2003, all, circulatory system diseases (RRR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.01–1.55); male, circulatory system diseases (RRR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.41–2.43); all, age group 75+ circulatory system diseases (RRR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.07–1.69); male, age group 75+, circulatory system diseases (RRR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.03–2.25) and female, age group 75+, circulatory system diseases (RRR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.08–1.89). Conclusions: Public health efforts are urgent and should address circulatory system causes and old age groups. PMID:29361792

  8. Impact of weather factors on influenza hospitalization across different age groups in subtropical Hong Kong

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yapeng; Wang, Xi-Ling; Zheng, Xueying

    2018-05-01

    Accumulating evidence demonstrates the significant influence of weather factors, especially temperature and humidity, on influenza seasonality. However, it is still unclear whether temperature variation within the same day, that is diurnal temperature range (DTR), is related to influenza seasonality. In addition, the different effects of weather factors on influenza seasonality across age groups have not been well documented in previous studies. Our study aims to explore the effects of DTR and humidity on influenza seasonality, and the differences in the association between weather factors and influenza seasonality among different age groups in Hong Kong, China. Generalized additive models were conducted to flexibly assess the impact of DTR, absolute humidity (vapor pressure, VP), and relative humidity on influenza seasonality in Hong Kong, China, from January 2012 to December 2016. Stratified analyses were performed to determine if the effects of weather factors differ across age groups (< 5, 5-9, 10-64, and > 64 years). The results suggested that DTR, absolute humidity, and relative humidity were significantly related to influenza seasonality in dry period (when VP is less than 20 mb), while no significant association was found in humid period (when VP is greater than 20 mb). The percentage changes of hospitalization rates due to influenza associated with per unit increase of weather factors in the very young children (age 0-4) and the elderly (age 65+) were higher than that in the adults (age 10-64). Diurnal temperature range is significantly associated with influenza seasonality in dry period, and the effects of weather factors differ across age groups in Hong Kong, China.

  9. Cenomanian-? early Turonian minimum age of the Chubut Group, Argentina: SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suárez, Manuel; Márquez, Marcelo; De La Cruz, Rita; Navarrete, César; Fanning, Mark

    2014-03-01

    Four new SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages older than 93 Ma from samples of the two uppermost formations accumulated in two different depocenters (Golfo de San Jorge and Cañadón Asfalto basins) of the Chubut Group in central Argentinean Patagonia, establish a pre-late Cenomanian-? early Turonian age for the group. It also confirms a coeval and comparable evolution of the two depocenters, where distal pyroclastic material was deposited together with fluvial and lacustrine facies.

  10. Anatomical evaluation of oral microcirculation: capillary characteristics associated with sex or age group.

    PubMed

    Scardina, Giuseppe Alessandro; Giuseppe Alessandro, Scardina; Cacioppo, Antonino; Antonino, Cacioppo; Messina, Pietro

    2009-10-01

    There are various types of oral mucosa specific to different parts of the mouth and each of these has a unique histological structure. The variations in the epithelial structure are consistently related to observable differences in the underlying microcirculation: i.e. differences in the course, conformation, and density of capillaries. The aim of this research has been to investigate oral microcirculatory differences between men and women as well as between various age groups, in order to map the oral mucosa, and to highlight changes occurring during aging. A total of 45 healthy subjects were enrolled for this study (12 men and 33 women; mean age 60.37; range 30-82). A complete in-vivo videocapillaroscopic mapping of the oral mucosa was done on each subject. The capillaroscopic patterns of the various areas differ particularly in the course of the loops in relation to the mucosal surface. On the basis of statistical analysis of the collected data, it emerges that there are many differences in capillary loop density between men and women and between different age groups. This study demonstrates the necessity of approaching the investigation of patient microcirculation in different ways depending on sex or age.

  11. Prevalence of weight excess according to age group in students from Campinas, SP, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Castilho, Silvia Diez; Nucci, Luciana Bertoldi; Hansen, Lucca Ortolan; Assuino, Samanta Ramos

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of weight excess in children and adolescents attending public and private schools of Campinas, Southeast Brazil, according to age group. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that enrolled 3,130 students from 2010 to 2012. The weight and the height were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The students were classified by BMI Z-score/age curves of the World Health Organization (WHO)-2007 (thinness, normal weight, overweight and obesity) and by age group (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18 years). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to verify variables associated to overweight and obesity. RESULTS: Among the 3,130 students, 53.7% attended public schools and 53.4% were girls. The prevalence of weight excess (overweight or obesity) was higher in private schools (37.3%) than in public ones (32.9%) and among males (37.5%), compared to females (32.7%; p<0.05). The chance of having weight excess in children aged 7-10 years was more than twice of those over 15 years old (OR 2.4; 95%CI 2.0-3.0) and it was 60% higher for the group with 11-14 years old (OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.3-2.0). The chance of being obese was three times higher in 7-10 years old children than in the adolescents with 15-18 years old (OR 4.4; 95%CI 3.3-6.4) and 130% higher than the group with 11-14 years old (OR 2.3; 95%CI 1.6-3.2). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of weight excess in Campinas keeps increasing at an alarming rate, especially in the younger age group. PMID:25119751

  12. Differences Across Age Groups in Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People's Experiences of Health Care Discrimination, Harassment, and Victimization.

    PubMed

    Kattari, Shanna K; Hasche, Leslie

    2016-03-01

    Given the increasing diversity among older adults and changes in health policy, knowledge is needed on potential barriers to health care for transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals. Using the 2010 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), logistic regression models test differences between age groups (below 35, 35-49, 50-64, and 65 and above) in lifetime experience of anti-transgender discrimination, harassment, and victimization within health care settings while considering the influences of insurance status, level of passing, time of transition, and other socio-demographic factors. Although more than one fifth of transgender and GNC individuals of all ages reported health discrimination, harassment, or victimization, significant age differences were found. Insurance status and level of passing were also influential. Medicare policy changes and this study's findings prompt further consideration for revising other health insurance policies. In addition, expanded cultural competency trainings that are specific to transgender and GNC individuals are crucial. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. Consumption of Cisatracurium in different age groups, using a closed loop computer controlled system.

    PubMed

    Joomye, Shehzaad; Yan, Donglai; Wang, Haiyun; Zhou, Guoqiang; Wang, Guolin

    2014-01-01

    We devised this study to quantify the effect of age on the consumption of cisatracurium under general anaesthesia, using a computer controlled closed loop infusion system. We further investigated this effect on, sufentanil and propofol consumption. 74 patients of physical status I and II, requiring general anaesthesia for elective abdominal surgery, were assigned to three groups. Patients in group 1 were aged from 20 to 45, group 2 were from 46 to 64, and group 3 above 65 years old. General Anesthesia was maintained with propofol and muscle paralysis was maintained using a closed-loop computer controlled infusion of cisatracurium. For analgesia, intermittent bolus of sufentanil 10 μg was given. Cisatracurium consumption in group 1, 2 and 3 were 1.8 ± 0.3, 1.6 ± 0.4 and 1.3 ± 0.4 μg/kg/min respectively. There was significant difference of cisatracurium consumption between group 1 and 3 (P = 0.002), and the consumption of cisatracurium in group 3 was less as compared with group 2 (P = 0.04). The average recovery index of patients in group 1, 2 and 3 were 8.8 ± 2.6, 11.5 ± 2.9 and 12.7 ± 2.5 minutes respectively. There were difference between group 1 and 2 (P = 0.02). As compared with group 1, the recovery index was still longer in group 3 (P = 0.001). Patients in group 1, 2 and 3 consumed an average sufentanil 0.4 ± 0.1, 0.4 ± 0.1 and 0.3 ± 0.1 μg/kg/hr, respectively. There were statistical significant between group 1 and 3 (P < 0.0001), and the same trend was found between group 2 and 3 (P = 0.03). The Consumption of propofol in group 1, 2 and 3 were 5.1 ± 0.4, 4.3 ± 0.6 and 3.1 ± 0.5 mg/kg/hr. The difference in the propofol consumption was found statistically significant when comparing between any two groups. We concluded that the sensitivity of anesthetic agents increased with age. Less medication was required to achieve a desirable effect in older patients specially those

  14. An analysis of pancreas transplantation outcomes based on age groupings--an update of the UNOS database.

    PubMed

    Siskind, Eric; Maloney, Caroline; Akerman, Meredith; Alex, Asha; Ashburn, Sarah; Barlow, Meade; Siskind, Tamar; Bhaskaran, Madhu; Ali, Nicole; Basu, Amit; Molmenti, Ernesto; Ortiz, Jorge

    2014-09-01

    Previously, increasing age has been a part of the exclusion criteria used when determining eligibility for a pancreas transplant. However, the analysis of pancreas transplantation outcomes based on age groupings has largely been based on single-center reports. A UNOS database review of all adult pancreas and kidney-pancreas transplants between 1996 and 2012 was performed. Patients were divided into groups based on age categories: 18-29 (n = 1823), 30-39 (n = 7624), 40-49 (n = 7967), 50-59 (n = 3160), and ≥60 (n = 280). We compared survival outcomes and demographic variables between each age grouping. Of the 20 854 pancreas transplants, 3440 of the recipients were 50 yr of age or above. Graft survival was consistently the greatest in adults 40-49 yr of age. Graft survival was least in adults age 18-29 at one-, three-, and five-yr intervals. At 10- and 15-yr intervals, graft survival was the poorest in adults >60 yr old. Patient survival and age were found to be inversely proportional; as the patient population's age increased, survival decreased. Pancreas transplants performed in patients of increasing age demonstrate decreased patient and graft survival when compared to pancreas transplants in patients <50 yr of age. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Effects of fertility education on knowledge, desires and anxiety among the reproductive-aged population: findings from a randomized controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    Maeda, E.; Nakamura, F.; Kobayashi, Y.; Boivin, J.; Sugimori, H.; Murata, K.; Saito, H.

    2016-01-01

    : intervention versus Control 1 and versus Control 2: 52.8 (28.8) versus 40.9 (26.2) (P< 0.001) versus 45.1 (27.1) (P = 0.003) among men and 64.6 (26.0) versus 50.8 (26.9) (P< 0.001) versus 53.0 (26.4) (P< 0.001) among women. The percentage of participants who felt subjective anxiety after exposure to the intervention brochure was significantly higher than that of the control groups: intervention versus Control 1 and versus Control 2: 32.6 versus 17.8% (risk difference [RD] = 0.149, 95% CI: 0.073–0.225) versus 14.5% (RD = 0.182, 95% CI: 0.108–0.256) among men, and 50.2 versus 26.3% (RD = 0.239, 95% CI: 0.155–0.322) versus 14.0% (RD = 0.362, 95% CI: 0.286–0.439) among women. Non-inferiority of the intervention was inconclusive (i.e. the CI included 0.15) among men whereas inferiority was declared among women. The incidence of anxiety was higher in the intervention group than that of the control groups especially among men aged 30 and older and among women aged 25 and older. No difference existed in childbearing desires between groups after exposure. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The possibility of selection bias associated with the use of SRPs (higher socioeconomic status and education) and volunteer bias toward those more interested in fertility may limit the generalizability of these findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS In addition to education targeting a younger generation, psychological approaches are needed to alleviate possible anxiety caused by fertility information. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by National Center for Child Health and Development, Seiiku Medical Study Grant (24-6), the Daiwa Foundation Small Grants and Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (26-1591). No competing interest declared. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER UMIN Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number, 000016168. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE 13 January 2015. DATE OF FIRST PATIENT'S ENROLMENT 15 January 2015. PMID:27301362

  16. The influence of gender and gender typicality on autobiographical memory across event types and age groups.

    PubMed

    Grysman, Azriel; Fivush, Robyn; Merrill, Natalie A; Graci, Matthew

    2016-08-01

    Gender differences in autobiographical memory emerge in some data collection paradigms and not others. The present study included an extensive analysis of gender differences in autobiographical narratives. Data were collected from 196 participants, evenly split by gender and by age group (emerging adults, ages 18-29, and young adults, ages 30-40). Each participant reported four narratives, including an event that had occurred in the last 2 years, a high point, a low point, and a self-defining memory. Additionally, all participants completed self-report measures of masculine and feminine gender typicality. The narratives were coded along six dimensions-namely coherence, connectedness, agency, affect, factual elaboration, and interpretive elaboration. The results indicated that females expressed more affect, connection, and factual elaboration than males across all narratives, and that feminine typicality predicted increased connectedness in narratives. Masculine typicality predicted higher agency, lower connectedness, and lower affect, but only for some narratives and not others. These findings support an approach that views autobiographical reminiscing as a feminine-typed activity and that identifies gender differences as being linked to categorical gender, but also to one's feminine gender typicality, whereas the influences of masculine gender typicality were more context-dependent. We suggest that implicit gendered socialization and more explicit gender typicality each contribute to gendered autobiographies.

  17. Does the prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography differ among different age groups?

    PubMed

    Bernheim, Alain M; Kittipovanonth, Maytinee; Takahashi, Paul Y; Gharacholou, S Michael; Scott, Christopher G; Pellikka, Patricia A

    2011-04-01

    Age is associated with reduced exercise capacity and greater prevalence of coronary artery disease. Whether the prognostic information obtained from dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), a stress test commonly used for patients unable to perform an exercise test, provides differential information based on age is not well known. We studied 6,655 consecutive patients referred for DSE. Patients were divided into 3 age groups: (1) <60 years (n = 1,389), (2) 60 to 74 years (n = 2,978), and (3) ≥75 years (n = 2,288). Mean follow-up was 5.5 ± 2.8 years. End points included all-cause mortality and cardiac events, including myocardial infarction and late (>3 months) coronary revascularization. Peak stress wall motion score index was an independent predictor of cardiac events in all age groups (<60 years: hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, P = .02; 60-74 years: HR 1.70, P < .0001; ≥75 years: HR 1.10, P = .006). In patients ≥75 years, peak wall motion score index (HR 1.10, P < .0001) and abnormal left ventricular end-systolic volume response (HR 1.25, P = .03) were independent predictors of death. In patients aged 60 to 74 years, abnormal left ventricular end-systolic volume response (HR 1.43, P = .0003) was independently related to death, whereas in patients <60 years, the echocardiographic data assessed during stress were not a predictor. Dobutamine stress echocardiography provided independent information predictive of cardiac events among all age groups and death in patients ≥60 years. However, among patients <60 years, stress-induced echocardiographic abnormalities were not independently associated with mortality. Comorbidities, which have precluded exercise testing, may be most relevant in predicting mortality in patients <60 years undergoing DSE. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Behavioral Autonomy Age Expectations among Mexican-Origin Mother-Daughter Dyads: An Examination of Within-Group Variability

    PubMed Central

    Bámaca-Colbert, Mayra Y.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.; Espinosa-Hernández, Graciela; Brown, Ashley M.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined differences in behavioral autonomy age expectations between Mexican-origin mothers and their adolescent daughters (N = 319 dyads); variability in behavioral autonomy age expectations as a function of nativity and maternal educational attainment also was examined. Findings indicated significant differences between mothers and daughters such that mothers reported later expectations for the timing of behavioral autonomy than did daughters. Follow-up analyses indicated that findings appeared to be driven by maternal nativity, with dyads comprised of Mexico-born mothers reporting the latest age expectations for behavioral autonomy when compared with dyads comprised of U.S.-born mothers. Findings underscore the need to examine normative development among Latino adolescents and their families with a specific focus on how sociocultural characteristics can contribute to within-family differences. PMID:22093152

  19. Pediatric outcomes data collection instrument scores in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: an analysis by age groups and severity level.

    PubMed

    Barnes, Douglas; Linton, Judith L; Sullivan, Elroy; Bagley, Anita; Oeffinger, Donna; Abel, Mark; Damiano, Diane; Gorton, George; Nicholson, Diane; Romness, Mark; Rogers, Sarah; Tylkowski, Chester

    2008-01-01

    The Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) was developed in 1994 as a patient-based tool for use across a broad age range and wide array of musculoskeletal disorders, including children with cerebral palsy (CP). The purpose of this study was to establish means and SDs of the Parent PODCI measures by age groups and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels for ambulatory children with CP. This instrument was one of several studied in a prospective, multicenter project of ambulatory patients with CP between the aged 4 and 18 years and GMFCS levels I through III. Participants included 338 boys and 221 girls at a mean age of 11.1 years, with 370 diplegic, 162 hemiplegic, and 27 quadriplegic. Both baseline and follow-up data sets of the completed Parent PODCI responses were statistically analyzed. Age was identified as a significant predictor of the PODCI measures of Upper Extremity Function, Transfers and Basic Mobility, Global Function, and Happiness With Physical Condition. Gross Motor Function Classification System levels was a significant predictor of Transfers and Basic Mobility, Sports and Physical Function, and Global Function. Pattern of involvement, sex, and prior orthopaedic surgery were not statistically significant predictors for any of the Parent PODCI measures. Mean and SD scores were calculated for age groups stratified by GMFCS levels. Analysis of the follow-up data set validated the findings derived from the baseline data. Linear regression equations were derived, with age as a continuous variable and GMFCS levels as a categorical variable, to be used for Parent PODCI predicted scores. The results of this study provide clinicians and researchers with a set of Parent PODCI values for comparison to age- and severity-matched populations of ambulatory patients with CP.

  20. Trends in the use of mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to heart transplantation across different age groups.

    PubMed

    Ciarka, Agnieszka; Edwards, Leah; Nilsson, Johan; Stehlik, Josef; Lund, Lars H

    2017-03-15

    Numerous cohort analyses suggest rapidly increasing use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) as a bridge to heart transplantation (HTx), but the role of age in selection for MCS remains unknown. We assessed adult HTx in the International Society for Heart And Lung Transplantation Registry between 2005 and 2013 and we determined MCS use by recipient age group and transplant year. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify variables associated with continuous flow (CF) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) use within each age group. Among 16,480 HTx recipients the percentage of overall MCS use increased from 23% to 38%, 21% to 41%, and 17% to 42% in age groups 18-39 years, 40-59 years and over 60 years, respectively. This effect was mainly due to an increase in CF LVAD use and primarily in HTx recipients aged over 60. In multivariable analyses, male gender and blood group O were significantly associated with CF LVAD use in all age groups. Bridge to transplant MCS use increased dramatically between 2005 and 2013 primarily due to increased use of CF LVAD and primarily in higher ages. Pre-HTx CF LVAD use was more frequent in men and blood group O. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. [Appraisal of occupational stress in different gender, age, work duration, educational level and marital status groups].

    PubMed

    Yang, Xin-Wei; Wang, Zhi-Ming; Jin, Tai-Yi

    2006-05-01

    This study was conducted to assess occupational stress in different gender, age, work duration, educational level and marital status group. A test of occupational stress in different gender, age, work duration, educational level and marital status group, was carried out with revised occupational stress inventory (OSI-R) for 4278 participants. The results of gender show that there are heavier occupational role, stronger interpersonal and physical strain in male than that in female, and the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.01). The score of recreation in the male is higher than that in female, but the score of self-care in the female is higher than that in male, and the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.01). Difference in the scores of occupational role, personal resource among various age groups is significant (P < 0.01). Vocational, interpersonal strain scores among various age groups is significant (P < 0.05). The results of educational level analyses suggest that the difference in the scores of occupational stress and strain among various educational levels show statistically significant (P < 0.05), whereas there are no statistic significance of coping resources among the groups (P > 0.05). The occupational stress so as to improve the work ability of different groups. Different measure should be taken to reduce the occupational stress so as to improve the work ability of different groups.

  2. Looking for the Silver Lining: Benefit Finding after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Middle-Aged, Older, and Oldest-Old Adults.

    PubMed

    Stanko, Katie E; Cherry, Katie E; Ryker, Kyle S; Mughal, Farra; Marks, Loren D; Brown, Jennifer Silva; Gendusa, Patricia F; Sullivan, Marisa C; Bruner, John; Welsh, David A; Su, L Joseph; Jazwinski, S Michal

    2015-09-01

    Looking for potentially positive outcomes is one way that people cope with stressful events. In two studies, we examined perceived "silver linings" after the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita among indirectly affected adults. In Study 1, middle-aged (ages 47-64 years), older (ages 65-89 years), and oldest-old (ages 90-95 years) adults in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS) responded to an open-ended question on perceived silver linings in a longitudinal assessment carried out during the immediate impact (1 to 4 months after landfall) and post-disaster recovery phase (6 to 14 months post-storm). Qualitative grounded theory methods were employed to analyze these narrative data. Team-based coding yielded three core themes: (1) learning experience and better preparedness for future disasters, (2) having improved cities (Baton Rouge and New Orleans), and (3) an increase in "Good Samaritan" acts such as strangers helping one another. Responses were similar across age groups, although older adults were the least likely to report positive outcomes. Study 2 was a conceptual replication using a different sample of adults (ages 31 to 82 years) tested at least five years after the storms. A learning experience and preparedness core theme replicated Study 1's findings while improved social cohesion amongst family and friends emerged as a new core theme in Study 2. These data indicate that identifying lessons learned and potentially positive outcomes are psychological reactions that may facilitate post-disaster coping and foster resilience for indirectly affected adults in the years after disaster.

  3. Leg Strength Comparison between Younger and Middle-age Adults

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sukwon; Lockhart, Thurmon; Nam, Chang S.

    2009-01-01

    Although a risk of occupational musculoskeletal diseases has been identified with age-related strength degradation, strength measures from working group are somewhat sparse. This is especially true for the lower extremity strength measures in dynamic conditions (i.e., isokinetic). The objective of this study was to quantify the lower extremity muscle strength characteristics of three age groups (young, middle, and the elderly). Total of 42 subjects participated in the study: 14 subjects for each age group. A commercial dynamometer was used to evaluate isokinetic and isometric strength at ankle and knee joints. 2 × 2 (Age group (younger, middle-age, and older adult groups) × Gender (male and female)) between-subject design and Post-hoc analysis were performed to evaluate strength differences among three age groups. Post-hoc analysis indicated that, overall, middle-age workers’ leg strengths (i.e. ankle and knee muscles) were significantly different from younger adults while middle-age workers’ leg strengths were virtually identical to older adults’ leg strengths. These results suggested that, overall, 14 middle-age workers in the present study could be at a higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Future studies looking at the likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries at different work places and from different working postures at various age levels should be required to validate the current findings. The future study would be a valuable asset in finding intervention strategies such that middle-age workers could stay healthier longer. PMID:20436934

  4. Group Therapy for School-Aged Children Who Stutter: A Survey of Current Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liddle, Hilary; James, Sarah; Hardman, Margaret

    2011-01-01

    Although group therapy is recommended for school-aged children who stutter (CWS), it is not widely researched. This study aimed to explore this provision, using a postal survey which investigated the current practices of Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs) in the UK. Seventy percent of SLT services provided some group therapy, but the level of…

  5. A population study of Alzheimer's disease: findings from the Cache County Study on Memory, Health, and Aging.

    PubMed

    Tschanz, Joann T; Treiber, Katherine; Norton, Maria C; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A; Toone, Leslie; Zandi, Peter P; Szekely, Christine A; Lyketsos, Constantine; Breitner, John C S

    2005-01-01

    There are several population-based studies of aging, memory, and dementia being conducted worldwide. Of these, the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging is noteworthy for its large number of "oldest-old" members. This study, which has been following an initial cohort of 5,092 seniors since 1995, has reported among its major findings the role of the Apolipoprotein E gene on modifying the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in males and females and identifying pharmacologic compounds that may act to reduce AD risk. This article summarizes the major findings of the Cache County study to date, describes ongoing investigations, and reports preliminary analyses on the outcome of the oldest-old in this population, the subgroup of participants who were over age 84 at the study's inception.

  6. Patterns of Mortality in Patients Treated with Dental Implants: A Comparison of Patient Age Groups and Corresponding Reference Populations.

    PubMed

    Jemt, Torsten; Kowar, Jan; Nilsson, Mats; Stenport, Victoria

    2015-01-01

    Little is known about the relationship between implant patient mortality compared to reference populations. The aim of this study was to report the mortality pattern in patients treated with dental implants up to a 15-year period, and to compare this to mortality in reference populations with regard to age at surgery, sex, and degree of tooth loss. Patient cumulative survival rate (CSR) was calculated for a total of 4,231 treated implant patients from a single clinic. Information was based on surgical registers in the clinic and the National Population Register in Sweden. Patients were arranged into age groups of 10 years, and CSR was compared to that of the reference population of comparable age and reported in relation to age at surgery, sex, and type of jaw/dentition. A similar, consistent, general relationship between CSR of different age groups of implant patients and reference populations could be observed for all parameters studied. Completely edentulous patients presented higher mortality than partially edentulous patients (P < .05). Furthermore, implant patients in younger age groups showed mortality similar to or higher than reference populations, while older patient age groups showed increasingly lower mortality than comparable reference populations for edentulous and partially edentulous patients (P < .05). A consistent pattern of mortality in different age groups of patients compared to reference populations was observed, indicating higher patient mortality in younger age groups and lower in older groups. The reported pattern is not assumed to be related to implant treatment per se, but is assumed to reflect the variation in general health of a selected subgroup of treated implant patients compared to the reference population in different age groups.

  7. An Item Response Theory Analysis of DSM–IV Personality Disorder Criteria Across Younger and Older Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Balsis, Steve; Gleason, Marci E. J.; Woods, Carol M.; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

    2015-01-01

    Many of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM–IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) personality disorder (PD) diagnostic criteria focus on a younger social and occupational context. The absence of age-appropriate criteria for older adults forces researchers and clinicians to draw conclusions based on existing criteria, which are likely inadequate. To explore which DSM–IV PD criteria contain age group measurement bias, the authors report 2 analyses of data on nearly 37,000 participants, ages 18–98 years, taken from a public data set that includes 7 of the 10 PDs (antisocial, avoidant, dependent, histrionic, obsessive–compulsive, paranoid, and schizoid). The 1st analysis revealed that older age groups tend to endorse fewer PD criteria than younger age groups. The 2nd analysis revealed that 29% of the criteria contain measurement bias. Although the latent variable structure for each PD was quite similar across younger and older age groups, some individual criteria were differentially endorsed by younger and older adults with equivalent PD pathology. The presence of measurement bias for these criteria raises questions concerning the assessment of PDs in older adults and the interpretation of existing data. PMID:17385993

  8. Effect of smile index and incisal edge position on perception of attractiveness in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Chou, J-C; Nelson, A; Katwal, D; Elathamna, E N; Durski, M T

    2016-11-01

    Changes in occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) and age have been found to affect Smile Index (SI, width/height of smile). Limited information is available regarding the aesthetic effects of these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attractiveness of digitally manipulated smile images with differences in SI and incisal edge position (IEP) judged by respondents in different age groups. A total of 12 smile images were generated with varying SI (3·5, 5·3, 7·2, 9·0) and IEP (High, Medium, Low). Fifty respondents each in four age groups (15-24, 25-39, 40-54, 55+) evaluated the attractiveness of the 12 images using a 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS, 10 being most attractive). A repeated-measures three-factorial mixed model assessed differences. SI, IEP and age of respondents were found to significantly influence attractiveness score (P < 0·01 for all). With all age groups combined, SI = 7·2/IEP = Medium was most attractive (VAS = 7·22), followed by SI = 9·0/IEP = Medium, and SI = 5·3/IEP = Medium (VAS = 6·53 and 6·48, respectively). SI = 3·5/IEP = High and SI = 3·5/IEP = Low were least attractive (VAS = 1·99 and VAS = 2·58, respectively). Age group significantly influenced aesthetic perception, with younger respondents more critical in differences in SI and IEP. SI and IEP significantly influenced attractiveness of the smile in all respondent age groups. Low SI (i.e. 3·5) combined with high or low IEP was unattractive. Medium SI to high SI (i.e. 5·3-9·0) combined with medium IEP were considered attractive. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Age group estimation in free-ranging African elephants based on acoustic cues of low-frequency rumbles

    PubMed Central

    Stoeger, Angela S.; Zeppelzauer, Matthias; Baotic, Anton

    2015-01-01

    Animal vocal signals are increasingly used to monitor wildlife populations and to obtain estimates of species occurrence and abundance. In the future, acoustic monitoring should function not only to detect animals, but also to extract detailed information about populations by discriminating sexes, age groups, social or kin groups, and potentially individuals. Here we show that it is possible to estimate age groups of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) based on acoustic parameters extracted from rumbles recorded under field conditions in a National Park in South Africa. Statistical models reached up to 70 % correct classification to four age groups (infants, calves, juveniles, adults) and 95 % correct classification when categorising into two groups (infants/calves lumped into one group versus adults). The models revealed that parameters representing absolute frequency values have the most discriminative power. Comparable classification results were obtained by fully automated classification of rumbles by high-dimensional features that represent the entire spectral envelope, such as MFCC (75 % correct classification) and GFCC (74 % correct classification). The reported results and methods provide the scientific foundation for a future system that could potentially automatically estimate the demography of an acoustically monitored elephant group or population. PMID:25821348

  10. Complications after pectus excavatum repair using pectus bars in adolescents and adults: risk comparisons between age and technique groups.

    PubMed

    Choi, Soohwan; Park, Hyung Joo

    2017-10-01

    To compare the complications associated with age and technique groups in patients undergoing pectus excavatum (PE) repair. The data of 994 patients who underwent PE repair from March 2011 to December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Mean age was 9.59 years (range 31 months-55 years), and 756 patients were men (76.1%). The age groups were defined as follows: Group 1, <5 years; Group 2, 5-9 years; Group 3, 10-14 years; Group 4, 15-17 years; Group 5, 18-19 years; Group 6, 20-24 years; and Group 7, >24 years. The technique groups were defined as follows: Group 1, patients who underwent repair with claw fixators and hinge plates; Group 2, patients who underwent repair with our 'bridge' technique. Complications were compared between age groups and technique groups. No cases of mortality occurred. Complication rates in the age groups 1-7 were 5.4%, 3.6%, 12.1%, 18.2%, 17.3%, 13.9% and 16.7%, respectively. The complication rate tripled after the age of 10. In multivariable analysis, odds ratio of Groups 4, 5 and 7 and asymmetric types were 3.04, 2.81, 2.97 and 1.70 (P < 0.01, P = 0.02, 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). The bar dislocation rate in technique Group 1 was 0.8% (6 of 780). No bar dislocations occurred in technique Group 2. Older patients have more asymmetric pectus deformity and they are also risk factors for complications following PE repair. The bridge technique provides a bar dislocation rate of 0%, even in adult patients. This procedure seems to reduce or prevent major complications following PE repair. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  11. The Quality of Self, Social, and Directive Memories: Are There Adult Age Group Differences?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alea, Nicole; Arneaud, Mary Jane; Ali, Sideeka

    2013-01-01

    The quality of functional autobiographical memories was examined in young, middle-aged, and older adult Trinidadians ("N" = 245). Participants wrote about an event that served a self, social, and directive function, and reported on the memory's quality (e.g., significance, vividness, valence, etc.). Across age groups, directive memories…

  12. Behavioral autonomy age expectations among Mexican-origin mother-daughter dyads: an examination of within-group variability.

    PubMed

    Bámaca-Colbert, Mayra Y; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J; Espinosa-Hernández, Graciela; Brown, Ashley M

    2012-06-01

    This study examined differences in behavioral autonomy age expectations between Mexican-origin mothers and their adolescent daughters (N = 319 dyads); variability in behavioral autonomy age expectations as a function of nativity and maternal educational attainment also was examined. Findings indicated significant differences between mothers and daughters, such that mothers reported later expectations for the timing of behavioral autonomy than did daughters. Follow-up analyses indicated that findings appeared to be driven by maternal nativity, with dyads comprised of Mexico-born mothers reporting the latest age expectations for behavioral autonomy when compared with dyads comprised of U.S. born mothers. Findings underscore the need to examine normative development among Latino adolescents and their families with a specific focus on how sociocultural characteristics can contribute to within-family differences. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The Comparison of Different Age Groups on the Attitudes toward and the Use of ICT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kubiatko, Milan

    2013-01-01

    Different factors may be influencing the use of information and communication technology (ICT). One of the important factors is age. The society is divided into different groups according to age. A well-known age-based categorization, commonly used especially in the field of economics,, is based on whether people belong to the Millennial…

  14. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in young people, from childhood to young adulthood: relationships between age and clinical and electrophysiological findings

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Hae Jung; Ju, Hwang Young; Hyun, Myung Chul; Lee, Sang Bum

    2011-01-01

    Purpose The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of electrophysiologic studies (EPS) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) performed in subjects aged less than 30 years with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, particularly pediatric patients under 18 years of age, based on our experience. Methods Two hundred and one consecutive patients with WPW syndrome were recruited and divided to 3 groups according to age: group 1, 6 to 17 years; group 2, 18 to 29 years; and group 3, 30 to 60 years. The clinical, electrophysiological, and therapeutic data for these patients were evaluated by a retrospective medical record review. Results A total of 73 (36%) of these patients were <30 years of age. Although there were more males than females in group 2 (male:female, 31:11), there was no sex difference in group 1 (male:female, 16:15). Left accessory pathway was detected less frequently in group 1 (32%, 10/31) than in group 2 (57%, 24/42) and group 3 (63%, 81/128) (P=0.023 and P=0.002, respectively). Conclusion The present study describes several different electrophysiological characteristics in children and adolescents with WPW syndrome. Therefore, when EPS and RFA are performed in children and adolescence with WPW syndrome, we recommend that these characteristics be considered. PMID:22323907

  15. Aging and Visual Counting

    PubMed Central

    Li, Roger W.; MacKeben, Manfred; Chat, Sandy W.; Kumar, Maya; Ngo, Charlie; Levi, Dennis M.

    2010-01-01

    Background Much previous work on how normal aging affects visual enumeration has been focused on the response time required to enumerate, with unlimited stimulus duration. There is a fundamental question, not yet addressed, of how many visual items the aging visual system can enumerate in a “single glance”, without the confounding influence of eye movements. Methodology/Principal Findings We recruited 104 observers with normal vision across the age span (age 21–85). They were briefly (200 ms) presented with a number of well- separated black dots against a gray background on a monitor screen, and were asked to judge the number of dots. By limiting the stimulus presentation time, we can determine the maximum number of visual items an observer can correctly enumerate at a criterion level of performance (counting threshold, defined as the number of visual items at which ≈63% correct rate on a psychometric curve), without confounding by eye movements. Our findings reveal a 30% decrease in the mean counting threshold of the oldest group (age 61–85: ∼5 dots) when compared with the youngest groups (age 21–40: 7 dots). Surprisingly, despite decreased counting threshold, on average counting accuracy function (defined as the mean number of dots reported for each number tested) is largely unaffected by age, reflecting that the threshold loss can be primarily attributed to increased random errors. We further expanded this interesting finding to show that both young and old adults tend to over-count small numbers, but older observers over-count more. Conclusion/Significance Here we show that age reduces the ability to correctly enumerate in a glance, but the accuracy (veridicality), on average, remains unchanged with advancing age. Control experiments indicate that the degraded performance cannot be explained by optical, retinal or other perceptual factors, but is cortical in origin. PMID:20976149

  16. Bringing the Montessori Three-Year Multi-Age Group to the Adolescent.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahn, David

    2003-01-01

    Describes the benefits of including the ninth grade within the 3-year multi-age group setting within a Montessori farm school. Notes how seventh, eighth, and ninth grades work together in one family cluster, allowing 15-year-olds to avoid the pecking order of the high school freshman year while developing personal leadership, confidence, and a…

  17. Effects of metabolic syndrome on arterial function in different age groups: the Advanced Approach to Arterial Stiffness study.

    PubMed

    Topouchian, Jirar; Labat, Carlos; Gautier, Sylvie; Bäck, Magnus; Achimastos, Apostolos; Blacher, Jacques; Cwynar, Marcin; de la Sierra, Alejandro; Pall, Denes; Fantin, Francesco; Farkas, Katalin; Garcia-Ortiz, Luis; Hakobyan, Zoya; Jankowski, Piotr; Jelakovic, Ana; Kobalava, Zhanna; Konradi, Alexandra; Kotovskaya, Yulia; Kotsani, Marina; Lazareva, Irina; Litvin, Alexander; Milyagin, Viktor; Mintale, Iveta; Persson, Oscar; Ramos, Rafael; Rogoza, Anatoly; Ryliskyte, Ligita; Scuteri, Angelo; Sirenko, Yuriy; Soulis, Georges; Tasic, Nebojsa; Udovychenko, Maryna; Urazalina, Saule; Wohlfahrt, Peter; Zelveian, Parounak; Benetos, Athanase; Asmar, Roland

    2018-04-01

    The aim of the Advanced Approach to Arterial Stiffness study was to compare arterial stiffness measured simultaneously with two different methods in different age groups of middle-aged and older adults with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS). The specific effects of the different MetS components on arterial stiffness were also studied. This prospective, multicentre, international study included 2224 patients aged 40 years and older, 1664 with and 560 without MetS. Patients were enrolled in 32 centres from 18 European countries affiliated to the International Society of Vascular Health & Aging. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV) in four prespecified age groups: 40-49, 50-59, 60-74, 75-90 years. In this report, we present the baseline data of this study. Both CF-PWV and CAVI increased with age, with a higher correlation coefficient for CAVI (comparison of coefficients P < 0.001). Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted values of CF-PWV and CAVI were weakly intercorrelated (r = 0.06, P < 0.001). Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted values for CF-PWV but not CAVI were higher in presence of MetS (CF-PWV: 9.57 ± 0.06 vs. 8.65 ± 0.10, P < 0.001; CAVI: 8.34 ± 0.03 vs. 8.29 ± 0.04, P = 0.40; mean ± SEM; MetS vs. no MetS). The absence of an overall effect of MetS on CAVI was related to the heterogeneous effects of the components of MetS on this parameter: CAVI was positively associated with the high glycaemia and high blood pressure components, whereas lacked significant associations with the HDL and triglycerides components while exhibiting a negative association with the overweight component. In contrast, all five MetS components showed positive associations with CF-PWV. This large European multicentre study reveals a differential impact of MetS and age on CAVI and CF-PWV and suggests that age may have a more pronounced effect on CAVI, whereas Met

  18. The Pressure Group Cooker.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graves, Bill

    1992-01-01

    Administrators across the nation have encountered vigorous challenges against textbooks, practices, and procedures that critics find laden with occult and New Age values. Attacks are becoming more aggressive, better organized, and well financed. This article and accompanying sidebars discuss pressure group tactics and ways to counter them. The…

  19. Memory shaped by age stereotypes over time.

    PubMed

    Levy, Becca R; Zonderman, Alan B; Slade, Martin D; Ferrucci, Luigi

    2012-07-01

    Previous studies showed that negative self-stereotypes detrimentally affect the cognitive performance of marginalized group members; however, these findings were confined to short-term experiments. In the present study, we considered whether stereotypes predicted memory over time, which had not been previously examined. We also considered whether self-relevance increased the influence of stereotypes on memory over time. Multiple waves of memory performance were analyzed using individual growth models. The sample consisted of 395 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Those with more negative age stereotypes demonstrated significantly worse memory performance over 38 years than those with less negative age stereotypes, after adjusting for relevant covariates. The decline in memory performance for those aged 60 and above was 30.2% greater for the more negative age stereotype group than for the less negative age stereotype group. Also, the impact of age stereotypes on memory was significantly greater among those for whom the age stereotypes were self-relevant. This study shows that the adverse influence of negative self-stereotypes on cognitive performance is not limited to a short-term laboratory effect. Rather, the findings demonstrate, for the first time, that stereotypes also predict memory performance over an extended period in the community.

  20. Memory Shaped by Age Stereotypes over Time

    PubMed Central

    Zonderman, Alan B.; Slade, Martin D.; Ferrucci, Luigi

    2012-01-01

    Objectives. Previous studies showed that negative self-stereotypes detrimentally affect the cognitive performance of marginalized group members; however, these findings were confined to short-term experiments. In the present study, we considered whether stereotypes predicted memory over time, which had not been previously examined. We also considered whether self-relevance increased the influence of stereotypes on memory over time. Method. Multiple waves of memory performance were analyzed using individual growth models. The sample consisted of 395 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Results. Those with more negative age stereotypes demonstrated significantly worse memory performance over 38 years than those with less negative age stereotypes, after adjusting for relevant covariates. The decline in memory performance for those aged 60 and above was 30.2% greater for the more negative age stereotype group than for the less negative age stereotype group. Also, the impact of age stereotypes on memory was significantly greater among those for whom the age stereotypes were self-relevant. Discussion. This study shows that the adverse influence of negative self-stereotypes on cognitive performance is not limited to a short-term laboratory effect. Rather, the findings demonstrate, for the first time, that stereotypes also predict memory performance over an extended period in the community. PMID:22056832

  1. Effects of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on mitochondrial energy metabolism in rats of different age-groups.

    PubMed

    Feichtinger, René G; Pétervári, Erika; Zopf, Michaela; Vidali, Silvia; Aminzadeh-Gohari, Sepideh; Mayr, Johannes A; Kofler, Barbara; Balaskó, Márta

    2017-08-01

    Hypothalamic alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a key catabolic mediator of energy homeostasis. Its anorexigenic and hypermetabolic effects show characteristic age-related alterations that may be part of the mechanism of middle-aged obesity and geriatric anorexia/cachexia seen in humans and other mammals. We aimed to investigate the role of α-MSH in mitochondrial energy metabolism during the course of aging in a rodent model. To determine the role of α-MSH in mitochondrial energy metabolism in muscle, we administered intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusions of α-MSH for 7-days to different age-groups of male Wistar rats. The activities of oxidative phosphorylation complexes I to V and citrate synthase were determined and compared to those of age-matched controls. We also quantified mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and measured the expression of the master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The peptide reduced weight gain in juvenile rats to one fifth of that of controls and increased the weight loss in older animals by about five fold. Mitochondrial DNA copy number inversely correlated with changes in body weight in controls, but not in α-MSH-treated animals. The strong increase in body weight in young rats was associated with a low mtDNA copy number and high PPARγ mRNA levels in controls. Expression of PGC-1α and PPARγ declined with age, whereas OXPHOS and citrate synthase enzyme activities were unchanged. In contrast, α-MSH treatment suppressed OXPHOS enzyme and citrate synthase activity. In conclusion, our results showed age-related differences in the metabolic effects of α-MSH. In addition, administration of α-MSH suppressed citrate synthase and OXPHOS activities independent of age. These findings suggest that α-MSH exposure may inhibit mitochondrial biogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

  2. Effect of Age Group on Technical-Tactical Performance Profile of the Serve in Men's Volleyball.

    PubMed

    García-de-Alcaraz, Antonio; Ortega, Enrique; Palao, José M

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the technical-tactical performance profile of the serve for various age groups and categories of competition in men's volleyball. The sample comprised 13,262 serves performed by 986 players in 299 sets observed in various categories of competition (U-14, U-16, U-19, national senior, and international senior). An observational design was used. The variables studied were category of competition, type of execution, and serve performance. The results showed that for higher age groups (senior categories), there were significantly fewer jump serves and poorer serve performance, regardless of players' maturity and training development. The use of the jump serves increased the serve risk while attempting to hinder the organization of the opponent attack. This paper discusses the serve evolution and the implications on the training process at the different age groups in men's volleyball. © The Author(s) 2016.

  3. Lower Paleozoic Through Archean Detrital Zircon Ages From Metasedimentary Rocks of the Nome Group, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amato, J. M.; Miller, E. L.; Gehrels, G.

    2003-12-01

    Metamorphic rocks of Seward Peninsula have been divided into two groups based on their metamorphic grade and history: The Nome Group and the Kigluaik Group. Although it is sometime been assumed that the higher structural position of the Nome Group versus the Kigluaik Group indicates the Kigluaik Group is older, this relationship and the age of the protoliths of these rocks has never been well-established. The Nome Group includes (delete the) lower grade blueschist and greenschist facies rocks which are widespread across the Seward Peninsula (delete) Rock types include pelitic schist, more mafic chlorite-white mica-albite schist, marble, quartzite, and metabasite. An early metamorphic event (pre-120 Ma) occurred at high pressure and relatively low temperature, and is everywhere overprinted by younger deformation and greenschist facies Rare eclogite facies assemblages are preserved in metabasites, and garnet-glaucophane in some of the pelitic schists. The Kigluaik Group includes upper greenschist to granulite facies rocks that are exposed in the core of a gneiss dome. They record a younger event (~91 Ma) that occurred at higher temperatures and resulted in partial thermal overprinting of the Nome Group and upper greenschist to granulite facies assemblages forming in the Kigluaik Group. The Kigluaik Group and equivalent rocks in the Bendeleben and Darby Mountains represent at least in part similar protoliths to many of the units in the Nome Group (Till and Dumoulin, 1994). The boundary between the rocks of the Nome Group and those clearly affected by the second metamorphic event is placed arbitrarily at the "Biotite-in" isograd along the flanks of the gneiss dome. In order to assess the protolith ages and source rock ages for these units, detrital zircon ages were obtained from three samples from the Nome Group, with Kigluaik Group ages forthcoming. LA-MC-ICPMS U/Pb isotope analysis was used for dating. Two samples were collected from the western Kigluaik Mountains

  4. Old age psychiatrists: what do they find stressful?

    PubMed

    Benbow, S M; Jolley, D

    1997-09-01

    To examine the main sources of stress for practising old age psychiatrists. Postal survey. Old age psychiatry services in England and Wales. Old age psychiatrists on the list held by the Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists. Number and nature of stresses identified by respondents. One hundred and thirty-eight old age psychiatrists identified a mean of 5.1 stresses per respondent, which fell into seven broad categories: changes within the health service, community care changes, personal, management-related, resource-related, related to time pressures, overwork and others. Unavoidable stresses were rarely listed. Most were related to work overload and organizational structure and climate. More research is needed on stress in other areas of psychiatry, ways to minimize/prevent stress and how to optimize the balance between work and home life.

  5. Infusing and Sustaining Aging Content in Social Work Education: Findings from GeroRich Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hash, Kristina M.; Gottlieb, Jody; Harper-Dorton, Karen V.; Crawley-Woods, Geraldine; Shelek-Furbee, Katherine; Smith, John David; Brown, Rita

    2007-01-01

    This article presents findings from experiences of 67 projects involved in GeroRich, an initiative funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation designed to infuse, enrich and sustain aging content in BSW and MSW curricula. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to uncover themes in answers to open-ended questions contained in End-of-Year 2 project…

  6. Pattern of injury mortality by age-group in children aged 0-14 years in Scotland, 2002-2006, and its implications for prevention.

    PubMed

    Pearson, Janne; Stone, David H

    2009-04-07

    Knowledge of the epidemiology of injuries in children is essential for the planning, implementation and evaluation of preventive measures but recent epidemiological information on injuries in children both in general and by age-group in Scotland is scarce. This study examines the recent pattern of childhood mortality from injury by age-group in Scotland and considers its implications for prevention. Routine mortality data for the period 2002-2006 were obtained from the General Register Office for Scotland and were analysed in terms of number of deaths, mean annual mortality rates per 100,000 population, leading causes of death, and causes of injury death. Mid-year population estimates were used as the denominator. Chi-square tests were used to determine statistical significance. 186 children aged 0-14 died from an injury in Scotland during 2002-06 (MR 4.3 per 100,000). Injuries were the leading cause of death in 1-14, 5-9 and 10-14 year-olds (causing 25%, 29% and 32% of all deaths respectively). The leading individual causes of injury death (0-14 years) were pedestrian and non-pedestrian road-traffic injuries and assault/homicide but there was variation by age-group. Assault/homicide, fire and suffocation caused most injury deaths in young children; road-traffic injuries in older ones. Collectively, intentional injuries were a bigger threat to the lives of under-15s than any single cause of unintentional injury. The mortality rate from assault/homicide was highest in infants (<1 year) and decreased with increasing age. Children aged 5-9 were significantly less likely to die from an injury than 0-4 or 10-14 year-olds (p < 0.05). Suicide was an important cause of injury mortality in 10-14 year-olds. Injuries continue to be a leading cause of death in childhood in Scotland. Variation in causes of injury death by age-group is important when targeting preventive efforts. In particular, the threats of assault/homicide in infants, fire in 1-4 year-olds, pedestrian injury

  7. 'I love nursing, but..'- qualitative findings from Australian aged-care nurses about their intrinsic, extrinsic and social work values.

    PubMed

    Tuckett, Anthony; Parker, Deborah; Eley, Robert M; Hegney, Desley

    2009-12-01

    Aim.  The aim of this qualitative analysis - a component of a larger survey study, was to provide insights and understandings about intrinsic and extrinsic work values for nurses in aged-care. Background.  Intrinsic and extrinsic work values impact on nurses' job satisfaction and ultimately nursing retention. This study contributes further to knowledge development in this area by building on a previous work values study in aged-care nursing. Methods.  This paper presents the qualitative research findings from the final open-ended question from a survey of nurses employed in the aged-care sector in the State of Queensland, Australia in 2007. Data from a cohort of 105 aged care sector nurses was analysed relying on deductive content analysis. Findings.  Two intrinsic work values emerged - low morale and images of nursing and two extrinsic work values emerged - remuneration and working conditions. The work value 'working conditions' comprised four aspects of aged-care work, specifically staff turnover, workplace violence, care team membership specifically the Assistants-in-Nursing and paperwork. A single social workplace value 'support by management' is discussed as identified as important to these nurses. Conclusion.  Qualitative insights into aged-care nurses' intrinsic and extrinsic work values suggest that work satisfaction is low. Workforce policy makers and employers of nurses in aged-care need to comprehend the relationship between job satisfaction, retention and work values. Relevance to clinical practice.  These findings have implications for recruitment, retention and workforce planning within the aged-care environment. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Work characteristics and determinants of job satisfaction in four age groups: university employees' point of view.

    PubMed

    Bos, Judith T; Donders, Nathalie C G M; Bouwman-Brouwer, Karin M; Van der Gulden, Joost W J

    2009-11-01

    To investigate (a) differences in work characteristics and (b) determinants of job satisfaction among employees in different age groups. A cross-sectional questionnaire was filled in by 1,112 university employees, classified into four age groups. (a) Work characteristics were analysed with ANOVA while adjusting for sex and job classification. (b) Job satisfaction was regressed against job demands and job resources adapted from the Job Demands-Resources model. Statistically significant differences concerning work characteristics between age groups are present, but rather small. Regression analyses revealed that negative association of the job demands workload and conflicts at work with job satisfaction faded by adding job resources. Job resources were most correlated with more job satisfaction, especially more skill discretion and more relations with colleagues. Skill discretion and relations with colleagues are major determinants of job satisfaction. However, attention should also be given to conflicts at work, support from supervisor and opportunities for further education, because the mean scores of these work characteristics were disappointing in almost all age groups. The latter two characteristics were found to be associated significantly to job satisfaction in older workers.

  9. Extrinsic skin ageing in German, Chinese and Japanese women manifests differently in all three groups depending on ethnic background, age and anatomical site.

    PubMed

    Vierkötter, Andrea; Hüls, Anke; Yamamoto, Ai; Stolz, Sabine; Krämer, Ursula; Matsui, Mary S; Morita, Akimichi; Wang, Sijia; Li, Zhiwen; Jin, Li; Krutmann, Jean; Schikowski, Tamara

    2016-09-01

    It has been suggested that extrinsic skin ageing manifests differently in Caucasians versus East Asians. In particular, from previous studies it was concluded that Caucasians are more prone to develop wrinkles, whereas pigment spot formation is the hallmark of extrinsic skin ageing in East Asians. However, these assumptions are based on a very limited number of studies which did not include different East Asian populations. We here compare the manifestation of extrinsic skin ageing signs in German, Japanese and Chinese women by specifically elucidating the age and anatomical site dependence of any potential ethnic difference. In the present study, we assessed skin ageing in N=902 German, N=165 Japanese and N=1260 Chinese women ranging from 30 to 90 years by means of SCINEXA™. Linear regression analysis was used to test for ethnic differences and their age and site dependence adjusted for educational level, sun exposure, smoking and sun protection behaviours. Pigment spots and wrinkles on the face were present among all three ethnic groups and differences were influenced by age and anatomical sites independently of further influencing factors. Pigment spots on the forehead were most pronounced over the whole age range in Chinese and German women and least developed in Japanese. Pigment spots on cheeks were a typical extrinsic skin an ageing sign in the two East Asian populations in all age groups. However, in older German women they reach the same level as observed in the two East Asian populations. In contrast, pigment spots on arms and hands were significantly more pronounced in German women ≥45years of age. Wrinkles were not exclusively a skin an ageing sign of German women, but were also very pronounced in Chinese women on forehead, between the eyebrows and in the crow's feet area. These results corroborate the previous notion that the occurrence of pigments spots and wrinkles is different between Caucasians and East Asians. In addition, this study shows

  10. Preliminary findings of the LDEF Materials Special Investigation Group

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stein, Bland A.; Pippin, H. Gary

    1992-01-01

    The retrieval of NASA's LDEF from low Earth orbit provided an opportunity for the study of long duration space environmental effects on materials. The five year, nine month flight of the LDEF greatly enhanced the potential value of most LDEF materials. NASA recognized this potential by forming the LDEF Space Environmental Effects on Materials Special Investigation Group (MSIG). Its goal is to explore the expanded materials analysis opportunities available in the LDEF structure and on experiment trays. The charter and scope of MSIG activities is presented, followed by an overview of the preliminary MSIG observations. These observations of low Earth orbit environmental effects on materials were made in-space during LDEF retrieval and during LDEF tray disintegration. Also presented are initial findings of lab analyses of LDEF materials. Included are effects of individual environmental parameters: atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, meteoroid and debris impacts, thermal cycling, vacuum, and contamination, plus combined effects of these parameters. Materials considered include anodized aluminum, polymer matrix composites, polymer films, silvered Teflon thermal blankets, and a white thermal control paint.

  11. Driver distraction by smartphone use (WhatsApp) in different age groups.

    PubMed

    Ortiz, C; Ortiz-Peregrina, S; Castro, J J; Casares-López, M; Salas, C

    2018-08-01

    This paper investigates the effect that texting with WhatsApp, one of the most common applications for instant messaging, exerts on driving performance. Because distracted driving also affects older drivers, who can have seriously compromised vision, we also analysed the associations between visual-function parameters and driving performance. A total of 75 drivers, experienced in sending WhatsApp messages (≥10WhatsApp messages/week), participated in this study and were divided into four age categories. Visual-function tests included contrast sensitivity with and without glare, retinal straylight and objective assessment of optical quality. Simulated driving performance was assessed under a baseline driving condition (without distraction) as well as a texting condition (WhatsApp messages) while driving. The participants used their own mobile phone. Lastly, objective results of driving performance were compared with subjective self-report data from the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). The analysis indicated that functional changes occurring with age, such as a lower contrast sensitivity and greater retinal straylight, were correlated with a higher number of collisions, longer distances driven outside the lane, and greater standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). The results showed a significant main effect of age for the driving-performance parameters. Also, compared to the baseline, texting WhatsApp messages while driving worsens driving performance for all age groups, most notably among older participants. Thus, the older drivers' SDLP was ∼14% higher than that for the baseline average of all the other drivers and rose to 29% under distraction, reflecting the impact of secondary tasks. The negative effect of the use of the smartphone during driving was also reflected in the number of collisions, with a greater risk of accidents in all the groups of drivers (by 8.3% for young adults, 25.0% for adults, 80.5% for middle-aged adults, and 134.5% for older

  12. Age-Group and Gender Differences in Stroke Knowledge in an Israeli Jewish Adult Population.

    PubMed

    Melnikov, Semyon; Itzhaki, Michal; Koton, Silvia

    Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and the fifth leading cause of death in Israel. Knowledge of stroke warning signs has been linked to early seeking of medical help. Little is known about knowledge of stroke warning signs in Israeli Jewish adults. Stroke knowledge was examined among Jewish Israeli adults. Using a structured questionnaire, registered nurses interviewed a convenience sample of the respondents, 18 years or older, with no stroke history. Stroke knowledge and demographics were examined by 3 age groups (<45, 45-64, and >64 years) in men and women. In total, 1137 Jewish Israelis were interviewed, 457 (40.2%) men and 680 women (59.8%); 493 (43.4%) were younger than 45 years, 541 (47.6%) were aged 45 to 64 years, and 102 (9%) were older than 64 years; 1 (0.1%) did not report age. On average, each interview lasted for 25 to 30 minutes. Participants younger than 45 years showed the lowest knowledge of stroke cause. Women younger than 45 years were less likely to identify at least 2 stroke warning signs. Participants younger than 45 years were less likely to identify at least 2 risk factors, compared with participants aged 45 to 64 years and older than 64 years. Women younger than 45 years were less likely to identify at least 2 stroke prevention strategies. Participants younger than 45 years showed the lowest levels of stroke knowledge. The highest stroke knowledge was found in the 45 to 64 years age group. Stroke knowledge among different age groups was similar in both genders. Educational campaigns aimed at increasing knowledge of stroke among the general population and targeting the younger population are recommended.

  13. Proverb interpretation changes in aging.

    PubMed

    Uekermann, Jennifer; Thoma, Patrizia; Daum, Irene

    2008-06-01

    Recent investigations have emphasized the involvement of fronto-subcortical networks to proverb comprehension. Although the prefrontal cortex is thought to be affected by normal aging, relatively little work has been carried out to investigate potential effects of aging on proverb comprehension. In the present investigation participants in three age groups were assessed on a proverb comprehension task and a range of executive function tasks. The older group showed impairment in selecting correct interpretations from alternatives. They also showed executive function deficits, as reflected by reduced working memory and deficient set shifting and inhibition abilities. The findings of the present investigation showed proverb comprehension deficits in normal aging which appeared to be related to reduced executive skills.

  14. Trends in asthma mortality in the 0- to 4-year and 5- to 34-year age groups in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Graudenz, Gustavo Silveira; Carneiro, Dominique Piacenti; Vieira, Rodolfo de Paula

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: To provide an update on trends in asthma mortality in Brazil for two age groups: 0-4 years and 5-34 years. Methods: Data on mortality from asthma, as defined in the International Classification of Diseases, were obtained for the 1980-2014 period from the Mortality Database maintained by the Information Technology Department of the Brazilian Unified Health Care System. To analyze time trends in standardized asthma mortality rates, we conducted an ecological time-series study, using regression models for the 0- to 4-year and 5- to 34-year age groups. Results: There was a linear trend toward a decrease in asthma mortality in both age groups, whereas there was a third-order polynomial fit in the general population. Conclusions: Although asthma mortality showed a consistent, linear decrease in individuals ≤ 34 years of age, the rate of decline was greater in the 0- to 4-year age group. The 5- to 34-year group also showed a linear decline in mortality, and the rate of that decline increased after the year 2004, when treatment with inhaled corticosteroids became more widely available. The linear decrease in asthma mortality found in both age groups contrasts with the nonlinear trend observed in the general population of Brazil. The introduction of inhaled corticosteroid use through public policies to control asthma coincided with a significant decrease in asthma mortality rates in both subsets of individuals over 5 years of age. The causes of this decline in asthma-related mortality in younger age groups continue to constitute a matter of debate. PMID:28380185

  15. The Ages of A-Stars. I. Interferometric Observations and Age Estimates for Stars in the Ursa Major Moving Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Jeremy; White, R. J.; Boyajian, T.; Schaefer, G.; Baines, E.; Ireland, M.; Patience, J.; ten Brummelaar, T.; McAlister, H.; Ridgway, S. T.; Sturmann, J.; Sturmann, L.; Turner, N.; Farrington, C.; Goldfinger, P. J.

    2015-11-01

    We have observed and spatially resolved a set of seven A-type stars in the nearby Ursa Major moving group with the Classic, CLIMB, and PAVO beam combiners on the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy Array. At least four of these stars have large rotational velocities (v{sin}i ≳ 170 {km} {{{s}}}-1) and are expected to be oblate. These interferometric measurements, the stars’ observed photometric energy distributions, and v{sin}i values are used to computationally construct model oblate stars from which stellar properties (inclination, rotational velocity, and the radius and effective temperature as a function of latitude, etc.) are determined. The results are compared with MESA stellar evolution models to determine masses and ages. The value of this new technique is that it enables the estimation of the fundamental properties of rapidly rotating stars without the need to fully image the star. It can thus be applied to stars with sizes comparable to the interferometric resolution limit as opposed to those that are several times larger than the limit. Under the assumption of coevality, the spread in ages can be used as a test of both the prescription presented here and the MESA evolutionary code for rapidly rotating stars. With our validated technique, we combine these age estimates and determine the age of the moving group to be 414 ± 23 Myr, which is consistent with, but much more precise than previous estimates.

  16. Age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age.

    PubMed

    Luhmann, Maike; Hawkley, Louise C

    2016-06-01

    Contrary to common stereotypes, loneliness is not restricted to old age but can occur at any life stage. In this study, we used data from a large, nationally representative German study (N = 16,132) to describe and explain age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age. The age distribution of loneliness followed a complex nonlinear trajectory, with elevated loneliness levels among young adults and among the oldest old. The late-life increase in loneliness could be explained by lower income levels, higher prevalence of functional limitations, and higher proportion of singles in this age group. Consistent with an age-normative perspective, the association of income, relationship status, household size, and work status with loneliness differed between different age groups. In contrast, indicators of the quantity of social relationships (social engagement, number of friends, contact frequency) were universally associated with loneliness regardless of age. Overall, these findings show that sources of loneliness in older adults are well understood. Future research should focus on understanding the specific sources of loneliness in middle-aged adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Group therapy for selective mutism - a parents' and children's treatment group.

    PubMed

    Sharkey, Louise; Mc Nicholas, Fiona; Barry, Edwina; Begley, Maire; Ahern, Sinead

    2008-12-01

    To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of group therapy for children with selective mutism and their parents. Five children (mean age 6.1 years) with a diagnosis of selective mutism were administered group therapy over an 8-week period. Parents simultaneously attended a second group, aimed at providing education and advice on managing selective mutism in everyday situations, and in the school environment. At post-treatment, all children increased their level of confident speaking in school, clinic and community settings. Parents indicated a reduction in their own anxiety levels, from pre- to post-treatment on self-rating scales. Findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of group therapy for children with selective mutism and their parents.

  18. An analysis of malar fat volume in two age groups: implications for craniofacial surgery.

    PubMed

    Corey, Christina L; Popelka, Gerald R; Barrera, Jose E; Most, Sam P

    2012-12-01

    Objective To evaluate how malar fat pad (MFP) volumes vary with age, after controlling for gender and body mass index (BMI). Study Design A prospective case-control study evaluating volume of the MFP in women of two age groups. Methods Soft tissue dimensions were measured in eight subjects using magnetic resonance imaging. A multiplanar localizing sequence, followed in sagittal and coronal orientations using a turbo spin echo sequence, was performed to define the MFP. Volumetric calculations were then performed using a 3D image analysis application (Dextroscope, Volume Interactions, Republic of Singapore) to circumscribe areas, orient dimensions, and calculate volumes of the MFP. Results These data reveal no significant difference in the mean (standard deviation) right MFP (p = 0.50), left MFP (p = 0.41), or total MFP (p = 0.45) volumes when comparing the two age groups. In addition, these data indicate that there was no correlation between age and total MFP volume (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.27). Moreover, there was no correlation between age and the ratio of total volume/BMI (Pearson correlation coefficient -0.18). Conclusions Although the sample size of this study was small, these data indicate that ptosis of midfacial fat is more important than volume loss in midfacial aging. These data would suggest repositioning as the primary modality for craniofacial reconstruction.

  19. Healthy ageing at work— Efficacy of group interventions on the mental health of nurses aged 45 and older: Results of a randomised, controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    Müller, Andreas; Angerer, Peter; Schmook, Renate; Nikendei, Christoph; Herbst, Kirsten; Gantner, Melanie; Herzog, Wolfgang; Gündel, Harald

    2018-01-01

    Objective This multicentre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a small-group intervention promoting successful ageing at work in older nurses (aged ≥45). Method A sample of 115 nurses aged ≥45 from 4 trial sites in Germany were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG), that received a small-group intervention of seven weekly sessions of 120 min with a booster session after six weeks or to a wait-list control condition (WLC). Outcomes were measured via validated self-report questionnaires at baseline (T1) and at post-treatment (T2). Primary outcomes were mental health-related well-being and mental health-related quality of life (QOL). The secondary outcomes included mental health-related and work-related measures. Results The intention to treat (ITT) analysis showed significant positive effects of the intervention on mental health. A significant small effect (d = 0.3) in favour of the IG was found for psychological health-related quality of life. Positive small effects (d = 0.24 to d = 0.31) were also found for work related mental strain. Conclusions Our small-group intervention based on a theory of successful ageing for nurses aged ≥45 was found to be effective with regard to improvements of psychological health related quality of life and other mental health-related outcomes. Thus, our study shows that the ageing workforce can be reached through specifically designed preventive interventions. The components of our intervention could be easily adapted to the belongings of other professions. Our results suggest that these components should be evaluated in various settings outside the healthcare sector. PMID:29351310

  20. A Search for Impact Debris in the Pliocene Age Sirius Group, Transantarctic Mountains

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harvey, Ralph P.; Boyd, Hiram

    2003-01-01

    The Sirius Group is a mixed sequence of interbedded diamictite and mudstone of Pliocene age found at scattered locations along the length of the Transantarctic Mountains. Sirius Group rocks are usually considered tillites, but contain some very "un-tillite" elements. Within section and from site to site, Sirius Group rocks vary considerably in terms of texture and relative abundance of clast lithologies, recording a history that includes shifting influences of glacial, lacustrine, fluvial and wetland processes. The colorful heritage of the Sirius Group has generated a lot of interest due to its potential as a record of changes in the behavior of the East Antarctic icesheet during a climatologically interesting period.

  1. Congenital adhesion band causing small bowel obstruction: What's the difference in various age groups, pediatric and adult patients?

    PubMed

    Yang, Kwang-Ho; Lee, Tae-Beom; Lee, Si-Hak; Kim, Soo-Hong; Cho, Yong-Hoon; Kim, Hae-Young

    2016-12-07

    A congenital adhesion band is a rare condition, but may induce a small bowel obstruction (SBO) at any age. However, only a few sporadic case reports exit. We aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of congenital adhesion band manifesting a SBO stratified by age group between pediatric and adult patients. The medical records of all patients with a SBO between Jan 1, 2009 and Dec 31, 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases associated with previous surgical procedure and cases of secondary obstruction due to inflammatory processes or tumor and other systemic diseases were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups according to age below or above 18 years: pediatric and adult. The basic clinical characteristics were analyzed and compared between groups. Of 251 patients with a SBO, 15 (5.9%) met the inclusion criteria; 10 cases in pediatric group (mean age 17.9 ± 38.7 months) and 5 cases in adult group (mean age 60.0 ± 19.7 years). The pediatric group (66.6%) included 3 neonates, 5 infants, and 2 school children. They usually presented with bilious vomiting (50.0%) and abdominal distention (60.0%), and demonstrated a high rate of early operation (80.0%) and bowel resection (70.0%). In contrast, the adult group (33.3%) presented with abdominal pain (100%) in all cases and underwent a relatively simple procedure of band release using a laparoscopic approach (60%). However, group differences did not reach statistical significance. In addition, two groups did not differ in the time interval to the operation or in the range of the operation (p = 0.089 vs. p = 0.329). No significant correlation was found between the time interval to the operation and the necessity of bowel resection (p = 0.136). There was no mortality in either group. Congenital adhesion band is a very rare condition with diverse clinical presentations across ages. Unlike adult patients, pediatric patients showed a high proportion of early operation and bowel

  2. The Growth of Older Inmate Populations: How Population Aging Explains Rising Age at Admission.

    PubMed

    Luallen, Jeremy; Cutler, Christopher

    2017-09-01

    Older inmates are the fastest growing segment of the prison population; however, the reasons for this are not well understood. One explanation is that the general population is aging, driving prison age distributions to change. For this article, we study the role of population aging in prison growth by investigating how the baby boom phenomenon of post-World War II has contributed to the growth of older inmate populations. We identify the impact of population aging using simulation methods that explain prison growth as the combination of criminal justice processes. Overall, we find evidence that population aging has played a significant role in explaining the growth of older inmate populations, in particular among inmates aged between 50 and 64 years, contributing to as much as half of the observed increase in these groups since 2000. This finding stands in contrast to the notion that population aging has little explanatory power in describing the growth of prison populations and implies that older inmate groups are more sensitive to compositional changes in the general population. We argue that prediction-based modeling of prison growth should more seriously consider the impacts and consequences of demographic shifts among older prisoner populations. © 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.

  3. Work ability, age and intention to leave aged care work.

    PubMed

    Austen, Siobhan; Jefferson, Therese; Lewin, Gill; Ong, Rachel; Sharp, Rhonda

    2016-03-01

    To describe the work ability of mature age women workers in Australia's aged care sector, and to explore the relationship between ageing, work ability and intention to leave. Logistic regression techniques were applied to a sample of 2721 responses to a survey of mature age women workers in the aged care sector. Mature age women working in the Australian aged care sector have relatively high levels of work ability by international standards. Furthermore, their work ability remains high in their 50s and 60s, in contrast to some prevailing stereotypes. However, work ability is a key determinant of intention to leave in key occupational groups. Our findings challenge some prevailing stereotypes about the work ability of mature age workers. However, they lend support for the development of retention strategies, which incorporate programs that target low work ability. © 2015 AJA Inc.

  4. Off-premise alcohol purchasing in Australia: Variations by age group, income level and annual amount purchased.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Heng; Callinan, Sarah; Livingston, Michael; Room, Robin

    2017-03-01

    To delineate what type and how much alcohol is purchased from different types of off-licence premises and how this varies across demographic sub-groups, as a basis for public debate and decisions on pricing and planning policies to reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia. The data on alcohol purchasing from off-licence premises are taken from the Australian Alcohol Consumption and Purchasing survey-a nationally representative landline and mobile telephone survey in 2013 on the experiences with alcohol consumption and purchasing of 2020 Australians aged 16+. The present analysis uses data from 1730 respondents who purchased alcohol from off-licence premises in the previous 6 months. The majority (54%) of alcohol purchased from off-licence premises was sold from liquor barns (large warehouse-style alcohol stores), with bottle shops (31%) the second most common outlet. Cask wine was the cheapest alcohol available at off-licence premises in Australia. Respondents in higher alcohol purchasing quintiles and with those with lower income purchased a higher percentage of cheaper alcohol in their total volume of purchasing than lower purchasing quintiles and those with middle and higher income, and younger respondents purchased more expensive alcohol than older age groups. A minimum unit price or increasing alcohol taxes may effectively reduce alcohol purchasing for lower income heavy alcohol purchasers and older age groups from off-licence premise sources, and may be less effective on younger age groups. [Jiang H, Callinan S, Livingston M, Room R. Off-premise alcohol purchasing in Australia: Variations by age group, income level and annual amount purchased. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:210-219]. © 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  5. Outcomes of 847 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients in three age groups.

    PubMed

    Lopes, S R M; Gormezano, N W S; Gomes, R C; Aikawa, N E; Pereira, R M R; Terreri, M T; Magalhães, C S; Ferreira, J C; Okuda, E M; Sakamoto, A P; Sallum, A M E; Appenzeller, S; Ferriani, V P L; Barbosa, C M; Lotufo, S; Jesus, A A; Andrade, L E C; Campos, L M A; Bonfá, E; Silva, C A

    2017-08-01

    Objective The objective of this study was to assess outcomes of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) in three different age groups evaluated at last visit: group A early-onset disease (<6 years), group B school age (≥6 and <12 years) and group C adolescent (≥12 and <18 years). Methods An observational cohort study was performed in ten pediatric rheumatology centers, including 847 cSLE patients. Results Group A had 39 (4%), B 395 (47%) and C 413 (49%). Median disease duration was significantly higher in group A compared to groups B and C (8.3 (0.1-23.4) vs 6.2 (0-17) vs 3.3 (0-14.6) years, p < 0.0001). The median Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SLICC/ACR-DI) (0 (0-9) vs 0 (0-6) vs 0 (0-7), p = 0.065) was comparable in the three groups. Further analysis of organ/system damage revealed that frequencies of neuropsychiatric (21% vs 10% vs 7%, p = 0.007), skin (10% vs 1% vs 3%, p = 0.002) and peripheral vascular involvements (5% vs 3% vs 0.3%, p = 0.008) were more often observed in group A compared to groups B and C. Frequencies of severe cumulative lupus manifestations such as nephritis, thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia were similar in all groups ( p > 0.05). Mortality rate was significantly higher in group A compared to groups B and C (15% vs 10% vs 6%, p = 0.028). Out of 69 deaths, 33/69 (48%) occurred within the first two years after diagnosis. Infections accounted for 54/69 (78%) of the deaths and 38/54 (70%) had concomitant disease activity. Conclusions This large multicenter study provided evidence that early-onset cSLE group had distinct outcomes. This group was characterized by higher mortality rate and neuropsychiatric/vascular/skin organ damage in spite of comparable frequencies of severe cumulative lupus manifestations. We also identified that overall death in cSLE patients was an early event mainly attributed to infection associated

  6. Aging in Precarious Circumstances: Do Positive Views on Aging Make a Difference?

    PubMed

    Craciun, Catrinel; Gellert, Paul; Flick, Uwe

    2017-06-01

    Precariousness, defined as low income combined with lack of security for retirement, can influence the way people grow old and result in health inequalities in old age. A sequential mixed methods approach was used to identify differences in behavioral (physical activity), social (social network), and psychological resources (positive views on aging) that middle-aged individuals from both precarious and financially secure backgrounds use in preparation for positive aging and keep high levels of health and well-being. It was investigated whether positive views on aging can compensate the detrimental association of a lack of resources with health and well-being in midlife. Data from the German Aging Survey (N = 1,992 in the secure group, N = 240 in the precarious group) were analyzed to understand the relationship between resources on the one hand and health and well-being on the other, as well as to compare the strategies of individuals with precarious and financially secure backgrounds. Semistructured interviews with middle-aged individuals (N = 20) from these two categories were analyzed in order to further explain the quantitative findings. Precarious individuals are indeed disadvantaged in terms of behavioral, social, and psychological resources as well as in health and well-being. However, having a positive view on aging can compensate for insufficient resources. Qualitative findings showed differences in strategies for resource management and perceptions of positive aging. Secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data reflects the importance of positive views on aging as a resource for a healthy old age despite aging in precarious circumstances. © 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.

  7. [Polychlorinated biphenyl serum levels in two Italian population groups: sex pattern and correlation with age].

    PubMed

    Turci, Roberta; Marinaccio, Alessandro; Balducci, Claudio; Catenacci, Giovanni; Finozzi, Enrico; Minoia, Claudio

    2006-01-01

    To examine the congener-specific concentrations and patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Italian general population. Two population groups were selected and monitored for the determination of up to 60 congeners in human serum. A very detailed questionnaire was administered to each participant to collect information concerning demographic, lifestyle, and medical factors. Statistical analyses were performed to examine the relationships between PCB serum levels and age. Northern and Central Italy. 162 subjects from Novafeltria, Central Italy and 164 subjects from Pavia, Northern Italy. Serum concentrations of both coplanar and non-coplanar PCB congeners. Relationship between PCB levels and age. The mean concentration of total PCBs was found to be 2.48 and 3.93 microg/l for Novafeltria and Pavia, respectively. As waited, the most abundant congeners were CB-153, CB-138, CB-180, and CB-170. Age resulted to be the most significant determinant of PCB levels. Slight differences in the congener profile were observed in the two population groups. As expected, a strong correlation between age and PCB levels has been observed. It is remarkable that the correlation increased with increasing chlorination in both the population groups. Associations with other variables, such as gender, food and alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking, appeared to be inconsistent.

  8. Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Performance in Subelite Gaelic Football Players From Under Thirteen to Senior Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Roe, Mark; Malone, Shane

    2016-11-01

    Roe, M and Malone, S. Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance in subelite Gaelic football players from under thirteen to senior age groups. J Strength Cond Res 30 (11): 3187-3193, 2016-Gaelic football is indigenous to Ireland and has similar locomotion profiles to soccer and Australian Football. Given the increasing attention on long-term player development, investigations on age-related variation in Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-YoIR1) performance may provide useful information in talent identification, program design, and player monitoring. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate Yo-YoIR1 performance across Gaelic football age groups. Male participants (n = 355) were recruited from division one, Gaelic football teams. Participants were allocated to one of the 7 groups according to respective age groups from under 13 (U13), under 14, under 15 (U15), under 16 (U16), minor, under 21 (U21), to senior age groups. Total Yo-YoIR1 distance (m) increased progressively from U13 (885 ± 347 m) to U16 (1,595 ± 380 m) equating to a rate of change of 180.2%. In comparison to U13, total distance at minor (1,206 ± 327 m) increased by 136.4%. Subsequent increases were observed in U21 (1,585 ± 445 m) and senior players (2,365 ± 489). Minimum (800-880 m) and maximum (2,240-2,280 m) total distances were comparable for U15, U16, and U21 players. Differences in total distance (m) for all age groups were statistically significant when compared to U13 players (p < 0.002). In comparison to U13 players, the magnitude of differences between age groups for total distance was deemed to be large (effect size > 0.8). Similar trends were observed for maximum velocity and estimated V[Combining Dot Above]O2max. The evolution of Yo-YoIR1 performance in Gaelic football players from adolescents to adulthood highlights how maturation may influence sport-related running ability. Changes in Yo-YoIR1 performance should be closely monitored to optimize interventions for

  9. Moving groups: a finding algorithm.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Torra, J.; Figueras, F.; Asiain, R.

    A large sample of 1924 main sequence stars of spectral types B, A, and F with uvby Hβ photometry, position, proper motion and radial velocity has been collected basically from the Hipparcos Input Catalogue. The Strömgren photometric data come from the Hauck and Mermilliod (1990) compilation and new observations performed by the authors (more than 700 stars: Figueras et al., 1991, Jordi et al., 1995). The U,V,W components of the space velocities, where U is directed towards the galactic center, V towards the galactic rotation direction and W towards the north galactic pole, have been corrected for differential galactic rotation. The authors have rejected the stars with residual velocities with respect to Delhaye's centroid (9,12,7) km/s greater than 65 km/s and the stars with a distance greater than 300 pc. Only stars with relative standard error in age less than 100% and younger than 2×109yr have been retained. The authors have also eliminated the peculiar stars, the spectroscopic binaries and all stars known as members of galactic open clusters and associations.

  10. Problems of Children of School Age (5-9 Years): Report on a Working Group.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Health Organization, Copenhagen (Denmark). Regional Office for Europe.

    This report presents the proceedings of a working group convened in Copenhagen in November 1975 by the World Health Organization to discuss the problems of children 5 to 9 years. The report focuses on a survey of the general problems of European children of this particular age, individual risk factors, and individual groups at risk, and suggests…

  11. Does whom you work with matter? Effects of referent group gender and age composition on managers' compensation.

    PubMed

    Ostroff, Cheri; Atwater, Leanne E

    2003-08-01

    Much research has examined gender and age effects on compensation, concluding that a wage gap exists favoring men and negative stereotypes against older workers persist. Although the effect of an employee's gender or age has been widely studied, little work has examined the impact of the demographic characteristics of a focal employee's immediate referent groups (e.g., subordinates, peers, or supervisors) on pay. The effect of the gender and age composition of a focal manager's subordinates, peers, and supervisor on the manager's compensation levels was investigated in a sample of 2,178 managers across a wide range of organizations and functional areas. After controlling for a number of human capital variables, results indicated that not only does a wage gap favoring men exist, but also managerial pay is lower when managers' referent groups are largely female, when subordinates are outside the prime age group, and when peers and supervisors are younger.

  12. Emerging ICT implementation issues in aged care.

    PubMed

    Kapadia, Vasvi; Ariani, Arni; Li, Junhua; Ray, Pradeep K

    2015-11-01

    Demand for aged care services continues to soar as a result of an aging population. This increasing demand requires more residential aged care facilities and healthcare workforce. One recommended solution is to keep older people in their homes longer and support their independent life through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). However, the aged care sector is still in the early stages of adopting ICT. The aim of this study was to identify the key issues that affect the adoption of ICT in the aged care sector. A systematic literature review was undertaken and involved four steps. The first two steps aimed to identify and select relevant articles. Data was then extracted from the selected articles and identified issues were analyzed and grouped into three major categories. ICT adoption issues were categorized into different perspectives, representing older people, health professionals and management. Our findings showed that all three groups were mostly concerned with issues around behavior, cost and lack of technical skills. Findings reported in this study will help decision makers at aged care settings to systematically understand issues related to ICT adoption and thus proactively introduce interventions to improve use of ICT in this sector. On the basis of our findings, we suggest future research focus on the examination of aged care workflow and assessment of return on ICT investment. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  13. Mixed-Age Grouping in Kindergarten: A Best Case Example of Developmentally Appropriate Practice or Horace Mann's Worst Nightmare?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tercek, Patricia M.

    This practicum study examined kindergarten teachers' perspectives regarding mixed-age groupings that included kindergarten students. The study focused on pedagogical reasons for using mixed-age grouping, ingredients necessary for successful implementation of a multiage program that includes kindergartners, and the perceived effects of a multiage…

  14. Periodontal health in a group of industrial employees.

    PubMed

    Lie, T; Due, N A; Abrahamsen, B; Böe, O E

    1988-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the dental health conditions of male employees in a large aluminum factory. The present report deals only with the periodontal findings. Five percent of the 181 examined subjects between 25 and 60 yr were edentulous, and all dentate individuals had some degree of periodontal disease. Surfaces harboring stainable plaque were high in all age groups, varying between 65 and 85%. Surfaces without retention factors were 31% and decreased with increasing age. The percentage of sites with bleeding increased from about 40% in the lowest to about 60% in the highest age group. Teeth with probing depths greater than or equal to 4 mm increased from about 30% in the age group 25-29 yr to about 45% in the age group 30-34 yr, after which it increased gradually with increasing age. The difference in bone scores (marginal bone loss) was the most extensive between the ages of 25 and 34 yr, but with a significant increase throughout the age groups. The administrators had a somewhat better oral hygiene, fewer retention factors, less bleeding, fewer pockets and some more marginal bone support than the workers. Still, the administrators had more missing teeth than the workers.

  15. Age-related changes in behavior in C57BL/6J mice from young adulthood to middle age.

    PubMed

    Shoji, Hirotaka; Takao, Keizo; Hattori, Satoko; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi

    2016-01-28

    Aging is considered to be associated with progressive changes in the brain and its associated sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. A large number of studies comparing young and aged animals have reported differences in various behaviors between age-cohorts, indicating behavioral dysfunctions related to aging. However, relatively little is known about behavioral changes from young adulthood to middle age, and the effect of age on behavior during the early stages of life remains to be understood. In order to investigate age-related changes in the behaviors of mice from young adulthood to middle age, we performed a large-scale analysis of the behavioral data obtained from our behavioral test battery involving 1739 C57BL/6J wild-type mice at 2-12 months of age. Significant behavioral differences between age groups (2-3-, 4-5-, 6-7-, and 8-12-month-old groups) were found in all the behavioral tests, including the light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, rotarod, social interaction, prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, tail suspension, Barnes maze, and fear conditioning tests, except for the hot plate test. Compared with the 2-3-month-old group, the 4-5- and 6-7-month-old groups exhibited decreased locomotor activity to novel environments, motor function, acoustic startle response, social behavior, and depression-related behavior, increased prepulse inhibition, and deficits in spatial and cued fear memory. For most behaviors, the 8-12-month-old group showed similar but more pronounced changes in most of these behaviors compared with the younger age groups. Older groups exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the light/dark transition test whereas those groups showed seemingly decreased anxiety-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze test. The large-scale analysis of behavioral data from our battery of behavioral tests indicated age-related changes in a wide range of behaviors from young adulthood to middle age in C57BL/6J mice, though

  16. Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services Among American Indians by Two Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Roh, Soonhee; Brown-Rice, Kathleen A; Lee, Kyoung Hag; Lee, Yeon-Shim; Yee-Melichar, Darlene; Talbot, Elizabeth P

    2015-11-01

    This study examined determinants of attitudes toward mental health services with a sample of American Indian younger-old-adults (aged 50-64, n = 158) and American Indian older-old adults (aged 65 and older, n = 69). Adapting Andersen's behavioral model of healthcare utilization, predisposing factors, mental health needs, and enabling factors were considered as potential predictors. Female and those with higher levels of social support tend to report more positive attitudes toward mental health services. Culture-influenced personal belief was associated with negative attitudes toward mental health services among American Indian younger-old -adults. Age and higher chronic medical conditions were significantly related to negative attitudes toward mental health services. Health insurance was positively associated with positive attitudes toward mental health services in the American Indian older-old adults. Findings indicate that practitioners should engage how culture, social support, and chronic conditions influence the response to mental health needs when working with older American Indians.

  17. Gender and age disparities in adult undernutrition in northern Uganda: high-risk groups not targeted by food aid programmes.

    PubMed

    Schramm, Stine; Kaducu, Felix Ocaka; Smedemark, Siri Aas; Ovuga, Emilio; Sodemann, Morten

    2016-06-01

    To determine the prevalence of adult malnutrition and associated risk factors in a post-conflict area of northern Uganda. A cross-sectional community survey was performed from September 2011 to June 2013. All registered residents in Gulu Health and Demographic Surveillance System aged 15 years and older were considered eligible. Trained field assistants collected anthropometric measurements (weight and height) and administered questionnaires with information on sociodemographic characteristics, food security, smoking and alcohol. Nutritional status was classified by body mass index. In total, 2062 men and 2924 women participated and were included in the analyses. The prevalence of underweight was 22.3% for men and 16.0% for women, whereas the prevalence of overweight was 1.5% for men and 7.6% for women. In men, underweight was associated with younger (15-19 years) and older age (>55 years) (P < 0.001), being divorced/separated [odds ratio (OR) = 1.91 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-2.99] and smoking (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.67-2.73). For women, underweight was associated with older age (P < 0.001) and hungry-gap rainy season (May-July) (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.04-1.69). Widowed or divorced/separated women were not more likely to be underweight. No association was found between education, alcohol consumption or food security score and underweight. Our findings are not in line with the conventional target groups in nutritional programmes and highlight the importance of continuous health and nutritional assessments of all population groups that reflect local social determinants and family structures. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Framing effects in group investment decision making: role of group polarization.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Pi-Yueh; Chiou, Wen-Bin

    2008-02-01

    Prospect theory proposes that framing effects result in a preference for risk-averse choices in gain situations and risk-seeking choices in loss situations. However, in group polarization situations, groups show a pronounced tendency to shift toward more extreme positions than those they initially held. Whether framing effects in group decision making are more prominent as a result of the group-polarization effect was examined. Purposive sampling of 120 college students (57 men, 63 women; M age = 20.1 yr., SD = 0.9) allowed assessment of relative preference between cautious and risky choices in individual and group decisions. Findings indicated that both group polarization and framing effects occur in investment decisions. More importantly, group decisions in a gain situation appear to be more cautious, i.e., risk averse, than individual decisions, whereas group decisions in the loss situation appear to be more risky than individual decisions. Thus, group decision making may expand framing effects when it comes to investment choices through group polarization.

  19. Athletic pubalgia and the "sports hernia": MR imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Zoga, Adam C; Kavanagh, Eoin C; Omar, Imran M; Morrison, William B; Koulouris, George; Lopez, Hector; Chaabra, Avneesh; Domesek, John; Meyers, William C

    2008-06-01

    To retrospectively determine the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in patients with clinical athletic pubalgia, with either surgical or physical examination findings as the reference standard. Institutional review board approval was granted for this HIPAA-compliant study, and informed consent was waived. MR imaging studies in 141 patients (134 male patients, seven female patients; mean age, 30.1 years; range, 17-71 years) who had been referred to a subspecialist because of groin pain were reviewed for findings including hernia, pubic bone marrow edema, secondary cleft sign, and rectus abdominis and adductor tendon injury. MR imaging findings were compared with surgical findings for 102 patients, physical examination findings for all 141 patients, and MR imaging findings in an asymptomatic control group of 25 men (mean age, 29.8 years; range, 18-39 years). Sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging for rectus abdominis and adductor tendon injury were determined by using a chi(2) analysis, and significance of the findings was analyzed with an unpaired Student t test. Disease patterns seen at MR imaging were compared with those reported in the surgical and sports medicine literature. One hundred thirty-eight (98%) of 141 patients had findings at MR imaging that could cause groin pain. Compared with surgery, MR imaging had a sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 68% and 100% for rectus abdominis tendon injury and 86% and 89% for adductor tendon injury. Injury in each of these structures was significantly more common in the patient group than in the control group (P < .001). Only two patients had hernias at surgery. At MR imaging, injury or disease could be fit into distinct groups, including osteitis pubis, adductor compartment injury, rectus abdominis tendon injury, and injury or disease remote from the pubic symphysis. Patients with injury involving the rectus abdominis insertion were most likely to go on to surgical

  20. Age differences in visual search for compound patterns: long- versus short-range grouping.

    PubMed

    Burack, J A; Enns, J T; Iarocci, G; Randolph, B

    2000-11-01

    Visual search for compound patterns was examined in observers aged 6, 8, 10, and 22 years. The main question was whether age-related improvement in search rate (response time slope over number of items) was different for patterns defined by short- versus long-range spatial relations. Perceptual access to each type of relation was varied by using elements of same contrast (easy to access) or mixed contrast (hard to access). The results showed large improvements with age in search rate for long-range targets; search rate for short-range targets was fairly constant across age. This pattern held regardless of whether perceptual access to a target was easy or hard, supporting the hypothesis that different processes are involved in perceptual grouping at these two levels. The results also point to important links between ontogenic and microgenic change in perception (H. Werner, 1948, 1957).

  1. [The importance of age-homogenous member's in secondary groups--the example of choirs (author's transl)].

    PubMed

    Schneider, H D

    1979-03-01

    The investigation studies the influence of the age composition of secondary groups on their member's satisfaction by interviewing a representative sample of the members of Swiss Protestant choirs. The satisfaction with fellow members increases the lower the mean age of the choir is. Independently the older the respondents the more they want young members in their organization. Furthermore, there are indications for an optimal distance of age between the members. In total the influence of the age composition on the operationalizations of satisfaction is, low however. The hypothesis is deduced from the optimal distance of age that tendencies for age-homogeneous social relations will be more frequent in societies with large differences in behavior between their cohorts.

  2. Energy reserve modification in different age groups of Daphnia schoedleri (Anomopoda: Daphniidae) exposed to hexavalent chromium.

    PubMed

    Arzate-Cárdenas, Mario Alberto; Martínez-Jerónimo, Fernando

    2012-07-01

    Caloric content is a reliable biomaker of effect since it is modified by exposure to toxicants that can alter basal metabolism. Since organisms' age modifies how energy resources are allocated and modifies the activity of antioxidant enzymes, the response to toxic agents could be altered with age. Seven age groups of Daphnia schoedleri (0, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28-day-old) were exposed for 24h to two sublethal concentrations of Cr(VI): 1/25 and 1/5 of the 48 h EC(50) of each age group, to determine the age at which susceptibility to Cr(VI) is highest. To evaluate energy content, carbohydrate, protein and lipid reserves were quantified and antioxidant enzymes activity was assessed (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR). Furthermore, an integrative approach was applied to evaluate both sets of responses and interpret them as a whole in a simply visual way, achieved by the integrated biomarker response approach. Results indicate that Cr(VI) induced significant differences in all age groups. Seven and 14-day-old organisms were exposed to the highest concentrations (based on their EC50) and showed greater tolerance to this metal. Susceptibility to the toxicant was highest in younger specimens in which energy requirements are greater due to high growth rates (basal metabolism), as a result of which more energy reserves are expended to satisfy demands in terms of growth and response to toxicants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Aging and the picture superiority effect in recall.

    PubMed

    Winograd, E; Smith, A D; Simon, E W

    1982-01-01

    One recurrent theme in the literature on aging and memory is that the decline of memory for nonverbal information is steeper than for verbal information. This research compares verbal and visual encoding using the picture superiority effect, the finding that pictures are remembered better than words. In the first experiment, an interaction was found between age and type of material; younger subjects recalled more pictures than words while older subjects did not. However, the overall effect was small and two further experiments were conducted. In both of these experiments, the picture superiority effect was found in both age groups with no interaction. In addition, performing a semantic orienting task had no effect on recall. The finding of a picture superiority effect in older subjects indicates that nonverbal codes can be effectively used by subjects in all age groups to facilitate memory performance.

  4. Introduction of a child and adolescent mental health link worker: education and health staff focus group findings.

    PubMed

    Hunter, A; Playle, J; Sanchez, P; Cahill, J; McGowan, L

    2008-10-01

    Policy guidance suggests that outcomes for adolescents with mental health problems can be improved by secondary education services (SES) and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) working more closely. This study reports on staff experiences of the introduction of a mental health link worker (MHLW). The findings of two focus groups are presented, conducted with staff from CAMHS and SES. These focus groups formed part of the overall wider evaluation of the MHLW role. The groups explored staff perceptions and experiences following the introduction of the MHLW, and elicited their views on the effectiveness of this innovative role. Qualitative methods were employed, and analysis was conducted using the principles of grounded theory and the constant comparative method. The findings revealed that the MHLW was well received by both groups, despite the identification of potential barriers. A number of key themes emerged, which included the ability of the link worker to improve communication and to encourage mutual understanding between services. The issues raised by these themes are discussed and recommendations are made for future practice and research.

  5. Metabolic Effects of Chronic Heavy Physical Training on Male Age Group Swimmers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caffrey, Garret P.; And Others

    This study attempts to appraise the effectiveness of chronic heavy exercise on 13 male swimmers from 10 to 17 years of age. The experimental group trained six days a week, often with more than one workout per day. During this period, the principles of interval training were employed in conjunction with high-intensity swimming. At the completion of…

  6. Osteoporosis Knowledge, Calcium Intake, and Weight-Bearing Physical Activity in Three Age Groups of Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terrio, Kate; Auld, Garry W.

    2002-01-01

    Determined the extent and integration of osteoporosis knowledge in three age groups of women, comparing knowledge to calcium intake and weight bearing physical activity (WBPA). Overall calcium intake was relatively high. There were no differences in knowledge, calcium intake, or WBPA by age, nor did knowledge predict calcium intake and WBPA. None…

  7. Observing eye movements and the influence of cognition during a symbol search task: a comparison across three age groups.

    PubMed

    Perrin, Maxine; Robillard, Manon; Roy-Charland, Annie

    2017-12-01

    This study examined eye movements during a visual search task as well as cognitive abilities within three age groups. The aim was to explore scanning patterns across symbol grids and to better understand the impact of symbol location in AAC displays on speed and accuracy of symbol selection. For the study, 60 students were asked to locate a series of symbols on 16 cell grids. The EyeLink 1000 was used to measure eye movements, accuracy, and response time. Accuracy was high across all cells. Participants had faster response times, longer fixations, and more frequent fixations on symbols located in the middle of the grid. Group comparisons revealed significant differences for accuracy and reaction times. The Leiter-R was used to evaluate cognitive abilities. Sustained attention and cognitive flexibility scores predicted the participants' reaction time and accuracy in symbol selection. Findings suggest that symbol location within AAC devices and individuals' cognitive abilities influence the speed and accuracy of retrieving symbols.

  8. Teachers Observe to Learn: Differences in Social Behavior of Toddlers and Preschoolers in Same-Age and Multiage Groupings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Logue, Mary Ellin

    2006-01-01

    This article presents an action research conducted by a group of teachers comparing multiage with same-age interactions of children, especially among toddlers. The research involving 31 children ranging in age from two through five-and-a-half was conducted under optimal conditions, with small groups, low teacher-child ratios, and highly trained…

  9. Stellar Kinematic Groups. II. A Reexamination of the Membership, Activity, and Age of the Ursa Major Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Jeremy R.; Villarreal, Adam R.; Soderblom, David R.; Gulliver, Austin F.; Adelman, Saul J.

    2003-04-01

    Utilizing Hipparcos parallaxes, original radial velocities and recent literature values, new Ca II H and K emission measurements, literature-based abundance estimates, and updated photometry (including recent resolved measurements of close doubles), we revisit the Ursa Major moving group membership status of some 220 stars to produce a final clean list of nearly 60 assured members, based on kinematic and photometric criteria. Scatter in the velocity dispersions and H-R diagram is correlated with trial activity-based membership assignments, indicating the usefulness of criteria based on photometric and chromospheric emission to examine membership. Closer inspection, however, shows that activity is considerably more robust at excluding membership, failing to do so only for <=15% of objects, perhaps considerably less. Our UMa members demonstrate nonzero vertex deviation in the Bottlinger diagram, behavior seen in older and recent studies of nearby young disk stars and perhaps related to Galactic spiral structure. Comparison of isochrones and our final UMa group members indicates an age of 500+/-100 Myr, some 200 Myr older than the canonically quoted UMa age. Our UMa kinematic/photometric members' mean chromospheric emission levels, rotational velocities, and scatter therein are indistinguishable from values in the Hyades and smaller than those evinced by members of the younger Pleiades and M34 clusters, suggesting these characteristics decline rapidly with age over 200-500 Myr. None of our UMa members demonstrate inordinately low absolute values of chromospheric emission, but several may show residual fluxes a factor of >=2 below a Hyades-defined lower envelope. If one defines a Maunder-like minimum in a relative sense, then the UMa results may suggest that solar-type stars spend 10% of their entire main-sequence lives in periods of precipitously low activity, which is consistent with estimates from older field stars. As related asides, we note six evolved stars

  10. Small Groups, Big Change: Preliminary Findings from the Sparks for Change Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirsch, R.; Batchelor, R. L.; Habtes, S. Y.; King, B.; Crockett, J.

    2017-12-01

    best practices, build a community of "change agents", and develop department-specific action plans for their own institution. In this talk we will discuss our findings from the institute and highlight some of the action plans the small groups developed for changing their department.

  11. Age-related respiratory responses to substance P in normal sheep.

    PubMed

    Corcoran, B M; Haigh, A L

    1993-01-01

    The in vivo effects of substance P (SP) on respiratory parameters in four different age groups of sheep were examined. Intravenous SP (10(-8) to 5 x 10(-6) mol kg-1 bodyweight) caused a dose-dependent reduction in dynamic compliance and increase in respiratory resistance in all four groups. The bronchoconstrictor response was age-related, with the greatest response occurring in the youngest age group (four to six months). In the oldest group (over four years) there was minimal bronchomotor response to SP, but a dose-dependent apnoea was present. These findings indicate that there is an age-related alteration in the respiratory response to SP in sheep.

  12. Injury severity analysis of commercially-licensed drivers in single-vehicle crashes: Accounting for unobserved heterogeneity and age group differences.

    PubMed

    Osman, Mohamed; Mishra, Sabyasachee; Paleti, Rajesh

    2018-05-18

    This study analyzes the injury severity of commercially-licensed drivers involved in single-vehicle crashes. Considering the discrete ordinal nature of injury severity data, the ordered response modeling framework was adopted. The moderating effect of driver's age on all other factors was examined by segmenting the parameters by driver's age group. Additional effects of the different drivers' age groups are taken into consideration through interaction terms. Unobserved heterogeneity of the different covariates was investigated using the Mixed Generalized Ordered Response Probit (MGORP) model. The empirical analysis was conducted using four years of the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) data that included 6247 commercially-licensed drivers involved in single-vehicle crashes in the state of Minnesota. The MGORP model elasticity effects indicate that key factors that increase the likelihood of severe crashes for commercially-licensed drivers across all age groups include: lack of seatbelt usage, collision with a fixed object, speeding, vehicle age of 11 years or more, wind, night time, weekday, and female drivers. Also, the effects of several covariates were found to vary across different age groups. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Prevalence of Neutralizing Antibodies to Japanese Encephalitis Virus among High-Risk Age Groups in South Korea, 2010

    PubMed Central

    Ju, Young Ran; Han, Myung Guk; Lee, Won-Ja; Jeong, Young Eui

    2016-01-01

    After an extensive vaccination policy, Japanese encephalitis (JE) was nearly eliminated since the mid-1980s in South Korea. Vaccination in children shifted the affected age of JE patients from children to adults. However, an abrupt increase in JE cases occurred in 2010, and this trend has continued. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to the JE virus (JEV) among high-risk age groups (≥40 years) in South Korea. A plaque reduction neutralization test was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to JEV in 945 subjects within four age groups (30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–69 years) in 10 provinces. Of the 945 enrolled subjects, 927 (98.1%) exhibited antibodies against JEV. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies according to sex, age, or occupation. However, there were significant differences in the plaque reduction rate according to age and occupation; oldest age group had a higher reduction rate, and subjects who were employed in agriculture or forestry also had a higher value than the other occupations. We also found that three provinces (Gangwon, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam) had a relatively lower plaque reduction rate than the other locations. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were conducted to determine recent viral infections and 12 (2.2%) subjects were found to have been recently infected by the virus. In conclusion, the present study clearly indicated that the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies has been maintained at very high levels among adult age groups owing to vaccination or natural infections, or both. In the future, serosurveillance should be conducted periodically using more representative samples to better understand the population-level immunity to JE in South Korea. PMID:26807709

  14. The Younger Age Limit of Metasedimentary Protolith Formation of the Lower Part of the Udokan Group Rocks (Aldan Shield)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotov, A. B.; Salnikova, E. B.; Kovach, V. P.; Velikoslavinskii, S. D.; Sklyarov, E. V.; Gladkochub, D. P.; Larin, A. M.; Tolmacheva, E. V.; Fedoseenko, A. M.; Plotkina, Yu. V.

    2018-04-01

    Biotite plagiogranite intruding sediments of the Kodar Sub-Group of the Udokan Group that have both undergone amphibolite grade alterations has been dated by the U-Pb ID TIMS technique using zircon to 2105 ± 6 Ma. This age estimate to a first approximation corresponds to the younger age limit of deposition of the siliciclastics in the lower section of the Udokan Group.

  15. The Own-Age Bias in Face Recognition: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhodes, Matthew G.; Anastasi, Jeffrey S.

    2012-01-01

    A large number of studies have examined the finding that recognition memory for faces of one's own age group is often superior to memory for faces of another age group. We examined this "own-age bias" (OAB) in the meta-analyses reported. These data showed that hits were reliably greater for same-age relative to other-age faces (g = 0.23) and that…

  16. Prevalence of multidrug-resistant E. coli in different age groups of dairy cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background: The emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria has become a major public health concern. The objective of this study was to examine antimicrobial resistance in commensal E. coli from different age-groups of animals on dairy farms. Materials: A total of 444 manur...

  17. Are Multi-Age Grouping Practices a Missing Link in the Educational Reform Debate?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, William

    1995-01-01

    The realities of child development defy efforts to categorize children's abilities and attainments within the conventional graded structure. Pupil readiness varies, and children progress in all subjects at different rates. The development of multiage or cross-age groupings, sometimes coordinated with youngsters in tutoring programs, has produced…

  18. Contribution of streetscape audits to explanation of physical activity in four age groups based on the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS).

    PubMed

    Cain, Kelli L; Millstein, Rachel A; Sallis, James F; Conway, Terry L; Gavand, Kavita A; Frank, Lawrence D; Saelens, Brian E; Geremia, Carrie M; Chapman, James; Adams, Marc A; Glanz, Karen; King, Abby C

    2014-09-01

    Ecological models of physical activity emphasize the effects of environmental influences. "Microscale" streetscape features that may affect pedestrian experience have received less research attention than macroscale walkability (e.g., residential density). The Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS) measures street design, transit stops, sidewalk qualities, street crossing amenities, and features impacting aesthetics. The present study examined associations of microscale attributes with multiple physical activity (PA) measures across four age groups. Areas in the San Diego, Seattle, and the Baltimore metropolitan areas, USA, were selected that varied on macro-level walkability and neighborhood income. Participants (n = 3677) represented four age groups (children, adolescents, adults, older adults). MAPS audits were conducted along a 0.25 mile route along the street network from participant residences toward the nearest non-residential destination. MAPS data were collected in 2009-2010. Subscale and overall summary scores were created. Walking/biking for transportation and leisure/neighborhood PA were measured with age-appropriate surveys. Objective PA was measured with accelerometers. Mixed linear regression analyses were adjusted for macro-level walkability. Across all age groups 51.2%, 22.1%, and 15.7% of all MAPS scores were significantly associated with walking/biking for transport, leisure/neighborhood PA, and objectively-measured PA, respectively. Supporting the ecological model principle of behavioral specificity, destinations and land use, streetscape, street segment, and intersection variables were more related to transport walking/biking, while aesthetic variables were related to leisure/neighborhood PA. The overall score was related to objective PA in children and older adults. Present findings provide strong evidence that microscale environment attributes are related to PA across the lifespan. Improving microscale features may be a feasible

  19. Contribution of Streetscape Audits to Explanation of Physical Activity in Four Age Groups Based on the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS)

    PubMed Central

    Cain, Kelli L.; Millstein, Rachel A.; Sallis, James F.; Conway, Terry L.; Gavand, Kavita A.; Frank, Lawrence D.; Saelens, Brian E.; Geremia, Carrie M.; Chapman, James; Adams, Marc A.; Glanz, Karen; King, Abby C.

    2014-01-01

    Ecological models of physical activity emphasize the effects of environmental influences. “Microscale” streetscape features that may affect pedestrian experience have received less research attention than macroscale walkability (e.g., residential density). The Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS) measures street design, transit stops, sidewalk qualities, street crossing amenities, and features impacting aesthetics. The present study examined associations of microscale attributes with multiple physical activity (PA) measures across four age groups. Areas in the San Diego, Seattle, and the Baltimore metropolitan areas, USA, were selected that varied on macro-level walkability and neighborhood income. Participants (n=3677) represented four age groups (children, adolescents, adults, older adults). MAPS audits were conducted along a 0.25 mile route along the street network from participant residences toward the nearest non-residential destination. MAPS data were collected in 2009–2010. Subscale and overall summary scores were created. Walking/biking for transportation and leisure/neighborhood PA were measured with age-appropriate surveys. Objective PA was measured with accelerometers. Mixed linear regression analyses were adjusted for macro-level walkability. Across all age groups 51.2%, 22.1%, and 15.7% of all MAPS scores were significantly associated with walking/biking for transport, leisure/neighborhood PA, and objectively-measured PA, respectively. Supporting the ecological model principle of behavioral specificity, destinations and land use, streetscape, street segment, and intersection variables were more related to transport walking/biking, while aesthetic variables were related to leisure/neighborhood PA. The overall score was related to objective PA in children and older adults. Present findings provide strong evidence that microscale environment attributes are related to PA across the lifespan. Improving microscale features may be a

  20. Group physiotherapy compared to individual physiotherapy to treat urinary incontinence in aging women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Dumoulin, Chantale; Morin, Mélanie; Mayrand, Marie-Hélène; Tousignant, Michel; Abrahamowicz, Michal

    2017-11-16

    Urinary incontinence (UI), one of the most prevalent health concerns confronting women aged over 60 years, affects up to 55% of older community-dwelling women-20-25% with severe symptoms. Clinical practice guidelines recommend individualized pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) as a first-line treatment for stress or mixed UI in women, although lack of human and financial resources limits delivery of this first-line treatment. Preliminary data suggest that group-based treatments may provide the answer. To date, no adequately powered trials have evaluated the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of group compared to individual PFMT for UI in older women. Given demographic projections, high prevalence of UI in older women, costly barriers, and group PFMT promising results, there is a clear need to rigorously compare the short- and long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of group vs individual PFMT. The study is designed as a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial, conducted in two facilities (Montreal and Sherbrooke) in the Canadian province of Quebec. Participants include 364 ambulatory, community-dwelling women, aged 60 years and older, with stress or mixed UI. Randomly assigned participants will follow a 12-week PFMT, either in one-on-one sessions or as part of a group, under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Blinded assessments at baseline, immediately post intervention, and at one year will include the seven-day bladder diary, the 24-h pad test, symptoms and quality of life questionnaires, adherence and self-efficacy questionnaire, pelvic floor muscle function, and cost assessments. Primary analysis will test our main hypothesis that group-based treatment is not inferior to individualized treatment with respect to the primary outcome: relative (%) reduction in the number of leakages. Should this study find that a group-based approach is not less effective than individual PFMT, and more cost-effective, this trial will impact positively continence

  1. Electroconvulsive therapy and age: Age-related clinical features and effectiveness in treatment resistant major depressive episode.

    PubMed

    Socci, Chiara; Medda, Pierpaolo; Toni, Cristina; Lattanzi, Lorenzo; Tripodi, Beniamino; Vannucchi, Giulia; Perugi, Giulio

    2018-02-01

    This study was aimed to compare clinical features, treatments outcomes and tolerability between young (18-45 years), middle age (46-64 years) and old (≥ 65 years) patients treated with bilateral ECT for treatment resistant major depressive episode. 402 patients were evaluated 1 day prior to ECT and a week after the treatment termination using the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 items (HAM-D-17), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Response was defined as a reduction of at least 50% from baseline on the HAM-D-17 score. Remission was defined as a score ≤ 7 on the HAM-D-17 at the final evaluation. Rates of response were not statistically different in the three groups (69.6% in old versus 63.5% in young and 55.5% in middle age groups). No significant differences were also observed in the proportions of remitters between the age groups (31.4% in young group, 27.7% in middle age group and 29.3% in old group). One week after the end of the ECT course the middle and old age groups showed a statistically significant increase in the MMSE score compared to baseline. We did not find significant differences between the three age groups in rates of premature drops-out due to ECT-related side effects. Our data support the use of ECT in elderly patients with treatment-resistant major depressive episode, with rates of response around 70% and effectiveness being independent from age. In the old age group the baseline cognitive impairment improved after ECT and no life-threatening adverse event was detected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Factors Predicting the Use of Technology: Findings From the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE)

    PubMed Central

    Czaja, Sara J.; Charness, Neil; Fisk, Arthur D.; Hertzog, Christopher; Nair, Sankaran N.; Rogers, Wendy A.; Sharit, Joseph

    2006-01-01

    The successful adoption of technology is becoming increasingly important to functional independence. The present article reports findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) on the use of technology among community-dwelling adults. The sample included 1,204 individuals ranging in age from 18–91 years. All participants completed a battery that included measures of demographic characteristics, self-rated health, experience with technology, attitudes toward computers, and component cognitive abilities. Findings indicate that the older adults were less likely than younger adults to use technology in general, computers, and the World Wide Web. The results also indicate that computer anxiety, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence were important predictors of the use of technology. The relationship between age and adoption of technology was mediated by cognitive abilities, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety. These findings are discussed in terms of training strategies to promote technology adoption. PMID:16768579

  3. Task factor usability ratings for different age groups writing Chinese.

    PubMed

    Chan, A H S; So, J C Y

    2009-11-01

    This study evaluated how different task factors affect performance and user subjective preferences for three different age groups of Chinese subjects (6-11, 20-23, 65-70 years) when hand writing Chinese characters. The subjects copied Chinese character sentences with different settings for the task factors of writing plane angle (horizontal 0 degrees , slanted 15 degrees ), writing direction (horizontal, vertical), and line spacing (5 mm, 7 mm and no lines). Writing speed was measured and subjective preferences (effectiveness and satisfaction) were assessed for each of the task factor settings. The result showed that there was a conflict between writing speed and personal preference for the line spacing factor; 5 mm line spacing increased writing speed but it was the least preferred. It was also found that: vertical and horizontal writing directions and a slanted work surface suited school-aged children; a horizontal work surface and horizontal writing direction suited university students; and a horizontal writing direction with either a horizontal or slanted work surface suited the older adults.

  4. Regional Impact of Population Aging on Changes in Individual Self-perceptions of Aging: Findings From the German Ageing Survey.

    PubMed

    Wolff, Julia K; Beyer, Ann-Kristin; Wurm, Susanne; Nowossadeck, Sonja; Wiest, Maja

    2018-01-18

    The importance of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) for health and longevity is well documented. Comparably little is known about factors that contribute to SPA. Besides individual factors, the context a person lives in may shape SPA. Research has so far focused on country-level differences in age stereotypes, indicating that rapid population aging accompanies more negative age stereotypes. The present study expands previous research by investigating the impact of district-specific population aging within one country on different facets of SPA. Based on a large representative survey in Germany, the study investigates changes in SPA as ongoing development as well as the SPA of physical loss over a 12-year period in adults aged 40+. The study uses several indicators of population aging (e.g., population development, average age, greying index), to identify four clusters differing in their pace of population aging. Based on three-level latent change models, these clusters were compared in their impact on changes in SPA. Compared to districts with an average rate of population aging, the study shows that persons living in regions with a fast population aging rate (C1) hold more negative SPA in both facets (ps = .01). Districts with slow population aging (C2) have significantly higher SPA ongoing development (p = .03). The study underlines the importance for regional differences in population aging on the development of SPA. In particular, societies should be aware that fast population aging may result in more negative SPA. © The Author 2017. 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.

  5. Does Age Matter Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men? A Comparison of Risk Behaviors Stratified by Age Category.

    PubMed

    Chamberlain, Nicholas; Mena, Leandro; Geter, Angelica; Crosby, Richard A

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess whether different sexual risk behavior exists among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) as a function of age. A total of 382 YBMSM completed a computer-assisted self-interview at a sexual health clinic. The frequency/prevalence of fifteen sexual risk behaviors was compared between three groups (ages 16-19, 20-25, and 26-29, respectively) in the 90 days prior to enrollment in the study. Regression models were used to control for the confounding influence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status. One hundred seven participants were HIV-infected at study enrollment. Of the 15 measures assessed, none significantly differed among the groups. These null findings did not change in multivariate analyses. Our findings suggest that there is no differential sexual risk based on age among YBMSM and that this group should be considered a homogenous population with regards to intervention strategies that aim to reduce the sexual risk behaviors of YBMSM.

  6. Perception of Esthetic Impact of Smile Line in Complete Denture Wearers by Different Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Pithon, Matheus Melo; Alves, Leandro Pereira; da Costa Prado, Matheus; Oliveira, Rener Leal; Costa, Matheus Souza Campos; da Silva Coqueiro, Raildo; Gusmão, João Milton Rocha; Santos, Rogério Lacerda

    2016-10-01

    To evaluate esthetic perceptions based on tooth exposure when smiling of patients wearing complete dentures by evaluators in different age groups. Alterations were made to a front view photograph of a smiling patient wearing complete maxillary and mandibular dentures. Alterations in the smile line were simulated to increase or decrease tooth exposure (increments of 0.5 mm). For this purpose, image manipulation software was used. After manipulation, images were printed on photo paper, attached to a questionnaire, and distributed to individuals in three age groups (n = 150). To evaluate the esthetic perception for each image, a visual analog scale was used, with 0 representing least attractive, 5 representing attractive, and 10 representing very attractive. Differences between examiners were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. All statistical analyses were performed with a degree of confidence of 95%. Two evaluators did not observe any differences between images. The images given the best and worst scores were E and O (alterations of 2 and 7 mm), respectively, in the 15- to 19-year-old group, B and O (alterations of 0.5 and 7 mm), respectively, in the 35- to 44-year-old group, and A and M (no alteration and 6 mm alteration), respectively, in the 65- to 74-year-old group. When the images were presented together (images 1 and 2), the unaltered image was selected by individuals of different age groups as the best, and the image with a change of 7 mm was selected as the worst. In this study, complete dental prostheses with smile lines that coincided with the cervical margins of the anterior teeth were the most acceptable. Less exposure of the maxillary teeth when smiling corresponded with decreased attractiveness. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  7. Ageing and exercise: building body capital in old age.

    PubMed

    Bergland, Astrid; Fougner, Marit; Lund, Anne; Debesay, Jonas

    2018-01-01

    Research that provides better understanding of the motivational processes in older age to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle is sought after. We apply theoretical approaches to cultural capital, active and healthy aging health to shed light on the women's experiences in maintaining physical capabilities through an active lifestyle, and thereby facilitating their own inclusion in society. Thus, the aim of this paper is to explore why older home dwelling women over the age of 70 years or more spend time in physical exercise and their experiences about the importance of participating in group exercise for their daily life.This paper reports on a qualitative study based on interviews with 16 older women aged 70 years or more and regularly attending group exercise classes in the community at an established workout center. The data were analyzed the data using an inductive content analysis approach. Three overreaching and interrelated themes emerged from the interviews: "Building body capital for independence", "Building body capital to maintain vitality and being in control" and "Building resources for social interaction". The findings suggest that group exercise is important for building body capital. The group exercise helped the women in building bodily ability to manage everyday life, maintain vitality, being in control, pursue social interaction and live independently. These body resources were important for these older women's experience of the manageability and meaningfulness of daily life. This study has provided insights into older women's understanding and experiences of the challenges of everyday life within a theoretical framework of cultural capital and health. The women acquired cultural health capital, and more specifically body capital, by participating in the group exercise classes. The women's investment in body capital through regular physical activity created resources which facilitated social participation. Therefore professionals need to be

  8. Volumetric brain differences in children with periventricular T2-signal hyperintensities: a grouping by gestational age at birth.

    PubMed

    Panigrahy, A; Barnes, P D; Robertson, R L; Back, S A; Sleeper, L A; Sayre, J W; Kinney, H C; Volpe, J J

    2001-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare both the volumes of the lateral ventricles and the cerebral white matter with gestational age at birth of children with periventricular white matter (PVWM) T2-signal hyperintensities on MR images. The spectrum of neuromotor abnormalities associated with these hyperintensities was also determined. We retrospectively reviewed the MR images of 70 patients who were between the ages of 1 and 5 years and whose images showed PVWM T2-signal hyperintensities. The patients were divided into premature (n = 35 children) and term (n = 35) groups depending on their gestational age at birth. Volumetric analysis was performed on four standardized axial sections using T2-weighted images. Volumes of interest were digitized on the basis of gray-scale densities of signal intensities to define the hemispheric cerebral white matter and lateral ventricles. Age-adjusted comparisons of volumetric measurements between the premature and term groups were performed using analysis of covariance. The volume of the cerebral white matter was smaller in the premature group (54 +/- 2 cm(3)) than in the term group (79 +/- 3 cm(3), p < 0.0001). The volume of the lateral ventricles was greater among the patients in the premature group (30 +/- 2 cm(3)) than among those in the term group (13 +/- 1 cm(3), p < 0.0001). Fifty percent of all the premature children had spastic diplegia or quadriplegia. Thirty-two percent of all the term children had hypotonia. There were patients in both groups whose PVWM T2-signal hyperintensities did not correlate with any neuromotor abnormalities but were associated with seizures or developmental delays. The differences in volumetric measurements of cerebral white matter and lateral ventricles in children with PVWM T2-signal hyperintensities are related to their gestational age at birth. Several neurologic motor abnormalities are found in children with such hyperintensities.

  9. Guidance on Selecting Age Groups for Monitoring and Assessing Childhood Exposures to Environmental Contaminants

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document recommends a set of age groupings based on current understanding of differences in lifestage behavior and anatomy and physiology that can serve as a starting set for consideration by Agency risk assessors and researchers.

  10. Occupational Safety and Health Conditions Aboard Small- and Medium-Size Fishing Vessels: Differences among Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Zytoon, Mohamed A.; Basahel, Abdulrahman M.

    2017-01-01

    Although marine fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations, research on the occupational safety and health (OSH) conditions aboard marine fishing vessels is scarce. For instance, little is known about the working conditions of vulnerable groups such as young and aging fishermen. The objective of the current paper is to study the OSH conditions of young and aging fishermen compared to middle-aged fishermen in the small- and medium-size (SM) marine fishing sector. A cross-sectional study was designed, and 686 fishermen working aboard SM fishing vessels were interviewed to collect information about their safety and health. The associations of physical and psychosocial work conditions with safety and health outcomes, e.g., injuries, illnesses and job satisfaction, are presented. The results of the current study can be utilized in the design of effective accident prevention and OSH training programs for the three age groups and in the regulation of working conditions aboard fishing vessels. PMID:28245578

  11. Occupational Safety and Health Conditions Aboard Small- and Medium-Size Fishing Vessels: Differences among Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Zytoon, Mohamed A; Basahel, Abdulrahman M

    2017-02-24

    Although marine fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations, research on the occupational safety and health (OSH) conditions aboard marine fishing vessels is scarce. For instance, little is known about the working conditions of vulnerable groups such as young and aging fishermen. The objective of the current paper is to study the OSH conditions of young and aging fishermen compared to middle-aged fishermen in the small- and medium-size (SM) marine fishing sector. A cross-sectional study was designed, and 686 fishermen working aboard SM fishing vessels were interviewed to collect information about their safety and health. The associations of physical and psychosocial work conditions with safety and health outcomes, e.g., injuries, illnesses and job satisfaction, are presented. The results of the current study can be utilized in the design of effective accident prevention and OSH training programs for the three age groups and in the regulation of working conditions aboard fishing vessels.

  12. Social skills groups for people aged 6 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

    PubMed

    Reichow, Brian; Steiner, Amanda M; Volkmar, Fred

    2012-07-11

    Since autism was first described, major difficulties in social interaction have been a defining feature of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Social skills groups are a common intervention for individuals with ASD. Although a frequently recommended practice, the few studies that have addressed the efficacy of social skills groups have shown mixed results. To determine the effectiveness of social skills groups for improving social competence, social communication, and quality of life for people with ASD who are six to 21 years of age. We searched the following databases in December 2011: CENTRAL (2011 Issue 4), MEDLINE (1948 to November Week 3, 2011), EMBASE (1980 to Week 50, 2011), PsycINFO (1887 to December Week 2, 2011), CINAHL (1937 to current), ERIC (1966 to current), Sociological Abstracts (1952 to current), OCLC WorldCat (12 December 2011), Social Science Citation Index (1970 to 16 December 2011), and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (20 December 2011). We also searched the reference lists of published papers. Randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing treatment (social skills groups) with a control group who were not receiving the treatment for participants aged six to 21 years with ASD. The control group could be no intervention, wait list, or treatment as usual. Outcomes sought were standardized measures of social competence, social communication, quality of life, emotion recognition, and any other specific behaviors. Two review authors independently selected and appraised studies for inclusion and assessed the risk of bias in each included study. All outcome data were continuous and standardized mean difference effect sizes (ES) with small sample correction were calculated. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis where possible. We included five RCTs evaluating the effects of social skills groups in 196 participants with ASD aged 6 to 21 years old. The results show there is some evidence that social skills groups improve overall

  13. Effect of Weather Variability on Seasonal Influenza Among Different Age Groups in Queensland, Australia: A Bayesian Spatiotemporal Analysis.

    PubMed

    Huang, Xiaodong; Mengersen, Kerrie; Milinovich, Gabriel; Hu, Wenbiao

    2017-06-01

    The effects of weather variability on seasonal influenza among different age groups remain unclear. The comparative study aims to explore the differences in the associations between weather variability and seasonal influenza, and growth rates of seasonal influenza epidemics among different age groups in Queensland, Australia. Three Bayesian spatiotemporal conditional autoregressive models were fitted at the postal area level to quantify the relationships between seasonal influenza and monthly minimum temperature (MIT), monthly vapor pressure, school calendar pattern, and Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage for 3 age groups (<15, 15-64, and ≥65 years). The results showed that the expected decrease in monthly influenza cases was 19.3% (95% credible interval [CI], 14.7%-23.4%), 16.3% (95% CI, 13.6%-19.0%), and 8.5% (95% CI, 1.5%-15.0%) for a 1°C increase in monthly MIT at <15, 15-64, and ≥65 years of age, respectively, while the average increase in the monthly influenza cases was 14.6% (95% CI, 9.0%-21.0%), 12.1% (95% CI, 8.8%-16.1%), and 9.2% (95% CI, 1.4%-16.9%) for a 1-hPa increase in vapor pressure. Weather variability appears to be more influential on seasonal influenza transmission in younger (0-14) age groups. The growth rates of influenza at postal area level were relatively small for older (≥65) age groups in Queensland, Australia. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. School violence in Israel: findings of a national survey.

    PubMed

    Zeira, Anat; Astor, Ron Avi; Benbenishty, Rami

    2003-10-01

    The authors report preliminary findings of a national survey on school violence in Israel. The national representative sample was stratified on school type--elementary, middle, and high schools--and ethnicity--Jewish and Arab students. A total of 15,916 students from 603 classes and 232 schools participated in the study, resulting in a 91 percent response rate. Findings revealed high rates of violence in all areas and among all age groups, but relatively higher rates of low-level violent behaviors and lower rates of more severe violent events. The authors report on age-related, gender, and cultural differences and discuss social workers' roles in shaping national policy and professional discourse on school violence.

  15. Long-Term Impact of Family Arguments and Physical Violence on Adult Functioning at Age 30 Years: Findings from the Simmons Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paradis, Angela D.; Reinherz, Helen Z.; Giaconia, Rose M.; Beardslee, William R.; Ward, Kirsten; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M.

    2009-01-01

    Family arguments by the age of 15 and family physical violence by the age of 18 is found to significantly compromise key domains of adult functioning at age 30. The findings are based on data from 346 participants whose psychosocial development has been followed since age 5.

  16. Meal patterns of malaysian adults: findings from the Malaysian adults nutrition survey (MANS).

    PubMed

    Wan Abdul Manan, W M; Nur Firdaus, I; Safiah, M Y; Siti Haslinda, M D; Poh, B K; Norimah, A K; Azmi, M Y; Tahir, A; Mirnalini, K; Zalilah, M S; Fatimah, S; Siti Norazlin, M M; Fasiah, W

    2012-08-01

    Meal patterns have received little attention in nutrition studies. The aim of this study is to present the findings on general meal patterns of Malaysian adults. The Malaysian Adults Nutrition Survey (MANS), carried out in 2002 and 2003, involved 6,928 adults selected by stratified random sampling from all households by zone in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. In general, the results showed that most respondents (74.16%) ate three meals per day; 89.20% of the respondents consumed breakfast, while 88.57% consumed lunch and 91.97% consumed dinner with no significant difference in terms of sex. In Peninsular Malaysia, the Northern Zone had the highest number of people consuming breakfast compared to other zones. Meanwhile, the population in Sarawak had the largest proportion of people consuming lunch and dinner, but the smallest proportion of people consuming breakfast. A significantly higher number of the rural population consumed breakfast and lunch than urbanites; however there was no significant difference in dinner consumption. Generally, breakfast consumption increased with age whereby significant difference existed between the 18 to 19 years age group and the age group of 30 years and older. Lunch intake among the age groups showed no significant difference. In contrast, dinner consumption was significantly lower among the 18 to 19 years age group compared to all other age groups. Comparison among the ethnic groups showed that the Indian population had the lowest percentage of having breakfast and lunch while the Orang Asli had the lowest percentage of consuming dinner. However, the Orang Asli recorded the highest percentage for taking breakfast and lunch while the Chinese had the highest percentage of taking dinner. Considering that Malaysian adults consumed their conventional breakfast, lunch and dinner, these findings indicatethat Malaysians are maintaining their traditional meal patterns.

  17. Activity of metabolic enzymes and muscle-specific gene expression in parr and smolts Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. of different age groups.

    PubMed

    Churova, Maria V; Meshcheryakova, Olga V; Veselov, Aleksey E; Efremov, Denis A; Nemova, Nina N

    2017-08-01

    This study was conducted to characterize the energy metabolism level and the features of muscle growth regulation during the development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) inhabiting the Indera River (Kola Peninsula, Russia). The activities of aerobic and anaerobic enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase) and carbohydrate metabolism enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and aldolase) were measured in muscle and liver tissue. Gene expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC), myostatin (MSTN-1a), and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs-MyoD1a, MyoD1b, MyoD1c, Myf5, myogenin) were measured in the white muscles of salmon parr of ages 0+, 1+, 2+, and 3+ and smolts of ages 2+ and 3+. Multidirectional changes in the activity of enzymes involved in aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism with age were shown in the white muscles of the parr. The cytochrome c oxidase activity was higher in muscles of underyearlings (0+) and yearlings (1+) and decreased in 2+ and 3+ age groups. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase, in contrast, increased with age. The patterns of changes in expression levels of MyoD1a, MyoD1b, myogenin, MyHC, and MSTN-1a at different ages of the parr were similar. Particularly, the expression of these genes peaked in the yearling parr (1+) and then decreased in elder groups. The differences were revealed in parameters studied between the parr and smolts. The level of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism enzyme activities was higher in the white muscles of smolts than in parr. The activity of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes was decreased in the smolts' livers. The expression levels of MyHC, MyoD1a, MyoD1b, and myogenin were lower in smolts at age 2+ compared to parr. These findings expand our knowledge of age-related and stage-related features of energy metabolism and muscle development regulation in young Atlantic salmon in their natural habitat. The results might be used for monitoring of the salmon

  18. Refining the chronostratigraphy of the Karoo Basin, South Africa: magnetostratigraphic constraints support an early Permian age for the Ecca Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belica, Mercedes E.; Tohver, Eric; Poyatos-Moré, Miquel; Flint, Stephen; Parra-Avila, Luis A.; Lanci, Luca; Denyszyn, Steven; Pisarevsky, Sergei A.

    2017-12-01

    The Beaufort Group of the Karoo Basin, South Africa provides an important chrono- and biostratigraphic record of vertebrate turnovers that have been attributed to the end-Permian mass extinction events at ca. 252 and 260 Ma. However, an unresolved controversy exists over the age of the Beaufort Group due to a large data set of published U-Pb SHRIMP (Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe) zircon results that indicate a ca. 274-250 Ma age range for deposition of the underlying Ecca Group. This age range requires the application of a highly diachronous sedimentation model to the Karoo Basin stratigraphy and is not supported by published palaeontologic and palynologic data. This study tested the strength of these U-Pb isotopic data sets using a magnetostratigraphic approach. Here, we present a composite ∼1500 m section through a large part of the Ecca Group from the Tanqua depocentre, located in the southwestern segment of the Karoo Basin. After the removal of two normal polarity overprints, a likely primary magnetic signal was isolated at temperatures above 450 °C. This section is restricted to a reverse polarity, indicating that it formed during the Kiaman Reverse Superchron (ca. 318-265 Ma), a distinctive magnetostratigraphic marker for early-middle Permian rocks. The Ecca Group has a corresponding palaeomagnetic pole at 40.8°S, 77.4°E (A95 = 5.5°). U-Pb SHRIMP ages on zircons are presented here for comparison with prior isotopic studies of the Ecca Group. A weighted mean U-Pb age of 269.5 ± 1.2 Ma was determined from a volcanic ash bed located in the uppermost Tierberg Formation sampled from the O + R1 research core. The age is interpreted here as a minimum constraint due to a proposed Pb-loss event that has likely influenced a number of published results. A comparison with the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale as well as published U-Pb TIMS ages from the overlying Beaufort Group supports a ca. 290-265 Ma age for deposition of the Ecca Group.

  19. Laryngeal findings and acoustic changes in hubble-bubble smokers.

    PubMed

    Hamdan, Abdul-latif; Sibai, Abla; Oubari, Dima; Ashkar, Jihad; Fuleihan, Nabil

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the laryngeal findings and acoustic changes in hubble-bubble smokers. A total of 42 subjects with history of hubble-bubble smoking were recruited for this study. A corresponding group with a history of cigarette smoking and controls were matched. All subjects underwent laryngeal video-endostroboscopic evaluation and acoustic analysis. In the hubble-bubble smoking group, 61.9% were males. The average age was 30.02 +/- 9.48 years and the average number of years of smoking was 8.09 +/- 6.45 years. Three subjects had dysphonia at the time of examination. The incidence of benign lesions of the vocal folds in the hubble-bubble group was 21.5%, with edema being the most common at 16.7% followed by cyst at 4.8%. The incidence of laryngeal findings was significantly higher in the hubble-bubble group compared to controls. In the cigarette-smoking group, the most common finding was vocal fold cyst in 14.8% followed by polyps in 7.4%, and edema, sulcus vocalis and granuloma. These findings were not significantly different from the hubble-bubble group except for the thick mucus, which was significantly higher in the latter. There were no significant changes in any of the acoustic parameters between hubble-bubble smokers and controls except for the VTI and MPT, which were significantly lower in the hubble-bubble group. In comparison with the cigarette-smoking group, hubble-bubble smokers had significantly higher Fundamental frequency and habitual pitch (p value 0.042 and 0.008, respectively). The laryngeal findings in hubble-bubble smokers are comparable to cigarette smokers. These laryngeal findings are not translated acoustically, as all the acoustic parameters are within normal range compared to controls.

  20. Reverse radial artery flap for soft tissue defects of hand in pediatric age group.

    PubMed

    Cheema, Saeed Ashraf; Talaat, Nabeela

    2009-01-01

    To highlight the usefulness of reverse radial artery flap in covering various soft tissue defects of hand in paediatric age group. A total of 16 reverse radial artery flaps were utilized in a period of three years to cover various soft tissue defects of hand for paediatric age group patients. The age ranged from 5-18 years. The two common causes of soft tissue defects in this series were mechanical trauma and fireworks trauma with five cases in each group. Three of the cases were burn victims and other two presented with earth quake injuries. One patient had wound because of road traffic accident. Soft tissue defects of palm were covered with this flap in eight cases while in three cases it was wrapped around the thumb. First web space defects were covered with this flap in two cases. Two cases required coverage of amputation stump at transmetacarpal level and yet another required a big flap to cover the soft tissue defects at palm, dorsum and thumb. Donor site was covered with split skin graft in all cases but one, which was closed primarily. We had partial loss of flap in one case. Grafted donor sites healed uneventfully and were quite acceptable to the patients in due course of time. Reverse radial artery flap has a quite long arc of rotation which brings it great ease to cover the soft tissue defects of various areas of hand like palm, dorsum, first web space and thumb.

  1. The Effect of a Group Discussion Program in a Home for the Aged on the Behavior Patterns of the Participants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Wendell Dean

    The effect of a group discussion program on the behavior patterns of aged participants was studied in the Indiana Masonic Home. The training program (18 one-hour sessions for six weeks), involved 44 residents (in two group), aged 60-94, in discussions of applying effective learning conditions to adult education programs in homes for the aged. Data…

  2. Verbal and visual divergent thinking in aging.

    PubMed

    Palmiero, Massimiliano; Nori, Raffaella; Piccardi, Laura

    2017-04-01

    According to the peak and decline model divergent thinking declines at a specific age (in or after middle age). However, if divergent thinking declines steadily in aging still has to be clarified. In order to explore the age-related changes in verbal and visual divergent thinking, in the present study a sample of 159 participants was divided in five age groups: young adults (18-35 years), middle-aged adults (36-55), young old (56-74), old (75-85) and the oldest-old (86-98). Two divergent thinking tasks were administered: the alternative uses for cardboard boxes, aimed at assessing verbal ideational fluency, flexibility and originality; the completion drawing task, aimed at assessing visual ideational fluency, flexibility and originality. Results showed that after peaking in the young adult group (20-35 years) all components of verbal and visual divergent thinking stabilized in the middle-aged adult group (36-55 years) and then started declining in the young old group (56-75). Interestingly, all components were found to be preserved after declining. Yet, verbal and visual divergent thinking were found at the same extent across age groups, with the exception of visual ideational fluency, that was higher in the young old group, the old group and the oldest-old group than verbal ideational fluency. These results support the idea that divergent thinking does not decline steadily in the elderly. Given that older people can preserve to some extent verbal and visual divergent thinking, these findings have important implications for active aging, that is, divergent thinking might be fostered in aging in order to prevent the cognitive decline.

  3. Assessment of skeletal age using MP3 and hand-wrist radiographs and its correlation with dental and chronological ages in children.

    PubMed

    Bala, M; Pathak, A; Jain, R L

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to assess skeletal age using MP3 and hand-wrist radiographs and to find the correlation amongst the skeletal, dental and chronological ages. One hundred and sixty North-Indian healthy children in the age group 8-14 years, comprising equal number of males and females were included in the study. The children were radiographed for middle phalanx of third finger (MP3) and hand-wrist of the right hand and intra oral periapical X-ray for right permanent maxillary canine. Skeletal age was assessed from MP3 and hand-wrist radiographs according to the standards of Greulich and Pyle. The dental age was assessed from IOPA radiographs of right permanent maxillary canine based on Nolla's calcification stages. Skeletal age from MP3 and hand-wrist radiographs shows high correlation in all the age groups for both sexes. Females were advanced in skeletal maturation than males. Skeletal age showed high correlation with dental age in 12-14 years age group. Chronological age showed inconsistent correlation with dental and skeletal ages.

  4. Effects of fertility education on knowledge, desires and anxiety among the reproductive-aged population: findings from a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Maeda, E; Nakamura, F; Kobayashi, Y; Boivin, J; Sugimori, H; Murata, K; Saito, H

    2016-09-01

    50.8 (26.9) (P< 0.001) versus 53.0 (26.4) (P< 0.001) among women.The percentage of participants who felt subjective anxiety after exposure to the intervention brochure was significantly higher than that of the control groups: intervention versus Control 1 and versus Control 2: 32.6 versus 17.8% (risk difference [RD] = 0.149, 95% CI: 0.073-0.225) versus 14.5% (RD = 0.182, 95% CI: 0.108-0.256) among men, and 50.2 versus 26.3% (RD = 0.239, 95% CI: 0.155-0.322) versus 14.0% (RD = 0.362, 95% CI: 0.286-0.439) among women. Non-inferiority of the intervention was inconclusive (i.e. the CI included 0.15) among men whereas inferiority was declared among women. The incidence of anxiety was higher in the intervention group than that of the control groups especially among men aged 30 and older and among women aged 25 and older. No difference existed in childbearing desires between groups after exposure. The possibility of selection bias associated with the use of SRPs (higher socioeconomic status and education) and volunteer bias toward those more interested in fertility may limit the generalizability of these findings. In addition to education targeting a younger generation, psychological approaches are needed to alleviate possible anxiety caused by fertility information. This study was funded by National Center for Child Health and Development, Seiiku Medical Study Grant (24-6), the Daiwa Foundation Small Grants and Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (26-1591). No competing interest declared. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number, 000016168. 13 January 2015. 15 January 2015. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

  5. Influence of ABO blood group on sports performance.

    PubMed

    Lippi, Giuseppe; Gandini, Giorgio; Salvagno, Gian Luca; Skafidas, Spyros; Festa, Luca; Danese, Elisa; Montagnana, Martina; Sanchis-Gomar, Fabian; Tarperi, Cantor; Schena, Federico

    2017-06-01

    Despite being a recessive trait, the O blood group is the most frequent worldwide among the ABO blood types. Since running performance has been recognized as a major driver of evolutionary advantage in humans, we planned a study to investigate whether the ABO blood group may have an influence on endurance running performance in middle-aged recreational athletes. The study population consisted of 52 recreational, middle-aged, Caucasian athletes (mean age: 49±13 years, body mass index, 23.4±2.3 kg/m 2 ), regularly engaged in endurance activity. The athletes participated to a scientific event called "Run for Science" (R4S), entailing the completion of a 21.1 km (half-marathon) run under competing conditions. The ABO blood type status of the participants was provided by the local Service of Transfusion Medicine. In univariate analysis, running performance was significantly associated with age and weekly training, but not with body mass index. In multiple linear regression analysis, age and weekly training remained significantly associated with running performance. The ABO blood group status was also found to be independently associated with running time, with O blood type athletes performing better than those with non-O blood groups. Overall, age, weekly training and O blood group type explained 62.2% of the total variance of running performance (age, 41.6%; training regimen, 10.5%; ABO blood group, 10.1%). The results of our study show that recreational athletes with O blood group have better endurance performance compared to those with non-O blood group types. This finding may provide additional support to the putative evolutionary advantages of carrying the O blood group.

  6. Finding the 'who' in whooping cough: vaccinated siblings are important pertussis sources in infants 6 months of age and under.

    PubMed

    Bertilone, Christina; Wallace, Tania; Selvey, Linda A

    2014-09-30

    To describe the epidemiology of pertussis, and to identify changes in the source of pertussis in infants 6 months of age and under, during the 2008-2012 epidemic in south metropolitan Perth. Analysis of all pertussis cases notified to the South Metropolitan Population Health Unit and recorded on the Western Australian Notifiable Infectious Disease Database over the study period. Information on the source of pertussis was obtained from enhanced surveillance data. Notification rates were highest in the 5-9 years age group, followed by the 0-4 years and 10-14 years age groups. There was a significant increase in the proportion of known sources who were siblings from the early epidemic period of 2008-2010, compared with the peak epidemic period of 2011-2012 (14.3% versus 51.4%, p = 0.002). The majority of sibling sources were fully vaccinated children aged 2 and 3 years. The incidence of pertussis was highest in children aged 12 years and under in this epidemic. At its peak, siblings were the most important sources of pertussis in infants 6 months and younger, particularly fully vaccinated children aged 2 and 3 years. Waning immunity before the booster at 4 years may leave this age group susceptible to infection. Even if cocooning programs could achieve full vaccination coverage of parents and ensure all siblings were fully vaccinated according to national schedules, waning immunity in siblings could provide a means for ongoing transmission to infants. Recent evidence suggests that maternal antenatal vaccination would significantly reduce the risk of pertussis in infants 3 months of age and under.

  7. Ability Grouping in Schools: An Analysis of Effects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ireson, Judith; Hallam, Susan; Mortimore, Peter; Hack, Sarah; Clark, Helen

    This paper presents preliminary findings from a large-scale study of ability grouping in English secondary schools. Forty-five secondary schools representing three levels of grouping took part in the research. Within these schools, data have been collected from a cohort of Year 9 pupils, aged 13-14 years. All these pupils took tests in English,…

  8. Seroprotective antibodies to 2011 variant influenza A(H3N2v) and seasonal influenza A(H3N2) among three age groups of US Department of Defense service members.

    PubMed

    Radin, Jennifer M; Hawksworth, Anthony W; Ortiguerra, Ryan G; Brice, Gary T

    2015-01-01

    In 2011, a new variant of influenza A(H3N2) emerged that contained a recombination of genes from swine H3N2 viruses and the matrix (M) gene of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. New combinations and variants of pre-existing influenza viruses are worrisome if there is low or nonexistent immunity in a population, which increases chances for an outbreak or pandemic. Sera collected in 2011 were obtained from US Department of Defense service members in three age groups: 19-21 years, 32-33 years, and 47-48 years. Pre- and post-vaccination samples were available for the youngest age group, and postvaccination samples for the two older groups. Specimens were tested using microneutralization assays for antibody titers against H3N2v (A/Indiana/10/2011) and seasonal H3N2 virus (A/Perth/16/2009). The youngest age group had significantly (p<0.05) higher geometric mean titers for H3N2v with 165 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 105-225) compared with the two older groups, aged 32-33 and 47-48 years, who had geometric mean titers of 68 (95% CI: 55-82) and 46 (95% CI: 24-65), respectively. Similarly, the youngest age group also had the highest geometric mean titers for seasonal H3N2. In the youngest age group, the proportion of patients who seroconverted after vaccination was 12% for H3N2v and 27% for seasonal H3N2. Our results were similar to previous studies that found highest seroprotection among young adults and decreasing titers among older adults. The proportion of 19- to 21-year-olds who seroconverted after seasonal vaccination was low and similar to previous findings. Improving our understanding of H3N2v immunity among different age groups in the United States can help inform vaccination plans if H3N2v becomes more transmissible in the future.

  9. Morphology and Relative Age Modeling of Explosive craters in the Tatun Volcano Group, Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Chen-Kan; Song, Sheng-Rong

    2017-04-01

    The Tatun Volcano Group (TVG) is located in the north of Taipei city for only 15 km away, and has been argued whether it is active or not for a long time. The Chihsingshan volcano is covered by many gas fumaroles and hot springs and is viewed as a relatively younger volcano of the TVG. Furthermore, using high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) can easily identify two apparent fault zones (or rifting valleys) with many craters, which pass through the eastern and the western edifice of Chihsingshan volcano, respectively. Shapes of those craters are nearly circular or elliptic, probably stand for the young eruptive events. This study utilizes 1 m x 1 m LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) DEM to investigate the small craters along the fault zones. The boundaries encompassing the crater were depicted by their steep slope, especially the intact ones. Eight and six craters have been determined from western and eastern side, and two and three of them are more intact, respectively. Numerous fractures exist in the linear extent are similar to the fault zones, but the morphology was destroyed by the downstream river system. The results of fractal dimensions analysis, a statistic method that tells the broken level of the shapes, may correlate with the age of those craters. Previous studies have proven this modeling method can fit the lava flow sequences of the TVG. Hence we try to find a suitable age modeling for the explosive craters in the same way, and then we can compare different ones for relative age and focus on the youngest one. In addition, field sampling at the craters such as Duck Pond and Dream Lake may be ideal archives of volcanic deposits from young volcanic events. With the combinations of LiDAR-DEM, fractal dimensions analysis and field sampling results, we could figure out the formation sequence of the craters.

  10. Disassortative Age-Mixing Does Not Explain Differences in HIV Prevalence between Young White and Black MSM: Findings from Four Studies

    PubMed Central

    Grey, Jeremy Alexander; Rothenberg, Richard B.; Sullivan, Patrick Sean; Rosenberg, Eli Samuel

    2015-01-01

    Objective Age disassortativity is one hypothesis for HIV disparities between Black and White MSM. We examined differences in age mixing by race and the effect of partner age difference on the association between race and HIV status. Design We used data from four studies of MSM. Participants reported information about recent sexual partners, including age, race, and sexual behavior. Two studies were online with a US sample and two focused on MSM in Atlanta. Methods We computed concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs) by race across strata of partner type, participant HIV status, condom use, and number of partners. We used Wilcoxon rank-sum tests to compare Black and White MSM on partner age differences across five age groups. Finally, we used logistic regression models using race, age, and partner age difference to determine the odds ratio of HIV-positive serostatus. Results Of 48 CCC comparisons, Black MSM were more age-disassortative than White MSM in only two. Furthermore, of 20 comparisons of median partner age, Black and White MSM differed in two age groups. One indicated larger age gaps among the Black MSM (18-19). Prevalent HIV infection was associated with race and age. Including partner age difference in the model resulted in a 2% change in the relative odds of infection among Black MSM. Conclusions Partner age disassortativity and partner age differences do not differ by race. Partner age difference offers little predictive value in understanding prevalent HIV infection among Black and White MSM, including diagnosis of HIV-positive status among self-reported HIV-negative individuals. PMID:26090814

  11. The age of the Steens reversal and the Columbia River Basalt Group

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jarboe, Nicholas A.; Coe, Robert S.; Renne, Paul R.; Glen, Jonathan M. G.

    2010-01-01

    The Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) eruptions have a well-defined relative magnetostratigraphy but have not been definitively correlated to the geomagnetic polarity time scale. 40Ar/39Ar ages are presented from lavas erupted in the R0 through N1magnetozones of the CRBG and in the transition between R0 and N0. Four ages from transitionally magnetized lava flows at Steens Mountain, Catlow Peak, and Poker Jim Ridge with a weighted mean age 16.58 ± 0.10 Ma1 and the more precise age 16.654 ± 0.025 Ma of the normally magnetized Oregon Canyon tuff at the top of the Catlow Peak section show that the oldest CRBG magnetozone (R0) correlates with the C5Cr chron. Bayesian statistical analysis applied to data from four flows at Catlow Peak (using the mean age of the Steens reversal) gives a best and preferred age of the Steens reversal of 16.73 + 0.13/−0.08 Ma (95% confidence). Depending on the geomagnetic polarity time scale model, the eruption rate from N0 through R2 (0.34–0.45 Ma in the middle and the bulk of the CRBG emplacement) averaged 0.30–0.41 km3/a and peaked at a rate 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 times higher during R2.

  12. Deoxynivalenol Exposure in Norway, Risk Assessments for Different Human Age Groups

    PubMed Central

    Sundheim, Leif; Lillegaard, Inger Therese; Fæste, Christiane Kruse; Brantsæter, Anne-Lise; Brodal, Guro; Eriksen, Gunnar Sundstøl

    2017-01-01

    Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common mycotoxin in Norwegian cereals, and DON is detected in most samples of crude cereal grain and cereal food commodities such as flour, bran, and oat flakes. The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety assessed the risk for adverse effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) in different age groups of the domestic population. This review presents the main results from the risk assessment, supplemented with some recently published data. Impairment of the immune system together with reduced feed intake and weight gain are the critical effects of DON in experimental animals on which the current tolerable daily intake was established. Based on food consumption and occurrence data, the mean exposure to DON in years with low and high levels of DON in the flour, respectively, were in the range of or up to two times the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) in 1-year-old infants and 2-year-old children. In years with high mean DON concentration, the high (95th-percentile) exposure exceeded the TDI by up to 3.5 times in 1-, 2- , 4-, and 9-year-old children. The assessment concluded that exceeding the TDI in infants and children is of concern. The estimated dietary DON intakes in adolescent and adult populations are in the range of the TDI or below, and are not a health concern. Acute human exposure to DON is not of concern in any age group. PMID:28165414

  13. Deoxynivalenol Exposure in Norway, Risk Assessments for Different Human Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Sundheim, Leif; Lillegaard, Inger Therese; Fæste, Christiane Kruse; Brantsæter, Anne-Lise; Brodal, Guro; Eriksen, Gunnar Sundstøl

    2017-02-04

    Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common mycotoxin in Norwegian cereals, and DON is detected in most samples of crude cereal grain and cereal food commodities such as flour, bran, and oat flakes. The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety assessed the risk for adverse effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) in different age groups of the domestic population. This review presents the main results from the risk assessment, supplemented with some recently published data. Impairment of the immune system together with reduced feed intake and weight gain are the critical effects of DON in experimental animals on which the current tolerable daily intake was established. Based on food consumption and occurrence data, the mean exposure to DON in years with low and high levels of DON in the flour, respectively, were in the range of or up to two times the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) in 1-year-old infants and 2-year-old children. In years with high mean DON concentration, the high (95th-percentile) exposure exceeded the TDI by up to 3.5 times in 1-, 2- , 4-, and 9-year-old children. The assessment concluded that exceeding the TDI in infants and children is of concern. The estimated dietary DON intakes in adolescent and adult populations are in the range of the TDI or below, and are not a health concern. Acute human exposure to DON is not of concern in any age group.

  14. Emotion identification and aging: Behavioral and neural age-related changes.

    PubMed

    Gonçalves, Ana R; Fernandes, Carina; Pasion, Rita; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Barbosa, Fernando; Marques-Teixeira, João

    2018-05-01

    Aging is known to alter the processing of facial expressions of emotion (FEE), however the impact of this alteration is less clear. Additionally, there is little information about the temporal dynamics of the neural processing of facial affect. We examined behavioral and neural age-related changes in the identification of FEE using event-related potentials. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between behavioral/neural responses and neuropsychological functioning. To this purpose, 30 younger adults, 29 middle-aged adults and 26 older adults identified FEE. The behavioral results showed a similar performance between groups. The neural results showed no significant differences between groups for the P100 component and an increased N170 amplitude in the older group. Furthermore, a pattern of asymmetric activation was evident in the N170 component. Results also suggest deficits in facial feature decoding abilities, reflected by a reduced N250 amplitude in older adults. Neuropsychological functioning predicts P100 modulation, but does not seem to influence emotion identification ability. The findings suggest the existence of a compensatory function that would explain the age-equivalent performance in emotion identification. The study may help future research addressing behavioral and neural processes involved on processing of FEE in neurodegenerative conditions. Copyright © 2018 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Aging and exercise: Perceptions of the active lived-body.

    PubMed

    Fougner, Marit; Bergland, Astrid; Lund, Anne; Debesay, Jonas

    2018-03-30

    Exploring older people's evocation of their positive experiences of aging has been proposed as a counterweight to the Western stereotype of aging as a process of decline. The aim of this article is to explore how aging women, who participate regularly in group exercise classes, perceive their own bodies and the bodies of others. This article reports on the findings from interviews with 16 women between the age of 70 and 85. We analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis. Two overarching and interrelated themes concerning body perception emerged from the interviews: "The aging body and appearance" and "The body as subject and object." The binary discourse of old age, as either a decline or a success appears in our findings. The training contributes to a sense of well-being experienced through perceived increased physical abilities, self- image and self-esteem. Physical ability was perceived as being more important than appearance by the participants in this study, considering their preconception of an association between declining health, abilities, and older age. Involvement in physical activity appears to play a significant role in the perception of the women's own aging. Although physical attractiveness is a desirable outcome, the most important positive impact of the group exercise was related to increased social belonging and well-being, physical abilities, and capabilities. Thus implications for practice suggests that an intensive group training contributes to the opinion that an aging body is not necessarily a barrier to positive and successful aging.

  16. Perceptions of Technology and Its Use for Therapeutic Application for Individuals With Hemiparesis: Findings From Adult and Pediatric Focus Groups

    PubMed Central

    Tatla, Sandy K; Lohse, Keith R; Shirzad, Navid; Hoens, Alison M; Miller, Kimberly J; Holsti, Liisa; Virji-Babul, Naznin; Van der Loos, HF Machiel

    2015-01-01

    Background Digital technology is becoming an increasingly popular means of delivering meaningful therapy to individuals with neurological impairments. An understanding of clients’ technology use and their perspectives on incorporating technology into rehabilitation can provide researchers and designers with valuable information to inform development of technologies and technology-based rehabilitation programs. Objective This study was designed to establish the current use and perceptions of gaming, social media, and robotics technologies for rehabilitative purposes from the perspective of adults and children with upper limb impairments to identify barriers and enablers to their adoption and use. Methods We conducted three focus groups consisting of pediatric (n=7, mean age 11.0 years) and adult (n=8, mean age 60.8 years) participants with hemiparesis affecting their upper limb. We applied thematic analysis methods to the resulting data. Results We identified three key themes: (1) clients’ use of technology in everyday life and rehabilitation, (2) barriers to use, and (3) enablers to therapy. Participants had limited exposure to technology for therapeutic purposes, but all acknowledged the potential benefits in providing motivation and interest for the performance of repetitive task practice. Adult participants requested efficacious, simple, and easy-to-use technology for rehabilitation with programs that could be individualized for them and expressed that they wanted these programs to provide a motivating means of repeated practice of therapeutic movements. In contrast, pediatric participants emphasized a desire for technology for rehabilitation that offered opportunities for social interaction and interactive games involving their whole body and not only their affected limb. Perceived safety and privacy were concerns for both groups. Conclusions Our findings highlight that all participants were open to the integration of technology into rehabilitation. Adult

  17. Injury patterns among various age and gender groups of trauma patients in southern Iran

    PubMed Central

    Bolandparvaz, Shahram; Yadollahi, Mahnaz; Abbasi, Hamid Reza; Anvar, Mehrdad

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Administrative data from trauma referral centers are useful sources while studying epidemiologic aspects of injuries. We aimed to provide a hospital-based view of injuries in Shiraz considering victims’ age and gender, using administrative data from trauma research center. A cross-sectional registry-based study of adult trauma patients (age ≥15 years) sustaining injury through traffic accidents, violence, and unintentional incidents was conducted. Information was retrieved from 3 hospital administrative databases. Data on demographics, injury mechanisms, injured body regions, and injury descriptions; outcomes of hospitalization; and development of nosocomial infections were recorded. Injury Severity Score (ISS) was calculated by crosswalking from ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) injury diagnosis codes to AIS-98 (Abbreviated Injury Scale) severity codes. Patients were compared based on age groups and gender differences. A total of 47,295 trauma patients with a median age of 30 (interquartile range: 24–44 years) were studied, of whom 73.1% were male and the remaining 26.9% were female (M/F = 2.7:1.0). The most common injury mechanisms in the male group were car and motorcycle accidents whereas females were mostly victims of falls and pedestrian accidents (P < .01). As age increased, a shift from transportation-related to unintentionally caused injuries occurred. Overall, young men had their most severe injuries on head, whereas elderly women suffered more severe extremity injuries. Injury severity was similar between men and women; however, elderly had a significantly higher ISS. Although incidence of nosocomial infections was independent of victims’ age and gender, elderly men had a significantly higher mortality rate. Based on administrative data from our trauma center, male gender and age >65 years are associated with increased risk of injury incidence, prolonged hospitalizations, and in-hospital death following trauma

  18. The Influence of Older Age Groups to Sustainable Product Design Research of Urban Public Facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen-juan, Zhang; Hou-peng, Song

    2017-01-01

    Through summarize the status quo of public facilities design to older age groups in China and a variety of factors what influence on them, the essay, from different perspective, is designed to put forward basic principle to sustainable design of public facilities for the aged in the city, and thus further promote and popularize the necessity of sustainable design applications in the future design of public facilities for elderly people.

  19. Early Experiences Matter: A Relationships-Based Curriculum for the Birth-to-Three Age Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebbeck, Marjory; Warrier, Sheela; Goh, Mandy

    2018-01-01

    The paper discusses some research findings in Singapore that investigated if a relationships-based curriculum extended the active involvement of the infants, toddlers, and young children (up to the age of three) in their learning. Using a relationships-based curriculum, a study conducted over a year involved the use of a well-tested, traditional…

  20. Perceived Control and Social Activity in Midlife and Older Age: A Reciprocal Association? Findings From the German Ageing Survey.

    PubMed

    Curtis, Rachel G; Huxhold, Oliver; Windsor, Tim D

    2018-06-14

    Perceived control may promote social activity in older adults because individuals with greater perceived control have greater confidence in their ability to achieve outcomes and are more likely to choose difficult activities, show persistence, and employ strategies to overcome challenges. Cross-sectional research has linked perceived control with social activity in life span and older adult samples but provides little insight into the direction of influence. We examined reciprocal associations between perceived control and social activity in order to establish temporal sequencing, which is one prerequisite for determining potential causation. Participants were 14,126 midlife and older adults from the German Ageing Survey. Using cross-lagged autoregressive modeling with age as the time metric (40-87 years), we examined reciprocal 3-year lagged associations between perceived control and social activity, while controlling for concurrent associations. Perceived control significantly predicted social activity 3 years later. Reciprocally, social activity significantly predicted perceived control 3 years later. The influence of perceived control on social activity was greater than the influence of social activity on perceived control. The finding that perceived control significantly predicts future social activity has potential implications for developing interventions aimed at promoting social activity in midlife and older adults.

  1. [Using the sequenced sample cluster analysis to study the body mass index distribution characteristics of adults in different age groups and genders].

    PubMed

    Cai, Y N; Pei, X T; Sun, P P; Xu, Y P; Liu, L; Ping, Z G

    2018-06-10

    Objective: To explore the characteristics of distribution on Chinese adult body mass index (BMI) in different age groups and genders and to provide reference related to obesity and related chronic diseases. Methods: Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2009 were used. Sequential sample cluster method was used to analyze the characteristics of BMI distribution in different age groups and genders by SAS. Results: Our results showed that the adult BMI in China should be divided into 3 groups according to their age, as 20 to 40 years old, 40 to 65 years old, and> 65 years old, in females or in total when grouped by difference of 5 years. For groupings in male, the three groups should be as 20 to 40, 40 to 60 years old and>60 years old. There were differences on distribution between the male and female groups. When grouped by difference of 10 years, all of the clusters for male, female and total groups as 20-40, 40-60 and>60 years old, became similar for the three classes, respectively, with no differences of distribution between gender, suggesting that the 5-years grouping was more accurate than the 10-years one, and BMI showing gender differences. Conclusions: BMI of the Chinese adults should be divided into 3 categories according to the characteristics of their age. Our results showed that BMI was increasing with age in youths and adolescents, remained unchanged in the middle-aged but decreasing in the elderly.

  2. The Impact of Older Age and Sex on Motion Discrimination.

    PubMed

    Conlon, Elizabeth G; Power, Garry F; Hine, Trevor J; Rahaley, Nicole

    2017-01-01

    Background/Study Context: Reports of age-related differences on motion discrimination tasks have produced inconsistent findings concerning the influence of sex. Some studies have reported that older women have higher thresholds than older men, with others finding that women have higher motion thresholds regardless of age group. Reports of the age at which declines in motion discrimination first occur also differ, with some studies reporting declines only in groups aged over 70 years, with others reporting that age-related decline occurs at a younger age. The current study aimed to determine whether the sex differences found occur because relative to men, women have greater difficulty extracting motion signals from noise (Experiment 1) or have greater difficulty making use of the available motion cues (Experiment 2) in these complex moving stimuli. In addition, the influence of these manipulations on groups aged under and over 70 years was explored. Motion discrimination measures were obtained using 39 older adults aged between 60 and 85 years (21 women) and 40 younger adults aged between 20 and 45 years (20 women). In Experiment 1, coherent motion and relative motion displacement thresholds were obtained. In Experiment 2, coherent motion thresholds were obtained for stimuli containing either 150 or 600 dots. In Experiment 1, the older group had significantly higher thresholds on the relative motion displacement and coherent motion tasks than a younger group. No differences in motion sensitivity were found in the older groups aged under or over 70 years. Women regardless of age group had significantly higher thresholds than men on both tasks. In Experiment 2, the older group had higher coherence thresholds than the younger group, and the number of dots presented had no influence on thresholds, for the older group or older women specifically. In the younger group, women had higher coherence thresholds than men with presentation of 150 but not 600 dots. There

  3. Side Effects of Standard Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Regimens According to Age Groups in Primary Breast Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Reinisch, Mattea; von Minckwitz, Gunter; Harbeck, Nadia; Janni, Wolfgang; Kümmel, Sherko; Kaufmann, Manfred; Elling, Dirk; Nekljudova, Valentina; Loibl, Sibylle

    2013-01-01

    Summary Background Elderly breast cancer patients are underrepresented in clinical trials and this leads to a lack of knowledge regarding the tolerance and side effects of modern chemotherapy regimens, especially in dose-dense (dd) or dose-intensified combination. Patients and Methods In this analysis, data from 4 German, randomized (neo-)adjuvant trials, including anthracycline-based chemotherapy, were evaluated for toxicity, compliance and feasibility. Patients were grouped according to age. Results Of the 4,775 patients, 73.6% were < 60 years, 15.8% were 60–64 years and 10.6% were > 64 years. The patients’ compliance decreased with increasing age, the rate of therapy discontinuations was 10.3%; 16.0% were > 64 years old (p < 0.001). The rate of dose reductions also increased with increasing age in the docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (TAC) (p overall = 0.02) and 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin-cyclophosphamide (FE120C) (p overall < 0.001) treatment groups. Neutropenia grade 3 + 4 in patients of > 64 years was 77% in FE120C- compared to 55% in TAC-treated patients (with primary granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs)). The incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) was lowest in the regimens without additional taxanes. FN in patients aged > 64 years was lower in the FE120C- than in TAC-and dd-doxorubicin/docetaxel-treated groups. Conclusion The range and intensity of toxicity increased with age. Neutropenia did not increase significantly in the dd groups; the highest rate was seen in FE120C-treated patients. FE120C without G-CSFs is not an option in patients older than 64 years. PMID:24715845

  4. Effects of message framing on self-report and accelerometer-assessed physical activity across age and gender groups.

    PubMed

    Li, Kin-Kit; Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Fung, Helene H

    2014-02-01

    This study compared message-framing effects on physical activity (PA) across age and gender groups. Participants included 111 younger and 100 older adults (68% were women), randomly assigned to read gain-framed or loss-framed PA messages in promotion pamphlets, and who wore accelerometers for the following 14 days. Using regression analyses controlling for demographic and health factors, we found significant age-by-gender-by-framing interactions predicting self-report (B = -4.39, p = .01) and accelerometer-assessed PA (B = -2.44, p = .02) during the follow-up period. Gain-framed messages were more effective than loss-framed messages in promoting PA behaviors only among older men. We speculated that the age-related positivity effect, as well as the age and gender differences in issue involvement, explained the group differences in framing. In addition, more time availability and higher self-efficacy among older men might have contributed to the results.

  5. Response of the elderly to disaster: an age-stratified analysis.

    PubMed

    Bolin, R; Klenow, D J

    This article analyzes the effects of chronological age of disaster victims on their responses to stress effects of natural disasters. Previous research is reviewed and major findings of that research are noted. Findings regarding disaster losses, physical impacts, aid utilization patterns, kinship relations, relative deprivation, social-psychological impacts, neglect of elderly disaster victims, and differential recovery rates by age are retested on new data. Data described herein were gathered using survey techniques in two disaster stricken communities in Texas. Elderly victims' responses to the tornadoes are compared to a nonelderly (under sixty years of age) group to assess differences. Findings of previous research were, in many instances, supported although certain divergences between the current findings and preceding findings are noted, particularly in rates of recovery.

  6. Do Stress Trajectories Predict Mortality in Older Men? Longitudinal Findings from the VA Normative Aging Study

    PubMed Central

    Aldwin, Carolyn M.; Molitor, Nuoo-Ting; Avron, Spiro; Levenson, Michael R.; Molitor, John; Igarashi, Heidi

    2011-01-01

    We examined long-term patterns of stressful life events (SLE) and their impact on mortality contrasting two theoretical models: allostatic load (linear relationship) and hormesis (inverted U relationship) in 1443 NAS men (aged 41–87 in 1985; M = 60.30, SD = 7.3) with at least two reports of SLEs over 18 years (total observations = 7,634). Using a zero-inflated Poisson growth mixture model, we identified four patterns of SLE trajectories, three showing linear decreases over time with low, medium, and high intercepts, respectively, and one an inverted U, peaking at age 70. Repeating the analysis omitting two health-related SLEs yielded only the first three linear patterns. Compared to the low-stress group, both the moderate and the high-stress groups showed excess mortality, controlling for demographics and health behavior habits, HRs = 1.42 and 1.37, ps <.01 and <.05. The relationship between stress trajectories and mortality was complex and not easily explained by either theoretical model. PMID:21961066

  7. Differences in oncologist communication across age groups and contributions to adjuvant decision outcomes.

    PubMed

    Step, Mary M; Siminoff, Laura A; Rose, Julia H

    2009-11-01

    The objective of this study was to assess potential age-related differences in oncologist communication during conversations about adjuvant therapy decisions and subsequent patient decision outcomes. Communication was observed between a cross-section of female patients aged 40 to 80 with early-stage breast cancer (n=180) and their oncologists (n=36) in 14 academic and community oncology practices in two states. Sources of data included audio recordings of visits, followed by post-visit patient interviews. Communication during the visit was assessed using the Siminoff Communication Content and Affect Program. Patient outcome measures included self-reported satisfaction with decision, decision conflict, and decision regret. Results showed that oncologists were significantly more fluent and more direct with older than middle-aged patients and trended toward expressing their own treatment preferences more with older patients. Satisfaction with treatment decisions was highest for women in their 50s and 60s. Decision conflict was significantly associated with more discussion of oncologist treatment preferences and prognosis. Decision regret was significantly associated with patient age and education. Older adults considering adjuvant therapy may find that oncologists' communication accommodations to perceived deficiencies in older adult cognition or communication challenge their decision-making involvement. Oncologists should carefully assess patient decision-making preferences and be mindful of accommodating their speech to age-related stereotypes.

  8. Quantifying the impact of expanded age group campaigns for polio eradication.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Bradley G; Behrend, Matthew R; Klein, Daniel J; Upfill-Brown, Alexander M; Eckhoff, Philip A; Hu, Hao

    2014-01-01

    A priority of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) 2013-2018 strategic plan is to evaluate the potential impact on polio eradication resulting from expanding one or more Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) to children beyond age five-years in polio endemic countries. It has been hypothesized that such expanded age group (EAG) campaigns could accelerate polio eradication by eliminating immunity gaps in older children that may have resulted from past periods of low vaccination coverage. Using an individual-based mathematical model, we quantified the impact of EAG campaigns in terms of probability of elimination, reduction in polio transmission and age stratified immunity levels. The model was specifically calibrated to seroprevalence data from a polio-endemic region: Zaria, Nigeria. We compared the impact of EAG campaigns, which depend only on age, to more targeted interventions which focus on reaching missed populations. We found that EAG campaigns would not significantly improve prospects for polio eradication; the probability of elimination increased by 8% (from 24% at baseline to 32%) when expanding three annual SIAs to 5-14 year old children and by 18% when expanding all six annual SIAs. In contrast, expanding only two of the annual SIAs to target hard-to-reach populations at modest vaccination coverage-representing less than one tenth of additional vaccinations required for the six SIA EAG scenario-increased the probability of elimination by 55%. Implementation of EAG campaigns in polio endemic regions would not improve prospects for eradication. In endemic areas, vaccination campaigns which do not target missed populations will not benefit polio eradication efforts.

  9. Unintended consequences of cigarette price changes for alcohol drinking behaviors across age groups: evidence from pooled cross sections

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Raising prices through taxation on tobacco and alcohol products is a common strategy to raise revenues and reduce consumption. However, taxation policies are product specific, focusing either on alcohol or tobacco products. Several studies document interactions between the price of cigarettes and general alcohol use and it is important to know whether increased cigarette prices are associated with varying alcohol drinking patterns among different population groups. To inform policymaking, this study investigates the association of state cigarette prices with smoking, and current, binge, and heavy drinking by age group. Methods The 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (n = 1,323,758) were pooled and analyzed using multiple regression equations to estimate changes in smoking and drinking pattern response to an increase in cigarette price, among adults aged 18 and older. For each outcome, a multiple linear probability model was estimated which incorporated terms interacting state cigarette price with age group. State and year fixed effects were included to control for potential unobserved state-level characteristics that might influence smoking and drinking. Results Increases in state cigarette prices were associated with increases in current drinking among persons aged 65 and older, and binge and heavy drinking among persons aged 21-29. Reductions in smoking were found among persons aged 30-64, drinking among those aged 18-20, and binge drinking among those aged 65 and older. Conclusions Increases in state cigarette prices may increase or decrease smoking and harmful drinking behaviors differentially by age. Adults aged 21-29 and 65 and older are more prone to increased drinking as a result of increased cigarette prices. Researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers should work together to understand and prepare for these unintended consequences of tobacco taxation policy. PMID:22784412

  10. Unintended consequences of cigarette price changes for alcohol drinking behaviors across age groups: evidence from pooled cross sections.

    PubMed

    McLellan, Deborah L; Hodgkin, Dominic; Fagan, Pebbles; Reif, Sharon; Horgan, Constance M

    2012-07-11

    Raising prices through taxation on tobacco and alcohol products is a common strategy to raise revenues and reduce consumption. However, taxation policies are product specific, focusing either on alcohol or tobacco products. Several studies document interactions between the price of cigarettes and general alcohol use and it is important to know whether increased cigarette prices are associated with varying alcohol drinking patterns among different population groups. To inform policymaking, this study investigates the association of state cigarette prices with smoking, and current, binge, and heavy drinking by age group. The 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (n = 1,323,758) were pooled and analyzed using multiple regression equations to estimate changes in smoking and drinking pattern response to an increase in cigarette price, among adults aged 18 and older. For each outcome, a multiple linear probability model was estimated which incorporated terms interacting state cigarette price with age group. State and year fixed effects were included to control for potential unobserved state-level characteristics that might influence smoking and drinking. Increases in state cigarette prices were associated with increases in current drinking among persons aged 65 and older, and binge and heavy drinking among persons aged 21-29. Reductions in smoking were found among persons aged 30-64, drinking among those aged 18-20, and binge drinking among those aged 65 and older. Increases in state cigarette prices may increase or decrease smoking and harmful drinking behaviors differentially by age. Adults aged 21-29 and 65 and older are more prone to increased drinking as a result of increased cigarette prices. Researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers should work together to understand and prepare for these unintended consequences of tobacco taxation policy.

  11. Characteristics of positive-interaction parenting style among primiparous teenage, optimal age, and advanced age mothers in Canada.

    PubMed

    Kim, Theresa H M; Connolly, Jennifer A; Rotondi, Michael; Tamim, Hala

    2018-01-08

    Positive-interaction parenting early in childhood is encouraged due to its association with behavioural development later in life. The objective of this study was to examine if the level of positive-interaction parenting style differs among teen, optimal age, and advanced age mothers in Canada, and to identify the characteristics associated with positive-interaction parenting style separately for each age group. This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. First-time mothers with children 0-23 months were grouped into: teen (15-19 years, N = 53,409), optimal age (20-34 years, N = 790,960), and advanced age (35 years and older, N = 106,536). The outcome was positive-interaction parenting style (Parenting Practices Scale); maternal socio-demographics, health, social, and child characteristics were considered for backward stepwise multiple linear regression modeling, stratified for each of the age groups. Teen, optimal age, and advanced age mothers reported similar levels of positive- interaction parenting style. Covariates differed across the three age groups. Among optimal age mothers, being an ever-landed immigrant, childcare use, and being devoted to religion were found to decrease positive-interaction parenting style, whereas, higher education was found to increase positive-interaction parenting style. Teen mothers were not found to have any characteristics uniquely associated with positive-interaction parenting. Among advanced age mothers, social support was uniquely associated with an increase in positive-interaction parenting. Very good/excellent health was found to be positively associated with parenting in teens but negatively associated with parenting in advanced age mothers. Characteristics associated with positive-interaction parenting varied among the three age groups. Findings may have public health implications through information dissemination to first-time mothers, clinicians

  12. Mixed-Age Grouping in Nongraded Primary Classes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pasemko, Judy Guthrie

    This study examined teachers' and parents' perceptions of pedagogical successes in, and problems with, the implementation of mixed-age classes in primary education. Questionnaires were completed by 44 teachers in 2 British Columbia school districts, and by 41 parents of children in mixed-age classes in those districts. Some of the teachers were…

  13. Does age matter? The influence of age on response rates in a mixed-mode survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gigliotti, Larry M.; Dietsch, Alia

    2014-01-01

    The appeal of cost savings and faster results has fish and wildlife management agencies considering the use of Internet surveys instead of traditional mail surveys to collect information from their constituents. Internet surveys, however, may suffer from differential age-related response rates, potentially producing biased results if certain age groups respond to Internet surveys differently than they do to mail surveys. We examined this concern using data from a mixed-mode angler survey conducted in South Dakota following the 2011 fishing season. Results indicated that young anglers (16–18) had the lowest return rates and senior anglers (65+) had the highest, regardless of survey mode. Despite this consistency in response rates, we note two concerns: (a) lower Internet response rates and (b) different age groups represented by the Internet and mail survey samples differed dramatically. Findings indicate that constituent groups may be represented differently with the use of various survey modes.

  14. Religious and national group identification in adolescence: a study among three religious groups in Mauritius.

    PubMed

    Ng Tseung-Wong, Caroline; Verkuyten, Maykel

    2013-01-01

    Religious group identification is an important but understudied social identity. The present study investigates religious group identification among adolescents of different faiths (Hindu, Muslim, Christian) living in multicultural Mauritius. It further explores how religious and national group identities come together among religious majority and minority adolescents. For three age groups (11 to 19 years, N = 2152) we examined the strength of adolescents' religious and national group identification, the associations between these two identities, and the relationships to global self-esteem. Across age and religious group, participants reported stronger identification with their religious group than with the nation. Identification with both categories declined with age, with the exception of Muslims, whose strong religious identification was found across adolescence. The association between religious and national identification was positive, albeit stronger for the majority group of Hindus and for early adolescents. We examined the manner in which religious and national identities come together using a direct self-identification measure and by combining the separate continuous measures of identification. Four distinct clusters of identification (predominant religious identifiers, dual identifiers, neutrals, and separate individuals) that were differently associated with global self-esteem were found. Dual identifiers reported the highest level of global self-esteem. The clusters of identification did not fully correspond to the findings for the direct self-identification measure. The results are discussed in terms of the meaning of dual identity and the positive manner in which adolescents can manage their multiple identities while taking into account the ideological framework in which those identities are played out.

  15. Correlates of sedentary time in different age groups: results from a large cross sectional Dutch survey.

    PubMed

    Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; Hendriksen, Ingrid J M

    2016-10-26

    Evidence shows that prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk of mortality, independent of physical activity (PA). The aim of the study was to identify correlates of sedentary time (ST) in different age groups and day types (i.e. school-/work day versus non-school-/non-work day). The study sample consisted of 1895 Dutch children (4-11 years), 1131 adolescents (12-17 years), 8003 adults (18-64 years) and 1569 elderly (65 years and older) who enrolled in the Dutch continuous national survey 'Injuries and Physical Activity in the Netherlands' between 2006 and 2011. Respondents estimated the number of sitting hours during a regular school-/workday and a regular non-school/non-work day. Multiple linear regression analyses on cross-sectional data were used to identify correlates of ST. Significant positive associations with ST were observed for: higher age (4-to-17-year-olds and elderly), male gender (adults), overweight (children), higher education (adults ≥ 30 years), urban environment (adults), chronic disease (adults ≥ 30 years), sedentary work (adults), not meeting the moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) guideline (children and adults ≥ 30 years) and not meeting the vigorous PA (VPA) guideline (4-to-17-year-olds). Correlates of ST that significantly differed between day types were working hours and meeting the VPA guideline. More working hours were associated with more ST on school-/work days. In children and adolescents, meeting the VPA guideline was associated with less ST on non-school/non-working days only. This study provides new insights in the correlates of ST in different age groups and thus possibilities for interventions in these groups. Correlates of ST appear to differ between age groups and to a lesser degree between day types. This implies that interventions to reduce ST should be age specific. Longitudinal studies are needed to draw conclusions on causality of the relationship between identified correlates and ST.

  16. Attitudes about Aging Well among a Diverse Group of Older Americans: Implications for Promoting Cognitive Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laditka, Sarah B.; Corwin, Sara J.; Laditka, James N.; Liu, Rui; Tseng, Winston; Wu, Bei; Beard, Renee L.; Sharkey, Joseph R.; Ivey, Susan L.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To examine perceptions about aging well in the context of cognitive health among a large and diverse group of older adults. Design and Methods: Forty-two focus groups were conducted with older adults living in the community ( N = 396; White, African American, American Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hispanic). Participant descriptions …

  17. Early adulthood: an overlooked age group in national sodium reduction initiatives in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Park, Sohyun; Lee, Jounghee; Kwon, Kwang-Il; Kim, Jong-Wook; Byun, Jae-Eon; Kang, Baeg-Won; Choi, Bo Youl; Park, Hye-Kyung

    2014-12-01

    South Korean's sodium consumption level is more than twice the upper limit level suggested by the WHO. Steep increases in the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in Korea necessitate more effective sodium reduction programs. This study was conducted in order to compare sodium intake-related eating behaviors and key psychosocial factors according to age group and gender. Using an online survey, a total of 1,564 adults (20-59 years old) considered to be geographically representative of South Korea were recruited and surveyed. The major outcomes were perceived behaviors, knowledge, intentions, and self-efficacy related to sodium intake. The results show that perceived behavior and level of self-efficacy related to low sodium consumption differed by age and gender. Female participants showed better behavior and intention towards low sodium intake than male counterparts. Young participants in their 20s showed the lowest intention to change their current sodium intake as well as lowest self-efficacy measures. Future sodium reduction interventions should be developed with tailored messages targeting different age and gender groups. Specifically, interventions can be planned and implemented at the college level or for workers in their early career to increase their intention and self-efficacy as a means of preventing future health complications associated with high sodium intake.

  18. Treatment on outliers in UBJ-SARIMA models for forecasting dengue cases on age groups not eligible for vaccination in Baguio City, Philippines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magsakay, Clarenz B.; De Vera, Nora U.; Libatique, Criselda P.; Addawe, Rizavel C.; Addawe, Joel M.

    2017-11-01

    Dengue vaccination has become a breakthrough in the fight against dengue infection. This is however not applicable to all ages. Individuals from 0 to 8 years old and adults older than 45 years old remain susceptible to the vector-borne disease dengue. Forecasting future dengue cases accurately from susceptible age groups would aid in the efforts to prevent further increase in dengue infections. For the age groups of individuals not eligible for vaccination, the presence of outliers was observed and was treated using winsorization, square root, and logarithmic transformations to create a SARIMA model. The best model for the age group 0 to 8 years old was found to be ARIMA(13,1,0)(1,0,0)12 with 10 fixed variables using square root transformation with a 95% winsorization, and the best model for the age group older than 45 years old is ARIMA(7,1,0)(1,0,0)12 with 5 fixed variables using logarithmic transformation with 90% winsorization. These models are then used to forecast the monthly dengue cases for Baguio City for the age groups considered.

  19. Electrocardiographic Findings in National Basketball Association Athletes.

    PubMed

    Waase, Marc P; Mutharasan, R Kannan; Whang, William; DiTullio, Marco R; DiFiori, John P; Callahan, Lisa; Mancell, Jimmie; Phelan, Dermot; Schwartz, Allan; Homma, Shunichi; Engel, David J

    2018-01-01

    While it is known that long-term intensive athletic training is associated with cardiac structural changes that can be reflected on surface electrocardiograms (ECGs), there is a paucity of sport-specific ECG data. This study seeks to clarify the applicability of existing athlete ECG interpretation criteria to elite basketball players, an athlete group shown to develop significant athletic cardiac remodeling. To generate normative ECG data for National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes and to assess the accuracy of athlete ECG interpretation criteria in this population. The NBA has partnered with Columbia University Medical Center to annually perform a review of policy-mandated annual preseason ECGs and stress echocardiograms for all players and predraft participants. This observational study includes the preseason ECG examinations of NBA athletes who participated in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons, plus all participants in the 2014 and 2015 NBA predraft combines. Examinations were performed from July 2013 to May 2015. Data analysis was performed between December 2015 and March 2017. Active roster or draft status in the NBA and routine preseason ECGs and echocardiograms. Baseline quantitative ECG variables were measured and ECG data qualitatively analyzed using 3 existing, athlete-specific interpretation criteria: Seattle (2012), refined (2014), and international (2017). Abnormal ECG findings were compared with matched echocardiographic data. Of 519 male athletes, 409 (78.8%) were African American, 96 (18.5%) were white, and the remaining 14 (2.7%) were of other races/ethnicities; 115 were predraft combine participants, and the remaining 404 were on active rosters of NBA teams. The mean (SD) age was 24.8 (4.3) years. Physiologic, training-related changes were present in 462 (89.0%) athletes in the study. Under Seattle criteria, 131 (25.2%) had abnormal findings, compared with 108 (20.8%) and 81 (15.6%) under refined and international criteria, respectively

  20. [Emotional experience and regulation across the adult lifespan: comparative analysis in three age groups].

    PubMed

    Márquez-González, María; Izal Fernández de Trocóniz, María; Montorio Cerrato, Ignacio; Losada Baltar, Andrés

    2008-11-01

    The studies focused on age-related differences in emotional experience are still scarce, and most of them have been conducted with North-American samples. This study explores the presence of age-related differences in some facets of emotional experience (subjective well-being and emotional intensity), as well as in variables related to emotion regulation (subjective emotional control and three emotion-regulation mechanisms: situation selection, emotion suppression, rumination) in the Spanish population. One hundred and sixty people from three age groups (younger, middle-aged and older adults) participated in the study. Older participants reported lower levels of life satisfaction and positive emotional intensity than younger ones, as well as higher levels of perceived emotional control, emotional maturity and leveling of positive affect, and more use of emotion suppression. The results partially support the emotional maturity hypothesis of emotional functioning in old age, but also suggest that older adults' emotional regulation may present important peculiarities which have not yet been addressed in the extant literature, such as the moderation or limitation of emotional experience, especially positive emotions.

  1. Are older people a vulnerable group? Philosophical and bioethical perspectives on ageing and vulnerability.

    PubMed

    Bozzaro, Claudia; Boldt, Joachim; Schweda, Mark

    2018-05-01

    The elderly are often considered a vulnerable group in public and academic bioethical debates and regulations. In this paper, we examine and challenge this assumption and its ethical implications. We begin by systematically delineating the different concepts of vulnerability commonly used in bioethics, before then examining whether these concepts can be applied to old age. We argue that old age should not, in and of itself, be used as a marker of vulnerability, since ageing is a process that can develop in a variety of different ways and is not always associated with particular experiences of vulnerability. We, therefore, turn to more fundamental phenomenological considerations in order to reconstruct from a first person perspective the intricate interconnections between the experiences of ageing and vulnerability. According to this account, ageing and old age are phenomena in which the basic anthropological vulnerability of human beings can manifest itself in an increased likelihood of harm and exploitation. Thus, we plead for a combined model of vulnerability that helps to avoid problems related to the current concepts of vulnerability. We conclude first that old age as such is not a sufficient criterion for being categorized as vulnerable in applied ethics, and second that reflections on ageing can help to develop a better understanding of the central role of vulnerability in human existence and in applied ethics. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Healthy aging and dementia: findings from the Nun Study.

    PubMed

    Snowdon, David A

    2003-09-02

    The Nun Study is a longitudinal study of 678 Catholic sisters 75 to 107 years of age who are members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation. Data collected for this study include early and middle-life risk factors from the convent archives, annual cognitive and physical function evaluations during old age, and postmortem neuropathologic evaluations of the participants' brains. The case histories presented include a centenarian who was a model of healthy aging, a 92-year-old with dementia and clinically significant Alzheimer disease neuropathology and vascular lesions, a cognitively and physically intact centenarian with almost no neuropathology, and an 85-year-old with well-preserved cognitive and physical function despite a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer disease and an abundance of Alzheimer disease lesions. These case histories provide examples of how healthy aging and dementia relate to the degree of pathology present in the brain and the level of resistance to the clinical expression of the neuropathology.

  3. Finding "hard to find" literature on hard to find groups: A novel technique to search grey literature on refugees and asylum seekers.

    PubMed

    Enticott, Joanne; Buck, Kimberly; Shawyer, Frances

    2018-03-01

    There is a lack of information on how to execute effective searches of the grey literature on refugee and asylum seeker groups for inclusion in systematic reviews. High-quality government reports and other grey literature relevant to refugees may not always be identified in conventional literature searches. During the process of conducting a recent systematic review, we developed a novel strategy for systematically searching international refugee and asylum seeker-related grey literature. The approach targets governmental health departments and statistical agencies, who have considerable access to refugee and asylum seeker populations for research purposes but typically do not publish findings in academic forums. Compared to a conventional grey literature search strategy, our novel technique yielded an eightfold increase in relevant high-quality grey sources that provided valuable content in informing our review. Incorporating a search of the grey literature into systematic reviews of refugee and asylum seeker research is essential to providing a more complete view of the evidence. Our novel strategy offers a practical and feasible method of conducting systematic grey literature searches that may be adaptable to a range of research questions, contexts, and resource constraints. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Presence of the dinosaur Scelidosaurus indicates Jurassic age for the Kayenta Formation (Glen Canyon Group, northern Arizona)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Padian, Kevin

    1989-05-01

    The Glen Canyon Group (Moenave, Wingate, Kayenta and Navajo Formations) of northern Arizona represents an extensive outcrop of early Mesozoic age terrestrial sediments. The age of these formations has long been disputed because independent stratigraphic data from marine tie-ins, paleobotanical and palynological evidence, and radiometric calibrations have been scanty or absent. The fauna of the Kayenta Formation in particular has been problematic because it has appeared to contain both typical Late Triassic and Early Jurassic taxa Here I report that the principal evidence for Late Triassic taxa, dermal scutes previously assigned to an aetosaur, in fact belongs to the thyreophoran ornithischian dinosaur Scelidosaurus, previously known only as a washed-in form found in marine sediments in the Early Jurassic of England. The presence of this dinosaur represents the first vertebrate biostratigraphic tie-in of the Glen Canyon Group horizons with reliably dated marine deposits in Europe. Together with revised systematic assessments of other vertebrates and independent evidence from fossil pollen, it supports an Early Jurassic age for the Kayenta Formation and most or all of the Glen Canyon Group.

  5. Nutritional habits of mothers and children in the age group 0-4 years in Iran.

    PubMed

    Noughani, Fatemeh; Bagheri, Masoumeh; Ramim, Tayeb

    2014-01-01

    Maternal education and attitudes and practices can significantly be associated with the child's nutritional outcomes. Our goal was to find out patterns among mothers and children in the context of beliefs, knowledge and cultural practices of Iranian mothers. This research provides primary descriptive statistical data. To administer the interviews, five hospitals in Tehran, Iran (operating in mother and child medical services) were selected. 190 mothers and their children were selected for the study. Forty seven mothers (24.7%) were giving cow milk, while 92 (48.4 %) were giving powdered milk and milk itself 49 remaining (25.8%) gave a mixture of breast and cow milk to their children below one year. The anthropometric results in majority of the children fell under Grade-I and Grade-II undernourished category, and that the prevalence of under-nutrition was more obvious in lower age group children. A majority of the children were undernourished. Poor quality and inadequacy of food intake, economy below subsistence level and poor income, and seasonal food shortage were known to cause under-nutrition. Numerous factors, such as social, economic, regional, ethnical, religious, and superstition affect the mother and child.

  6. A comparison of postmortem coronary atherosclerosis findings in general aviation pilot fatalities.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1985-08-01

    Autopsy reports of 710 pilots involved in fatal general aviation accidents and received by the FAA for the years 1980-82 were reviewed to appraise the age-specific prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis among the autopsied group and compare findings ...

  7. Postmortem coronary atherosclerosis findings in general aviation accident pilot fatalities : 1975 - 1977.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1980-02-01

    Autopsy reports of 710 pilots involved in fatal general aviation accidents and received by the FAA for the years 1980-82 were reviewed to appraise the age-specific prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis among the autopsied group and compare findings ...

  8. Does Group Size Matter for Behavior in Online Trust Dilemmas?

    PubMed

    Artinger, Sabrina; Vulkan, Nir

    2016-01-01

    How does group size influence behavior in online trust dilemmas? We investigate cooperation in groups of 4 to 100 players. While overall levels of cooperation are stable across group sizes, we find significant gender differences: women increase cooperation with group size and cooperate significantly more than men in large groups. These results are robust when controlling for risk aversion, age, and other individual differences. They highlight the importance of studying behavior and gender differences in large groups.

  9. Navicular subluxation as a radiographic finding in Charcot neuroarthropathy.

    PubMed

    Estess, Allyson; Marquand, Nicole; Charlton, Timothy P; Thordarson, David B

    2013-11-01

    Treatment of patients with Charcot midfoot destruction is a difficult and increasingly common clinical problem. The pathoanatomical features of Charcot neuropathy have been evaluated in only a few studies. This study evaluated whether medial navicular subluxation (adduction of the navicular on the talus) is a radiographic finding present in patients with Charcot neuroarthropathy. A retrospective review of 143 consecutive patients diagnosed with Charcot arthropathy of the foot from January 2004 to May 2011 was performed. Patients were identified based on a clinical diagnosis code 713.5 during an outpatient clinic visit with 2 surgeons at a single institution. After exclusion criteria were applied, a series of radiographs of 50 feet in 40 patients were compared with radiographs from an age-matched control group. Radiographic data including talonavicular coverage angle and talonavicular uncoverage percentage were collected. The mean talonavicular coverage angle of the Charcot arthropathy group was 1.5 degrees and of the control group 12.1 degrees (P < .05). The talonavicular uncoverage value for the Charcot arthropathy group was 12.2% and for the control group 22.0% (P < .001). Medial navicular subluxation was a radiographic finding that was more commonly present in patients with Charcot arthropathy than in a matched control group. It is theorized that this finding is attributable to an unopposed pull of the posterior tibial tendon on the destabilized navicular. Level IV, retrospective case series.

  10. [Influence of coke oven emissions on workers' blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings].

    PubMed

    Liang, J J; Yi, G L; Mao, G S; Wang, D M; Dai, X Y

    2016-09-20

    Objective: To investigate the influence of coke oven emissions on workers' blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings, and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: The concentration of coke oven emissions at the bottom, side, and top of coke ovens was determined in a coking plant. A total of 406 coke oven workers were enrolled as exposure group and 201 office staff members were enrolled as control group. Blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings were compared between the two groups, and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the influencing factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings. Results: The concentration of coke oven emissions was the highest at the top of coke ovens, followed by the side and bottom of coke ovens, and there was a significant difference between the exposure group and the control group ( P <0.01). The exposure group had significantly higher detection rates of hypertension, abnormal electrocardiographic findings, and abnormal chest X-ray findings than the control group ( P <0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that high concentration of coke oven emission and age were risk factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings ( P <0.05). The workers exposed to high-concentration coke oven emissions were more likely to experience hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings than those exposed to low-concentration coke oven emissions ( OR =1.7 and 1.9). Conclusion: Besides lung injury, coke oven emissions also have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, more effective measures are needed to protect the health of coke oven workers.

  11. Prevalence of VDRL sero-positivity in women in reproductive age group in an urban slum community in Bombay.

    PubMed

    Pandit, D D; Angadi, S A; Chavan, M K; Pai, N P

    1995-01-01

    A cross sectional survey was carried in an Urban Slum Community in Bombay having a population of 60,000. A total of 393 women in reproductive age group were screened for VDRL reactivity. The highest prevalence was in 15 to 29 years of age group. The sero-positivity rate at 1:8 dilution and above was 0.50%. The seropositivity rate can be further brought down by properly planned and implemented STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) Control activities at a community level.

  12. Comparison of fungiform taste-bud distribution among age groups using confocal laser scanning microscopy in vivo in combination with gustatory function.

    PubMed

    Saito, Takehisa; Ito, Tetsufumi; Ito, Yumi; Manabe, Yasuhiro; Sano, Kazuo

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the distribution of taste buds in fungiform papillae (FP) and gustatory function between young and elderly age groups. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used because it allows many FP to be observed non-invasively in a short period of time. The age of participants (n = 211) varied from 20 to 83 yr. The tip and midlateral region of the tongue were observed. Taste buds in an average of 10 FP in each area were counted. A total of 2,350 FP at the tongue tip and 2,592 FP in the midlateral region could be observed. The average number of taste buds was similar among all age groups both at the tongue tip and in the midlateral region. The taste function, measured by electrogustometry, among participants 20-29 yr of age was significantly lower than that in the other age groups; however, there was no difference among any other age groups in taste function. These results indicate that the peripheral gustatory system is well maintained anatomically and functionally in elderly people. © 2016 Eur J Oral Sci.

  13. Intake of key micronutrients and food groups in patients with late-stage age-related macular degeneration compared with age-sex-matched controls.

    PubMed

    Gopinath, Bamini; Liew, Gerald; Russell, Joanna; Cosatto, Victoria; Burlutsky, George; Mitchell, Paul

    2017-08-01

    Knowledge of the risk factor profile of patients presenting with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could help identify the most frequent modifiable AMD precursors among people who are referred for treatment. We aimed to assess dietary behaviours by comparing adjusted mean intakes of micronutrients and major food groups (fruits, vegetables, fish) among patients with AMD and a sample of age-sex-matched controls. Cross-sectional analysis of 480 late AMD cases and 518 population-based age-sex-matched controls with no AMD signs. AMD cases (aged 60+ years) were those presenting for treatment to a hospital eye clinic in Sydney, Australia, during 2012-2015. The comparator group were obtained from a cohort study (Blue Mountains Eye Study; Sydney, Australia) during 2002-2009. Dietary intake was assessed using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. AMD lesions were assessed from retinal photographs. After multivariable adjustment, patients with late-stage AMD compared with controls had significantly lower intakes of vitamin E (7.4 vs 9.8 mg/day; p<0.0001), beta-carotene (6232 vs 7738 μg/day; p<0.0001), vitamin C (161 vs 184 mg/day; p=0.0002) and folate (498.3 vs 602 μg/day; p<0.0001); but had higher intakes of zinc (13.0 vs 11.9 mg/day; p<0.0001). A significantly lower proportion of patients with late AMD met the recommended intake of vegetables than controls: 52.9% versus 64.5%; p=0.0002. This study showed significant differences in intakes of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, folate and vegetables between patients with late-stage AMD and healthy controls, and thus has provided a better understanding of the nutritional intake of patients presenting with advanced AMD. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  14. 75 FR 27141 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Providing Dependent Coverage of Children to Age...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-13

    ... Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Providing Dependent Coverage of Children to Age 26 Under... Information and Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are issuing substantially similar interim final regulations with respect to group health plans and health insurance coverage...

  15. Personality Trait Differences Between Young and Middle-Aged Adults: Measurement Artifacts or Actual Trends?

    PubMed

    Nye, Christopher D; Allemand, Mathias; Gosling, Samuel D; Potter, Jeff; Roberts, Brent W

    2016-08-01

    A growing body of research demonstrates that older individuals tend to score differently on personality measures than younger adults. However, recent research using item response theory (IRT) has questioned these findings, suggesting that apparent age differences in personality traits merely reflect artifacts of the response process rather than true differences in the latent constructs. Conversely, other studies have found the opposite-age differences appear to be true differences rather than response artifacts. Given these contradictory findings, the goal of the present study was to examine the measurement equivalence of personality ratings drawn from large groups of young and middle-aged adults (a) to examine whether age differences in personality traits could be completely explained by measurement nonequivalence and (b) to illustrate the comparability of IRT and confirmatory factor analysis approaches to testing equivalence in this context. Self-ratings of personality traits were analyzed in two groups of Internet respondents aged 20 and 50 (n = 15,726 in each age group). Measurement nonequivalence across these groups was negligible. The effect sizes of the mean differences due to nonequivalence ranged from -.16 to .15. Results indicate that personality trait differences across age groups reflect actual differences rather than merely response artifacts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. "Don't Be Uneasy, My Children": Finding Strength in Stories of the Enslaved

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, Lisa

    2014-01-01

    Tackling challenging topics in history can be difficult, and sometimes teachers struggle to find age-appropriate ways to help students confront painful stories from the past. About four years ago, this author spearheaded a focus group with the purpose of taking on such a challenge. In the initial meetings, members of the group (four educators from…

  17. Neural Plastic Effects of Cognitive Training on Aging Brain

    PubMed Central

    Leung, Natalie T. Y.; Tam, Helena M. K.; Chu, Leung W.; Kwok, Timothy C. Y.; Chan, Felix; Lam, Linda C. W.; Woo, Jean; Lee, Tatia M. C.

    2015-01-01

    Increasing research has evidenced that our brain retains a capacity to change in response to experience until late adulthood. This implies that cognitive training can possibly ameliorate age-associated cognitive decline by inducing training-specific neural plastic changes at both neural and behavioral levels. This longitudinal study examined the behavioral effects of a systematic thirteen-week cognitive training program on attention and working memory of older adults who were at risk of cognitive decline. These older adults were randomly assigned to the Cognitive Training Group (n = 109) and the Active Control Group (n = 100). Findings clearly indicated that training induced improvement in auditory and visual-spatial attention and working memory. The training effect was specific to the experience provided because no significant difference in verbal and visual-spatial memory between the two groups was observed. This pattern of findings is consistent with the prediction and the principle of experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Findings of our study provided further support to the notion that the neural plastic potential continues until older age. The baseline cognitive status did not correlate with pre- versus posttraining changes to any cognitive variables studied, suggesting that the initial cognitive status may not limit the neuroplastic potential of the brain at an old age. PMID:26417460

  18. Correlation between cervical vertebral maturation and chronological age in a group of Iranian females.

    PubMed

    Safavi, Seyed Mohammadreza; Beikaii, Hanie; Hassanizadeh, Raheleh; Younessian, Farnaz; Baghban, Alireza Akbarzadeh

    2015-01-01

    Correlation between chronological age at different stages of cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) is important in clinical orthodontic practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between CVM stage and chronological age in a group of Iranian female patients. This study was conducted on 196 digital lateral cephalometry of female patients with the age ranged 9-14 years. The CVM stage was determined with two calibrated examiners, using the method developed by Baccetti and its correlation with mean chronological age was assessed by the Spearman rank-order. The intra and inter-agreements were evaluated by weighted Kappa statistics in overall diagnosis of stages, in addition to determination of presence or absent of concavities at the lower border of second, third and fourth cervical vertebrae and the shapes of the third and fourth vertebrae. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. The correlation coefficient between CVM stages and chronological age was relatively low (r = 0.62). The least amount of inter-observer agreement was determined to be at the clinical decision of the shape of the fourth vertebra. Regarding the low reported correlation, the concomitant usage of other skeletal indicators seems necessary for precise determination of physiological age of the patients.

  19. The Effect of Implied Performer Age and Group Membership on Evaluations of Music Performances

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrington, Ann M.

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the effects of implied performer age and group membership on listeners' evaluations of music performances. Undergraduate music majors (n = 23), nonmusic majors (n = 17), and members of a New Horizons ensemble (n = 16) were presented with six 30-second excerpts of concert band performances. Excerpts were presented to all…

  20. Expressive Language Intratest Scatter of Preschool-Age Children Who Stutter.

    PubMed

    Millager, Ryan A; Conture, Edward G; Walden, Tedra A; Kelly, Ellen M

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess intratest scatter (variability) on standardized tests of expressive language by preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS). Participants were 40 preschool-age CWS and 46 CWNS. Between-group comparisons of intratest scatter were made based on participant responses to the Expressive subtest of the Test of Early Language Development - 3 (TELD-Exp; Hresko, Reid, & Hamill, 1999) and the Expressive Vocabulary Test 2 (EVT-2; Williams, 2007). Within-group correlational analyses between intratest scatter and stuttering frequency and severity were also conducted for CWS. Findings indicated that, for CWS, categorical scatter on the EVT-2 was positively correlated with their stuttering frequency. No significant between-group differences in intratest scatter were found on the TELD-Exp or the EVT-2. Consistent with earlier findings, variability in speech-language performance appears to be related to CWS' stuttering, a finding taken to suggest an underlying cognitive-linguistic variable (e.g., cognitive load) may be common to both variables.

  1. Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players.

    PubMed

    Allisse, Maxime; Sercia, Pierre; Comtois, Alain-Steve; Leone, Mario

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years) were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p < 0.05). However, maximal aerobic power improved only during the off-season. All skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally <20% of the explained variance) between physiological variables measured off-ice and on-ice skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued.

  2. Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players

    PubMed Central

    Allisse, Maxime; Sercia, Pierre; Comtois, Alain-Steve; Leone, Mario

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years) were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p < 0.05). However, maximal aerobic power improved only during the off-season. All skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally <20% of the explained variance) between physiological variables measured off-ice and on-ice skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued. PMID:28828080

  3. Komatiites of the Onverwacht Group, S. Africa: REE geochemistry, Sm/Nd age and mantle evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jahn, Bor-Ming; Gruau, G.; Glikson, A. Y.

    1982-08-01

    Komatiites of the Tjakastad Subgroup of the Onverwacht Group (S. Africa) were dated by the Sm/Nd method. A whole-rock isochron yields an age of 3.56±0.24 (2 σ) AE, with initial 143Nd/144Nd ratio of 0.50818±23 (2 σ), corresponding to ɛ Nd( T)= + 1.9±4.5. This age is interpreted as the time of initial Onverwacht volcanism. This result agrees with earlier Sm/Nd data of Hamilton et al. (1979) and is consistent with the Rb-Sr result of Jahn and Shih (1974). Komatiites may be divided into 3 groups based on the typology of heavy REE distributions (Jahn and Gruau 1981). According to this scheme, the Onverwacht komatiites of the present study belong to two groups: the predominant Group II rocks showing (Gd/Yb)N≃1.4, CaO/Al2O3 = 1.33, Al2O3/TiO2≃10.6; and the subordinate Group III rocks with (Gd/Yb)N<1.0; CaO/Al2O3≃0.6 and A12O3/ TiO2≃40. This contrasting feature is best explained by garnet fractionation within the mantle sources. Younger komatiites (˜2.7 AE) from Finland, Canada, Rhodesia, and Australia have (Gd/Yb)N≃1.0, CaO/ Al2O3<1.1 and Al2O3/TiO2≃21 based on 58 analyses. These ratios are nearly chondritic or of the bulk earth value (Anders 1977). It appears that some late Archean komatiites are different in chemistry from many early Archean komatiites. This may imply that the upper mantle chemistry has evolved through Archean times. However, the age connotation of the chemical parameters, such as CaO/Al2O3, (Gd/Yb)N or Al2O3/TiO2 ratio has not been firmly established. The characteristic “high” CaO/Al2O3 or (Gd/Yb)N ratios in many Onverwacht Group rocks can also be explained as a result of local short-term mantle heterogeneity.

  4. Role of Age and Acculturation in Diet Quality Among Mexican Americans - Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2012.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Yilin; Scribner, Richard; Chen, Liwei; Broyles, Stephanie; Phillippi, Stephen; Tseng, Tung-Sung

    2017-07-20

    Age and acculturation may play a role in diet quality among Mexican Americans. This study examined diet quality in Mexican Americans by age and whether acculturation influences diet quality across different age groups, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2010, improved with age except in categories of dairy, sodium, and refined grains. More acculturation was associated with lower scores in overall diet quality and categories of vegetables, fruits, and sodium and empty calories across almost all ages, but higher scores in grain categories, especially in younger groups. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables but low in fat and sodium should be promoted among more acculturated Mexican Americans, and whole-grain foods should be promoted among young but less acculturated Mexican Americans.

  5. Gender stereotypes across the ages: On-line processing in school-age children, young and older adults

    PubMed Central

    Siyanova-Chanturia, Anna; Warren, Paul; Pesciarelli, Francesca; Cacciari, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    Most research to date on implicit gender stereotyping has been conducted with one age group – young adults. The mechanisms that underlie the on-line processing of stereotypical information in other age groups have received very little attention. This is the first study to investigate real time processing of gender stereotypes at different age levels. We investigated the activation of gender stereotypes in Italian in four groups of participants: third- and fifth-graders, young and older adults. Participants heard a noun that was stereotypically associated with masculine (preside “headmaster”) or feminine roles (badante “social care worker”), followed by a male (padre “father”) or female kinship term (madre “mother”). The task was to decide if the two words – the role noun and the kinship term – could describe the same person. Across all age groups, participants were significantly faster to respond, and significantly more likely to press ‘yes,’ when the gender of the target was congruent with the stereotypical gender use of the preceding prime. These findings suggest that information about the stereotypical gender associated with a role noun is incorporated into the mental representation of this word and is activated as soon as the word is heard. In addition, our results show differences between male and female participants of the various age groups, and between male- and female-oriented stereotypes, pointing to important gender asymmetries. PMID:26441763

  6. Mobile Technology Use Across Age Groups in Patients Eligible for Cardiac Rehabilitation: Survey Study

    PubMed Central

    Roach, Kellie; Sadler, Leonie; Glinatsis, Helen; Belshaw, Julie; Kirkness, Ann; Zhang, Ling; Gallagher, Patrick; Paull, Glenn; Gao, Yan; Partridge, Stephanie Ruth; Parker, Helen; Neubeck, Lis

    2017-01-01

    Background Emerging evidence indicates mobile technology–based strategies may improve access to secondary prevention and reduce risk factors in cardiac patients. However, little is known about cardiac patients’ use of mobile technology, particularly for health reasons and whether the usage varies across patient demographics. Objective This study aimed to describe cardiac patients’ use of mobile technology and to determine variations between age groups after adjusting for education, employment, and confidence with using mobile technology. Methods Cardiac patients eligible for attending cardiac rehabilitation were recruited from 9 hospital and community sites across metropolitan and rural settings in New South Wales, Australia. Participants completed a survey on the use of mobile technology devices, features used, confidence with using mobile technology, willingness and interest in learning, and health-related use. Results The sample (N=282) had a mean age of 66.5 (standard deviation [SD] 10.6) years, 71.9% (203/282) were male, and 79.0% (223/282) lived in a metropolitan area. The most common diagnoses were percutaneous coronary intervention (33.3%, 94/282) and myocardial infarction (22.7%, 64/282). The majority (91.1%, 257/282) used at least one type of technology device, 70.9% (200/282) used mobile technology (mobile phone/tablet), and 31.9% (90/282) used all types. Technology was used by 54.6% (154/282) for health purposes, most often to access information on health conditions (41.4%, 117/282) and medications (34.8%, 98/282). Age had an important independent association with the use of mobile technology after adjusting for education, employment, and confidence. The youngest group (<56 years) was over 4 times more likely to use any mobile technology than the oldest (>69 years) age group (odds ratio [OR] 4.45, 95% CI 1.46-13.55), 5 times more likely to use mobile apps (OR 5.00, 95% CI 2.01-12.44), and 3 times more likely to use technology for health

  7. Summary of the Findings from a Study About Cigarette Smoking Among Teen-Age Girls and Young Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yankelovich, Skelly and White, Inc., New York, NY.

    This paper presents the major results of a study for the American Cancer Society on cigarette smoking among teen-age girls and young women, and findings relevant to the prevention and quitting of smoking. The four major trends found in this study are: (1) a dramatic increase in cigarette smoking among females; (2) an intellectual awareness of the…

  8. Simplified radius, ulna, and short bone-age assessment procedure using grouped-Tanner-Whitehouse method.

    PubMed

    Hsieh, Chi-Wen; Liu, Tzu-Chiang; Wang, Jui-Kai; Jong, Tai-Lang; Tiu, Chui-Mei

    2011-08-01

    The Tanner-Whitehouse III (TW3) method is popular for assessing children's bone age, but it is time-consuming in clinical settings; to simplify this, a grouped-TW algorithm (GTA) was developed. A total of 534 left-hand roentgenograms of subjects aged 2-15 years, including 270 training and 264 testing datasets, were evaluated by a senior pediatrician. Next, GTA was used to choose the appropriate candidate of radius, ulna, and short bones and to classify the bones into three groups by data mining. Group 1 was composed of the maturity pattern of the radius and the middle phalange of the third and fifth digits and three weights were obtained by data mining, yielding a result similar to that of TW3. Subsequently, new bone-age assessment tables were constructed for boys and girls by linear regression and fuzzy logic. In addition, the Bland-Altman plot was utilized to compare accuracy between the GTA, the Greulich-Pyle (GP), and the TW3 method. The relative accuracy between the GTA and the TW3 was 96.2% in boys and 95% in girls, with an error of 1 year, while that between the assessment results of the GP and TW3 was about 87%, with an error of 1 year. However, even if the three weights were not optimally processed, GTA yielded a marginal result with an accuracy of 78.2% in boys and 79.6% in girls. GTA can efficiently simplify the complexity of the TW3 method, while maintaining almost the same accuracy. The relative accuracy between the assessment results of GTA and GP can also be marginal. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

  9. Suicidal behaviour in Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous males in urban and regional Australia: Prevalence data suggest disparities increase across age groups.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, Gregory; Pirkis, Jane; Arabena, Kerry; Currier, Dianne; Spittal, Matthew J; Jorm, Anthony F

    2017-12-01

    We compare the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in urban and regional Australia, and examine the extent to which any disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males varies across age groups. We used data from the baseline wave of The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men), a large-scale cohort study of Australian males aged 10-55 years residing in urban and regional areas. Indigenous identification was determined through participants self-reporting as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or both. The survey collected data on suicidal thoughts in the preceding 2 weeks and lifetime suicide attempts. A total of 432 participants (2.7%) identified as Indigenous and 15,425 as non-Indigenous (97.3%). Indigenous males were twice as likely as non-Indigenous males to report recent suicidal thoughts (17.6% vs 9.4%; odds ratio = 2.1, p < 0.001) and more than three times as likely to report a suicide attempt in their lifetime (17.0% vs 5.1%; odds ratio = 3.6; p < 0.001). The prevalence of recent suicidal thoughts did not differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in younger age groups, but a significant gap emerged among men aged 30-39 years and was largest among men aged 40-55 years. Similarly, the prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts did not differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in the 14- to 17-years age group, but a disparity emerged in the 18- to 24-years age group and was even larger among males aged 25 years and older. Our paper presents unique data on suicidal thoughts and attempts among a broad age range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous males. The disparity in the prevalence of suicidal thoughts increased across age groups, which is in contrast to the large disparity between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous suicide rates in younger age groups.

  10. Incidental findings in youths volunteering for brain MRI research.

    PubMed

    Gur, R E; Kaltman, D; Melhem, E R; Ruparel, K; Prabhakaran, K; Riley, M; Yodh, E; Hakonarson, H; Satterthwaite, T; Gur, R C

    2013-10-01

    MRIs are obtained in research in healthy and clinical populations, and incidental findings have been reported. Most studies have examined adults with variability in parameters of image acquisition and clinical measures available. We conducted a prospective study of youths and documented the frequency and concomitants of incidental findings. Youths (n = 1400) with an age range from 8-23 years were imaged on the same 3T scanner, with a standard acquisition protocol providing 1.0 mm(3) isotropic resolution of anatomic scans. All scans were reviewed by an experienced board-certified neuroradiologist and were categorized into 3 groups: 1) normal: no incidental findings; 2) coincidental: incidental finding(s) were noted, further reviewed with an experienced pediatric neuroradiologist, but were of no clinical significance; 3) incidental findings that on further review were considered to have potential clinical significance and participants were referred for appropriate clinical follow-up. Overall, 148 incidental findings (10.6% of sample) were noted, and of these, 12 required clinical follow-up. Incidental findings were not related to age. However, whites had a higher incidence of pineal cysts, and males had a higher incidence of cavum septum pellucidum, which was associated with psychosis-related symptoms. Incidental findings, moderated by race and sex, occur in approximately one-tenth of participants volunteering for pediatric research, with few requiring follow-up. The incidence supports a 2-tiered approach of neuroradiologic reading and clinical input to determine the potential significance of incidental findings detected on research MR imaging scans.

  11. Hope and social support utilisation among different age groups of women with breast cancer and their spouses.

    PubMed

    Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Goldzweig, Gil; Dorfman, Caroline; Uziely, Beatrice

    2014-01-01

    Social support and hope are considered positive, important contributors to psychological well-being for women with breast cancer and their spouses. Few studies examine the role of age in relation to these variables. The current study compares the relationship between social support, hope and depression among different age groups of women with advanced breast cancer and their healthy spouses. Cross-sectional sample of 150 women with advanced breast cancer and their spouses. Social support, hope, depression and socio-demographic data. Analysis included comparison of these variables between groups of older and younger patients and their spouses. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine hope as a mediator of the relationship between social support and depression within each group (older and younger patients and spouses). Older patients and spouses reported lower levels of depression than younger ones. SEM showed that social support related directly to depression among younger women and older spouses, while hope was directly related to depression among older women and younger spouses and acted as a mediator between social support and depression. Theoretical, empirical and clinical implications regarding the understanding of the role of age in coping with cancer are discussed.

  12. Effects of advanced aging on the neural correlates of successful recognition memory

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Tracy H.; Kruggel, Frithjof; Rugg, Michael D.

    2009-01-01

    Functional neuroimaging studies have reported that the neural correlates of retrieval success (old>new effects) are larger and more widespread in older than in young adults. In the present study we investigated whether this pattern of age-related ‘over-recruitment’ continues into advanced age. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), retrieval-related activity from two groups (N = 18 per group) of older adults aged 84–96 yrs (‘old-old’) and 64–77 yrs (‘young-old’) was contrasted. Subjects studied a series of pictures, half of which were presented once, and half twice. At test, subjects indicated whether each presented picture was old or new. Recognition performance of the old-old subjects for twice-studied items was equivalent to that of the young-old subjects for once-studied items. Old>new effects common to the two groups were identified in several cortical regions, including medial and lateral parietal and prefrontal cortex. There were no regions where these effects were of greater magnitude in the old-old group, and thus no evidence of over-recruitment in this group relative to the young-old individuals. In one region of medial parietal cortex, effects were greater (and only significant) in the young-old group. The failure to find evidence of over-recruitment in the old-old subjects relative to the young-old group, despite their markedly poorer cognitive performance, suggests that age-related over-recruitment effects plateau in advanced age. The findings for the medial parietal cortex underscore the sensitivity of this cortical region to increasing age. PMID:19428399

  13. Age-related injury and compensation claim rates in heavy industry.

    PubMed

    Guest, M; Boggess, M M; Viljoen, D A; Duke, J M; Culvern, C N

    2014-03-01

    Although ageing workers face specific health and safety concerns, conflicting evidence exists regarding the effects of age on workplace injury rates and workers' compensation claims. To examine injury and workers' compensation claim rates by age and injury type in an aluminium smelter over a 9-year period. Routinely collected data for workplace injuries and workers' compensation claims were retrieved for the period from 1997 to 2005. The study included a total of 709 workers who experienced 2281 at-work injuries and submitted 446 claims. In 1997, 16% of employees were aged 50 or over; by 2005 that proportion had more than doubled to 35%. Injury and claim rates in all age groups did not change significantly during this period. Workers younger than 30 years of age had the highest injury rates, with differences most significant for injuries other than sprains and strains. Claim rates were not significantly different across age groups. These findings do not provide evidence to support the notion that older workers sustain more injuries and are more likely to claim compensation for their injuries. Our findings demonstrate that in this workplace, older workers were able to maintain their ability to work safely. This contrasts with the finding that younger workers had the highest injury and claim rates. While adapting to the needs of an ageing workforce, employers should not lose sight of the need to nurture a strong culture of working safely among their youngest workers.

  14. Variance of foot biomechanical parameters across age groups for the elderly people in Romania

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deselnicu, D. C.; Vasilescu, A. M.; Militaru, G.

    2017-10-01

    The paper presents the results of a fieldwork study conducted in order to analyze major causal factors that influence the foot deformities and pathologies of elderly women in Romania. The study has an exploratory and descriptive nature and uses quantitative methodology. The sample consisted of 100 elderly women from Romania, ranging from 55 to over 75 years of age. The collected data was analyzed on multiple dimensions using a statistic analysis software program. The analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences across age groups in terms of several biomechanical parameters such as travel speed, toe off phase and support phase in the case of elderly women.

  15. On the derivation of a full life table from mortality data recorded in five-year age groups.

    PubMed

    Pollard, J H

    1989-01-01

    Mortality data are often gathered using 5-year age groups rather than individual years of life. Furthermore, it is common practice to use a large open-ended interval (such as 85 and over) for mortality data at the older ages. These limitations of the data pose problems for the actuary or demographer who wishes to compile a full and accurate life table using individual years of life. The author devises formulae which handle these problems. He also devises methods for handling mortality during the 1st year of life and for dealing with other technical problems which arise in the compilation of the full life table from grouped data.

  16. Finding Sales Promotion and Making Decision for New Product Based on Group Analysis of Edge-Enhanced Product Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Yi; Tan, Jianbin; Wu, Bin

    A novel method is proposed in this paper to find the promotive relationship of products from a network point of view. Firstly, a product network is built based on the dataset of handsets’ sale information collected from all outlets of a telecom operator of one province of China, with a period from Jan. 2006 to Jul. 2008. Then the edge enhanced model is applied on product network to divide all the products into several groups, according to which each outlet is assigned to class A or class B for a certain handset. Class A is defined as the outlet which sell the certain handset and contains all of handsets of its group, while other situation for class B which sell the certain handset too. It’s shown from the result of analysis on these two kinds of outlets that many handsets are sold better in outlets of class A than that of class B, even though the sales revenue of all these outlets in the time period is close. That is to say the handsets within a group would promote the sale for each other. Furthermore, a method proposed in this paper gives a way to find out the important attributes of the handsets which lead them to br divided into the same group, and it also explains how to add a new handset to an existing group and where would the new handset be sold best.

  17. Finding Groups Using Model-based Cluster Analysis: Heterogeneous Emotional Self-regulatory Processes and Heavy Alcohol Use Risk

    PubMed Central

    Mun, Eun-Young; von Eye, Alexander; Bates, Marsha E.; Vaschillo, Evgeny G.

    2010-01-01

    Model-based cluster analysis is a new clustering procedure to investigate population heterogeneity utilizing finite mixture multivariate normal densities. It is an inferentially based, statistically principled procedure that allows comparison of non-nested models using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) to compare multiple models and identify the optimum number of clusters. The current study clustered 36 young men and women based on their baseline heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), chronic alcohol use, and reasons for drinking. Two cluster groups were identified and labeled High Alcohol Risk and Normative groups. Compared to the Normative group, individuals in the High Alcohol Risk group had higher levels of alcohol use and more strongly endorsed disinhibition and suppression reasons for use. The High Alcohol Risk group showed significant HRV changes in response to positive and negative emotional and appetitive picture cues, compared to neutral cues. In contrast, the Normative group showed a significant HRV change only to negative cues. Findings suggest that the individuals with autonomic self-regulatory difficulties may be more susceptible to heavy alcohol use and use alcohol for emotional regulation. PMID:18331138

  18. Designing exercise clinical trials for older adults with cancer: Recommendations from 2015 Cancer and Aging Research Group NCI U13 Meeting

    PubMed Central

    Kilari, Deepak; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Mohile, Supriya Gupta; Alibhai, Shabbir M.H.; Presley, Carolyn J.; Wildes, Tanya M.; Klepin, Heidi D.; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Jatoi, Amina; Harrison, Robert; Won, Elizabeth; Mustian, Karen M.

    2016-01-01

    Cancer and its treatment can lead to a myriad of adverse events and negatively impact quality of life of older cancer patients and survivors. Unmet physical activity needs vary across the cancer continuum and remain an important yet understudied area of research in this population. Exercise interventions have been shown to be effective in treating both the physical and psychological declines associated with cancer and its treatment, with a potential to improve cancer-related outcomes. Despite the current evidence, exercise is clearly underutilized due to several barriers and knowledge gaps in existing trials that include appropriate population identification, design, and outcome measures selection. The benefits of regular exercise in both the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions are well established in the non-cancer population. In older cancer patients and survivors, further research is needed before exercise gains widespread acceptance. The Cancer and Aging Research Group convened experts in exercise, aging and cancer to evaluate current scientific evidence and knowledge gaps in geriatric exercise oncology. This report summarizes these findings and provides future research directions. PMID:27197916

  19. Designing exercise clinical trials for older adults with cancer: Recommendations from 2015 Cancer and Aging Research Group NCI U13 Meeting.

    PubMed

    Kilari, Deepak; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Mohile, Supriya Gupta; Alibhai, Shabbir M H; Presley, Carolyn J; Wildes, Tanya M; Klepin, Heidi D; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Jatoi, Amina; Harrison, Robert; Won, Elizabeth; Mustian, Karen M

    2016-07-01

    Cancer and its treatment can lead to a myriad of adverse events and negatively impact quality of life of older cancer patients and survivors. Unmet physical activity needs vary across the cancer continuum and remain an important yet understudied area of research in this population. Exercise interventions have been shown to be effective in treating both the physical and psychological declines associated with cancer and its treatment, with a potential to improve cancer-related outcomes. Despite the current evidence, exercise is clearly underutilized due to several barriers and knowledge gaps in existing trials that include appropriate population identification, design, and outcome measures selection. The benefits of regular exercise in both the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions are well established in the non-cancer population. In older cancer patients and survivors, further research is needed before exercise gains widespread acceptance. The Cancer and Aging Research Group convened experts in exercise, aging and cancer to evaluate current scientific evidence and knowledge gaps in geriatric exercise oncology. This report summarizes these findings and provides future research directions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Older Adults' Experiences of Sexual Difficulties: Qualitative Findings From the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ELSA).

    PubMed

    Hinchliff, Sharron; Tetley, Josie; Lee, David; Nazroo, James

    2018-02-01

    There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that sexual activity is important to the quality of life of older adults, and that it can be influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors. However, older adults' experiences of sexual difficulties remain relatively unexplored. This article draws on qualitative data collected as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Participants answered a Sexual Relationships and Activities Questionnaire (SRA-Q), which included an open comment box for further details, 1,084 (1/7) of which were completed. These data were analyzed using Template Analysis, and findings on the experiences of sexual difficulties are presented in this article. Sexual difficulties were contextualized within the couple relationship and could be detrimental to the relationship, particularly if the partner would not seek professional help. Participants reported that sexual difficulties could also have a negative impact on psychological well-being, described mainly as frustration, depression, and sadness. For some participants the supportive nature of their relationship buffered these impacts. Few had sought professional help; those who had reported helpful and unhelpful experiences. These findings add to the limited evidence base and have implications for health care in the context of global aging and a growing recognition of older adults' sexual rights.

  1. QuickStats: Percentage* of Adults Aged ≥20 Years Who Ever Told A Doctor That They Had Trouble Sleeping,† by Age Group and Sex - National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2014.

    PubMed

    2016-11-25

    In 2013-2014, 28.0% of U.S. adults reported that they had told a doctor or other health professional that they had trouble sleeping. A smaller percentage of adults aged 20-39 years (19.2%) reported having trouble sleeping compared with persons aged 40-59 years (32.8%) and ≥60 years (33.2%). This pattern by age group was observed for both men and women, although larger percentages of women aged 40-59 years and ≥60 years reported trouble sleeping compared with men in those age groups.

  2. Incidence patterns of pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic fractures according to age groups and seasons in South Korea: a population-based study.

    PubMed

    Park, Moon Seok; Chung, Chin Youb; Choi, In Ho; Kim, Tae Won; Sung, Ki Hyuk; Lee, Seung Yeol; Lee, Sang Hyeong; Kwon, Dae Gyu; Park, Jung Woo; Kim, Tae Gyun; Choi, Young; Cho, Tae-Joon; Yoo, Won Joon; Lee, Kyoung Min

    2013-09-01

    Fractures which need urgent or emergency treatment are common in children and adolescents. This study investigated the incidence patterns of pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic fractures according to age groups and seasons in South Korea based on population data. Data on the number of pediatric and adolescent patients under the age of 18 years who utilized medical services due to fractures were retrieved from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service in South Korea. The data included four upper extremity and two lower extremity fractures according to four age groups (0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-18 years). Incidences of the fractures were calculated as the incidence per 10,000 per year, and patterns according to age groups and seasons were demonstrated. The annual incidence of clavicle, distal humerus, both forearm bone, distal radius, femoral shaft and tibial shaft fractures were 27.5, 34.6, 7.7, 80.1, 2.5, and 9.6 per 10,000 per year in children and adolescents, respectively. Clavicle and distal radius fractures showed significant seasonal variation for all age groups but femoral shaft fracture showed no significant seasonal variation for any of the age groups. The four upper extremity fractures tended to show greater variations than the two lower extremity fractures in the nationwide database in South Korea. The study results are believed to be helpful in the planning and assignment of medical resources for fracture management in children and adolescents.

  3. Locus of Control and Other Psycho-Social Parameters in Successful American Age-Group Swimmers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Edmund J., Jr.; Straub, William F.

    Psycho-social factors in successful age-group swimmers were explored in this study. The subjects were 50 female and 39 male participants in the 1975 Amateur Athletic Union National Junior Olympics who were asked to answer a set of questions from an open-ended questionnaire. The results support a picture of young persons who invest a great deal of…

  4. The effects of priming with age stereotypes on a PC-based mail-sorting task.

    PubMed

    Kirchner, Christine; Bock, Otmar Leo; Völker, Ina

    2017-04-01

    This study examines whether unconscious priming of attitudes towards older age might change the self-efficacy of older employees, and thus modify their performance at work. Three age- and gender-matched groups of 20 participants were primed with positive, negative or no age stereotypes by means of the scrambled sentence task, and were then transferred to a cognitively demanding PC-based mail-sorting task. Participants' accuracy on the latter task was significantly higher in the positively primed group than in the unprimed group, and was significantly lower in the negatively primed group than in the unprimed group, except for one parameter. These findings indicate that the performance of older workers may indeed be modifiable by unconscious priming. Practitioner Summary: This study analyses whether unconscious priming attitudes towards older age might modify work performance. Participants were primed with the scrambled sentence task and then conducted a cognitive mail-sorting task. The findings indicate that the performance of older workers may indeed be modifiable by unconscious negative as well as positive priming.

  5. Face age modulates gaze following in young adults.

    PubMed

    Ciardo, Francesca; Marino, Barbara F M; Actis-Grosso, Rossana; Rossetti, Angela; Ricciardelli, Paola

    2014-04-22

    Gaze-following behaviour is considered crucial for social interactions which are influenced by social similarity. We investigated whether the degree of similarity, as indicated by the perceived age of another person, can modulate gaze following. Participants of three different age-groups (18-25; 35-45; over 65) performed an eye movement (a saccade) towards an instructed target while ignoring the gaze-shift of distracters of different age-ranges (6-10; 18-25; 35-45; over 70). The results show that gaze following was modulated by the distracter face age only for young adults. Particularly, the over 70 year-old distracters exerted the least interference effect. The distracters of a similar age-range as the young adults (18-25; 35-45) had the most effect, indicating a blurred own-age bias (OAB) only for the young age group. These findings suggest that face age can modulate gaze following, but this modulation could be due to factors other than just OAB (e.g., familiarity).

  6. Pretreatment Hematologic Findings as Novel Predictive Markers for Facial Palsy Prognosis.

    PubMed

    Wasano, Koichiro; Kawasaki, Taiji; Yamamoto, Sayuri; Tomisato, Shuta; Shinden, Seiichi; Ishikawa, Toru; Minami, Shujiro; Wakabayashi, Takeshi; Ogawa, Kaoru

    2016-10-01

    To examine the relationship between prognosis of 2 different facial palsies and pretreatment hematologic laboratory values. Multicenter case series with chart review. Three tertiary care hospitals. We examined the clinical records of 468 facial palsy patients who were treated with an antiviral drug in combination with either oral or intravenous corticosteroids in participating hospitals between 2010 and 2014. Patients were divided into a Bell's palsy group or a Hunt's palsy group. We used the Yanagihara facial nerve grading system to grade the severity of facial palsy. "Recovery" from facial palsy was defined as achieving a Yanagihara score ≥36 points within 6 months of onset and having no accompanying facial contracture or synkinesis. We collected information about pretreatment hematologic findings, demographic data, and electrophysiologic test results of the Bell and Hunt group patients who recovered and those who did not. We then compared these data across the 2 palsy groups. In the Bell's palsy group, recovered and unrecovered patients differed significantly in age, sex, electroneuronography score, stapedial muscle reflex, neutrophil rate, lymphocyte rate, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and initial Yanagihara score. In the Hunt's palsy group, recovered and unrecovered patients differed in age, electroneuronography score, stapedial muscle reflex, monocyte rate, platelet count, mean corpuscular volume, and initial Yanagihara score. Pretreatment hematologic findings, which reflect the severity of inflammation and bone marrow dysfunction caused by a virus infection, are useful for predicting the prognosis of facial palsy. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

  7. A Novel Physiology-Based Mathematical Model to Estimate Red Blood Cell Lifespan in Different Human Age Groups.

    PubMed

    An, Guohua; Widness, John A; Mock, Donald M; Veng-Pedersen, Peter

    2016-09-01

    Direct measurement of red blood cell (RBC) survival in humans has improved from the original accurate but limited differential agglutination technique to the current reliable, safe, and accurate biotin method. Despite this, all of these methods are time consuming and require blood sampling over several months to determine the RBC lifespan. For situations in which RBC survival information must be obtained quickly, these methods are not suitable. With the exception of adults and infants, RBC survival has not been extensively investigated in other age groups. To address this need, we developed a novel, physiology-based mathematical model that quickly estimates RBC lifespan in healthy individuals at any age. The model is based on the assumption that the total number of RBC recirculations during the lifespan of each RBC (denoted by N max) is relatively constant for all age groups. The model was initially validated using the data from our prior infant and adult biotin-labeled red blood cell studies and then extended to the other age groups. The model generated the following estimated RBC lifespans in 2-year-old, 5-year-old, 8-year-old, and 10-year-old children: 62, 74, 82, and 86 days, respectively. We speculate that this model has useful clinical applications. For example, HbA1c testing is not reliable in identifying children with diabetes because HbA1c is directly affected by RBC lifespan. Because our model can estimate RBC lifespan in children at any age, corrections to HbA1c values based on the model-generated RBC lifespan could improve diabetes diagnosis as well as therapy in children.

  8. Etiology and body area of injuries in young female dancers presenting to sports medicine clinic: A comparison by age group.

    PubMed

    Stracciolini, Andrea; Yin, Amy X; Sugimoto, Dai

    2015-11-01

    Improving knowledge regarding injuries sustained by pediatric dancers is important in order to better understand injury risk. The aim of this study is to analyze dance injury etiology and body area by age in a cohort of young female dancers presenting to a pediatric sports/dance medicine clinic. The cross-sectional epidemiological study of a 5% probability sample of dancers evaluated between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2009 with a musculoskeletal injury requiring physician evaluation. A total of 2,133 charts were reviewed from which 171 female dancers 8-17 years old (mean age 14.7 years) were identified. Data were stratified by age, < 12 years and ≥ 12 years, and analyzed based on injury body area, type, and etiology. Fisher's exact test was used to determine statistical significance. Injuries sustained by dancers in the younger age category (< 12 years) were largely to the foot-ankle/lower leg/knee (93.3%) versus thigh-hip/spine/upper extremity (6.7%). In comparison, dancers in the older age group (≥ 12 years) had a large proportion of injuries to the foot-ankle/lower leg/knee (67.3%) as well, but had a notably larger fraction of injuries to the thigh-hip/spine/upper extremity (32.7%; p = 0.04). Approximately two-thirds of the injuries sustained in the younger age group (< 12 years) were classified as bony. In comparison, injuries in the older age group (≥ 12 years) were roughly half bony and half soft tissue (51.3% and 48.7%, respectively; p = 0.29). Most injuries were overuse in etiology for both younger and older age groups (86.7% and 82.1%, respectively; p = 1.00). Through puberty, there was a decline in the injuries to the foot-ankle/lower leg/knee. Conversely, there was an increase in the thigh/hip-pelvis/spine/upper extremity injuries through growth. Injuries to young female dancers in this study cohort were mostly categorized as overuse in etiology, and differed by the age group and the body area. Increased information regarding dance injuries can help guide

  9. Tracking 10-year competitive winning performance of judo athletes across age groups.

    PubMed

    Julio, Ursula F; Takito, Monica Y; Mazzei, Leandro; Miarka, Bianca; Sterkowicz, Stanislaw; Franchini, Emerson

    2011-08-01

    Little information is available concerning early specialization and competitive success in judo across the early training years. Thus, the present objective was to verify the stability of individual competitive performance of a state-level championship for judo athletes who had been previously successful. For this, 406 athletes from six age groups (9 to 20+ years old) of each sex were followed for 10 years. Using recorded data from the São Paulo State Judo Federation beginning in 1999, the scores and standings for these judo players were analyzed. The proportion of medal winners during this period was not constant, differing from the grand mean in all groups of both 204 males and 202 females. At the end of this period, only 7% of the male and 5% of the female athletes had maintained their competitive levels. Successful competitive performance in early judo competition was not associated with success later in adulthood.

  10. Assessing the prevalence and clinical relevance of positive abdominal and pelvic CT findings in senior patients presenting to the emergency department.

    PubMed

    Alabousi, Abdullah; Patlas, Michael N; Meshki, Malek; Monteiro, Sandra; Katz, Douglas S

    2016-04-01

    The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the prevalence and clinical relevance of positive abdominal and pelvic CT findings for patients 65 years of age and older, when compared with all other scanned adult Emergency Department (ED) patients, at a single tertiary care hospital. Our hypothesis was that there is an increased prevalence and clinical relevance of positive abdominal/pelvic CT findings in senior patients. A research ethics board-approved retrospective review of all adult patients who underwent an emergency CT of the abdomen and pelvis for acute nontraumatic abdominal and/or pelvic signs and symptoms was performed. Two thousand one hundred two patients between October 1, 2011, and September 30, 2013, were reviewed. Six hundred thirty-one patients were included in the <65 group (298 men and 333 women; mean age 46, age range 18-64), and 462 were included in the >65 group (209 men and 253 women; mean age 77.6, age range 65-99). Overall, there were more positive CT findings for patients <65 (389 positive cases, 61.6 %) compared with the >65 group (257 positive cases, 55.6 %), which was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.03). Moreover, with the exception of complicated appendicitis cases, which were more common in the >65 group, there were no statistically significant differences in the clinical/surgical relevance of the positive CT findings between the two groups. The findings of our retrospective study therefore refute our hypothesis that there is an increased prevalence of positive abdominal CT findings in patients >65. This may be related to ED physicians at our institution being more hesitant to order CT examinations for the younger population, presumably due to radiation concerns. However, older patients in our series were more likely to present with complicated appendicitis, and a lower threshold for ordering CT examinations of the abdomen and pelvis in this patient population should therefore be considered.

  11. An unexpected finding: younger fathers have a higher risk for offspring with chromosomal aneuploidies

    PubMed Central

    Steiner, Bernhard; Masood, Rahim; Rufibach, Kaspar; Niedrist, Dunja; Kundert, Oliver; Riegel, Mariluce; Schinzel, Albert

    2015-01-01

    The past decades have seen a remarkable shift in the demographics of childbearing in Western countries. The risk for offspring with chromosomal aneuploidies with advancing maternal age is well known, but most studies failed to demonstrate a paternal age effect. Retrospectively, we analyzed two case data sets containing parental ages from pre- and postnatal cases with trisomies 21, 13 and 18. The reference data set contains the parental ages of the general Swiss population. We dichotomized all couples into two distinct groups. In the first group, the mothers' integral age was as least as the father's age or older. We compared the frequency of cases in nine 5-year intervals of maternal age. In addition, we computed logistic regression models for the binary endpoint aneuploidy yes/no where paternal ages were incorporated as linear or quadratic, as well as smooth functions within a generalized additive model framework. We demonstrated that the proportion of younger fathers is uniformly different between cases and controls of live-born trisomy 21 as well, although not reaching significance, for fetuses over all mother's ages. Logistic regression models with different strategies to incorporate paternal ages confirmed our findings. The negative paternal age effect was also found in pre- and postnatal cases taken together with trisomies 13 and 18. The couples with younger fathers face almost twofold odds for a child with Down syndrome (DS). We estimated odds curves for parental ages. If confirmation of these findings can be achieved, the management of couples at risk needs a major correction of the risk stratification. PMID:25005732

  12. Burden of acute sore throat and group A streptococcal pharyngitis in school-aged children and their families in Australia.

    PubMed

    Danchin, Margaret H; Rogers, Susan; Kelpie, Loraine; Selvaraj, Gowri; Curtis, Nigel; Carlin, John B; Nolan, Terence M; Carapetis, Jonathan R

    2007-11-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, transmission, carriage, and risk factors for group A streptococcal pharyngitis in school-aged children and their families. A 16-month, prospective, family-based cohort study was undertaken from August 2001 through December 2002 in Melbourne, Australia. A total of 202 families (853 people) with at least 1 child aged 3 to 12 years were randomly selected from 3 primary care practices across suburban Melbourne to collect surveillance data for acute group A streptococcal pharyngitis, including serology for index and secondary cases and intermittent carriage data. Cohort retention was 97% for 16 months. The incidence of acute sore throat, group A streptococcal swab-positive pharyngitis, and serologically confirmed group A streptococcal pharyngitis was 33, 13, and 8 per 100 child-years, respectively, for school-aged children (5-12 years) and 60, 20, and 15 per 100 family-years, respectively. Sore throat was less common in adults than children, but adults with sore throat were as likely as children to have group A streptococcal culture-positive or serologically proven pharyngitis. In families who had a primary case, 43% had at least 1 secondary case, and in family members who were at risk, 13% contracted a secondary case. The spring, summer, and winter carriage rates for children were 13%, 8%, and 16%, respectively, and for adults the rate was 2% across all seasons. Group A streptococcal pharyngitis is still common, and the peak incidence occurs in school-aged children. However, the incidence in adults is higher than expected, and the number of secondary cases in families may be an important factor when considering the potential benefits of treatment.

  13. What it Takes to Successfully Implement Technology for Aging in Place: Focus Groups With Stakeholders.

    PubMed

    Peek, Sebastiaan Theodorus Michaël; Wouters, Eveline J M; Luijkx, Katrien G; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M

    2016-05-03

    There is a growing interest in empowering older adults to age in place by deploying various types of technology (ie, eHealth, ambient assisted living technology, smart home technology, and gerontechnology). However, initiatives aimed at implementing these technologies are complicated by the fact that multiple stakeholder groups are involved. Goals and motives of stakeholders may not always be transparent or aligned, yet research on convergent and divergent positions of stakeholders is scarce. To provide insight into the positions of stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of technology for aging in place by answering the following questions: What kind of technology do stakeholders see as relevant? What do stakeholders aim to achieve by implementing technology? What is needed to achieve successful implementations? Mono-disciplinary focus groups were conducted with participants (n=29) representing five groups of stakeholders: older adults (6/29, 21%), care professionals (7/29, 24%), managers within home care or social work organizations (5/29, 17%), technology designers and suppliers (6/29, 21%), and policy makers (5/29, 17%). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Stakeholders considered 26 different types of technologies to be relevant for enabling independent living. Only 6 out of 26 (23%) types of technology were mentioned by all stakeholder groups. Care professionals mentioned fewer different types of technology than other groups. All stakeholder groups felt that the implementation of technology for aging in place can be considered a success when (1) older adults' needs and wishes are prioritized during development and deployment of the technology, (2) the technology is accepted by older adults, (3) the technology provides benefits to older adults, and (4) favorable prerequisites for the use of technology by older adults exist. While stakeholders seemed to have identical aims, several underlying differences emerged, for example, with regard

  14. What it Takes to Successfully Implement Technology for Aging in Place: Focus Groups With Stakeholders

    PubMed Central

    Wouters, Eveline JM; Luijkx, Katrien G; Vrijhoef, Hubertus JM

    2016-01-01

    Background There is a growing interest in empowering older adults to age in place by deploying various types of technology (ie, eHealth, ambient assisted living technology, smart home technology, and gerontechnology). However, initiatives aimed at implementing these technologies are complicated by the fact that multiple stakeholder groups are involved. Goals and motives of stakeholders may not always be transparent or aligned, yet research on convergent and divergent positions of stakeholders is scarce. Objective To provide insight into the positions of stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of technology for aging in place by answering the following questions: What kind of technology do stakeholders see as relevant? What do stakeholders aim to achieve by implementing technology? What is needed to achieve successful implementations? Methods Mono-disciplinary focus groups were conducted with participants (n=29) representing five groups of stakeholders: older adults (6/29, 21%), care professionals (7/29, 24%), managers within home care or social work organizations (5/29, 17%), technology designers and suppliers (6/29, 21%), and policy makers (5/29, 17%). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Stakeholders considered 26 different types of technologies to be relevant for enabling independent living. Only 6 out of 26 (23%) types of technology were mentioned by all stakeholder groups. Care professionals mentioned fewer different types of technology than other groups. All stakeholder groups felt that the implementation of technology for aging in place can be considered a success when (1) older adults’ needs and wishes are prioritized during development and deployment of the technology, (2) the technology is accepted by older adults, (3) the technology provides benefits to older adults, and (4) favorable prerequisites for the use of technology by older adults exist. While stakeholders seemed to have identical aims, several underlying

  15. Cultural frames, qualities of life, and the aging self.

    PubMed

    Low, Gail; Molzahn, Anita; Kalfoss, Mary

    2014-05-01

    We used the Self-Concept Enhancement Tactician (SCENT) model to explore whether older Norwegians and Canadians would tactically self-enhance on qualities considered significant within their cultures in their self-perceptions of aging. Qualities were measured using the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD. Self-perceptions of aging were measured by the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire. The study is a secondary analysis of data collected in a larger study; 393 older Norwegians and 202 older Canadians were included. The Norwegian and Canadian group self-enhanced their perceptions of psychosocial loss based on harmonious social relationships and being part of a larger social group. For self-perceptions of physical change, both groups self-enhanced on being self-sufficient and being part of a larger social group. Our findings suggest that Norwegians and Canadians are not highly individualistic people and also provide evidence of a bicultural self-perception of aging. Nurses should consider how cultural and individual perspectives affect the care priorities of older people.

  16. Within-trait heterogeneity in age group differences in personality domains and facets: implications for the development and coherence of personality traits.

    PubMed

    Mõttus, René; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri; Esko, Tõnu; Metspalu, Andres; Johnson, Wendy

    2015-01-01

    The study investigated differences in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domains and facets across adulthood. The main questions were whether personality scales reflected coherent units of trait development and thereby coherent personality traits more generally. These questions were addressed by testing if the components of the trait scales (items for facet scales and facets for domain scales) showed consistent age group differences. For this, measurement invariance (MI) framework was used. In a sample of 2,711 Estonians who had completed the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO PI-3), more than half of the facet scales and one domain scale did not meet the criterion for weak MI (factor loading equality) across 12 age groups spanning ages from 18 to 91 years. Furthermore, none of the facet and domain scales met the criterion for strong MI (intercept equality), suggesting that items of the same facets and facets of the same domains varied in age group differences. When items were residualized for their respective facets, 46% of them had significant (p < 0.0002) residual age-correlations. When facets were residualized for their domain scores, a majority had significant (p < 0.002) residual age-correlations. For each domain, a series of latent factors were specified using random quarters of their items: scores of such latent factors varied notably (within domains) in correlations with age. We argue that manifestations of aetiologically coherent traits should show similar age group differences. Given this, the FFM domains and facets as embodied in the NEO PI-3 do not reflect aetiologically coherent traits.

  17. Within-Trait Heterogeneity in Age Group Differences in Personality Domains and Facets: Implications for the Development and Coherence of Personality Traits

    PubMed Central

    Mõttus, René; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri; Esko, Tõnu; Metspalu, Andres; Johnson, Wendy

    2015-01-01

    The study investigated differences in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domains and facets across adulthood. The main questions were whether personality scales reflected coherent units of trait development and thereby coherent personality traits more generally. These questions were addressed by testing if the components of the trait scales (items for facet scales and facets for domain scales) showed consistent age group differences. For this, measurement invariance (MI) framework was used. In a sample of 2,711 Estonians who had completed the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO PI-3), more than half of the facet scales and one domain scale did not meet the criterion for weak MI (factor loading equality) across 12 age groups spanning ages from 18 to 91 years. Furthermore, none of the facet and domain scales met the criterion for strong MI (intercept equality), suggesting that items of the same facets and facets of the same domains varied in age group differences. When items were residualized for their respective facets, 46% of them had significant (p < 0.0002) residual age-correlations. When facets were residualized for their domain scores, a majority had significant (p < 0.002) residual age-correlations. For each domain, a series of latent factors were specified using random quarters of their items: scores of such latent factors varied notably (within domains) in correlations with age. We argue that manifestations of aetiologically coherent traits should show similar age group differences. Given this, the FFM domains and facets as embodied in the NEO PI-3 do not reflect aetiologically coherent traits. PMID:25751273

  18. Return of Individual Research Results and Incidental Findings in the Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Setting

    PubMed Central

    Ferriere, Michael; Van Ness, Brian

    2013-01-01

    The NCI funded cooperative group cancer clinical trial system develops experimental therapies and often collects patient samples for correlative research. The Cooperative Group Bank (CGB) system maintains biobanks with a current policy not to return research results to individuals. An online survey was created, and 10 directors of CGBs completed the surveys asking about understanding and attitudes in changing policies to consider return of Incidental Findings (IFs) and Individual Research Results (IRRs) of health significance. The potential impact of the ten consensus recommendations of Wolf et al. presented in this issue are examined. Re-identification of samples is often not problematic; however, changes to the current banking and clinical trial systems would require significant effort to fulfill an obligation of recontact of subjects. Additional resources, as well as a national advisory board would be required to standardize implementation. PMID:22382800

  19. Age at First Drink, Drinking, Binge Drinking and DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder among Hispanic National Groups in the U.S.

    PubMed Central

    Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A.; Vaeth, Patrice A. C.; Reingle, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Background This paper examines age at first drink and adult drinking, binge drinking and DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) among U.S. Hispanic national groups. Methods Respondents come from two independent studies. The Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey used a multistage cluster sample design to interview 5,224 individuals 18 years of age and older selected from the household population in: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles. Respondents in the border area (N=1,307) constituted a household probability sample of Mexican Americans living on U.S. counties that border Mexico. In both surveys, data were collected during computer assisted interviews conducted in respondents' homes. The HABLAS and the border sample response rates were 76% and 67%, respectively. Results U.S. born Hispanics begin drinking at a younger age than those who are foreign born, independent of national group. Among foreign born Hispanics, age of arrival in the U.S. is not associated with age at first drink. Results support the hypothesis that a younger age at first drink is associated with a higher mean volume of drinking, a higher probability of bingeing and a higher probability of DSM-5 AUD. But the results do not show a clear pattern by which a particular national group would consistently show no associations or stronger associations between age at first drink and the alcohol-related outcomes under consideration. Conclusions An earlier age at first drinking is positively associated with heavier drinking patterns among U.S. Hispanics. However, as in other areas of alcohol epidemiology, here too there is considerable variation in age at first drink and drinking across Hispanic national groups. PMID:24689445

  20. Pigmented striae of the anterior lens capsule and age-associated pigment dispersion of variable degree in a group of older African-Americans: an age, race, and gender matched study.

    PubMed

    Roberts, D K; Winters, J E; Castells, D D; Clark, C A; Teitelbaum, B A

    2001-01-01

    To investigate pigmented striae of the anterior lens capsule in African-Americans, a potential indicator of significant anterior segment pigment dispersion. A group of 40 African-American subjects who exhibited pigmented lens striae (PLS) were identified from a non-referred, primary eye care population in Chicago, IL, USA. These subjects were then compared to an age, race, and gender matched control group relative to refractive error and the presence or absence of diabetes and hypertension. The PLS subjects (mean age = 65.4 +/- 8.8 years, range = 50-87 years) consisted of 36 females and 4 males. PLS were bilateral in 36 (85%) of the 40 subjects. Among the eyes with PLS, 21 (55%) of 38 right eyes and 22 (61%) of 36 left eyes also had significant corneal endothelial pigment dusting, commonly in the shape of a Krukenberg's spindle. Ten (25%) of the PLS subjects had either glaucoma or ocular hypertension (7 bilateral, 3 unilateral). The presence of trabecular meshwork pigment varied from minimal to heavy. The mean +/- SD (range) refractive error of the PLS right eyes was +1.61 +/- 1.43D (-1.50 to +5.00D) and +1.77 +/- 1.37D (-1.00 to +5.00D) for the left eyes. Based on these data, the PLS right eyes were +1.63D (Student's t, p = 0.0001; 95% CI = +0.82 to +2.44D) more hyperopic on average than the control right eyes, and the PLS left eyes were +1.77D (p = 0.0001; 95% CI = +0.92 to +2.63D) more hyperopic on average than the control left eyes. Trend analysis showed a gradually increasing likelihood of PLS with increasing magnitude of hyperopia in both eyes (Mantel-Haenszel chi-square, p = 0.001). Among PLS subjects, 24 (60%) of 40 were hypertensive and 9 (23%) of 40 were diabetic. However, these proportions were not significantly different (two-tailed Fisher's exact test; hypertension: p = 0.30; diabetes: p = 0.70) from the randomly selected controls. Among our African-American group, which consisted predominately of females >50 years of age, the likelihood of PLS

  1. Healthy Aging in Community for Older Lesbians.

    PubMed

    Bradford, Judith B; Putney, Jennifer M; Shepard, Bonnie L; Sass, Samantha E; Rudicel, Sally; Ladd, Holly; Cahill, Sean

    2016-04-01

    In Boston and Outer Cape, Massachusetts, we explored the expectations of lesbians 60 years and older regarding healthy aging and community importance. Focus groups were conducted with participants after completing an anonymous demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes and identify how they varied by urban versus rural settings. Group discussions focused on community, finances, housing, and healthcare. Primary concerns included continued access to supportive and lesbian communities as a source of resilience during aging. Concerns about discrimination and isolation mirror themes found in national research. The study findings suggest a need for more research into the housing and transportation needs of lesbians approaching later life, with a focus on how those needs relate to affordability, accessibility, and proximity to social support and healthcare. These findings also suggest the need for substantial investments in strengthening the LGBT-related cultural competence of providers of services for the elderly.

  2. [Clinical and radiological study of swallowing in patients with deglutition disorders, classified into two age groups: adults and older people].

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Heloisa Sawada; Nasi, Ary; Ajzen, Sérgio; Bilton, Tereza; Sanches, Elaine Palinkas

    2006-01-01

    The abnormalities of swallowing process have multifactor and complex etiologies. The videofluoroscopy has been pointed as the exam of greater utility in diagnostic investigation for these cases. This method, when preceded of an adequate anamnesis, can characterize conveniently the level of the dysfunction and usually identify the cause of abnormality with great precision. To study the clinical complaints and findings of the videofluoroscopy examination in patients with deglutition disorders and no clinical evidence associated with neurological disorder, classified into two age groups: adults and older people, and to analyze: symptomatic manifestations, kinds of disorders (oropharyngeal or esophageal) and the capacity of clarifying the clinical complaints through the method of images. Seventy patients with complaint of the capacity of deglutition were analyzed. They had no clinical evidence of associated neurological syndromes or disorders and were classified into two age groups: adults (GI)-- < or = 65 years (n = 36) and older (GII) > 65 years (n = 34). All patients were submitted to anamnesis to obtain the information about their complaints concerning deglutition. The complaints were characterized as high or low, according to their predominant location of manifestation. All the patients were submitted to videofluoroscopy of the deglutition; these alterations were characterized as oropharyngeal or esophageal. The capacity of clarifying the clinical complaints by videofluoroscopy was evaluated in both groups. Among the complaints analyzed, the only one in which the statistical analysis presented a significant difference between the groups was the complaint of heartburn, which occurred more often in the group GI-- eight patients (22.2%) and GII--one patient (2.9%). In the study of videofluoroscopy, it was observed a higher incidence in the oropharyngeal disorder in group GII--41.2% while in group GI--13.9%. As for the esophageal disorder, the incidence was similar in

  3. Do patient and practice characteristics confound age-group differences in preferences for general practice care? A quantitative study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Previous research showed inconsistent results regarding the relationship between the age of patients and preference statements regarding GP care. This study investigates whether elderly patients have different preference scores and ranking orders concerning 58 preference statements for GP care than younger patients. Moreover, this study examines whether patient characteristics and practice location may confound the relationship between age and the categorisation of a preference score as very important. Methods Data of the Consumer Quality Index GP Care were used, which were collected in 32 general practices in the Netherlands. The rank order and preference score were calculated for 58 preference statements for four age groups (0–30, 31–50, 51–74, 75 years and older). Using chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses, it was investigated whether a significant relationship between age and preference score was confounded by patient characteristics and practice location. Results Elderly patients did not have a significant different ranking order for the preference statements than the other three age groups (r = 0.0193; p = 0.41). However, in 53% of the statements significant differences were found in preference score between the four age groups. Elderly patients categorized significantly less preference statements as ‘very important’. In most cases, the significant relationships were not confounded by gender, education, perceived health, the number of GP contacts and location of the GP practice. Conclusion The preferences of elderly patients for GP care concern the same items as younger patients. However, their preferences are less strong, which cannot be ascribed to gender, education, perceived health, the number of GP contacts and practice location. PMID:23800156

  4. Improving recruitment to pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use: findings from a qualitative focus group study.

    PubMed

    Neale, Joanne; Tompkins, Charlotte N E; McDonald, Rebecca; Strang, John

    2018-06-01

    To explore potential study participants' views on willingness to join clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use to inform and improve future recruitment strategies. Qualitative focus group study [six groups: oral methadone (two groups); buprenorphine tablets (two groups); injectable opioid agonist treatment (one group); and former opioid agonist treatment (one group)]. Drug and alcohol services and a peer support recovery service (London, UK). Forty people with experience of opioid agonist treatment for heroin dependence (26 males, 14 females; aged 33-66 years). Data collection was facilitated by a topic guide that explored willingness to enrol in clinical pharmacological trials. Groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcribed data were analysed inductively via Iterative Categorization. Participants' willingness to join pharmacological trials of medications for opioid dependence was affected by factors relating to study burden, study drug, study design, study population and study relationships. Participants worried that the trial drug might be worse than, or interfere with, their current treatment. They also misunderstood aspects of trial design despite the researchers' explanations. Recruitment of participants for clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use could be improved if researchers became better at explaining clinical trials to potential participants, dispelling misconceptions about trials and increasing trust in the research process and research establishment. A checklist of issues to consider when designing pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use is proposed. © 2018 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

  5. Mobile Technology Use Across Age Groups in Patients Eligible for Cardiac Rehabilitation: Survey Study.

    PubMed

    Gallagher, Robyn; Roach, Kellie; Sadler, Leonie; Glinatsis, Helen; Belshaw, Julie; Kirkness, Ann; Zhang, Ling; Gallagher, Patrick; Paull, Glenn; Gao, Yan; Partridge, Stephanie Ruth; Parker, Helen; Neubeck, Lis

    2017-10-24

    Emerging evidence indicates mobile technology-based strategies may improve access to secondary prevention and reduce risk factors in cardiac patients. However, little is known about cardiac patients' use of mobile technology, particularly for health reasons and whether the usage varies across patient demographics. This study aimed to describe cardiac patients' use of mobile technology and to determine variations between age groups after adjusting for education, employment, and confidence with using mobile technology. Cardiac patients eligible for attending cardiac rehabilitation were recruited from 9 hospital and community sites across metropolitan and rural settings in New South Wales, Australia. Participants completed a survey on the use of mobile technology devices, features used, confidence with using mobile technology, willingness and interest in learning, and health-related use. The sample (N=282) had a mean age of 66.5 (standard deviation [SD] 10.6) years, 71.9% (203/282) were male, and 79.0% (223/282) lived in a metropolitan area. The most common diagnoses were percutaneous coronary intervention (33.3%, 94/282) and myocardial infarction (22.7%, 64/282). The majority (91.1%, 257/282) used at least one type of technology device, 70.9% (200/282) used mobile technology (mobile phone/tablet), and 31.9% (90/282) used all types. Technology was used by 54.6% (154/282) for health purposes, most often to access information on health conditions (41.4%, 117/282) and medications (34.8%, 98/282). Age had an important independent association with the use of mobile technology after adjusting for education, employment, and confidence. The youngest group (<56 years) was over 4 times more likely to use any mobile technology than the oldest (>69 years) age group (odds ratio [OR] 4.45, 95% CI 1.46-13.55), 5 times more likely to use mobile apps (OR 5.00, 95% CI 2.01-12.44), and 3 times more likely to use technology for health-related reasons (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.34-8.18). Compared

  6. Perceptions of competence: age moderates views of healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Berry, Jane M; Williams, Helen L; Thomas, Kevin D; Blair, Jamie

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Older adults have more complex and differentiated views of aging than do younger adults, but less is known about age-related perceptions of Alzheimer's disease. This study investigated age-related perceptions of competence of an older adult labeled as "in good health" (healthy) or "has Alzheimer's disease" (AD), using a person-perception paradigm. It was predicted that older adults would provide more differentiated assessments of the two targets than would younger adults. Younger (n=86; 18-36 years) and older (n=66; 61-95 years) adults rated activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and memory abilities of a female target aged 75 years, described as healthy or with AD. Data on anxiety about aging, knowledge of and experience with aging and AD, knowledge of memory aging, and positive and negative biases toward aging and AD were also collected. Older adults perceived the healthy target as more capable of cognitively effortful activities (e.g., managing finances) and as possessing better memory abilities than the AD target. As predicted, these differences were greater than differences between targets perceived by younger adults. The interaction effect remained significant after statistically controlling for relevant variables, including education and gender. Additionally, exploratory analyses revealed that older adults held less positively biased views of AD than younger adults, but negatively biased views were equivalent between age groups. The results demonstrate that mere labels of "healthy" and "Alzheimer's disease" produce significant and subtle age differences in perceived competencies of older adults, and that biases towards AD vary by age group and valence. Our findings extend the person-perception paradigm to an integrative analysis of aging and AD, are consistent with models of adult development, and complement current research and theory on stereotypes of aging. Future directions for research

  7. Recognizing Age-Separated Face Images: Humans and Machines

    PubMed Central

    Yadav, Daksha; Singh, Richa; Vatsa, Mayank; Noore, Afzel

    2014-01-01

    Humans utilize facial appearance, gender, expression, aging pattern, and other ancillary information to recognize individuals. It is interesting to observe how humans perceive facial age. Analyzing these properties can help in understanding the phenomenon of facial aging and incorporating the findings can help in designing effective algorithms. Such a study has two components - facial age estimation and age-separated face recognition. Age estimation involves predicting the age of an individual given his/her facial image. On the other hand, age-separated face recognition consists of recognizing an individual given his/her age-separated images. In this research, we investigate which facial cues are utilized by humans for estimating the age of people belonging to various age groups along with analyzing the effect of one's gender, age, and ethnicity on age estimation skills. We also analyze how various facial regions such as binocular and mouth regions influence age estimation and recognition capabilities. Finally, we propose an age-invariant face recognition algorithm that incorporates the knowledge learned from these observations. Key observations of our research are: (1) the age group of newborns and toddlers is easiest to estimate, (2) gender and ethnicity do not affect the judgment of age group estimation, (3) face as a global feature, is essential to achieve good performance in age-separated face recognition, and (4) the proposed algorithm yields improved recognition performance compared to existing algorithms and also outperforms a commercial system in the young image as probe scenario. PMID:25474200

  8. Recognizing age-separated face images: humans and machines.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Daksha; Singh, Richa; Vatsa, Mayank; Noore, Afzel

    2014-01-01

    Humans utilize facial appearance, gender, expression, aging pattern, and other ancillary information to recognize individuals. It is interesting to observe how humans perceive facial age. Analyzing these properties can help in understanding the phenomenon of facial aging and incorporating the findings can help in designing effective algorithms. Such a study has two components--facial age estimation and age-separated face recognition. Age estimation involves predicting the age of an individual given his/her facial image. On the other hand, age-separated face recognition consists of recognizing an individual given his/her age-separated images. In this research, we investigate which facial cues are utilized by humans for estimating the age of people belonging to various age groups along with analyzing the effect of one's gender, age, and ethnicity on age estimation skills. We also analyze how various facial regions such as binocular and mouth regions influence age estimation and recognition capabilities. Finally, we propose an age-invariant face recognition algorithm that incorporates the knowledge learned from these observations. Key observations of our research are: (1) the age group of newborns and toddlers is easiest to estimate, (2) gender and ethnicity do not affect the judgment of age group estimation, (3) face as a global feature, is essential to achieve good performance in age-separated face recognition, and (4) the proposed algorithm yields improved recognition performance compared to existing algorithms and also outperforms a commercial system in the young image as probe scenario.

  9. Age effects in the human middle ear: Wideband acoustical measures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feeney, M. Patrick; Sanford, Chris A.

    2004-12-01

    Studies that have examined age effects in the human middle ear using either admittance measures at 220 or 660 Hz or multifrequency tympanometry from 200 to 2000 Hz have had conflicting results. Several studies have suggested an increase in admittance with age, while several others have suggested a decrease in admittance with age. A third group of studies found no significant age effect. This study examined 226 Hz tympanometry and wideband energy reflectance and impedance at ambient pressure in a group of 40 young adults and a group of 30 adults with age >=60 years. The groups did not differ in admittance measures of the middle ear at 226 Hz. However, significant age effects were found in wideband energy reflectance and impedance. In particular, in older adults there was a comparative decrease in reflectance from 800 to 2000 Hz but an increase near 4000 Hz. The results suggest a decrease in middle-ear stiffness with age. The findings of this study hold relevance for understanding the aging process in the auditory system, for the establishment of normative data for wideband energy reflectance, for the possibility of a conductive component to presbycusis, and for the interpretation of otoacoustic emission measurements. .

  10. Age-Related Changes in Bone Morphology Are Accelerated in Group VIA Phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β)-Null Mice

    PubMed Central

    Ramanadham, Sasanka; Yarasheski, Kevin E.; Silva, Matthew J.; Wohltmann, Mary; Novack, Deborah Veis; Christiansen, Blaine; Tu, Xiaolin; Zhang, Sheng; Lei, Xiaoyong; Turk, John

    2008-01-01

    Phospholipases A2 (PLA2) hydrolyze the sn−2 fatty acid substituent, such as arachidonic acid, from phospholipids, and arachidonate metabolites are recognized mediators of bone modeling. We have previously generated knockout (KO) mice lacking the group VIA PLA2 (iPLA2β), which participates in a variety of signaling events; iPLA2β mRNA is expressed in bones of wild-type (WT) but not KO mice. Cortical bone size, trabecular bone volume, bone mineralizing surfaces, and bone strength are similar in WT and KO mice at 3 months and decline with age in both groups, but the decreases are more pronounced in KO mice. The lower bone mass phenotype observed in KO mice is not associated with an increase in osteoclast abundance/activity or a decrease in osteoblast density, but is accompanied by an increase in bone marrow fat. Relative to WT mice, undifferentiated bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from KO mice express higher levels of PPAR-γ and lower levels of Runx2 mRNA, and this correlates with increased adipogenesis and decreased osteogenesis in BMSCs from these mice. In summary, our studies indicate that age-related losses in bone mass and strength are accelerated in iPLA2β-null mice. Because adipocytes and osteoblasts share a common mesenchymal stem cell origin, our findings suggest that absence of iPLA2β causes abnormalities in osteoblast function and BMSC differentiation and identify a previously unrecognized role of iPLA2β in bone formation. PMID:18349124

  11. Comparison of self-reported pain intensity, sleeping difficulty, and treatment outcomes of patients with myofascial temporomandibular disorders by age group: a prospective outcome study.

    PubMed

    Karibe, Hiroyuki; Goddard, Greg; Shimazu, Kisaki; Kato, Yuichi; Warita-Naoi, Sachie; Kawakami, Tomomi

    2014-12-11

    Subjective symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) have rarely been studied by age group. We aimed to compare self-reported pain intensity, sleeping difficulty, and treatment outcomes of patients with myofascial TMDs among three age groups. The study population included 179 consecutive patients (151 women and 28 men) who underwent comprehensive clinical examinations at a university-based orofacial pain center. They were classified into myofascial pain subgroups based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. They were stratified by age group: M1, under 20 years; M2, 20-39 years; and M3, 40 years and older. The patients scored their pretreatment symptoms (first visit) and post-treatment symptoms (last visit) on a form composed of three items that assessed pain intensity and one item that assessed sleeping difficulty. Their treatment options (i.e., pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, and orthopedic appliances) and duration were recorded. All variables were compared between sexes in each group and between the age groups by using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the chi-square test, and analysis of variance (p < 0.05). No significant sex differences were found in any age group. Only sleeping difficulty was significantly different before treatment (p = 0.009). No significant differences were observed in the treatment options or treatment duration. After treatment, the intensity of jaw/face pain and headache and sleeping difficulty was significantly reduced in groups M2 and M3, but only the intensity of jaw/face pain was significantly decreased in group M1. The changes in the scores of pain intensity and sleeping difficulty were not different between the groups. Pain intensity does not differ by age group, but older patients with myofascial TMDs had greater sleeping difficulties. However, there were no differences between the age groups in the treatment outcomes. Clinicians should carefully consider the age

  12. Age-related differences in idiom production in adulthood

    PubMed Central

    Conner, P. S.; Hyun, J.; O’Connor Wells, B.; Anema, I.; Goral, M.; Monéreau-Merry, M.; Rubino, D.; Kuckuk, R.; Obler, L. K.

    2013-01-01

    To investigate whether idiom production was vulnerable to age-related difficulties, we asked forty younger (ages 18-30) and forty older healthy adults (ages 60-85) to produce idiomatic expressions in a story-completion task. Younger adults produced significantly more correct idiom responses (73%) than older adults (60%) did. When older adults generated partially correct responses, they were less likely than younger participants to eventually produce the complete target idiom (Old: 32 % / Young: 70%); first-word cues after initial failure to retrieve an idiom resulted in more correct idioms for older (24%) than younger (15%) participants. Correlations between age and idiom correctness were positive for the Young group, and negative for the Older group, suggesting mastery of familiar idioms continues into adulthood. Within each group, scores on the Boston Naming Test correlated with performance on the idiom task. Findings for retrieving idiomatic expressions are thus similar to those for retrieving lexical items. PMID:21728830

  13. Factors influencing food choices of food-allergic consumers: findings from focus groups.

    PubMed

    Sommer, I; Mackenzie, H; Venter, C; Dean, T

    2012-10-01

    Up to 35% of the population modify their diet for adverse reactions to food. This study described the food choice behaviour of diagnosed food-allergic (DFA), self-reported food-allergic or intolerant (SFA) and nonfood-allergic (NFA) consumers, and explored differences between them. Six focus groups with adults (n = 44) were conducted. Data analysis was performed using thematic content analysis. Compared to NFA participants, DFA consumers were deprived of satisfaction and pleasure from foods, experienced difficulties finding safe foods and had to be organized with eating. SFA participants faced similar problems, but to a lesser degree; their food choices were strongly influenced by emotional factors or health awareness. Food-allergic consumers' food choices are influenced by a number of factors that differ to those of NFA consumers. It is therefore important to offer people with food allergies or intolerances advice that goes beyond how to avoid allergens. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  14. Gender and age differences in suicide mortality in the context of violent death: findings from a multi-state population-based surveillance system.

    PubMed

    Bozzay, Melanie L; Liu, Richard T; Kleiman, Evan M

    2014-07-01

    Males are more likely than females to die by all forms of violent death, including suicide. The primary purpose of the present study was to explore whether the gender difference in suicide rates is largely accounted for by males' general greater tendency to experience violent deaths. The current study examined gender and age differences in suicides and other violent deaths, using data from a population-based surveillance system. Pearson's chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted with data for 32,107 decedents in the 2003-2005 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Decedents were categorized by gender, age, and death by suicide versus other violent means. When suicides were examined in the greater context of violent death, the total proportion of violent deaths due to suicide did not differ across gender. When deaths were examined by age group, after controlling for ethnicity, marital status, and U.S. location in which the death occurred, males in early to mid childhood were significantly more likely than same-aged females to die by suicide relative to all other violent deaths. The portion of deaths due to suicide was for the most part equal across both genders in late childhood, young adulthood, and mid-adulthood. Older males were more likely than older females to die by suicide relative to other violent deaths. Our findings suggest that that the risk of dying by suicide relative to other violent deaths may be more pronounced at certain developmental stages for each gender. This knowledge may be valuable in tailoring prevention strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Contrasted frequencies of p53 accumulation in the two age groups of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Khabir, A; Sellami, A; Sakka, M; Ghorbel, A M; Daoud, J; Frikha, M; Drira, M M; Busson, P; Jlidi, R

    2000-10-01

    EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) from Southeast Asia and North Africa have many common clinical and biological characteristics. However, they differ with regard to their age distribution. In Asia, NPC mainly affects patients in the 4th or 5th decade of their life, whereas in North Africa an additional peak of incidence is found between the ages of 10 and 20. The p53 gene is rarely mutated in NPC. However, several groups have reported a consistent accumulation of p53 in Asian NPCs. To determine whether p53 was also accumulated in North African NPCs, we investigated its expression, by immunohistochemistry, in a series of 90 Tunisian biopsies. Bc12 and CD95, two proteins involved in the regulation of cell survival and apoptosis, were investigated in the same study. We found accumulation of p53 in 81% of the cases for patients over 30 years of age, but in only 38% of specimens for younger patients (P = 0.00013). There was a trend toward a higher frequency of Bc12 detection in patients over 30, but it was not statistically significant. CD95 expression was detected in all biopsies, generally at a high level, even at advanced stages of the disease. The changing frequency of p53 accumulation, below and over 30, suggests that NPC cells often achieve malignant transformation through different pathways in both age groups.

  16. Body Esteem in a Western Australian Cleft Lip and/or Palate Cohort Across 3 Age Groups.

    PubMed

    Nicholls, Wendy; Harper, Craig; Selvey, Linda A; Robinson, Suzanne; Hartig, Gerald; Persson, Martin

    2018-04-01

    To determine if patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) from a Western Australian (WA) cohort were more dissatisfied with their body esteem than a normative non-cleft cohort, and identify demographic variables that may have significant associations with body esteem. Questionnaire study using the Body-Esteem Scale (BES) and Cleft Research Questionnaire (CRQ). Self-selected participants from a Western Australian CL/P population across 3 age groups (n=359). The BES is comprised of 3 factors: BE-Appearance, BE-Weight and BE-Attribution. Study mean BES factor scores were compared to normative non-cleft scores. Regression analysis was used to determine significant associations within each age group between BES factor scores and CRQ variables of: gender, self-reported body weight category, cleft type and importance of facial appearance rating. Study mean BE-Attribution scores were significantly lower than the normative scores and significantly lower than the mean BE-Appearance and BE-Weight factor scores within the same age groups of this study. Having a cleft type of lip and palate, being overweight, and placing a high importance on facial appearance had significant negative associations with BES scores. Maintaining a normal body weight and placing a lower level of importance on facial appearance had significant positive associations. Gender had no significant associations. In this study, the attribution aspect of body esteem had a greater negative impact on patients than their appearance and body weight. This has important implications for clinical treatment and support of patients.

  17. Smart Aging Platform for Evaluating Cognitive Functions in Aging: A Comparison with the MoCA in a Normal Population

    PubMed Central

    Bottiroli, Sara; Tassorelli, Cristina; Lamonica, Marialisa; Zucchella, Chiara; Cavallini, Elena; Bernini, Sara; Sinforiani, Elena; Pazzi, Stefania; Cristiani, Paolo; Vecchi, Tomaso; Tost, Daniela; Sandrini, Giorgio

    2017-01-01

    Background: Smart Aging is a Serious games (SGs) platform in a 3D virtual environment in which users perform a set of screening tests that address various cognitive skills. The tests are structured as 5 tasks of activities of daily life in a familiar environment. The main goal of the present study is to compare a cognitive evaluation made with Smart Aging with those of a classic standardized screening test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Methods: One thousand one-hundred thirty-one healthy adults aged between 50 and 80 (M = 64.3 ± 8.3) were enrolled in the study. They received a cognitive evaluation with the MoCA and the Smart Aging platform. Participants were grouped according to their MoCA global and specific cognitive domain (i.e., memory, executive functions, working memory, visual spatial elaboration, language, and orientation) scores and we explored differences among these groups in the Smart Aging indices. Results: One thousand eighty-six older adults (M = 64.0 ± 8.0) successfully completed the study and were stratified according to their MoCA score: Group 1 with MoCA < 27 (n = 360); Group 2 with 27 ≥ MoCA < 29 (n = 453); and Group 3 with MoCA ≥ 29 (n = 273). MoCA groups significantly differed in most of the Smart Aging indices considered, in particular as concerns accuracy (ps < 0.001) and time (ps < 0.001) for completing most of the platform tasks. Group 1 was outperformed by the other two Groups and was slower than them in these tasks, which were those supposed to assess memory and executive functions. In addition, significant differences across groups also emerged when considering the single cognitive domains of the MoCA and the corresponding performances in each Smart Aging task. In particular, this platform seems to be a good proxy for assessing memory, executive functions, working memory, and visual spatial processes. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the validity of Smart Aging for assessing cognitive functions in normal aging

  18. [Examination results and autopsy findings in assaults on elderly people].

    PubMed

    Bode-Jänisch, Stefanie; Havermann, Robert; Germerott, Tanja; Fieguth, Armin

    2010-01-01

    As the percentage of elderly people in the population grows, violence against persons of advanced age constitutes an increasing social problem. The findings of the clinical forensic examinations (CE group) and autopsies performed on elderly violence victims (> or = 60 years) between 1999 and 2008 at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Hanover Medical School were retrospectively analysed. In all, the study material comprised 55 victims of the CE group (35 females and 20 males, median age 73.5 years) and 55 autopsies (33 females and 22 males, median age 72.7 years). In most of the autopsy cases, the suspect was a family member or partner. In contrast, the alleged perpetrator was a stranger in most cases of the CE group. Blunt force injuries were most often found in the CE group victims (63.6%). Altogether, 38.2% (CE group) and 20.0% (autopsy cases) of the violent assaults were associated with robbery. In the majority of the CE cases, the victims suffered potentially or acute life-threatening injuries. In summary, the analysis shows that elderly people frequently become victims of robbery and blunt force injury. In most homicides of old people, the perpetrator is familiar to the victim. In surviving elderly violence victims, the assault is more likely to be reported to the police if the suspect is a stranger.

  19. Monitoring of cerebral blood flow autoregulation in adults undergoing sevoflurane anesthesia: a prospective cohort study of two age groups.

    PubMed

    Goettel, Nicolai; Patet, Camille; Rossi, Ariane; Burkhart, Christoph S; Czosnyka, Marek; Strebel, Stephan P; Steiner, Luzius A

    2016-06-01

    Autoregulation of blood flow is a key feature of the human cerebral vascular system to assure adequate oxygenation and metabolism of the brain under changing physiological conditions. The impact of advanced age and anesthesia on cerebral autoregulation remains unclear. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of sevoflurane anesthesia on cerebral autoregulation in two different age groups. This is a follow-up analysis of data acquired in a prospective observational cohort study. One hundred thirty-three patients aged 18-40 and ≥65 years scheduled for major noncardiac surgery under general anesthesia were included. Cerebral autoregulation indices, limits, and ranges were compared in young and elderly patient groups. Forty-nine patients (37 %) aged 18-40 years and 84 patients (63 %) aged ≥65 years were included in the study. Age-adjusted minimum alveolar concentrations of sevoflurane were 0.89 ± 0.07 in young and 0.99 ± 0.14 in older subjects (P < 0.001). Effective autoregulation was found in a blood pressure range of 13.8 ± 9.8 mmHg in young and 10.2 ± 8.6 mmHg in older patients (P = 0.079). The lower limit of autoregulation was 66 ± 12 mmHg and 73 ± 14 mmHg in young and older patients, respectively (P = 0.075). The association between sevoflurane concentrations and autoregulatory capacity was similar in both age groups. Our data suggests that the autoregulatory plateau is shortened in both young and older patients under sevoflurane anesthesia with approximately 1 MAC. Lower and upper limits of cerebral blood flow autoregulation, as well as the autoregulatory range, are not influenced by the age of anesthetized patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00512200).

  20. BMI Group-Related Differences in Physical Fitness and Physical Activity in Preschool-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niederer, Iris; Kriemler, Susi; Zahner, Lukas; Burgi, Flavia; Ebenegger, Vincent; Marques- Vidal, Pedro; Puder, Jardena J.

    2012-01-01

    In the Ballabeina study, we investigated age- and BMI-group-related differences in aerobic fitness (20 m shuttle run), agility (obstacle course), dynamic (balance beam) and static balance (balance platform), and physical activity (PA, accelerometers) in 613 children (M age = 5.1 years, SD = 0.6). Normal weight (NW) children performed better than…

  1. Health and ageing in the developing world.

    PubMed

    Andrews, G R

    1988-01-01

    Although ageing is not yet a high priority tissue for health planners, policy makers and clinicians in most developing countries there will be a growing need in coming years to pay more attention to the important health issues associated with population ageing in the developing world. This paper reports some of the relevant findings of a cross-national study (sponsored by the World Health Organization) of the health and social aspects of ageing in four developing countries--Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Fiji and Malaysia. The key findings are compared and contrasted with those of a similar eleven-country WHO study in Europe. In very broad terms, the overall demographic, physical, mental health and social patterns and trends associated with ageing as demonstrated by age-group and sex differences were consistent throughout the four countries studied. Comparisons with European findings in other similar studies underlined the fundamental universality of age-related changes in biophysical, behavioural and social characteristics. The importance of the family in developing countries was evident, with about three-quarters of those aged 60 and over in the four countries living with children, often in extended family situations. Levels of adverse health-related behaviour and the prospect of changing patterns of morbidity with further increases in the total and proportional numbers of aged persons point to a need for emphasis on preventive health measures and programmes directed to the maintenance of the physical and mental health of the ageing population.

  2. Behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome: relationship to genetic subtypes and age.

    PubMed

    Dykens, Elisabeth M; Roof, Elizabeth

    2008-09-01

    Some behavioral features of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are associated with the major genetic subtypes of this disorder. While most agree that those with maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) have a distinctive cognitive and psychiatric profile, findings are more controversial regarding possible differences among persons who vary in paternal deletion size. Caregivers of 88 persons with PWS aged 5 to 51 years (M = 22 years) were administered measures of problem behavior, compulsivity, hyperphagia, and adaptive skills. The sample was well characterized as having relatively large, Type I (n = 26) or smaller, Type II (n = 29) deletions, or UPD (n = 33). No significant behavioral differences were found between the Type I versus Type II deletion groups. Within each genetic subtype, however, differences emerged in how advancing age related to behavior. Although age did not emerge as a significant correlate of behavior in the Type II or UPD groups, in the Type I group age was consistently associated with lower problem behaviors, adaptive skills, and externalizing symptoms. Although differences between deletion subtypes were not found, significant within-subtype differences emerged in relationships between age and behavior. Negative associations between age and behavior in the Type I group only may relate to non-imprinted genes that are deleted in Type I but not Type II cases, including CYFIP1. Altered expression of CYFIP1 is seen in other developmental disabilities, including 15q disorders, and haploinsufficiency of CYFIP1 in Type I PWS cases may be associated with age-related phenotypic effects. Findings underscore the importance of a life-span perspective in phenotypic research.

  3. Prostate cancer prediction using the random forest algorithm that takes into account transrectal ultrasound findings, age, and serum levels of prostate-specific antigen.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Li-Hong; Chen, Pei-Ran; Gou, Zhong-Ping; Li, Yong-Zhong; Li, Mei; Xiang, Liang-Cheng; Feng, Ping

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the random forest algorithm that combines data on transrectal ultrasound findings, age, and serum levels of prostate-specific antigen to predict prostate carcinoma. Clinico-demographic data were analyzed for 941 patients with prostate diseases treated at our hospital, including age, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, transrectal ultrasound findings, and pathology diagnosis based on ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate. These data were compared between patients with and without prostate cancer using the Chi-square test, and then entered into the random forest model to predict diagnosis. Patients with and without prostate cancer differed significantly in age and serum prostate-specific antigen levels (P < 0.001), as well as in all transrectal ultrasound characteristics (P < 0.05) except uneven echo (P = 0.609). The random forest model based on age, prostate-specific antigen and ultrasound predicted prostate cancer with an accuracy of 83.10%, sensitivity of 65.64%, and specificity of 93.83%. Positive predictive value was 86.72%, and negative predictive value was 81.64%. By integrating age, prostate-specific antigen levels and transrectal ultrasound findings, the random forest algorithm shows better diagnostic performance for prostate cancer than either diagnostic indicator on its own. This algorithm may help improve diagnosis of the disease by identifying patients at high risk for biopsy.

  4. Expressive Language Intratest Scatter of Preschool-Age Children Who Stutter

    PubMed Central

    Millager, Ryan A.; Conture, Edward G.; Walden, Tedra A.; Kelly, Ellen M.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess intratest scatter (variability) on standardized tests of expressive language by preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS). Method Participants were 40 preschool-age CWS and 46 CWNS. Between-group comparisons of intratest scatter were made based on participant responses to the Expressive subtest of the Test of Early Language Development – 3 (TELD-Exp; Hresko, Reid, & Hamill, 1999) and the Expressive Vocabulary Test 2 (EVT-2; Williams, 2007). Within-group correlational analyses between intratest scatter and stuttering frequency and severity were also conducted for CWS. Results Findings indicated that, for CWS, categorical scatter on the EVT-2 was positively correlated with their stuttering frequency. No significant between-group differences in intratest scatter were found on the TELD-Exp or the EVT-2. Conclusions Consistent with earlier findings, variability in speech-language performance appears to be related to CWS’ stuttering, a finding taken to suggest an underlying cognitive-linguistic variable (e.g., cognitive load) may be common to both variables. PMID:25520550

  5. Risk groups in children under six months of age using self-organizing maps.

    PubMed

    Schilithz, A O C; Kale, P L; Gama, S G N; Nobre, F F

    2014-06-01

    Fetal and infant growth tends to follow irregular patterns and, particularly in developing countries, these patterns are greatly influenced by unfavorable living conditions and interactions with complications during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to identify groups of children with different risk profiles for growth development. The study sample comprised 496 girls and 508 boys under six months of age from 27 pediatric primary health care units in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data were obtained through interviews with the mothers and by reviewing each child's health card. An unsupervised learning, know as a self-organizing map (SOM) and a K-means algorithm were used for cluster analysis to identify groups of children. Four groups of infants were identified. The first (139) consisted of infants born exclusively by cesarean delivery, and their mothers were exclusively multiparous; the highest prevalences of prematurity and low birthweight, a high prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and a low proportion of hospitalization were observed for this group. The second (247 infants) and the third (298 infants) groups had the best and worst perinatal and infant health indicators, respectively. The infants of the fourth group (318) were born heavier, had a low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding, and had a higher rate of hospitalization. Using a SOM, it was possible to identify children with common features, although no differences between groups were found with respect to the adequacy of postnatal weight. Pregnant women and children with characteristics similar to those of group 3 require early intervention and more attention in public policy. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  6. Summary of data on the age of the Orca Group, Alaska: A section in The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments during 1984

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Plafker, George; Keller, Gerta; Nelson, Steven W.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Miller, Marti L.

    1985-01-01

    The Orca Group is a widespread, thick, complexly deformed accretionary sequence of flysch and tholeiitic basalt in the Prince William Sound area (Winkler, 1976; Winkler and Plafker, 1981) (fig. 49). Despite a number of extensive field studies of the Orca Group, reliable data on the age of the unit have been elusive. On the basis of sparse paleontologic and radiometric data, the sequence was regarded as Paleocene and early Eocene(?) age (Winkler and Plafker, 1981). New paleontologic data from fossil localities shown in figure 49 suggest that some strata assigned to the Orca Group are of middle Eocene age and possibly as young as late Eocene or Oligocene. However, data suggesting an age younger than about 50 Ma appear to be incompatible with radiometrically determined ages for plutons that intrude the Orca Group.

  7. Effect of mother support groups on nutritional status in children under two years of age in Laisamis village, Kenya.

    PubMed

    Undlien, Mattias; Viervoll, Håvard-Amund; Rostad, Berit

    2016-12-01

    In tackling the ongoing malnutrition problem in many parts of Kenya, the government has initialized preventive actions such as mother support groups in order to improve health and nutrition among children. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of such intervention. This study aimed at determining how mother support groups affect the nutrition status of children under 2 years of age. 41 children participated. Anthropometric measurements were taken of the children once a month during 12 months. Medical history, nutrition status and socioeconomic factors were collected by interviews with the mothers. The children were divided into two groups depending on their mother's assigned group; mother support group or not. Nutritional status was significantly better among children in the mother support group (P=0.001). There were significantly more children with severe acute malnutrition among the children not in support group (P=0.040). The mean height (P=0.001) and mean weight (P=0.0281) were significantly higher among children in the non-support group. Mother support groups may have a beneficial effect on the nutritional status of children under 2 years of age. Cases of severe acute malnutrition seemed to be less prevalent in children whose mothers attend mother support groups.

  8. Comparison of smoking cessation between education groups: findings from 2 US National Surveys over 2 decades.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Yue-Lin; Gamst, Anthony C; Cummins, Sharon E; Wolfson, Tanya; Zhu, Shu-Hong

    2015-02-01

    We examined smoking cessation rate by education and determined how much of the difference can be attributed to the rate of quit attempts and how much to the success of these attempts. We analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 1991-2010) and the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS, 1992-2011). Smokers (≥ 25 years) were divided into lower- and higher-education groups (≤ 12 years and >12 years). A significant difference in cessation rate between the lower- and the higher-education groups persisted over the last 2 decades. On average, the annual cessation rate for the former was about two thirds that of the latter (3.5% vs 5.2%; P<.001, for both NHIS and TUS-CPS). About half the difference in cessation rate can be attributed to the difference in quit attempt rate and half to the difference in success rate. Smokers in the lower-education group have consistently lagged behind their higher-education counterparts in quitting. In addition to the usual concern about improving their success in quitting, tobacco control programs need to find ways to increase quit attempts in this group.

  9. Psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics in adolescence: validity and reliability of a questionnaire across age-groups.

    PubMed

    Klages, Ulrich; Erbe, Christina; Sandru, Sandra Dinca; Brüllman, Dan; Wehrbein, Heinrich

    2015-02-01

    Dental malocclusion is a highly prevalent health condition in adolescence. Patients seek treatment primarily for aesthetic reasons. Therapy benefits are regarded, in the first place, to be psychosocial in nature. Therefore, it is mandatory to consider the perspective of the patient in treatment planning and control using a dental-aesthetics-related quality of life measure. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) developed in adult samples including the subscales Dental Self-Confidence, Social Impact, Psychological Impact and Aesthetic Concern is also applicable in adolescents aged 11 years and above. The psychometric properties were examined across three age-groups (11-12, 13-14, 15-17 year olds) with respect to factorial invariance, internal consistency, temporal stability, discriminant validity and gender- or age-associated scale mean differences and item response bias. Participants were 1,112 adolescents recruited from 4 institutions: orthodontic and dental practices, schools, and youth clubs. They answered the 23 partially reformulated items of the PIDAQ. Subjective and dentist evaluations of dental occlusion were assessed using the Perception of Occlusion Scale and the Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Both indices were aggregated to one Malocclusion Index (MI-S and MI-D). The fit indices using confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the factor structure and factor loadings underlying the PIDAQ items were invariant across ages (comparative fit index = 0.91, root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.04). Internal consistency and temporal stability were adequate within the age-groupings (Alpha = 0.71-0.88; intra-class correlations = 0.82-0.96). Adolescents with severe compared to slight malocclusion according to both self-evaluation and dentist evaluation were found to differ in all PIDAQ subscales at a level of p < 0.001 for all ages. PIDAQ

  10. [Application of the data from China Total Diet Study to assess the distribution of lead exposure in different age-gender population groups].

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaowei; Liu, Qing; Liu, Liping; Wu, Yongning

    2012-05-01

    To assess the distribution of dietary lead exposure in different age-gender groups of Chinese residents by using the data from China Total Diet Study, and combining the new risk assessment and the PTWI withdrawn by JECFA. Methods Combining the lead concentrations of dietary samples with the food consumption data from China Total Diet Study in 2007 to obtain the distribution of dietary intake and dietary source of lead in different age-gender population groups. Dietary lead exposure of different age-gender population groups in China was in the range of 48.7 -116.7 microg/d. The status of higher lead exposure in younger age groups was not optimistic, as the mean and median margins of exposure (MOE) have been less than 1.0 (0.1 - 0.3). The main sources of dietary lead were cereals and vegetables, which covering 57% of total lead exposure. Lowering the dietary lead exposure of Chinese residents is necessary, especially of infants and children.

  11. Personalized Age Progression with Bi-Level Aging Dictionary Learning.

    PubMed

    Shu, Xiangbo; Tang, Jinhui; Li, Zechao; Lai, Hanjiang; Zhang, Liyan; Yan, Shuicheng

    2018-04-01

    Age progression is defined as aesthetically re-rendering the aging face at any future age for an individual face. In this work, we aim to automatically render aging faces in a personalized way. Basically, for each age group, we learn an aging dictionary to reveal its aging characteristics (e.g., wrinkles), where the dictionary bases corresponding to the same index yet from two neighboring aging dictionaries form a particular aging pattern cross these two age groups, and a linear combination of all these patterns expresses a particular personalized aging process. Moreover, two factors are taken into consideration in the dictionary learning process. First, beyond the aging dictionaries, each person may have extra personalized facial characteristics, e.g., mole, which are invariant in the aging process. Second, it is challenging or even impossible to collect faces of all age groups for a particular person, yet much easier and more practical to get face pairs from neighboring age groups. To this end, we propose a novel Bi-level Dictionary Learning based Personalized Age Progression (BDL-PAP) method. Here, bi-level dictionary learning is formulated to learn the aging dictionaries based on face pairs from neighboring age groups. Extensive experiments well demonstrate the advantages of the proposed BDL-PAP over other state-of-the-arts in term of personalized age progression, as well as the performance gain for cross-age face verification by synthesizing aging faces.

  12. Age at initiation of amphetamine use and age at onset of psychosis: the Australian Survey of High Impact Psychosis.

    PubMed

    Power, Brian D; Stefanis, Nikos C; Dragovic, Milan; Jablensky, Assen; Castle, David; Morgan, Vera

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with a psychotic disorder who had a premorbid history of amphetamine use (n=382) were analyzed in groups according to age of initiation to amphetamine (AIA) and mean number of years of duration of premorbid exposure to amphetamine (DPEA) was calculated. Univariate General Linear Models were used to test for group differences in age at onset of psychotic illness (AOI) and DPEA. Although a temporal direct relationship between AIA and AOI was detected (mean duration 5.3 years), our findings suggested this association was spurious and better explained by a later initiation to amphetamine than to cannabis (by 2-3 years). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Scanning for satisfaction or digging for dismay? Comparing findings from a postal survey with those from a focus group-study.

    PubMed

    Carlsen, Benedicte; Glenton, Claire

    2012-09-03

    Despite growing support for mixed methods approaches we still have little systematic knowledge about the consequences of combining surveys and focus groups. While the methodological aspects of questionnaire surveys have been researched extensively, the characteristics of focus group methodology are understudied. We suggest and discuss whether the focus group setting, as compared to questionnaire surveys, encourages participants to exaggerate views in a negative direction. Based on an example from our own research, where we conducted a survey as a follow up of a focus group study, and with reference to theoretical approaches and empirical evidence from the literature concerning survey respondent behaviour and small group dynamics, we discuss the possibility that a discrepancy in findings between the focus groups and the questionnaire reflects characteristics of the two different research methods. In contrast to the survey, the focus group study indicated that doctors were generally negative to clinical guidelines. We were not convinced that this difference in results was due to methodological flaws in either of the studies, and discuss instead how this difference may have been the result of a general methodological phenomenon. Based on studies of how survey questionnaires influence responses, it appears reasonable to claim that surveys are more likely to find exaggerated positive views. Conversely, there are some indications in the literature that focus groups may result in complaints and overly negative attitudes, but this is still an open question. We suggest that while problematic issues tend to be under-communicated in questionnaire surveys, they may be overstated in focus groups.We argue for the importance of increasing our understanding of focus group methodology, for example by reporting interesting discrepancies in mixed methods studies. In addition, more experimental research on focus groups should be conducted to advance the methodology and to test our

  14. Scanning for satisfaction or digging for dismay? Comparing findings from a postal survey with those from a focus group-study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Despite growing support for mixed methods approaches we still have little systematic knowledge about the consequences of combining surveys and focus groups. While the methodological aspects of questionnaire surveys have been researched extensively, the characteristics of focus group methodology are understudied. We suggest and discuss whether the focus group setting, as compared to questionnaire surveys, encourages participants to exaggerate views in a negative direction. Discussion Based on an example from our own research, where we conducted a survey as a follow up of a focus group study, and with reference to theoretical approaches and empirical evidence from the literature concerning survey respondent behaviour and small group dynamics, we discuss the possibility that a discrepancy in findings between the focus groups and the questionnaire reflects characteristics of the two different research methods. In contrast to the survey, the focus group study indicated that doctors were generally negative to clinical guidelines. We were not convinced that this difference in results was due to methodological flaws in either of the studies, and discuss instead how this difference may have been the result of a general methodological phenomenon. Summary Based on studies of how survey questionnaires influence responses, it appears reasonable to claim that surveys are more likely to find exaggerated positive views. Conversely, there are some indications in the literature that focus groups may result in complaints and overly negative attitudes, but this is still an open question. We suggest that while problematic issues tend to be under-communicated in questionnaire surveys, they may be overstated in focus groups. We argue for the importance of increasing our understanding of focus group methodology, for example by reporting interesting discrepancies in mixed methods studies. In addition, more experimental research on focus groups should be conducted to advance the

  15. Grammatical morphology is not a sensitive marker of language impairment in Icelandic in children aged 4-14 years.

    PubMed

    Thordardottir, Elin

    2016-01-01

    Grammatical morphology continues to be widely regarded as an area of extraordinary difficulty in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). A main argument for this view is the purported high diagnostic accuracy of morphological errors for the identification of SLI. However, findings are inconsistent across age groups and across languages. Studies show morphological difficulty to be far less pronounced in more highly inflected languages and the diagnostic accuracy of morphology in such languages is largely unknown. This study examines the morphological use of Icelandic children with and without SLI in a cross-sectional sample of children ranging from preschool age to adolescence and assesses the usefulness of morphology as a clinical marker to identify SLI. Participants were 57 monolingual Icelandic-speaking children age 4-14 years; 31 with SLI and 26 with typical language development (TD). Spontaneous language samples were coded for correct and incorrect use of grammatical morphology. The diversity of use of grammatical morphemes was documented for each group at different age and MLU levels. Individual accuracy scores were plotted against age as well as MLU and diagnostic accuracy was calculated. MLU and morphological accuracy increased with age for both children with SLI and TD, with the two groups gradually approaching each other. Morphological diversity and sequence of acquisition was similar across TD and SLI groups compared based on age or MLU. Morphological accuracy was overall high, but was somewhat lower in the SLI group, in particular at ages below 12 years and MLU levels below 6.0. However, overlap between the groups was important in all age groups, involving a greater tendency for errors in both groups at young ages and scores close to or at ceiling at older ages. Sensitivity rates as well as likelihood ratios for each morpheme were all below the range considered acceptable for clinical application, whereas better specificity rates in some age

  16. Cochrane review: social skills groups for people aged 6 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

    PubMed

    Reichow, Brian; Steiner, Amanda M; Volkmar, Fred

    2013-03-07

    Since autism was first described, major difficulties in social interaction have been a defining feature of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Social skills groups are a common intervention for individuals with ASD. Although a frequently recommended practice, the few studies that have addressed the efficacy of social skills groups have shown mixed results. To determine the effectiveness of social skills groups for improving social competence, social communication, and quality of life for people with ASD who are six to 21 years of age. We searched the following databases in December 2011: CENTRAL (2011 Issue 4), MEDLINE (1948 to November Week 3, 2011), EMBASE (1980 to Week 50, 2011), PsycINFO (1887 to December Week 2, 2011), CINAHL (1937 to current), ERIC (1966 to current), Sociological Abstracts (1952 to current), OCLC WorldCat (12 December 2011), Social Science Citation Index (1970 to 16 December 2011), and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (20 December 2011). We also searched the reference lists of published papers. Randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing treatment (social skills groups) with a control group who were not receiving the treatment for participants aged six to 21 years with ASD. The control group could be no intervention, wait list, or treatment as usual. Outcomes sought were standardized measures of social competence, social communication, quality of life, emotion recognition, and any other specific behaviors. Two review authors independently selected and appraised studies for inclusion and assessed the risk of bias in each included study. All outcome data were continuous and standardized mean difference effect sizes (ES) with small sample correction were calculated. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis where possible. We included five RCTs evaluating the effects of social skills groups in 196 participants with ASD aged 6 to 21 years old. The results show there is some evidence that social skills groups improve overall

  17. Influences of brain development and ageing on cortical interactive networks.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Chengyu; Guo, Xiaoli; Jin, Zheng; Sun, Junfeng; Qiu, Yihong; Zhu, Yisheng; Tong, Shanbao

    2011-02-01

    To study the effect of brain development and ageing on the pattern of cortical interactive networks. By causality analysis of multichannel electroencephalograph (EEG) with partial directed coherence (PDC), we investigated the different neural networks involved in the whole cortex as well as the anterior and posterior areas in three age groups, i.e., children (0-10 years), mid-aged adults (26-38 years) and the elderly (56-80 years). By comparing the cortical interactive networks in different age groups, the following findings were concluded: (1) the cortical interactive network in the right hemisphere develops earlier than its left counterpart in the development stage; (2) the cortical interactive network of anterior cortex, especially at C3 and F3, is demonstrated to undergo far more extensive changes, compared with the posterior area during brain development and ageing; (3) the asymmetry of the cortical interactive networks declines during ageing with more loss of connectivity in the left frontal and central areas. The age-related variation of cortical interactive networks from resting EEG provides new insights into brain development and ageing. Our findings demonstrated that the PDC analysis of EEG is a powerful approach for characterizing the cortical functional connectivity during brain development and ageing. Copyright © 2010 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Progress towards zero, an international comparison: Improvements in traffic fatality from 1990 to 2010 for different age groups in the USA and 15 of its peers.

    PubMed

    Ahangari, Hamed; Atkinson-Palombo, Carol; Garrick, Norman W

    2016-06-01

    In January 2015, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that the official target of the federal government transportation safety policy was zero deaths. Having a better understanding of traffic fatality trends of various age cohorts-and to what extent the US is lagging other countries-is a crucial first step to identifying policies that may help the USDOT achieve its goal. In this paper we analyze fatality rates for different age cohorts in developed countries to better understand how road traffic fatality patterns vary across countries by age cohort. Using benchmarking analysis and comparative index analysis based on panel data modelling and data for selected years between 1990 and 2010, we compare changes in the rate of road traffic fatality over time, as well as the absolute level of road traffic fatality for six age groups in the US, with 15 other developed countries. Our findings illustrate tremendous variations in road fatality rates (both in terms of the absolute values and the rates of improvement over time) among different age cohorts in all of the 16 countries. Looking specifically at the US, our analysis shows that safety improvements for Youngsters (15-17 years old) was much better than for other age groups, and closely tracked peer countries. In sharp contrast, Children (0-14 years old) and Seniors (+65 years old) in the US, fare very poorly when compared to peer countries. For example, in 2010, Children in the US were a stunning five times more likely to experience a road traffic fatality than Children in the UK. This startling statistic suggests an immediate need to explore further the causes and potential solutions to these disparities. This is especially important if countries, including the US, are to achieve the ambitious goals set out in Zero Vision initiatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

  19. Relationship Between Occlusal Plane and Three Levels of Ala Tragus line in Dentulous and Partially Dentulous Patients in Different Age Groups: A Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Shaikh, Saquib Ahmed; K, Lekha

    2015-01-01

    Statement of problem: Correct orientation of the occlusal plane plays a vital role in achieving optimal aesthetics, occlusal balance and function of complete dentures. The use of ala tragus line for determination of occlusal plane has been a topic of debate over past many years. Also, the effect of age on level of ala tragal line has not been investigated in the past. Purpose: To determine the effect of age on location of Ala-Tragus line. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 patients (90 males and 90 females) were selected with complete dentition and were grouped according to their age in three age groups with 60 subjects in each age group (Group A: 20-35 y, Group B: 36-50 y, Group C: 51-65 y). Right lateral profile photographs were taken with subjects having fox plane placed intraorally parallel to occlusal plane. Reference points corresponding to inferior border, middle or superior border of tragus and inferior border of ala of nose were marked on photographs. These were joined to get three different levels of Ala-Tragus line. Images were analysed photometrically and most parallel relationship was determined in between arms of fox plane (that represented the occlusal plane) and three different levels of ala tragus line. Data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson chi-square and Likelihood-ratio chi-square test. Results: Significant correlation was found between age and level of Ala-Tragus line. The occlusal plane was found to be more parallel to Ala-tragus line when inferior border of tragus was considered as posterior reference point in young adult age group (20-35 y). In older age groups, occlusal plane was found to be more parallel to Ala-tragus line when middle of tragus was considered as posterior reference point. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that a definite relationship exists in between age and level of ala tragus line. PMID:25859523

  20. An empirical examination of subjective age in older adults.

    PubMed

    Agogo, David; Hajjat, Fatima; Milne, George R; Schewe, Charles D; Perrott, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    It has been observed that subjective age (SA) often trails chronological age, especially in older adults. In a previously published article, we argued that differences in individual's SA is a function of their level of activity on biological, mental, and social dimensions. This article empirically tests this proposition using a newly created Subjective Aging Index (SAI). The SAI is related to SA above the effect of age with differences existing across age groups and sex. The findings contribute to the literature on successful aging strategies with important implications for health care practitioners, marketers, and individuals heading towards older adult years.